When we watch children at play it is easy to begin to imagine their future. We envision great things and limitless potential. Sadly, as adults, we don’t always recognize or embrace the same potential in ourselves or our peers.

This week I had the opportunity to see a mobile application a group of talented Michigan State University undergraduates and their professor are designing to provide pedestrian campus navigation alternatives for people with blind or low vision disabilities. As we talked about icons, interfaces, and features our attention was brought to a series of photos hanging on the wall of the room in which we were meeting. One in particular, was of Carl V. Page who taught at the university from 1967 until his death in 1996.

Dr. Page had a talent for “coming up with new approaches to problems.” A memorial web page dedicated to Dr. Page features a quote from a colleague who said, Page was “a wonderful presence in the college of engineering.” No doubt, Dr. Page made lasting contributions that can be seen in the culture of creativity demonstrated by those in MSU’s Department of Computer Science and Engineering today.

One other detail that came up in our conversation was that Dr. Page had a son who used to hang out with his father at the office in the late 1970s. I suspect that we all stood there for a moment and imagined a young boy laughing and playing in the hall just outside our meeting room. Dr. Page’s son Larry went on to be the co-founder of Google in 1998.

Sadly Dr. Page, who died in 1996, didn’t survive long enough to see all of the places his son would go. Though, it kind of made me smile to think that everyone (a young boy, me, you, a student, or professor) has the potential for greatness and that sometimes we don’t even know that we are walking and working in places where our heros and legends were playing and learning before they made history.

As you read this, the deadline for your current graphic design project is quickly approaching. There are so many pieces and parts that need to come together in order to make the project a success. How does your checklist look? Typography (oh yeah), color palettes (yup), icons (yeah…somewhere here…where’s that folder), nicely designed/quick navigation bar (um, gulp).

Having the talent, the right resources in your toolbox, the wisdom to know when to build from scratch, and gumption to use stock material properly can help you to be very efficient—all while reserving some time for innovation in the places that count most. But, there are an overwhelming number of reputable royalty free stock sources to choose from. Where should you begin?

Personally, I savor the opportunity to try out a lot of different sources—to “kick the tires” so-to-speak. Though sampling an eclectic mix of royalty free stock can quickly prove to be drastically expensive. Once in a while, a really great bundle comes along that enables you to enjoy a variety of high-quality design, code, and iconic stock files at a price that would make both junior and senior design talent’s eyes tear up.

GraphicRiver, ThemeForest, ActiveDen, CodeCanyon, and PhotoDune have partnered to offer one such bundle for a limited time. The Web Designer Pro Bundle offers a vast selection of icons, code, photographs, site templates, WordPress Themes, and plug-ins to assist you in your creative endeavors. Even if you don’t immediately use a part of the bundle for your current project (yes, the deadline is even closer now) you can take a closer look at each item to learn how other creatives tackle code and design elements.

Oh, and the individual designers who made each of the resources in the bundle? They get full credit/acknowledgement for their efforts—you can pursue author pages on each of the stock provider’s marketplaces (these, and other, creative marketplaces are managed by evanto who’s mission is to “help people to earn and to learn, online”). If you find a favorite graphic resource, then you can find more solutions from the specific designer. I especially like the style and flair of the Retro Vintage Labels by UK-based Sneek and Retro Vintage Web Elements by Vlade (a graphic designer living in Macedonia).

The Web Designer Pro Bundle will set you back $20US and is available until 12 pm (AEDT) Feb. 27, 2012. Oh, and if you were to purchase all of the items included in the bundle separately? Well, let’s just say your pocketbook or PayPal account would be more than $500US lighter.

Don’t fret if you miss out on this deal. You can always sign up for email notifications of future bundles and promotions.

Illustration/composition credit: “Stock Art Deadline” was created using a selection of free icons from the nounproject.com.

Everyone on our team contributed to the project and ultimately felt a high level of ownership. Work was contributed by our student interns, online community manager, myself, and senior staff. The entire project was pitched, refined, and completed in just a few business days.

I was able to leverage my graphic design skills to assist with completing this project on schedule—our primary graphic designers were working on multiple high priority projects at the time and otherwise wouldn’t have been able to assist. I’m thankful for the abilities and skills my team and I have—talent runs deep and enables us to get more done and be nimble enough to stretch a little further to still take on special projects when the opportunity arises.

The MSU Valentine’s Day cards post and photo gallery on our institutional Facebook page collectively generated 685 likes, 739 shares, and 33 comments. In addition, we observered several members of our community download a copy of the Valentine’s Day cards and then repost/share via their personal Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, and other social networking venues.

The content provided an opportunity for our audience to personally connect, engage, and share their thoughts and experiences about the institution they love with people in their network.

The attention and engagement we received was comparable to what we would normally see for a major athletic event on the institutional/academic Facebook page.

Related posts:

• Sample work: First snow of the season
• Sample work: 2012 MSU State of the University

My participation in the project consisted of contributing to the creative design and direction of the project, participating in review phases from early concepts through final designs, revising labeling and word order/priority for clarity, and design of the Stewardship & Administration section of the electronic report (shown below) to assist with completing the project on schedule.

Project type: Electronic Report
Editor: Susan Holloway
Graphic Design: Deon Foster, Michael VanPutten
Web Developer: Eric Samson

Related posts:

• Sample work: MSU Valentine’s Day cards
• Sample work: First snow of the season

The purpose of art is not the release of a momentary ejection of adrenaline but rather the gradual, lifelong construction of a state of wonder and serenity.

- Glenn Gould
from the liner notes for A State of Wonder: The Complete Goldberg Variations 1955 & 1981

Listen to Glenn Gould play the Aria from the Goldberg Variations

Richie Moriarty is “the star” in this video published by Improv Asylum, a comedy and improv club in Boston, MA.

(found via Doris Dirks on Facebook.com)

This factoid from a 2010 National Bureau of Economic Research working paper has been making the rounds this week — inspiring renewed discussion regarding the value of a higher education degree. On reddit.com, the thread [Today I learned] there are over 5,000 janitors in the U.S. with PhDs. attracted 823 comments. The Daily cited the original NBER working paper in their Boxes and Briefs section for their January 9, 2012 edition; adding that “17 million Americans with college degrees hold jobs below their eduction level.”

If time permits, I want to take a closer look at the original research — to learn more about the data, model, and findings. Until then, this post will continue to be tagged as a ‘fragment’.

Notes for learning more

Original publication that inspired the ongoing discussion

Read Estimating Marginal Returns to Education, the National Bureau of Economic Research working paper No. 16474 drafted by Pedreo Carneiro, James J. Heckman, and Edward J. Vytlacil (October, 2010). The full text is also available as a PDF. The abstract for the working paper provides some context of the author’s intent:

This paper estimates the marginal returns to college for individuals induced to enroll in college by different marginal policy changes. The recent instrumental variables literature seeks to estimate this parameter, but in general it does so only under strong assumptions that are tested and found wanting. We show how to utilize economic theory and local instrumental variables estimators to estimate the effect of marginal policy changes. Our empirical analysis shows that returns are higher for individuals with values of unobservables that make them more likely to attend college. We contrast the returns to well-defined marginal policy changes with IV estimates of the return to schooling. Some marginal policy changes inducing students into college produce very low returns.

Opinions published regarding the research

Read Why Did 17 Million Students Go to College, written by Richard Vedder for The Chronicle of Higher Education (October 20, 2010). Veder concludes that “higher education is on the brink of big change” and that “state governments are cutting back  higher-education funding, thinking it is an activity that largely confers private benefits.”

Read There are 5,000 Janitors in the U.S. with PhDs, written by Kyle Vanherert for Gizmodo (October 22, 2010). Vanherert ends with a collective shrug writing “whatever some eggheads work out ‘college’ to mean for people on paper can’t really take into account the experience of going to college, but the numbers are pretty surprising nonetheless.”

Related posts:

• Reflection: will the Internet and Web have a major impact on K-12, Higher Education, and/or Adult Education?

I really love this 15-minute documentary about the Los Angeles office of TBWA/Chiat/Day Advertising. The piece was directed and edited by Matthew Kalish.

Aside from enjoying a hip/fun soundtrack with tunes from the 1970s to present, in this video you will see and learn about:

• what the Chiat/Day design space in LA looks like — from walking through the entrance tunnel, to the open spaces designed for creativity, community, and collaboration
• background on Jay Chiat and the agency — the decision to “be big” and create a great agency in the late 60s
• a montage of iconic print and video campaigns
• philosophy about creating an environment where creative people could “do it their way”
• thoughts on why Jay Chiat was a leader and initiated change in the advertising industry, how he drove and inspired others to achieve
• how Lee Clow did a year-long campaign (“hire the harry”) in order to convince the Chiat/Day team to let him join — his peers describe Lee as “an advertising legend”
• how Lee understands what creative thinking is, how he pushes for the best
• Apple, Inc.’s 1984 advertisement that introduced the Macintosh, and how the spot helped Chiat/Day to become a force in the advertising industry
• another montage of outstanding campaigns for Porsche, and later Nissan
• inspiration for the Energizer Bunny and how it was turned into an effective advertising campaign
• examples from their big accounts: Taco Bell, Jack in the Box, Reebok
• a tour of “the big grey box” where their offices are located (which looks like a miniature city)
• Omnicom’s purchase of TBWA and Chiat/Day
• The Tequila worldwide network of agencies and interactive work, viral videos, and more around the globe
• “Beyond Disruption” — pioneered by Jean-Marie Dru. Looking at unconventional strategies in order to move faster
• Apple, Inc.’s “Think Different” campaign
• And another montage of cool advertisements for iPod, Playstation, and more
• Closing thoughts from key members of the agency: they started small with a passion for great work, they grew and are now big — but, still have the passion. If you have a great idea — go and do it!
• Lee’s formula for growth and profit: great people, doing great work is how you grow and become profitable, there isn’t any other way.

The video was shot using an Apple® iPhone 4S™ and edited using iMovie™.

As part of our social media strategy, we always are keeping an eye out for timely topics to cover that we believe will delight and surprise our audience—like the first snow of the winter season.

MSU’s colors are green and white, and when we saw the large beautiful snowflakes begin to fall, set against the green grass and pine trees, we saw an opportunity.

Being able to quickly execute an idea relies upon awareness, understanding of overall goals and objectives, as well as technical skills for operating and camera and video software.

The first snow of the season post to the MSU Facebook Page generated 167 likes, 72 shares, and 55 comments. Our audience shared their personal stories and memories of their time on campus, the Red Cedar River, epic snow ball fights, and more.

Related posts:

• Sample work: MSU Valentine’s Day cards

I consider myself lucky when considering the opportunities I have had thus far. I was born in America, I have a graduate-level education, I work at a prestigious institution with wonderful people who care about what they are working on, and have a life filled with family and friends.

Despite great opportunities, life presents challenges and expenses – which can result in significant uncertainty. Managing what needs to be done now and in the next few weeks or months is important. But, what about making sure that there are conditions and finances available that will promote a secure future?

Many Americans believe that a comfortable retirement lifestyle means having a minimum savings of $100,000 to $1 million (U.S.) – according to an AP-CNBC poll. Yet, few feel confident that they will ever succeed in accumulating such wealth.

What does a comfortable retirement lifestyle mean? Does it include the cost of housing, food, transportation, health care, and the ability to lend support to your family should an emergency arise?

Normal retirement ages vary by country. However, it would appear that right now most Americans are retiring in their mid to late-sixties. The U.S. Congress’s most recent adjustment to the U.S. specifications for full retirement age was made in the 1983 Social Security Amendments. The full retirement age for people born after 1959 in the United States was set at 67 years. The amendment cited improvements in health and longer life span for Americans. I suspect that the normal retirement age will trend higher as Americans in generations X, Y, and Z reach the later part of their lives.

Many young Americans have substantial debt – which impacts their ability to save for the future. Most college students are graduating with at least $20,000 in debt. This is in addition to average $3,173 in credit card debt that they carried as undergraduates.

How long would it take for a young American to save $1 million (U.S.) for a “comfortable retirement” lifestyle? We can estimate monthly savings goals required for a million dollar retirement by using the Bankrate.com calculator. The following estimates are based on an initial deposit of $0 (because most young Americans do not have $10,000 available to start off their retirement fund), an annual return of 5%, and a 3% inflation rate.

As you can see, a recent college graduate’s retirement fund would be worth a mere $169,733 even after saving $600 each month for 42 years. This amount would hardly yield enough to cover annual expenses for the 15 to 30 years you live following retirement at 67 years of age. To have a net value of $1 million after adjustment for inflation we would have to save a lot more each month.

It is kind of terrifying when you consider the income and lifestyle required right now in order to enjoy a comfortable retirement in the future. Further, the above calculations and targets don’t take into account the other things that come up in life including buying a car, purchasing your first home, having a child, having pets, developing a hobby, or sending your child to school and college.

The above numbers assume the most conservative investment strategies. Investing in stocks or using a Roth IRA may yield a higher return over time. Still, you have to begin saving large amounts each month now if you want to have a reliable future.

Do your spending habits, salary, and lifestyles support this type of savings plan? Or, would you have to make significant changes in order to enjoy a better life in your post retirement years?