Recently I attended a lecture event hosted by AIGA (I’m putting my membership to good use). Brian and Jason, the two guys who created Good Fucking Design Advice decided to go on a nationwide tour to share their amazing story with anyone who would listen. The spoke and cursed to their hearts content at MM Identity Lab, a small local agency yet it made for a wonderful venue.
I honestly wasn’t familiar with GFDA or what they did exactly before this event; I went into blind hoping to come out on the other end with a bit more knowledge. If you’re not familiar either, here’s a bit of back story. These two teachers from Ohio were tired of answering the same questions over and over. They wanted to find a way for everyone to have access to the answers. They also needed people to pay attention so some curse words were thrown in and thus Good Fucking Design Advice was born. Within days of launching their website, they surprisingly had thousands of hits and they realized they stumbled onto something amazing.
On top of the advice on the website, they began selling merchandise (without actually having the merchandise) to spread the word even further. After many trials, tribulations and thousands of screen printed posters later they have built their fucking empire to where it is today.
I wish they would have given more advice rather than just talking about their process but it was still really awesome getting to hear their story and what they have been through together. I did take a few things from what they had to say.
- Make use of your gifts, not just your capabilities
- Be courageous
- Doing is doing
- Ask for help – Which is something I always encourage and in this industry is absolutely necessary
- Love the process – First and foremost you should always love the process, otherwise what do you have?
Even if you’re not in the design field I believe everyone can learn from the advice these guys have to give. Make sure you check out their website and if you feel so inclined you can purchase this coffee mug for me.
