chriskillian Sat Oct 04 2008 at 09:39 pm

These are interesting. Did you make them in Photoshop, or did you use some other app?

Derek Wed Nov 19 2008 at 11:31 am

Are you the guy who made those slides on the homepage of Jive Software?  I really can’t believe you used a tutorial for the grass one.  Not only did you use it, you didn’t even put your own style or ideas into it.  How lame.

Michael Sigler Wed Nov 19 2008 at 01:52 pm

@chris - All Photoshop. I’m don’t feel they are particularly stellar as stand alone pieces but feel they are relevant to growing past some of my preconception about how to use space, texture and color.

@derek - You make an interesting point. That piece is certainly not original. I was quick to point that out when tweeting about the site updates. I didn’t want anyone to think I was putting that work out as my own.

What I think you’re missing is the context. The particular piece you’ve mentioned was an excellent solution for the problem presented. We were under a considerably tight deadline. Speed was the primary motivation and we agreed that the treatment fit our goals.

Sometimes one needs to remember not to reinvent the wheel. I have no shame in using a free resource to accomplish a successful project. With more time I’d love to have done something more original. Unfortunately the business world doesn’t always have room to placate my ego.

The slide that needs the most criticism is the middle slide - with the energy. It made sense when the primary message was speed. That changed but there wasn’t room in the timeline to change direction. Compromise was made.

I’m happiest with the red tape piece. It’s not perfect but I like the feel of it.