what gmail’s missing and where you can get it

Some people put every form of contact available in their signature line.  Others don’t.  Nobody (that I correspond with) is putting their latest tweet in every email.  To be honest, I don’t even recall where I heard of rapportive.  Now that I’ve used it for a bit. I can say that it is, without a doubt, the best thing that has happened to GMail since its beginning.

See, Rapportive fills all that empty space to the right of the email’s body with the IRL and social contact information attached to that email address.  You log in to the major social media services (facebook, twitter, linkedin…) and rapportive pulls public information from their profiles like last status updates and phone number.  It also lets you friend request or follow your contact directly in GMail as well as place calls with Google Voice.

There are also a ton of add-ons (raplets) that let you intgrate Klout, MailChimp, or a whole host of other services.

If you’re using social media and GMail, stop using Internet Explorer (it’s not supported) and download Rapportive now!

gigspam | Sundown Southern Eatery

My piano duo will be playing the Sundown Southern Eatery in Winter Haven tonight (June 17, 2010) through Saturday.  I’m playing with Daniel Joiner this evening and rounding out the weekend with John O’Leary.

I’ve been told the Sundown is one of the finest restaurants in the area and has only gotten better under the ownership of Fred Johnson of Fred’s Southern Kitchen fame.

Come out tonight between 6:30 and 9:30 or on the weekend between 7:00 and 10:00 and make sure to tell the manager you came to hear live jazz in Central Florida.

there’s a reason for my absence

So, my design-a-day project didn’t get the legs it needed to stride its way through 2010.  That’s a good thing.

Instead, I’ve devoted those energies to my  newest endeavor, a fine press. It’s a custom boutique for event-based stationery (announcements, invitations, thank-yous, etc.)  We’ve got our first couple projects in the works and are excited to up our marketing efforts in the next several weeks.

Please do me a favor.  Go to our website and check it out.  If you know anyone looking for custom invitations or announcements, send them this link.  I’d appreciate any help I can get in making a fine press a success.

And watch for a cool new project or two as soon as they’ve actually been mailed.

there’s no more catcher

This morning, I posted to twitter a little design I did for a shirt in honor of JD Salinger.  The reclusive author, best known for his 1951 classic, Catcher in the Rye, passed away yesterday at the age of 91.

I’m making it available for presale for $16 plus $4 for shipping.  If you’d like one, you can send $20 via Paypal (specify adult small – extra large).

Ship date depends on the amount of orders that come in.  If they do not ship by February 6, I’ll email you with an update and give you the option of a refund.

week 2

This is the first of my weekly summaries of the work produced for my Design a Day project. I’ll also be posting a weekly poll of your favorite designs from last week.  Looks like I was able to avoid the blue that overtook last week pretty well.

sepia alley - all done up. day 15

day 17

I feel as though I’ve seen this treatment of the number seventeen in a Soviet-inspired poster.  It’s tucked far enough in the back of my mind that there’s no real basis for this.  I guess it could just as easily be an “n.”

day 15

sepia alley - all done up.  day 15This one’s a stock photo from sxc.hu.  I’ve had trouble applying textures to text in CS4 – got that figured out now.  I also wanted to delve into the transformation of text for the faded graffiti.  I’d love to hear your hints and tips on that.