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This is Officehours
In this first post on the Officehours blog, I’d like to introduce our service. Instead of a long text, I’ll do so with a simple Q&A. Following are a batch of questions I often receive, when I tell...
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David Airey on starting out—and advice for new designers
Above: David working at his impressively tidy desk. I can’t remember when David and I first connected. It was probably sometime around 2006, before he wrote his first book Logo Design Love: A Guide to...
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How to become an Officehours Advisor
Have you worked hard to learn your craft? Are you an expert in your field? Do you possess knowledge that could be helpful to another? Perfect! You ought to be an advisor on Officehours. To become an...
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Paul Jarvis on helping freelancers get respect
Above: Paul doesn’t use a wireless mouse. Maybe I’m different, but I doubt it. I want to make good work, without needing to be under someone else’s thumb. If you’re a creative person you probably...
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Debbie Millman on fear, time, and terrifying learning
Debbie Millman shares insights with her students. © Scott Lerman Few others have done as much to get designers talking, as Debbie Millman. She’s an author, educator, strategist, and perhaps best known...
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How to prepare for an Officehours session
It all started last week when you learned that Ms/Mr. X had posted office hours. “Awesome!” you thought, as you clicked the Request Session button. You weren’t hopeful, though. 4 others applied for...
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Nikki McDonald on how to get a book deal
Nikki McDonald working from her home office—with Olive. After I wrote Speak Human and The Design Method, I got a lot of questions from other designers. The one that stood out from the rest was: “How...
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Andrei Soroker on startups getting everything wrong—and Slack eating his lunch
Peter Hizalev (left) and Andrei Soroker (right) in one of the many airports they’ve passed through in recent years. A short while after we launched Chapp, I received an email from Andrei Soroker. I...
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Stefan G. Bucher on life as an independent creative
Stefan G. Bucher is an interesting dude. He’s worked for big-name clients as varied as Blue Man Group, A&M Records, Sesame Workshop, and The New York Times. But, as you peruse his portfolio, you...
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Todd Falkowsky on Canadian design and life as a polymath
Canadian design is a bit of a strange scene. Ours is a (relatively) new country, and designers are often separated by vast distances. So, a person like Todd Falkowsky is particularly important. Through...
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This is your life—and it’s a journey
I was an actor for 2 months. OK—this is an overstatement. Allow me to rephrase: for 2 months, I wanted to be an actor. So, I went to an audition and was cast in a play. But, when I learned that the...
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How to promote your Officehours
So, you signed up as an Officehours advisor, but you haven’t received many requests for sessions. Want to change that? Here are a handful of tips for getting yourself out there. — Tweet your sessions...
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Introducing calendar events and recurring sessions
Those on Officehours already know how focused we are on improving this service. In fact, I’ve spoken with dozens of advisors who’ve told us what they want us to improve. Although we can’t address...
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Rahel Bailie on the growing demands on content strategy—and the tech “ism” no...
Content never gets the attention it deserves. I see this often, in my work on web properties. Everyone wants a hand in the visuals. Most would like involvement in tech decisions. Some even want to...
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Mike Rohde on becoming the Sketchnote king
When did you last pick up a pencil and draw something? I bet it’s been a while—and I think I know why. You think your drawings aren’t good enough, so, you don’t bother. This is a real shame, because...
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One-on-one advice now comes in a variety of flavors!
Officehours seems like a simple project. Like most simple things, though, it’s a tad more complex than we first imagined. We learned this early on, as we thought through the application. (Our roadmap...
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VIU design students use new technology to mainline industry advice
We all get stuck from time to time. This experience is probably felt most by students. The gap between what’s taught in the classroom, and industry expectations seems insurmountable. In actuality,...
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Thomas Jockin explains how he keeps his Officehours sessions booked
A while back, I wrote a post about how to promote your office hours. In it, I mentioned how Thomas Jockin is typically fully booked. Not long after, Thomas sent an email to explain how he keeps his...
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Rob Schwartz on ripping up his LSATs, passing on Hollywood, and his life in...
Rob’s childhood dream was to be a writer—but, plans change. Since making this (slight) detour, he’s become one of the more influential figures in advertising. Currently, he acts as TBWA\CHIAT\DAY New...
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Should I hold office hours?
Most are familiar with office hours as a college/university thing. These are times at which professors and TAs make themselves available to students. They do so to clarify matters, provide guidance,...
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