It doesn’t seem that long ago most all design and prep for printed materials were done by hand. A time-consuming task that now takes far less time. Copy was produced by the writer, then the copy was stored on a mainframe computer, which then was retrieved for output. Typesetters (this was a person coding the type for output) then sent this file to an image-setter, which produced type galleys. These type galleys were then waxed or glued using rubber cement and affixed to a paste-up board based on the specific design allowing for images to be added later.

Clipart was used for artwork that either came from a clipart service or was created by local artists. Photos were supplied by a photographer and then reproduced on a stat camera designed to make photographs printable.

Once all the type and art was pasted into place, a photocopy was made of the paste-up for proofreaders who would edit the copy. Now completed, the art boards were then sent to a printer who would shoot the entire art board on a special camera to create film. This film was then stripped up in position for proofs and printing. At this point, proofs where made from these pieces, called flats, for final client approval.

Once all the proofs were approved, plates where made for the press for printing. From the press, these printed pieces went to the knife for trimming, then to the bindery where all the pieces and parts were assembled, and then shipped to their final location. Nowadays, some of these processes still exist, however, most files are sent digitally and produced digitally, all of which can start out from a machine you can almost put in your pocket.

There is a lot to be said for the ease and less mess of today’s production of printed materials. So even if those were the “good ol’ days,” now when I go home I don’t smell like chemicals, have fewer cuts on my fingers, and my hands don’t stick together from either wax or glue. But, there is still charm in doing things the old way that lingers in my mind and probably always will.

My lovely wife introduced me to running again. Before we met, I probably ran a total of 3 miles in over 10 years. I had played soccer in high school, but after graduating, I rarely ran or jogged. She has always been a runner, having taken part in many half-marathons, and always having the goal to run at least 100 miles each year. At first I didn’t mind that she was logging all of these miles, and having fun racing, while I sat on the sidelines. A few of my friends had also taken up running as well, and I was invited to run the Race for the Cure by a good friend of mine. For those not familiar with this race, it’s a 5k run here in downtown Richmond, benefiting breast cancer research. While the task of running 3 miles after not running for years seemed daunting, I can’t say no to a worthy cause while enjoying time with friends. I started training about two months beforehand, running about a half mile at first, then working up to a full mile. In about 3 weeks I had already worked up to 3-mile runs, and knew I’d be fine running the race. Race day came, and while I was extremely nervous, my time wasn’t too bad for a first-timer, even with having to do a little walking. All in all, I had a great time, and needless to say, I’ve been hooked on racing since.

In 2010, my wife suggested we run the hugely popular Monument Avenue 10k together. I thought to myself, that’s 6.2 miles…that’s crazy! After some persuasion, she talked me into it. I had to push my training quite a bit, what with never having run over 4 miles at a time before. The week before the race, I was able to make it to 5-mile runs, but that was it. I was extremely tired after those runs, and had serious doubts on whether or not I could run a 10k. Again the race day came, and with that came my nerves. My wife assured me I’d be fine, and I’d probably do much better than I thought. To tell you the truth, she was absolutely correct. She also dusted me at the start of the race, but that was no surprise to me. The good thing about this race is that there are TONS of supporters on the sidelines with signs of encouragement, yelling and cheering for the runners. These folks, along with the bands/musical acts that are placed along the route, really help you keep going even when you’re extremely tired. They make you forget that your feet hurt, or you’re getting shin splints, or you’re dying of thirst. All throughout the race I’d see familiar faces in the crowds, which pushed me to run a little harder. I eventually caught up with my wife, and we finished the race within seconds of each other. A feat I thought would probably never happen.

Since then, I’ve run quite a few more races. The toughest to date: a 5k Army trail run. Even though the distance was something I had no problem with, I had met my biggest foe to date: hills, and lots of them. By the end of the race I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. But, it was rewarding to finish something so tough.

For this year, I plan to run as many races as possible. I’ll of course be running the Monument Avenue 10k and the Race for the Cure, but I have my sights set on something I never thought I’d do, and that’s a half marathon. That’s 13.1 miles. The same distance as two 10ks in one day. Crazy? Maybe. But I’ve gotten to the point in my racing where I need a new challenge. The McDonald’s Half Marathon is looking like the most appealing race at this point, because it runs through Richmond, and it’s not till November. Plenty of time to train!

I’m thankful that my wife got me back into running. It clears my mind after a hectic day, and gives me the time to reflect. Speaking of my wife, she plans to run a half marathon every month this year. Now that is crazy.

I’m not originally from Richmond. I was born in Upstate NY, and then because of my dad’s job, lived in many countries all over the world. I’m definitely aware that I had a very fortunate upbringing. After I graduated from college, I landed a job in NYC at a photography company. It was fast paced and fun. We got to look at pictures of celebrities all day. But most importantly, I got to spend my days in the epicenter of the world.

After about 2 ½ years, I started to grow restless, though. My boyfriend (now my husband) and I started discussing where we could move next. Oregon? No, too far away from family. Maine? Too cold! Hey, what about Richmond, Virginia? My best friend had just moved down there and Jay and I always liked going to Richmond to see her. Things were cheaper in Richmond, there was hardly any traffic, and hell, people were way nicer than in the Tristate area. I remember one of the first times I visited her—we were walking down her street, a few people passed us and she made eye contact with each one, greeting them like friends. After asking how they were enjoying this warm spell, we’d move on down the block. At one point, I said to her, “Man, you know a lot of people.” She looked at me funny and laughed. She told me that no, she didn’t know any of those people. People in Richmond were just way friendlier. I couldn’t believe it! Back up north, I still hadn’t even met my next-door neighbor, and I’d lived next to her for over 2 years!

So, Jay and I packed our bags and moved on down south like the carpetbaggers that native Richmonders like to call us. And, we’ve been here for over 9 years now. We don’t plan on moving anytime soon. I can’t believe it. I’ve lived in Egypt, Senegal, and the Philippines, and out of all the places I could choose to bring my daughter up, I choose the old capital of the Confederacy. Why?

Plain and simple, Richmond is an awesome city. The James River, which I can walk to from my house and job in less than 15 minutes, is considered part of the city’s parks system. You can kayak, white water raft, fish, and even swim in it (we do, some don’t). The mountains of Shenandoah National Park are about an hour and a half drive to the west, and Virginia Beach is equally as far away to the east. The large student population from Virginia Commonwealth University ensures that we have a decent nightlife (so I’ve heard). We have state-of-the-art museums. It rarely drops below 30 degrees in the winter.  I can bring my dogs to the dog park and my daughter to a museum that caters to her one-year-old self!

As you can see, I’m smitten with my adopted home, this fair River City. If you ever happen to be visiting Richmond, look me up. I’d be happy to take you to the best vegetarian restaurant in town, for a walk along the Canal near our office, or even to view the Civil War-era medical instruments in the Valentine…errr…I might be too busy organizing my email to go on that outing.

I started thinking about my work at PUNCH. Oh, thinking about work—what else is new? But, instead of thinking about what I could do in my next year at work, I started thinking about what PUNCH could do to improve itself. No, I don’t think we need to exercise more. You might remember us demonstrating how active we can be in our team softball day earlier this fall. PUNCH definitely doesn’t need to set any rules about eating better in the coming year. We just moved to Shockoe, and set our mission of finding new lunch spots into high gear. I’m looking at you, City Dogs!

All jokes aside, my New Year’s Resolution for PUNCH is to keep doing PUNCH. Keep being a team that acts more like a family, is proactive about whatever adversity comes its way, and always wants to have fun at work. Keep having goofy dress up days that may be only funny to us. And, whatever you do, don’t stop throwing the best holiday parties in office-party history. I haven’t been at PUNCH that long, but I can tell, whatever we’re doing, we’re doing it right!

Unfortunately, not everyone is able to join in the hustle and bustle of the season, and fa la la la la with the rest of us. Often times, the holidays bring stress of pending financial burdens or provide a reminder of a family member, or friend, that is no longer with us.

What if instead of taking the deal of the century on something that will be considered “last century” in one month’s time, we aid those around us in need to make their season joyful? What if we passed up buying that extra peppermint mocha, and donated four cans of food to the Central Virginia Food Bank? Or, what if instead of keeping the two-for-one deal for ourselves, we gave the other item (such as software, tape, markers, or balloons) to help Comfort Zone Camp’s gift drive?

At PUNCH, we’re aiming to do just that. This holiday season we wanted to take a minute to clue you in on two life-changing organizations that could use your help.

FeedMore, the umbrella organization for Meals on Wheels, Central Virginia Food Bank, and the Community Kitchen, collects, cooks, and distributes food to those in need throughout Central Virginia. The FeedMore collaboration has produced a comprehensive approach to hunger relief in Central Virginia. Their three primary focus areas target Childhood Hunger, Feeding Families, and Senior Hunger. This holiday season FeedMore’s food supply and financial support are in need of replenishment. To find out more about their needs this holiday season, click here!

Comfort Zone Camp is a bereavement camp for children ages 7–17 who have experienced the death of a parent, sibling, or primary caregiver. This camp transforms the lives of these children by providing them with a fun and safe place to grieve, heal, and grow. This holiday season, aside from the constant need of financial support, Comfort Zone Camp is holding a Gifts for Grief drive.  This list of supplies includes items such as gently used computers, software, and basic supplies that assist in both the organization and camp’s operations. The complete list of needs can be found here.

Take a minute during this season of giving, and explore these opportunities to give back to two organizations that provide hope and comfort to families throughout the year.

Well for starters, let me just warn you that I HAVE A SMART PHONE AND I KNOW HOW TO USE IT! Actually, that was a blatant lie. I’m one of the 3 remaining mammals with opposable thumbs walking this planet without an iPhone. Yes, I’m a graphic designer, and it’s my job to sashay along that razor-sharp cutting edge of hipness and technology. But at the same time, a part of me enjoys being blissfully ignorant of the ways of excessive technology when it interferes with good design. So no, I DON’T “have an app for that.”

It pains my design sensibilities to stare at a poster, or ad, or mailer, or even Web site home page that—in any other day or age, would be cleverly designed—and all I see is:

“LIKE US” ON FACEBOOK. FOLLOW US ON TWITTER. WATCH US ON YOUTUBE. DIGG IT! VIEW OUR FLICKR GALLERY. DO…SOMETHING…ON OUR LINKEDIN PAGE (whatever you do there!). SCAN THIS QR CODE, ALRIGHT NOW SCAN THIS MICROSOFT TAG.

Aaaaagggghhhhhh! It’s TMI and it’s all up in my face! Where’s the brilliant design and hours of brainstorming? Why is it hidden under this excessive info? Just because we can do all this, doesn’t mean we should. Is our need to be plugged into so many networks overpowering our need to get information out there in an effective and well thought-out manner?

I’ve heard tales, passed down from the days of yore. Of a time when you gazed upon a poster, for an event, and the info you really needed to know, was…gasp, right there, on that poster, for that event! Alas, then the information super highway came to be, and thus started the trend. That same poster that was previously very neat and tidy, now contains some intrusive verbiage such as, “For more information, visit us at www.(URL here).com.” Effective, yes. Attractive, no.

Fast forward to the modern era of social networking and short attention spans. And I worry that we don’t even read that same poster or notice the design any more. We brush over the good stuff looking for that little blue bird icon so we know we can Tweet about it to our friends. Well that’s a relief! And as a side note, no, I’ve never Tweeted, nor been to the Twitter page. Which I think officially classifies me in the category of Cro-Magnon.

OK, time for a true story with actual events and real people. This year, my husband and I were in Mainz, Germany, visiting the Gutenberg Museum. Gutenwho??? Johannes Gutenberg. Father of modern printing. Inventor of moveable type and the printing press. Leader of a print revolution. As we entered the museum, I spied a huge printed banner hanging in the entranceway. And what doth mine eyes spy? A QR CODE! OK, they’re being ironic right? They’re doing this for the laughs, for the LOLs? Why would a museum dedicated to printing NOT have beautifully printed deliciousness hanging up?  Instead, a code, to scan with that ever-present smart phone of yours, so you can go to their site, and get more info. Harumph!

Maybe if I viewed this more positively, I could acknowledge that this ubiquitous steaming pile of technological advancement IS providing us wee designers with new digital venues to flex our creative muscles. And also, from the client’s perspective, if word can be spread quickly and effectively via viral means, then why wouldn’t you hop on ye olde bandwagon? I understand the need, but must we continue to go overboard? Can’t we find a balance of form AND function?

For now, this sashaying, technologically un-advanced primordial graphic designer is going to play it cool. That bandwagon can just drive right on by me. So should you find yourself working with me, if you hand me 12 URLs to add to your brochure, along with 7 logos for 7 different social networking sites, along with 3 QR codes, don’t be surprised if I try to make them as small and discreet as possible. I’m going to keep my main focus first and foremost on clever design and thoughtful creativity…

...But if you’ve enjoyed this blog, please “like it” on Facebook.

;)

Moving your business, as anyone who has done this knows, is not an easy task. Lease negotiations, parking negotiations, utilities, furniture, painting, telephones, network installation, signage, packing up, transporting assets, downtime, and unpacking are all tasks that our team has had to undertake while still servicing our clients. It is easy to see why some would loathe this, but our team pitched in and embraced the opportunity to start a new chapter in the growth and strengthening of PUNCH.

Our home in Carytown for the past four years has worked admirably for us and we will certainly miss it. We will not forget the friends we have made as we forge new ground from our new home base. The opportunity to be a part of the Shockoe Design District and Richmond’s efforts to brand itself as a creative community has spurred us to change our URL from theartofimpact.com to punchrva.com to join the cause. PUNCH has always been invested in promoting Richmond and our new home will allow us space to grow as we continue these efforts.

As a child I viewed the moving stickers that I collected on my furniture as badges of honor. I view the move of our company to the Shockoe Design District as a sign of success that can be attributed to our team and the clients we serve. For those clients that enjoyed our previous location for its close proximity to shopping and restaurants, we have a new realm of possibilities for you. We urge you to visit us and experience the energy of downtown Richmond.

An episode of the Simple Life, you say? Nope. Just a week in the California hillside.

Well, a hillside is a bit of an understatement. I went to visit my sister in Hume, California—a community nestled around a lake within the Sequoia National Forest, 1.5 hours from civilization.

When you think of California, you normally envision sunny beaches (clearly with attractive surfers), the bright lights of Los Angeles, the bay bridge, or the vineyards of Napa Valley.

Hume Lake does not fit the traditional bill, but presents a side of California everyone should explore.  There are infinite mountains (a smidge larger than the Blue Ridge), unbeatable crisp mornings and nights, epic sequoia trees, and a lake that looks like you could walk on top of it at dusk (I don’t suggest trying it though).

After disconnecting myself from technology and modern conveniences, I was able to learn a lot about myself.

What I learned (mostly while lounging in my new favorite spot below):

… I rely on technology too much to occupy my time. Challenge: Cut off your phone, kindle, ipad, or tv 1 night a week after work. It’s amazing what you’ll find right in front of you in the flesh that you’ve never noticed before.

… I love to read—especially in porch swings.

… Daily naps should be mandatory.

… Spending time with close friends and family in person far exceeds browsing anything on a screen (you learn far more about someone when you spend time with them with your phone turned off).

… A walk around a lake or bike ride through a canyon can solve most any problem.

… Airports are seriously one of the loudest places on earth. After leaving the lake I was overwhelmed by the fast pace, amount of personal information people share on their cell phones while waiting (we can hear you), and the overstimulation of the lights, TVs, loud speakers, and shops.

In a world with a lot of noise, it is eye opening to just be quiet. 

We saw them climb out of an ice bath (yes, palettes of ice poured into a dumpster of water and it was 40 degrees out) and help each other over cargo net walls. Then they slipped and slid down a tarp straight into another freezing pool of water. We made sure to gather as many heat sheets to hand off so they could get warm. Of course, once they hit the “death march” those sheets were shed quickly; it had to have been at least a solid mile up a black diamond ski slope. We did about 1/3 of the course with them, then bailed to meet them at some later obstacles. Other highlights were the shake and bake (through water then under barbed wire through sand); the half pipe (teamwork was the only way to get up that one); the fire pits (phew, not sure how they were able to breathe); and last, but not least, the electric shock wires. Need I say more?! To quote my husband, Gene, “It was like someone literally kicked me in the leg, but I had to keep running.”

Here are some great pics of the team before and after, and Gene mastering the obstacles. I couldn’t have been more proud to watch Gene show the course who’s boss while keeping the morale of the team high and making sure never to leave a man or woman behind. All that and he had a smile on his face every time I saw him. It makes him either a wee bit nuts, or totally fabulous!

That’s what Over the Edge was to me. Special Olympics of Virginia’s annual fundraiser sends people rappelling down the side of the SunTrust building in downtown Richmond. That’s 28 stories, if you didn’t know. But after having two kids in the last two and half years, life had become “safe.” And this was my opportunity to add some danger to what otherwise would have been just another day.

One month before the event, I was told Rich and I were chosen to represent PUNCH. I was stoked.

Two weeks before, I learned we weren’t picked—we were the only names left after our coworkers backed out. I was a little nervous.

Three days before, Matt and Dave, last year’s daredevils, described their experience. I was nauseous.

And then the big day was here. And I laced up my sneakers, kissed my husband and kids goodbye, hopped into Rich’s jeep, and headed downtown. I was glad not to be driving.

Several hours passed from the time we arrived till it was our turn. A lot of forms to sign. A lot. Equipment fittings, a mildly frightening one-story practice run, and then we waited. And the anticipation built.

As we rode up the elevator, my heart started racing. This was it. And as we neared the top, my ears popped. My ears actually POPPED! A final climb up two more stories and the doors opened to a stunning view of Richmond. It was amazing. And terrifying. And exciting. I swallowed the lump that had sat in my throat since Wednesday and awaited my descent.

There were a few people ahead of us and I used that time to get a grasp on what I was about to do. On hands and knees, I leaned over to see the previous rappellers. I couldn’t see them. I leaned a little further. Then a little further. By the time I could finally see them, it felt as if I would tip right over the side. But I didn’t.

Our turn finally came and Rich and I stepped up on the ledge of the building. About 400 feet up. Rich looked confident. And since he had done this two years previous, it made me feel better. Just a little, though. The sun was setting and it was getting chilly. But I’m pretty sure that’s not why I was shaking.

I knew how to use the equipment. I knew I was securely locked in. And I knew I must be just a little bit crazy to do this. And with that, I stepped over the edge.

It’s hard for me to describe how I felt in the moments that immediately followed. Just pure adrenaline. Racing heart. Sweaty palms. Dry mouth. It’s all true. And it’s truly terrifying. But it’s also invigorating and remarkable. As I heaved 400 feet of rope through my equipment, I was proud of myself. This was a test of both spirit and strength—and I aced it.

Towards the end of my descent—which I was told was one of the fastest—I could hear my son’s little voice yelling, “Go Mommy!” That was the icing on this death-defying cake, having my family cheering me on as I conquered the SunTrust building. This was no ordinary day. It’s a day I’ll, without a doubt, never forget.

So many people asked why I would want to do this. And allow me to be a cliché when I say, “Why wouldn’t you?”