lazy bones

I have neglected posting things - for what I think is the longest time since I started this blog. I'm lazy. I suppose there was something I read in my reader this past week or last week that reminded me that keeping a journal is good for personal growth.

In short I think I'm a whinny bitch! I need to change my mind set if I am going to build my design firm to what I've imagined it to be. I want it to be as strong as ARUP is in the architectural field - but that is going to require my lazy ass to be forced into high gear.

I need to ween myself off the video games and endless distractions - but that is easier said than done. I wish I was as fearless as Alexander the great was in the choice that I make. There is much room for growth. Good fortune is shinning in the wonderful world of me. I should not let this time to go to waste - bla bla bla.

Crage needed to know how much things are going to cost him - and put together this materials list / cost analysis. If excel was a frendlier program in the sense of wrapping text around images I would definately use that. It would be nice if word could do calculations too - or perhaps it does. I should find out.

The issue that is most pressing at the moment is sourcing cheap building methods for the design. I was sooooo afraid that I would lose this job 'coz the design was proving to be too expensive. What I'm searching for at present is someone who can build it using particle board - (in the images below) - and then clad it in thin super cheap veneer and then apply duco to it.

The logic being particle-board is very absorbent and will chow the varnish which will be pricey in this project due to a large surface area that needs to be covered. I wish I had more time to scour the South African market to find the right dood to do it for me. I'm hoping Dan will sort me out.

Dan is particularly slow since he does not have internet readily available to him. My internet is not that great either - I just wish everyone had it. If I had the time - I would commit to solving that problem. My problems are still provincial and I need to take care of me first before I can take care of peoples. Stay strong!

Crage is laden with many opportunities, and I feel there is a chance that we can do some really fruitful ventures in the future provided I bang this lil project out the park. He was approached by some lady in China about LED lighting and she works at the manufacturing plant - and if that is correct - my gosh - Zim is going to get stocked proper! Not just them - I could definately make some bank from the SA market too - but we shall cross that bridge when we get there.

Crage is not backed by banks or nothing - he does property and has a fair amount of people renting from him - which makes his small fortune something that he REALLY needs to take care of. These things that he's getting into - I hope he has the mental stamina to ride out the wave as these things take time to work right. It's expensive and ROI takes a couple years at least. Not for the faint hearted. But he is talking about opening a small shop that doesn't cost much - which should be easy to make nice - I think I'll do the plumbing features - I just need to work out how much it'll cost.

I am being fair to Crage and now that I think about it properly - I don't see a reason why this method of working shouldn't be the staple.

Usually - people approach designers like myself and ask for a shop. We get paid for the design and then the build of the design is usually double what it costs to get the materials and labor. So there is usually a 100% markup on top of the design itself. Lucrative - if you are working for a lazy fat cat who doesn't want to be involved, and only wants to see results.

But not this case at least. I just wish he had agreed to my design fee which I think is justified for the amount of work and time involved. Design and project management should keep me above water for a month. But I'm still yet to resolve the fee issue with him. I need to grow past this issue if I'm going to hold onto the dream of having my 360 degree business solution company I've always dreamed of running.
Perhaps when I have built the company to the point where we can afford offices and I can hire someone else to do all that stuff for me and let me focus on making the best design I can. Which brings about the question. How good am I at the moment? Design wise there is still loads of things I see I could improve on - but one step at a time, and things will eventually get right.

Communication has improved and Crage seams happy with it - despite being offline yesterday - thank you lightning, - of which reminds me - I need to add lightning protector to the internet lines and my computer. I do not want a repeat of the lightning stick to my machine that rendered me useless for about a month!
My list of things to do keeps increasing - yet my bank account remains empty. I need to work for people who pay! Damn it! Or I'll be forced to work for someone elses dream. I do not know how long I can hold out.
I think it is time to model this baby in revit and add the lighting plan and such. It shouldn't take too long. Lighting plan is key to this whole thing looking good. I think we'll also be commissioned to do the event that he will be holding to launch his shop.
The counter top has been a main topic for a while. I hope that it ends up costing next to nothing. Hopefully Zane from PG Glass fashions me with the news I want to hear in the morning.

I also need to change the middle of the shop and figure out what will work out best. He has these ugly second hand shop items he bought from Daryl and he intends on using them. I hope it's all going to the not so premium shop he is opening.
I met this one guy in Builders warehouse. I think we overcharged him. Thanks Dan! You prick. for just the woodwork he was charging 5K and I know that you can get em - for about 2K in builders. But had he done the right price we could both have made money.
Kenny is a Nigerian, and asked me to do the drawings for him even after I gave him the quotation - but his reasoning is he thought I was quoting for something else - and then he saw that the drawings he gave me were accurately drawn here according to how he wants it done. I think it was just too expensive for him. LOL - it would have been nice though to have a lil extra dough. It literally would have taken a couple hours to get this things done and dusted.
I wonder when I'll be good enough of a carpenter to do these little jobs by myself.
I wonder.
here are some more cupboards that I'm keeping in my library - 'coz it wasn't that easy for me to figure out how to draw them to industry standard. I need more practice with them, and with time I think I should know dimensions and be able to quote from my head and thus become more efficient.
Wonderful logo for Khumbula property service. This work is thanks to Mnive who has his print design company.

www.publicationdesign.co.za

He appears to be doing a hell of a lot better than I am - 'coz he can afford a website. I wonder how long it will take me to have an online destination advertising my company. There is a lot to do before we can cross that bridge. Well below are the business cards and then letterheads that his client requested. I wonder how much he is making from him. I have to admit the temptation exists to contact the client and ask him. And let him know that I only charged him R600 for the layout of the letterheads and R400 for the business cards - for both identities. LOL - but we'll get there. For now I'll accept the work - 'coz it's good to do graphic design. It's beer money. Damn - that reminds me that we were supposed to link up and discuss future business with Mnive. I'll remind him.








The client wanted clean corporate look so minimal design was a necessity. I have to admit the temptation to do ordinary colourful design layouts were at the fore, but the clients wishes were met and I'm just waiting for Black label money to land in the bank.









HEHEHE - and here we have some work that is proving to be pro-bono. The girls thought that it would be a breeze to get funding - not knowing that these govt efforts to promote entrepreneurial mojo in the country usually fails - 'coz the people who end up implementing them lack passion. These uneducated assholes who are the gate-keepers of some peoples only avenue to owning and running their own business shout be whipped in public for taking on jobs they are not made for.
The excel spreadsheet has all the calculations it needs and I think looks rather good.
This flyer isn't quite right - I thought I could get away with just doing something that looks pretty - but it doesn't communicate what the company does through the pictures - so now I'm having to redo it. DAMN!
Another thing - I should learn to proof the work I do. There were so many errors in this one, and something funny has been happening with the illustrator file. I think it's due to having linked some .png files that I did in photoshop.

I moved the files around and it appears not to like that very much. Now the error I'm receiving won't let me edit the original and I'm having to edit the pdf file. Which I'm glad I can still do. I shall never save pdf's to a flat image ever again. It's good having that kinda freedom. Just in case shit hits the fan.