Howdy! What did you do on your summer vacation? Technically, I'm emailing you from mine (bad vacationer!). I don't know about you, but after a year of big business bail-outs, everyone's-an-expert advice, and social media hyper-evangelism, I've been pretty durn ready for something that doesn't make me roll my eyes into the back of my head in disgust.

But, of course, the best way to beat mediocrity is to go out and do some seriously cool stuff. So I've sunk my teeth into some of my best work yet. Of course, I want to do more (what can I say, I'm an over-achiever). Which means I'm looking for a few clients with the itch to reach out and do something new with their audience. Give me a call if you've got something in mind.

But enough of the intro spiel, let's git to the Roundup...

Re-nourish.com: Trying to Change an Entire Industry

Easy green answers and eco-platitudes get all the press, but good designers know there's more to sustainable graphic design than recycled paper. The trouble is, finding honestly sustainable solutions that are both accessible and practical is dang near impossible for the average print designer.

Until now. I've teamed up with my buddies Eric Benson and Yvette Perullo to develop Re-nourish.com:

Re-nourish is, as far as I know, the only site of its kind that offers these kinds of tools and information free to graphic designers. Our goal is to connect designers with the rest of their supply chain, help them make better design decisions and, well, completely change the industry. Check out Re-nourish now!

(It's starting to happen, too: Re-nourish takes 3rd in AIGA's (re)designAwards.)

Stop-the-presses! Re-nourish needs your help: we've made it to the #2 slot in the Cooper-Hewitt People's Choice Design Awards. Please help send a message that sustainable design matters for our future; vote now and spread the word (voting closes Tuesday).

Free Guide: Because Nobody likes a dirty greenwasher

If you've been thinking about "going green," if you've already done it, or if you've ever talked about it to anyone, this one's for you. I originally created Keeping It Real Green: How to Market Your Efforts in an Age of Greenwashing to go along with a panel presentation about greening your business for SF Small Business Week. But the response was so good that I've turned it into a free 14-page PDF (175 copies downloaded and counting):

Real Green walks you through the basics of effective green communication strategies, message development, and self-auditing. I love projects like this that allow me to do a little bit of everything: planning, writing, and design.

[Download Real Green]

Design Projects appearing in Upcoming Publications

So I've never entered any Roughstock work in a design competition (here's why), but several projects are going to be featured in various books over the coming months (or so I've been informed). It's always a good feeling to be included alongside colleagues and friends who I deeply respect:

Crude Impact logo:
Basic Logos by Index Book (Nov. 2009).

Political posters:
Designing for the Greater Good: The Best of Cause-Related Marketing and Nonprofit Design by Peleg Top and Jonathan Cleveland (Jan. 2010).

And that about does it for now. Tell me: how's the summer treated you, and what are you planning next?

Signing off,

Jess Sand
Wrangler of Creative Chaos