Another art camp at the cabin, another opportunity to get our hands dirty while creating what we all hope will turn out to be beautiful art.

How about asking a native artist from the host nation to design your uniforms? That’s what the Dutch did, and I honestly think they deserve the gold medal in design.

Ok, now that the games are in full swing and the official team uniforms have been exposed to millions around the world, it’s time to sharpen the pencils at the judge’s table. I must admit some of my earlier concerns have been dashed as I’ve had the chance to see more official team attire, particularly for Team USA.

The excitement is rising. The games will soon be here. I can’t wait. As someone raised in the ice and snow of Minnesota, the Winter Olympics are my favorite spectator event.

The country audience is the one we designers need to "play to" if we're going to broaden the appeal of our best work.

Whether you're an Iron Chef or a Top Chef fan you know points for "presentation" are just about as important as they are for taste.

A ceramics show at the Walker Art Center got me thinking about the importance of working with my hands.

In my life design has always been a way to connect me to the people I love and the things I believe in.

Barkeeping and branding are both in my blood...and have more in common than you might think.

We are living in interesting times. Never before have we been so connected. Our ability to interact is nearly unlimited. Technology is a most formidable tool, the driver, a catalyst in the laboratory of life.

Nature never fails to produce something new and interesting. Connecting it with your craft yields inspired solutions.

The brands that have been designed in the best possible ways have their own proprietary language that tells their story, sets them apart from all the brands they compete with, and connects them in a very meaningful way to their audience.

Design is as much a process as it is an end product. And it should be a process that designers and clients resolve to make simple.

The AIGA South Dakota chapter invited me out to present our work to a group of local designers, ad people and students. I had never been to Sioux Falls before and I was excited for the opportunity to share our process, work and thoughts on the business of graphic design.