Good walkthrough of the essential sections of a web design contract.

Your success is delicious. Others look at your success and think, “Well, duh, it’s so obvious what they did there - anyone can do that” and, frustratingly so, they’re right. Your success has given others a blueprint for what success looks like, and while, yes, the devil’s in the details, you have performed a lot of initial legwork for your competition in the process of becoming successful. I do know that Apple believes the future is invented by the people who don’t give a shit about the past.

Instagram succeeded for many good reasons, including its design, its viral qualities, its simplicity, and the fact that its engineers focused so obsessively on making sure that it works all the time. Part of its success, no doubt, is the fact that it was just in the right place, at the right time, with the right, crowd-pleasing mix of features.

‘The problem is that this is exactly what the competition are doing — they are competing with the iPad rather than solving a problem that hasn’t been solved yet. They’re always one step behind because they’re simply trying to re-create the solution that Apple has created for their vision of a touch tablet device.’

How to present and sell design: 1) Don't wing it — postpone until you're ready. 2) Really sell your design — the idea that 'good design speaks for itself' is a myth. 3) Don't get subjective or allow your feelings to get hurt — tell them to tell you when it doesn't work. 4) Don't embarrass the client — make them look good, be honest, listen to them.

Great, of course.

Andy Rutlege on the difference between creativity and self-expression, and the importance of a professional approach to creativity in design.

A great collection of unique and beautiful business cards.

Christopher Fahey lays out his. A by good set of commandments for happily and successfully working in design.

"A series of professional observations about package design practices within specific product categories," including Razors for Women, Low-Carb Lifestyle, and Packaged Rice.

A superb guide for anyone proposing ideas to clients who challenge you in potentially frustrating ways.

Very nice, very creative business cards, but don't expect them to fit in your wallet or Rolodex. Check the comments for bonus footage from "American Psycho."

A great interview with a great designer. His anecdotes and wisdom are particularly valuable, especially the answer to the last question and his five bits of advice.

A very nice short history and profile of the Pentagram design and architecture firm.

Notes on the growing importance of design in business. Good short reads.

On starting over. "It's better to have something we're both proud off than to try and salvage the work done so far. Sometimes you have to go all the way through the design process before you realize that you've built the wrong thing."

A list of corporate and organization identity guidelines. A good sampling of conventions, though many of them are terribly designed and poorly organized.

Excellent videos!