1) The document provides advice on various topics from A to Z related to being creative, collaborative, and successful in design. 2) It encourages getting experience in different fields, listening to clients, not being afraid of mistakes, keeping ideas simple, and constantly practicing storytelling. 3) The overall message is to constantly learn, collaborate with others, have fun with your work, and get experience in different disciplines in order to improve your skills and broaden your perspective as a designer.

1. Pebbles of wisdom
by Steve Price/Plan-B Studio (@PlanBstudio)

2. A is for Animal
Everything we do is part of a primal need of being seen and to be recognised.
Be mindful of what you say, to whom, where and when.

3. B is for Bravado
Confident or Arrogant? I was never sure (still not) which one I am. I'd prefer to be seen as
confident. Being open, honest, direct and professional has served me well. Head-butting a
wall in front of a client has not.

4. C is for Clever Collaboration
Being intelligent is good.
But better to work with people you consider more intelligent.
Learn from them.

5. D is for (Fuck) DissertationsDissertations are a waste of time and resource.
No-one cares; the students, the tutors, prospective employees, parents, siblings.
NO-ONE CARES.
Better to spend that time writing ten 500 word papers over the course of your degree on
subjects that help shape and inform your view of the world.

6. E+F is for
Enterprising Foolhardy
(Brave)
Brody keeps saying that nobody [in design] is doing anything brave.
He’s talking shit. I told him so recently. To his face.
Bravery (today) manifests itself in different and subtle ways.
For example, being able to stand up and present yourself and your work stems from having the education and learning
behind you to give you the confidence to put yourself in harms way.
Being creative in itself is brave because it is fundamentally about expression and human beings are by nature, protective
over public displays of expression.

7. G is for Get Out There!
Get out there, literally.
Sometimes the best ideas are found during those slightly inebriated conversations,
other times it's whilst you are at a life drawing class. A lot of creatives seem to be
creating things that they want others to like, which makes it boring and ordinary. Try to
do your own thing and work on an ideology; this will give your ideas consistency and
makes you more expressive.

8. H+I is for Have Ideas
And share them.
ROI = Return On Investment. or Return On Idea. You will get paid for your ideas. They are the the essence of your
creativity and what separates you from everyone else. Harness them. Nuture them. Never. EVER. Stop. Thinking.
Some people are bemused by social media. It can be all-consuming but the way I see it as a giant discussion a
conversation. Twitter, Posterous, Tumblr, Flickr, Facebook, My_______, whatever it is, make use of it. Start conversations,
join conversations, be apart of conversations. It leads to Real Life ones - I've had more work leads and offers from people
reading my blogs and tweets than I have people visiting my design site.

9. J is for Joke
Don’t be a joker (Steve!). But whatever you do HAVE FUN. This is a
creative industry. Creativity is at the heart and soul of our being -
expression.
(9eyes.tumblr.com)

10. K is for Kerning
The devil is in the Detail. Detail. Detail. Use grids. Snap to points. Align
everything.

11. L is for Listen + Learn
The only way to truly understand a clients needs is to listen to them. Learn about
their business from the inside out. Work there for a bit if needs be.
Graduating from University is like finishing kintergarden; it is just the beginning.

12. M is for Mistakes
Don’t be afraid of making mistakes. It’s not ideal, but it is part of the
process.

13. N = is for Noise
Keep ideas simple. Simple is effective. Much like John’s Phone.

14. P is for Pollen
A flowers way of making more flowers. Each particle carries the male
sex cells. Best not to mate with yourself. So work as often as possible
with other people in different fields, not just design.

15. Q is for Question
No matter how stupid you think it might sound,
ask. Always ask questions. Even if it is stupid is
shows integrity and honesty.

16. R is for R&D
Research & Development. Google employees are expected (and paid)
to spend 20% of their time working on R&D. It is a vital part of self-
learning and self-progression.
Read more books, magazines, articles, blogs, newspapers; tabloids to
business, finance and marketing to design, product, architecture;
anything and everything.

17. S + T is for Story Telling
A lot can be learned from children’s books. Every story must have a good start,
middle and end. Simple, but with a point.
You are story tellers.
It is fundamentally communication.
It is a craft.
Harness it.
Constantly Practice.
Talk out loud, to yourself. A lot.

18. U is for Understanding
‘Marketing is what you do when your product is no good.’
Edwin Land
Regardless of the medium or the message the end user is always your focus, learn
as much as you can about them and the product/project you are targeting them with..
Their decision to engage, use, navigate, experience and not (as the case maybe) will
be your

19. V+W is for Well VersedNo spelling mistakes.
Research who you are emailing.
Send some examples, links, or something that will help draw their attention.

20. XYZ is for Axis
Work in as many different disciplines, with as many different types of media as
possible. It will broaden your mind, your vision and your understanding of what is
possible.