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Described succinctly by Tad Crawford in AIGA Professional Practices in Graphic Design, the design brief “digs deep into a project and identifies the main factors that drive the entire creative strategy.” Indeed, a well-crafted brief is invaluable for most any sizeable design project. It functions like a compass, allowing client and design team to ascertain periodically that north is still north, and that everyone is headed in the same direction. A design brief will clearly state, for both client and design team, the expectations and objectives of the project, and as such, it is a critical tool, laying the groundwork for what is to be done, why it is needed, and how success will be measured.

Taking a step back to review methodology every so often is a great way of keeping work fresh, as it means you don't slip into a routine. Lately here at PINGV, we have been looking for ways to streamline projects and enhance how we communicate conceptual ideas to our clients. At one point in the discussions, thinking about how we create and present visual design comps, we all remembered Mood Boards. Oh, wonderous Mood Boards....such utility! such style! the way you perk up the grayscale sketchiness of wireframing with a burst of ideas and colors....where have you been all our lives? Actually, we had each used them before, but they had not been part of our PINGV team process. Until recently! And now, we can happily report that their integration has been a smashing success. First Off: What Is a Mood Board?

On this Ada Lovelace Day, I wracked my brain for someone to write about, and came up blank — not because I couldn't think of anyone, but because I can't pick out the one woman in technology or science who's exceptional in some way, because there are so many. So I'm writing about a group of women who who mostly don't know each other but are united by a project that's dear to them, and to me: Drupal.