Method to the Mayhem

Paddy Donnelly, owner of Iampaddy, Belgium based website, chats with Calvin Lee, principal and creative director of Mayhem Studios. Self-Proclaimed Media Ho, Designer Guy and Twitter Addict. In his spare time, Stunt Doubles for the Hulk and a really Nice Guy!

Calvin Lee is one of the most retweeted users on Twitter and gives us his thoughts on his Twitter addiction and how it should be used.

Head on over to Iampaddy and read the interview, How Do You Twitter: Mayhem Studios?.

You may also follow @mayhemstudios and @paddydonnelly on Twitter.

About Paddy Donnelly
Paddy Donnelly is a web designer, illustrator, blogger and eternal student from Ballycastle, Ireland who journeys through the Internet every day looking for interesting, funny and weird stuff, like everyone else. He has been known to drop everything to partake in Internet projects, which distract him from the monotony of regular life.

His online adventures have been in a constant effort to study social media’s effects on education and the daily lives of creative individuals, while discovering the path to constructing a valuable online presence for himself in the creative web community.

Labels: Addiction, Calvin Lee, Design, Mayhem Studios, Media, Paddy Donnelly, Retweet, Self-Promotion, Twitter

Posted by Calvin Lee at Monday, February 02, 2009 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Calvin Lee, principal and creative director of Mayhem Studios, interviewed by Sharebrain for their monthly column, Braintalk: 15 Answers. Where designers are asked the same 15 questions, but with 15 very different insightful answers into their process, inspiration and daily lives.

Head on over to Sharebrain and read the interview, Braintalk: 15 Answers with Calvin Lee. Hope everyone will find the interview helpful and inspiring.

Labels: 15 Answers, Braintalk, Calvin Lee, Design, Inspiring, Logo Design, Self-Promotion, Sharedbrain, Social Media, Twitter, Website Design

Posted by Calvin Lee at Friday, November 28, 2008 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Calvin Lee, of Mayhem Studios, accompanied by some of the top notch blogosphere experts on the web today; David Airey, Davidairey.com + Logodesignlove.com, Brian Lovin, Elite By Design, Jeff Finley, Go Media and Ryan Downie, Ryandownie.com answers the question of "How do I find and keep a great designer?" for Fuelyourcreativity.com

It seems like a simple question, but to other small companies the task can be daunting. Even ridiculous, unless you have 100’s of thousands of dollars to throw around - you're on your own!

Calvin Lee, of Mayhem Studios, gives his thoughts on the topic, what the client should know up front.

"As a designer, I want to be honest and upfront. Let the client know what they will be expecting in deliverables and how much the project will cost. This can be accomplished with a signed contract and a 50% deposit before starting any project, with the exact details of what the client will be receiving."

You can read the full article and discussion at Fuel Your Creativity.

About Fuel Your Creativity
Fuel Your Creativity is an open site and forum where everyone is welcome (and encouraged!) to exchange ideas and tips. It’s not just for designers either. Writers, photographers, graffitists…come one, come all. There are new posts a couple times a week and sometimes more than that. Check back often. It is our hope that you will… Find your spark.

About Adelle Charles
Adelle Charles is a Designer & Blogger who runs Fuel Your Creativity & AdelleCharles.com. She is an obsessive email checker and highly addicted to Starbucks. Loves to add "fuel to the fire" any chance she gets. Her dogs Chino and Jameson jot down ideas for her while she's at work. They are obviously the secret to her success.

Labels: Adelle Charles, Brian Lovin, Business, Calvin Lee, Clients, David Airey, Design, Elite By Design, Fuel Your Creativity, Go Media, Jeff Finley, Logo Design Love, Mayhem Studios, Ryan Downie

Posted by Calvin Lee at Wednesday, September 10, 2008 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Mayhem Studios contributes to an article, Marketing Your Pro bono Work: It’s All About You, for BoDo, written by wordsmith Thomas Stephan.

Stephan shows how to promote and make your pro bono projects work for you, using press releases, blogs, e-newsletters, forums, social networking and social bookmarking web sites. When writing press releases it should consist of the "Five W's," Who, What, When, Where and Why.

Calvin Lee, of Mayhem Studios, gives his thoughts about self-promotion.

"If you’re a freelancer, self-promotion is a must. How else do you expect a potential client to know about you? Most new designers—even some pros—don’t view self-promotion as an option. Many frown upon self-promoting, as it’s bragging and name-dropping. In a way, it’s bragging but to me it’s more about letting people know who I am and what I can do to help them.”

You can read the full article at Bodo: Marketing Your Pro bono Work: It’s All About You

About Bodo
BoDo: Business of Design Online, blogs about the business of design including: starting your own design business (online or off); marketing; dealing with clients; working with printers, photographers, copywriters and other surrounding industries; pretty much anything to help a design business grow.

About Thomas Stephan
Thomas Stephan carries more than a decade of experience in non-profits of various sizes and venues, and has freelanced for the past 5 years in various creative areas including copywriting, web design, custom graphics for print and web and marketing. He has designed for TT Electronics, The Texas State Aquarium, The University of Texas Law School and Texas A&M University Corpus Christi, and has written for the Art Museum of South Texas, The University of Montana, Korby Imagery and the United States Navy.

Stephan current position is Director of Communications with the largest non-profit social service agency in the state of Texas, where he manages content on four websites, print design, marketing and public relations for seven satellite offices, three residential treatment centers and three retirement facilities, not including the identity and promotion of five annual fundraisers.

Thomas Stephan can be contacted at dyer9380_at_gmail.com for any wordsmithing.

Labels: BoDo, Calvin Lee, Design, Mayhem Studios, Networking, Press Release, Pro Bono, Social Bookmarking, Thomas Stephan

Posted by Calvin Lee at Monday, June 09, 2008 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

Calvin Lee, Principal and Creative Director of Mayhem Studios, a small award-winning design studio located in Los Angeles, was interviewed by the FreelanceSwitch website written by Kristen Fischer, Self-Promotion Made Easy: An Interview With Calvin Lee. The interview discusses self-promotion and spec work with the designer.

The Studio would like to also thank Jeff Fisher, Jeff Fisher LogoMotives for writing about the Studios FreelanceSwitch interview on his blog, Identity Crisis. It's very much appreciated!

About FreelanceSwitch
FreelanceSwitch is a site for freelancers. Whether you’ve been freelancing for years, have just started or are considering making the switch, this is the place to get all the information and support you need.

About Kristen Fischer
Kristen Fischer is a freelance writer living at the Jersey Shore. She began writing Creatively Self-Employed: How Writers and Artists Deal with Career Ups and Downs during 2004, after experiencing many trials and triumphs while forming her copywriting business. She released her second book, Ramen Noodles, Rent and Resumes: An After-College Guide to Life in Spring 2007.

Labels: Calvin Lee, Design, Design Competition, Design-Awards, Freelance, FreelanceSwitch, Interview, Jeff Fisher, Kristen Fischer, Marketing, Mayhem Studios, Self-Promotion, Spec Work

Posted by Calvin Lee at Monday, May 12, 2008 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post

I was recently interviewed by Area of Design and profiled as the Featured Artist on their web site. So check out my profile and learn a little more about me!

I am also profiled on the following web sites:

Design Inspiration
Art Years

Area of Design is an organization that showcases established and emerging artists, designers, commercial firms, and non profit groups based in the United States.

AOD provides a forum for artists to express themselves and inspire others by encouraging, educating, and nurturing creative talent.

Our mission is to elevate the perception of American art and design to reflect the sophistication, individuality and passion of our creative base.

Labels: Area of Design, Calvin Lee, Featured Artist

Posted by Calvin Lee at Tuesday, February 07, 2006 | Permalink | Comments | links to this post