I work full-time in public involvement/marketing/sales for an engineering company that has 40+ offices nationwide and several thousand employees. I love my job. I love transportation and seeing how the world around us evolves. That being said, sometimes it isn’t the most “creative” bunch to be around. Engineers tend to love straight lines – right angles. I happen to be more of a curve, loops, color kind of person – BUT – I do speak “engineer”, so this helps quite a bit with my job. So, whether I need inspiration for work, as a parent, playtime or to learn something new, here are some blogs I love.
My employer’s blog regarding trends in the transportation and infrastructure industry can be found at HNTB Thought Leadership. What I like most about this blog is that it gives me talking points when meeting with clients about trends in the industry. For example, the blog post on “How America’s growing connectivity will affect the toll industry” was valuable this week as our team was interviewed for a Program Management Consulting job and this was one of the questions asked specifically by the client. One thing I’d find helpful is to see some sort of topics menu. While I love how neat and graphic it is, the menu would allow me to read past articles on topics that interest me quicker than the “load more” option.
Next up is Fonts Blog. Here’s the deal – I love fonts. I have this crazy obsession with them that I mentioned in my about me section. I have an absolute hatred of some fonts. For example, comic sans, times new roman, arial, and impact drive me up the wall. Working with graphic artists to help develop creative materials for clients is part of my job, so I like to keep up with font trends. This blog is great because it has a monthly top web fonts post, plus other useful topics – my favorite one is Learning. There was a post a few months ago about typefaces telling stories. I do wish they would put more posts monthly so that you don’t see the same Top 100 Fonts.com image over and over. When I see that image, it’s not as easy to recognize that I’ve scrolled to the next page. I think showcasing #1 font for the month as an image would really be neat because you could see trends quicker without reading the posts.
TED Talks are one of my favorite things to listen to at work or in the car on my commute. What I like most about this site is that there really is something for everyone. One post “Why rejection hurts so much – and what to do about it” is particularly helpful not only in my professional field but just in general. No one likes rejection, but knowing how to apply emotional first aid can certainly make the sting subside. For the most part, the blog is easy to navigate except for scrolling. I tend to like blogs with ample white space, sans serif fonts (headers), and bold graphics. This hits all these qualities. However, it’s worth pointing out that all the transitions on the images make it difficult to scroll quickly down the page. The transitions do not keep up with fast scrolling, so it can be a little frustrating. Hey, if you want to read about rejection go here.
So, a lot of what I do for a living requires me to be informed about what’s happening in the world, in particular with social media. Reddit is great because it’s “the front page of the internet.” It’s my job to understand social media and how clients can use various mediums effectively. Looking at blogs, like upvoted, gives me insight on what’s trending. I also find the Formative posts interesting as they interview people in various industries and discuss their defining moment. The upvoted blog is easy to use, graphic and have well-produced videos. Check out the Formative post. If I had to be critical of anything it would be on the homepage there is a trending block. Because of it’s placement, someone could think it was advertisements. I think a header that runs across the page rather than being the same size as the thumbnails could fix that perception.
I was so torn on my last post, but I finally decided to go with one that just speaks to me at all levels. From a professional standpoint, I love this “brand” because they embrace social media in a delightful way. Magnolia Market is amazing, and you can find out more about all sorts of projects at Joanna’s Blog. Their blog, social media platforms, website, store, television show and now, new furniture line, all have a consistent, cohesive look. I find it appealing. Does it work for an engineering firm? No. However, if I was starting my own business, I’d model it after these guys. Seriously – they love everything I love. Renovation, preservation, baking, family, friends, and making a house a home. Even their personal style is gorgeous. My daughter looks to Joanna and Chip as “relationship goals.” Have I mentioned that I like that they are from Texas? Even better is that they are one of the few Texans on TV that isn’t over the top. I’m looking forward to my favorite holiday next year (Thanksgiving) to start a new family tradition thanks to one of Joanna’s recent posts – DIY Gratitude Journal.
So, what about you? Where do you turn for inspiration?