As we bring helveticka’s 30th anniversary year to a close, I’m reminded that I promised to offer 30 blog posts in honor of the occasion. But with…ahem…only 12 completed, I’m hoping the following 18 thoughts will do.

Now, I don’t profess to know any more than the next person, but you can’t be a business owner and creative director without constantly thinking about your company’s past, present, and future. My 37 years in this industry is more than just a number to me; it represents countless experiences – mostly positive, but also with a fair share of disappointments – each shaping and informing the company’s mission, process, and outcomes.

Even after all these years, I still believe in the power of design to inform and change perceptions. It’s an honor to have a career in a creative profession. My commitment remains as deep and unwavering as when I started out as a young, wide-eyed designer with little to offer apart from some serious motivation. So I humbly submit a few bits of wisdom acquired during my nearly four decades in this industry.