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The 90-90-30-30: Obeying Your Ultradian Rhythms
Research shows that our bodies obey what are known as ultradian rhythms: ninety-minute periods of focus at the end of which we cease to operate at our highest ability.

Joel Mattern
Apr 166 min read
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Death by Disbelief: Design and the Present Dilemma of Generative Technology
Design is not in danger of becoming obsolete by way of generative technology, but by the shifting of belief away from human creativity.

Joel Mattern
Mar 32 min read
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The United States of Maximization: How We Lost Our Way Along the Way
It's the space between the utility of technology and the authenticity of human ingenuity that we as ethical professionals should to occupy.

Joel Mattern
Sep 24, 20243 min read
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Midnight in the Garden of Divergent Thinking
A quiet mind is much like an inviting garden: it must be prepared with the proper balance of nutritious mental energy, a sprawling and seren

Joel Mattern
Aug 28, 20245 min read
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3 Out of 4 is Winning: Reflections on my First Three Quarters as a Solopreneur
Going into business as a solopreneur can be intimidating. Here are some things I’ve discovered over the last nine months of my journey.

Joel Mattern
Aug 1, 20243 min read
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Great Design Lies in the Hands of the Designer: Thoughts on DIY Marketing
In a world of AI and self-service solutions, marketing design should not be one of them.

Joel Mattern
Jul 24, 20242 min read
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The Hunger Artist: Avoiding the Kafkaesque in the Design Process
In what ways are you a hunger artist? How do you interpret the need for perfection and admiration at seemingly nonsensical costs?

Joel Mattern
Mar 6, 20242 min read
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Lessons Learned From Jumping Off a Cliff: My First 3 Months as a Business Owner and Solo Designer
On November 1, 2023, I did something most people would consider to be quite risky: I left my stable office job to work for myself.

Joel Mattern
Feb 26, 20245 min read
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Awful Album Covers, Fixed (Part 2)
Cold House's brilliance lies in its ability to fit the formula while bending it in every direction (without breaking it).

Joel Mattern
Jan 24, 20242 min read
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Awful Album Covers, Fixed
Think of your favorite album—you know, that desert-island disc that you'd seriously consider abandoning your dog for if your house caught...

Joel Mattern
Dec 14, 20233 min read
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Less is More (Until it’s Less)
You don’t have to be a designer or a devout Bauhausian to have heard the adage “less is more.” However, designers are (or should be)...

Joel Mattern
Nov 16, 20233 min read
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