Mike Tupa

Look for ways to safely bring peds through the traffic. Medians to slow the traffic, Mid block crossings, extra pedestrian cross lights, wider sidewalks, bump-outs at the intersections (narrowing the travel lanes to minimum width), etc. You are asking to solve a problem that you may not be able to solve. The highway moves traffic most efficiently…[Read more]

Tanya, We work on rural downtowns in Colorado and I’d be happy to help you as much as I can.

What you have is a downtown with a 5 lane highway (4 travel lanes and turn lane) and diagonal parking on each side. That’s probably 100′ of asphalt for the pedestrians to cross in the “downtown proper” and frankly that “downtown” is not a pedestrian…[Read more]

Amy, I’ll agree with all you said. But a year behind a register or stacking products for display doesn’t say much for growth of professional skills. And as an employer I’d be looking for a progressive growth in skill, understanding and value to my office. Department store experience tells me that the prospective employee can meet basic employment…[Read more]

I suggest another tack. Give yourself a name, JSdesigns, or something like that and list the design-graphic-LA-construction-sales, etc. that you are doing that includes the growth and improvement of skills.

A gap in the resume can “read” several ways, most of them poorly. And, with dozens of resume to choose from a gap can read like you were…[Read more]

As promised attached is the final report for that cemetery we were working on. This is for general information only and represents concept designs to help the town after the site was stripped of all mature vegetation by a tornado. New designs include revegetation, expansion to include a columbarium space, veterans memorial, visitor center and…[Read more]

The recession ends when you and I start making more than we did last year. Just that simple.

Sherman makes a good point. Times are ripe for new firms to start up. You have to look for work where others are not looking. Look to small developers, builders, contractors, etc. for a starter project or two. Nothing wrong with following the “for sale”…[Read more]

I’ll agree that you need professional skill and real world experience to become successful. I also offer that to start your own practice you must have a network of clients and that network takes time to build. Unless you are blessed with instant knowledge of the industry you are consulting in you need to know people and they need to know you. And…[Read more]

I’ll also agree, In the last dip in economy I had receivables that were 180 days old. My days were spent making phone calls to almost beg for a payment. In some cases begging LARGE companies for a couple K to pay some bills.

This will pass, Old acttive firms will be smaller, New firms (of old associates or partners or recent grads) will spring up…[Read more]

Your gonna need to know elevation, orientation, location, vegetation (ecotone), slope, nutrient in the remaining soil, and native seeds on the ground, and condition of the disturbed land. If it’s just burned then there are still significant nutrients and seeds in the top soil and you will only need to stabilize the soil. If it’s already eroded…[Read more]

The design process we all pose as our craft is built around our ability to express ideas. We sell ideas. And the only way to sell a design is to illustrate it. That is the essence of our profession and a range of other design professions. My view is that the computer just is not the beginning tool within this craft. It is a great illustration tool…[Read more]

Ah, Nick, Glad to hear you also joined “the group” of privilaged among those of us who have been pulled over by the res’ patrol. Me, on jet ski having fun while the wife is on the pontoon of friends. I motor up to say hi-ask if she would like to ride, and I get pulled over because I was following too close, another time just to make sure I had the…[Read more]

I’ll add this.
All the billability, skill, design ability, and speed issues are certainly important.
I’ll add that I also look for someone who can work on a team, listens to those around him-her, is willing to respond (to a supervisor and the client), and most of all is someone who is compatable with the other office staff and me. When all is said…[Read more]

Again, thanks for the input and insight.
I think Nic is correct, this appears to be a niche market. And for those like Nic and Chris who are in the groove that is great. But none of us can build guidelines to encourage communities to engage in cemetery improvements (or to hire Nic to do the work) without knowledge of the field. Jennifer’s…[Read more]

Thanks to you all for responding.
Chris and Riri has the right questions but I don’t have the information to understand the purposes of those elements of the design. Part of what we are trying to do is to “spruce up” a historic Colorado Eastern Plains cemetery (few trees, native grass, 100+ year headstones, wire fence, etc) and 1) improve the…[Read more]

I’ll agree with some of the other “old timers”. This will pass. As meintioned in other responses, these slumps seem to happen in cycles, can almost be seen before they happen (in hind sight) and require designers to be creative in how they get themselves out there to earn a living doing what they enjoy doing.

I suggest you look for projects not…[Read more]