I'm finding that by working for a large number of design companies, I am developing a better understanding of verbalized design intent. Every design director has a different way of communicating their needed deliverables and the styles and quality that suit the time-frame. Grasping this quickly is not only valuable, but imperative as a contract designer. There is a series of ballpark questions that help to solidify their concept, but the assumptions are what can cause the problems. I'm learningto ask about what isn't said, because the connotations are as important as the denotations.

By the way, today is the first day of almost two weeks that I'll be working at Reebok's headquarters in Canton, MA. It's quite an AMAZING campus, and I look forward to getting acquainted with it and the other employees!