Jeff Butterworth, Founder & CEO of Alien Skin Software joins hosts Scott Sheppard and Gene Gable for an update on these popular Photoshop plug-ins and what it has been like for them to develop these additions created to make a designer’s workflow easier and more efficient. Jeff explains some of the effects you can achieve using their latest products; Exposure 2 which simulates film grain and effects on digital images and Image Doctor that instantly restores, repairs, and retouches images.

Unlike other plug-ins, Alien Skin uses their own proprietary algorithms that improve the image processing which creates instant effects and customizations, otherwise not possible or too time-consuming to prepare within the standard Photoshop application. Jeff also gives some tips and advice to designers who may be interested in creating their own plug-ins. For more information, tutorials, downloads and more visit: http://www.alienskin.com

Sara Birkemeier, Principal Designer, 8Dot Graphics joins Inside Digital Design to discuss how they use some of the Alien Skin plug-ins in their client work. 8Dot Graphics, who happens to be the primary design company for Alien Skin, shares their first-hand experience working with the various plug-in tools. Sara and her husband work on a range of projects including designing Endurance Magazine each month, which forces them to maximize their creativy while working on tight deadlines.

Sara explains their favorite Alien Skin plug-ins include; Exposure 2, Blow up, and Eye Candy. Blow up is a tool they use to resize and enlarge images that they often receive from their clients but are too small to use in their final print and other projects. Sara shares some time saving tips on using these plug-ins and explains why even though they are “expert Photoshop users” they prefer these plug-ins to the Photoshop native tools. Speed and overall quality are the two main reasons 8Dot Graphics will continue to rely on these great design tools. For more information on 8Dot and some examples of their client work visit: http://www.8dotgraphics.com/

Renee Martin, Vice President, Sales & Service North America, Corbis joins hosts Scott Sheppard and Gene Gable to discuss the winners of the recent “Corbis Creativity for Social Justice Award and Scholarship” awards presented at this year’s ADC – Art Director’s Club Gala. The awards recognize outstanding creative work done for a non-profit on a pro bono basis and this year two winners were selected to receive the prestigious ADC Gold Cube, winning $20,000 for their cause.

Corbis beleives in supporting non-profit designers and Renee also explains how creatives can make a difference by participating in Corbis’ “Search for Justice” program now through July 31, 2008 which rewards the winning charities with a $1 donation for every image search. Renee also explains that any designer working on a pro bono basis for a non-profit is eligible to license Bettman Collection images at no charge to support their project. Find out more at: http://www.corbis.com or search for images at: http://www.corbis.com/searchforjustice. Renee also discusses Corbis’ latest project a virtual museum showcasing some of their finest images, the Museum of Art for the Arts at: http://www.mofaa.org/

Scott and Gene round out the discussion with some insights and analysis about poor design on websites. Sharing examples and tips on how to turn today’s online content collections into a place that is easy to navigate yet incorporates elements of good design. Gene clarifies that the changing roles of today’s designers, overuse of available technologies, and pressure to deliver the end result can really impact the final result. Scott points out that trends in blogging and social networking sacrifice design for continual content.

Ken Madsen, President, Graphic Systems Group joins hosts Scott Sheppard and Gene Gable to share his thoughts on the current trend of decoupling conceptual brand design from technical production concepts. Graphic Systems Group is one of the nations largest and most successful true production agencies also known as service bureaus. Ken clearly defines that a production agency takes the conceptual creative designs from a brand advertising agency and ultimately handles the technical details involved in executing their vision across multiple mediums including photography, print, magazines, web, interactive, out-of-home, and more. Ken explains some of the skills and knowledge required to successfully develop this into a business model.

Today’s designers are often challenged in maintaining their technical skills and may have to compromise their artistic passion in order to deliver their client’s jobs on budget and on time. Leveraging the capabilities of a production agency presents a logical solution to this creative dilemma. Ken also suggests that recent design graduates spend some time on the technical production side of the business and finds that many designers end up really enjoying the technical aspects and succeed in the production environment. For more information about GSG Graphic Systems Group visit their website at: http://www.gsgnyc.com/ you can also reach any of their staff directly at: http://www.gsgnyc.com/contact.php