37signals makes great products that help us stay organized, from tracking tasks to managing contacts to online chatting. Mac AppStorm put together an impressive list of Mac and iPhone apps that compliment these products. The list includes software for Basecamp, Backpack, Highrise and Campfire. Since these 37signals services operate online in a web browser, these alternatives allow you to work offline and on-the-go.

We often hear the terms "right-brained" and "left-brained" to describe creative versus analytical thinkers. As graphic designers we are often right-brained, relying on visuals to complete our jobs. We also have to tap into the left side of the brain to handle the business aspects of design, from contracts to quotes. The Web Designer Depot has an interesting and clearly written article on both sides of the brain, and how they relate to designers. There are also links to two "brain quizzes," one of which comes from the about.com painting site.

I recently had the opportunity to visit the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (MASS MoCA), which features modern and experimental exhibits ranging from video installations to trees growing upside down (which is actually working outside the museum's main entrance). One of the exhibits that I found most interesting from a graphic design perspective was "Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective." Lewitt's unique approach to art focuses on the creation of the pieces... but not by him. Instead, those who install or purchase the art are responsible for creating it by following detailed instructions and diagrams.

The size of the art and the surface it is on can vary as well, allowing it to take on a life of its own depending on the space and person responsible for the drawing. If a piece is passed on to someone else, the original needs to be painted over, so it only exists in one place at a time. The MASS MoCA website has a great mini site that allows you to see all the drawings by grid or floorplan, as well as watch time lapse videos of the project that took 65 people and 6 months to complete. If you want to head over to MASS MoCA and see it for yourself, you have time... the exhibit will be up for at least 25 years.

Drop-down menus have come a long way in web design. As always, they are a great way to offer the user more content while keeping your pages clean. With the current technologies available to web designers, including flash, AJAX and JavaScript, there are many ways to take this even further and offer more hidden, but easily accessible, content. Spyre Studios has a gallery of modern drop-down and sliding menu solutions that achieve just that. If you've been impressed with any drop-downs recently, please share in the comments.

An iPhone is a great tool for your business, with tons of applications (85,000 if I remember correctly from the last Apple commercial) to perform all kinds of tasks. Apps like What the Font allow you to identify fonts on the go, while apps like Tweetie let you keep up with your Twitter accounts.

In the business of graphic design, it is essential to come up with creative solutions for our clients. The same applies to almost any business, whether it be music or farming, architecture or medicine. Fast Company is currently highlighting their 100 Most Creative People in Business, including people from all types of industries. From Sheila Bair, the chairman of the FDIC, to Bart Decrem, CEO of iPhone app development company Tapulous, it's an interesting list to review with short and to-the-point bios of each person.

Chances are, the economy has affected the way you do business. Some clients may have reduced their budgets for design work, requiring you to come up with clever solutions to keep their business, while others may have cut out their design budgets completely. You may also have come up with ways to reduce your own costs, from minimizing personal promotion to changing office spaces. There are of course many ways you may have been affected beyond the answers here, so please share your experience.

Finding out your client's budget can make quoting jobs much easier. It can also help to determine what services you can provide to your client. Whether or not you can work with a client isn't always a simple "yes" or "no" based on the budget. If you know what the client can spend, you can often change the scope of work, printing costs, and other variables and land a job that you otherwise might have lost due to a high quote.

I recently came across The Behance Network when someone tweeted about the work of Anna Rusakova. First impressed with her beautiful illustration that I would describe as highly professional doodles, I continued on to browse The Behance Network, where her work was being displayed. The site is a free service for creatives, who may build a portfolio after requesting an invite by submitting just an email address and description of their work.

Once a member, you can create an ad-free portfolio to share with potential clients. According to the website, they also receive millions of visitors looking to hire designers and other creative professionals. While I don't yet have personal experience with the site, it's an interesting one to watch especially because it is an attractive alternative to creating your own portfolio. I would never underestimate the importance of having a truly unique and personal showcase of your work, but it's also beneficial to get your work out there in many places.

If anyone has experience with the network please share in the comments.

Back in the 90's, website "coming soon" pages did little more than to tell you that, well, a website was coming soon. Often, this was paired with some type of under construction graphic reminiscent of a construction site. Nowadays, you can do a lot more with your coming soon page, from promoting your brand to building an audience through social networking. Line25 has a great collection of tips for modern coming soon pages, as well as a gallery of 20 well-designed examples.