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Starting a Graphic Design Business: Part II

March 12, 2010 – 9:35 pm

You’re in the Money

In our last post we identified some of the advisors you’ll need on your team as you start a graphic design business. Lucky for you, the logistical fun doesn’t end there. Armed with your graphic design education and ready to take on your first project, you’ll first need a pricing structure. Design firms typically charge on a fixed-fee basis. So, how do you figure out what that should be?

What Are You Worth?

First, consider the time it takes to complete different projects. From logos to collateral to business cards, what is it going to cost your firm in hours? AIGA offers some tips on how to stick a price tag onto your creative muscles. As mentioned in their Center for Practice Management, factor in potential redesigns or delays caused by the client and spell out the cost of these situations upfront. Setting expectations early will benefit you in the long run.

Overhead Costs

Next, what else will you need? Brainstorm all production or material costs associated with each project, and make them a line item in your fee structure. And don’t just go with the first printer you call. Just as you researched graphic design schools, research your potential business partners. Get to know your local resources and put your best negotiating foot forward. Cutting costs on overhead expenses can help you reduce your prices, making you stiffer competition.

Why Does It Matter?

With new technology and more graphic design colleges than ever before, talent is abounding. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, competition within the industry will be stiff, meaning that you need to distinguish your firm by any means. Be organized. Be a professional. Invest time into understanding your graphic design business.

By admin Posted in Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Design Careers, Design Project Management, Graphic Design, Salaries & Wages & Rates, Salaries & Wages & Rates, Self Promotion & Marketing No Comments

Starting Your Graphic Design Business: Part I

March 12, 2010 – 9:33 pm

Learning the Biz

Graphic Design schools will sharpen your artistic talents, but what about your business acumen? If starting a design business appeal to you, however, both sides of your brain need to be functioning. In order to get You, Inc., off the ground, knowing the nuts and bolts of business ownership is just as essential as being a whiz in Illustrator.

What You Need to Know

Remember when you had a lemonade stand? You had to stock enough cups, reach the delicate balance between sweet and tangy, and be home before dark. You were not concerned with obtaining signatures on contracts or whether the sidewalk was a viable office location. Unfortunately, running your own business will be a little different. To avoid unnecessary trouble, take a look at the resources offered through AIGA, the professional association for design. Here, you can not only find tips, but a Center for Practice Management.

The Firm Hand of the Law

They may focus on aesthetics in graphic design colleges, but in business, they want your t’s crossed and i’s dotted. To understand the legal process of running your business, seek advice. Find other graphic designers who have done something similar by joining an online community. Then, turn to an expert such as:

Attorneys
Certified Public Accountants
Bankers
Business Insurance Agents
Industry Consultants

A few topics this army of advisors will discuss are your company’s legal structure, tax details, and becoming an employer. Who knew this was significant to your graphic design education? Your new office may look like four walls sandwiched between a floor and ceiling, but there are numerous logistics bolting that structure together.

By admin Posted in Uncategorized No Comments

3D Photoshop Object Projects and Tutorials - Part II

January 28, 2010 – 6:20 am

More 3D for Fun and Function
In our last article we presented some nifty examples of what you can do with Photoshop in creating your own 3D objects. There are literally thousands of PS objects that you can download from the Internet, but the process of making your own Photoshop 3D items is not only fun but serves to add to your graphic design education.

Knowing how objects are created adds to your expertise as a graphic designer and can be valuable in making custom objects for your graphic design projects.

Here are some more for you to experiment with.

3D Wristwatch

Time will fly as you try this tutorial for making a 3D wristwatch. You’ll learn how to make multiple copies of shapes in order to assemble them into a new object. This object is just the one you’ll need when you need to get the message of time across in your design.
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3D Wooden Cup

Making a glass cup isn’t all that hard, but adding a texture that isn’t expected can be very eye-catching. In this tutorial you’ll learn how to apply a wooden texture to the surfaces of a cup. This technique can be useful when you want to make something original looking and unique—perhaps a football with a marble texture for instance. The sky is the limit.
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3D Pixilated Laptop

Here is a cool 3D representation of a laptop screen that “explodes.” You’ll not only learn how to manipulate this 3D laptop file but also learn the process of making vanishing points too. Once the basics are understood you can use the “exploding” effect for other graphics too.
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3D Arrows

Somewhere, sometime, somehow you’ll need a 3D arrow for your graphic designs. Sure, it’s easy enough to download what you need, but the problem is that the generic arrows you download may not fit your exact needs.

Here is a quickie tutorial that will put you into 3D arrow heaven. You’ll be able to design a myriad of 3D arrows with these basic instructions. Add colors, textures, and special brushes to them for more bling.
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By admin Posted in Adobe Photoshop, Design Software, Design Tools & Utilities, Graphic Design 101, Graphic Design Effects, Graphic Design Resources, Graphic Design Tutorials, Hot in Design Daily, Web Design No Comments

3D Photoshop Object Projects and Tutorials - Part I

January 26, 2010 – 7:11 pm

Practice Makes Perfect
After a while, it seems that plain old 2D Photoshop images are lacking when it comes to creativity for some of your graphic design projects. Maybe you have thought about doing more 3D work but didn’t know where to start. The following Photoshop tutorials can help you create some nice objects. All that is needed is some time, a little persistence, and your talent as a graphic designer.

So without further ado, here are some Photoshop 3D objects for you to create and learn from. Enjoy!

3D Billiard Balls
At sometime or another you’ll need to create spheres or round objects in your graphic design work. Here’s a quick little tutorial that can help you to get your feet wet in designing round 3D objects.

You’ll learn how to add simple specular highlights and shiny texture to the billiard balls. The original background for this tutorial was a sickly green, but you can change the background color into something more eye-appealing or neutral.
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3D Wine Bottle
In this tutorial you’ll learn about creating a photo-realistic object, generating shadows, and using cut techniques. This wine bottle is a good all-around Photoshop object that can be adapted to graphic design projects that need a specific motif for announcing events or invitations.
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3D USB Thumb Drive

When these little marvels of data storage were first made commercially available in 2000, the capacity was only 8MB. Today’s flash drives can hold up to 128 Gigabytes and cost less than the introductory price of the original 8MB flash drive.

If you want to make your own flash drive for free, this Photoshop tutorial can help you design and produce your very own. It is suitable for all high-tech graphic design work.
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3D Old School Game Controller

Back in the late 1970s video games were entering its golden age of gaming. Among the many recognizable icons of this era was the video game “joystick.” If you want to add a little electronic nostalgia to your next graphic design project, this joystick will do nicely.
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Next Time…
We’ll wrap up this series with a few more cool Photoshop 3D objects that you can make. Until then, keep on designing!

By admin Posted in Adobe Photoshop, Graphic Design, Graphic Design Effects, Graphic Design Resources, Graphic Design Tutorials, Web Design No Comments

The Do’s and Don’ts of a Successful Portfolio - Part II

January 22, 2010 – 12:10 pm

Presentation and Eye Appeal
What would your reaction be if you were served a plate of food at a restaurant that had dust, lint, or smudges on the dish? Now let’s switch this scenario around and put this in the context of a job seeker presenting a portfolio that has dust, lint, and smudges on the artwork to his/her prospective employer.

See the point?

If you are presenting your portfolio to the hiring manager or interviewer for a position at their design studio, an immaculate and professional looking portfolio case is essential. Make sure you purchase a high quality portfolio case that can take abuse and still look as fresh as the day you bought it. If your portfolio is tattered and worn, it’s time to buy a new one.

Don’t Be Too Busy In Your Online Presentations
In some cases the job interviewer will ask you for a link to your website that displays examples of your work. What and how should it look like? One thing that should be noted is that a poorly designed website will detract from the online images no matter how good they are.

Your website should be tasteful, simple, and easy to navigate around. If you are doing the website design yourself, take note in presenting your site with the same care and detail that you would afford to a paying client. In saying this, don’t try to be “cute” or crass in your design. Using bright colors will definitely draw attention to your site, but what does it say about your professionalism and ability to choose the right motif from a color palette?

Do Use Your Personality in Your Portfolio
While your portfolio should be simple, concise, and tasteful you aren’t prevented from displaying projects or examples that are outside the box.

The pieces that display individualism and creativity can help get the attention of the job interviewer. Your online portfolio can also display your character and originality in some way without going over the top.
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Don’t Say How Great You Are
There is an old proverb that states “Let another praise you and not your own mouth.” There’s a lot of wisdom here. Have you ever had an acquaintance or friend that seems to talk about nothing except their own accomplishments and how talented they are? No doubt, you wished you were somewhere else when that person continued on his monologue.

In the same way, be aware that if you go too heavily in praising your own work, the listener just may be as bored as you were when you were in a similar situation.

Do Let Your Work Speak for Itself
If certain pieces of your portfolio catch the interest of your interviewer, you’ll be asked about it.

When the time comes, you can embellish on how you arrived at the final design, what it took to produce it, and other details related to the piece. A running commentary on your portfolio by you is rarely needed,
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Do Present a Varied Overall Presentation
A successful portfolio should be a window into who you are as a designer and showcase the various facets of your talent.

While a thematic portfolio can be a strong point, having too many pieces that are similar in nature does nothing to advance your cause.

When assembling your portfolio, try to select examples that while varied, are still cohesive to an overall theme in your portfolio.
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By admin Posted in Best of the Best Designs, Best of the Best Designs, Design Careers, Design Education, Graphic Design, Graphic Design Resources No Comments

The Do’s and Don’ts of a Successful Portfolio - Part I

January 21, 2010 – 5:49 pm

The Basics
At long last you’ve landed a job interview at a design firm. You’re excited, nervous, and worried all at the same time. You realize that part of the interview process hinges on presenting a strong portfolio. But where do you begin?

You’ve got lots of examples from projects while going to your graphic design college and some other pieces of work from paid assignments. Which examples are appropriate and which ones are not?

In this article we’ll present some “do’s and don’ts” advice on how to assemble a portfolio that will catch the attention of prospective employers.

Don’t Throw In the Kitchen Sink
One of the most common mistakes in assembling a portfolio is trying to include too many examples — or in other words, throwing in the kitchen sink.

Your job interviewer wants to see a professional and concise portfolio that will highlight your talent, skills, and abilities and show what you are capable of. The interviewer doesn’t want to sift through tons of your work to get to the relevant examples.
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Do Gear Your Portfolio to the Design Firm’s Area of Expertise
Don’t think of your portfolio as being static. Of course it’s easier to put together a generic one that can be presented to any employer, but you’ll be losing a valuable edge by not gearing your portfolio specifically to the needs of your possible employer.

If the hiring design firm is heavily focused on corporate design, your portfolio should try to represent more of this type of design work. If the company you are applying for is involved in packaging design, your work should emphasize this aspect of your work.

If you can’t get a bead on what the company’s main emphasis is, do your best to put together a well-balanced portfolio that displays your creativity and flexibility. Don’t forget about your completed assignments from graphic design school; they should provide many examples for your portfolio.

Don’t Show Mediocre Work
There is a tendency by some job seekers to stuff their portfolios with work that is obviously not up-to-par. Why is this? They may have a lack of material to show so they reason that including anything is better than having a small representation of what they are capable of.

This could not be farther from the truth.

By including mediocre examples of your work you are advertising your lack of skills. You may not have a lot of examples to show, but displaying any work that is less than excellent isn’t the way to win the job interviewer over.

Do Display Your Best Work
This is where you have to be brutally honest about your work. There will be projects that have great sentimental value to you. Perhaps it was the challenge that made a particular project a favorite of yours or maybe there is a great story in how you came up with the design idea. This all may be true, but if the design or artwork isn’t topnotch, it doesn’t’ belong in your portfolio.

Next Time…
We’ll continue with more hints, tips, and advice on assembling a successful portfolio. Until then, keep on designing!

By admin Posted in Adobe Photoshop, Best of the Best Designs, Design Careers, Design Education, Graphic Design, Graphic Design Resources, Uncategorized No Comments

What Employers Are Looking for in Graphic Designers - Part II

January 15, 2010 – 6:25 am

It’s More than Just Talent
When you are going after a graphic designer position, your prospective employer is not only seeking qualified talent but “soft” skills and abilities.

The “hard” skills as described in our last article, What Employers Are Looking for in Graphic Designers - Part I, gave a list of the skill sets that graphic design job candidates should have.

In this article we’ll look into the set of skills and attributes called “soft skills” that can play as important a role in landing a graphic design job as graphic design talent.

The “Soft” Skills
Soft skills are attributes that have to do with a person’s work ethic, teamwork skills, and positive personality traits that are important in the dynamics of the workplace.

The following examples are some of the soft skills employers like to see in their graphic designers.
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* Flexibility - Graphic designers who understand the work and flow of how design projects are handled know that there can be last minute changes, delays or deadlines that need to be moved up. Employers want graphic designers that can be flexible and adapt to an ever changing work environment without being stubborn about “how things should be”.

* Meet Deadlines - In the perfect world deadlines are scheduled with enough time to finish a project — but in the real world this rarely is the case. Last minute changes made by the clients, problems with press production or other factors outside your control can take you off track and cause delays. But successful graphic designers know how to manage their time and prioritize tasks in order to meet deadlines.

* Strong Communication Skills - Graphic design projects that turn out wrong are sometimes due to poor communication with the client or as a result of a misunderstanding of what needs to be done. Good communication skills, both verbal and written, are essential for a graphic designer to do the best job possible.

* Team Player - If you are attending a graphic design school, are taking classes to further your graphic design education or work in an office you know what one uncooperative person in the workplace can do to lower morale. A person who isn’t a “lone wolf” or someone that isn’t out to only further their own career is an individual that is considered a valuable member of the team.

* Creative and Resourceful - There are many people who have talent in graphic design but those who are creative, resourceful and can think outside the box are highly treasured by design firms. Knowing all the elements of how to design is not enough. What separates the average graphic designer from those who are truly creative is how effectively concepts can be understood and modified to present a coherent idea through the use of a variety of graphical elements.

A Wise Manager
This true story was related to us about a graphics design manager who was in search of a new graphics person for his department. He interviewed literally hundreds of applicants and finally decided upon an individual who just graduated from college, but had no real work experience.

When the manager was asked why he selected the untested individual he replied that the person he chose “seemed to be a good fit for the department and was willing to learn new things.”

His philosophy was that given the choice between arrogant talent and a good fit, he would choose the good fit because talent can always be improved upon, while negative personal traits are often more difficult to change.

Soft skills are very important to employers and should not be overlooked. Make sure you develop your people skills as well as your graphic design education and graphic skills.

Next Time…
Now that we’ve covered hard and soft skills our next article in this series will focus on what your portfolio should look like, what it should include and other hints on qualifying for a graphic design position.

By admin Posted in Design Education, Graphic Design, Graphic Design 101 5 Comments

What Employers Are Looking For In Graphic Designers - Part I

January 14, 2010 – 3:45 pm

What You Need To Qualify
To land a job as a graphic designer you need the skill sets and talent necessary to fill the job requirements.

There are two types of skill set categories employers are looking for when hiring a graphic designer. In the following three part series we’ll delve into what these qualities are and also offer advice on how to prepare for a career as a graphic designer.

Two Skill Sets: Hard and Soft
No matter what job you are applying for there are certain job prerequisites that are usually common to all job position openings.

The “hard” skills have to do with your career training, proficiency, and expertise in your field. The “soft” skill sets have to do with personality traits such as working well under pressure, teamwork, attitude, etc.

Graphic Design: The “Hard” Skills
So what are employers looking for when they are filling spots for graphic designer positions? Here is a short list of the “hard skills” you need to qualify for most graphic design jobs.

You should be familiar with producing graphic design projects related to:

Packaging
Catalogs
Brochures
Advertisements
Web sites
Posters
T-Shirts
Post cards
Web banners
E-mail blasts
Web banner ads
Newsletters
Invites
Banners
Signage

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Each design firm has its own set of specific requirements and needs but this list of basic project skills should be in every graphic designer’s arsenal of abilities.

Related Hard Skills
To be a viable candidate for a graphic design job there are other hard skills related to the basic ones concerning project development and production.

* Computer Design Skills - Graphic design has experienced a great deal of change in the last decade with the advent of computer graphic assisted design. A good working knowledge of graphic design software and hardware is essential to any graphic designer’s creativity and production skills.

* Good Communication Skills - Graphic designers should be able to communicate effectively and clearly through writing or speech in order to present ideas, ask pertinent questions about their projects, and keep everyone in the loop about the progress of the project. Without good communications skills, a graphic designer is limited in scope.

* Education - In most cases a bachelor’s degree is required for entry level positions in graphic design. For jobs as an assistant to graphic designers or for graphic design work that is more technical in nature a 2-year degree at a community college or certificate of completion is needed. There are many graphic design schools and colleges that can give you the graphic design education and career training needed to pursue a career as a graphic designer.

Next Time…
What are the “soft” job skills employers are looking for in their graphic designers? Next time we’ll cover these skills and discover that possessing these attributes may increase your chances of getting a graphic design job.

By admin Posted in Adobe Photoshop, Best of the Best Designs, Design Education, Design Hardware, Design Project Management, Design Software, Design Tools & Utilities, Drawing and Sketching, Graphic Design, Web Design No Comments

Graphic Design and Effective Messaging - Part II

January 7, 2010 – 6:17 am

Graphic Design Is Messaging
Although the artistic merits of good graphic design is at the forefront of what a graphic artist does the real backbone behind the design is the effectiveness of the message you are trying to communicate to the viewer.

In our last article we quoted Marshal McLuhan saying, “The medium is the message” or in other words, the vehicle you use (colors, animation, fonts, images, etc.) is crucial in successfully conveying the message in your graphic design.

You may be working on a business card, a packaging design, or a poster, but the truth of the matter remains — effectively using the various elements for graphic design is crucial for a successful “message”.

We continue this series with examples of the effective use of various medium/design elements to convey clear messages through graphic design. After each example
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Stop Sign - The Effective Use of Shape, Color, and Font
The ubiquitous stop sign is seen by us many times a day but in spite of this, the common stop sign still gets our attention.

Why? The red color stands out against almost any natural background. Some have alluded that the hexagonal shape of the sign, something you don’t usually see in nature, sends a subliminal message to the brain to take notice. And lastly, the big bold font is the icing on the cake.

All in all, if you want to draw attention to your graphic design, when shape, color, and font are used effectively, you’ll score high in sending the message of “Look here!”

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Trix - The Effective Use of Knowing Your Market
Virtually everyone knows the advertising phrase connected with this cereal — “Trix are for kids…”

Although the Trix rabbit has failed to fulfill his dreams of eating a bowl of Trix for many decades, the graphic design of the cereal box has remained true to form by presenting the “silly rabbit” on the box along with vivid colors and the familiar Trix font.

The artwork screams “FUN!” to children, and whether this is acceptable to parents who are trying to reduce their children’s sugar intake, the graphic design definitely appeals to its target audience — kids. So on your next graphic design project, knowing who you are designing for can be as important as the overall design.
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USA Today - Effective Use of Font, Icon, and Background Color
USA Today is the nation’s most popular newspaper with over 3.7 million readers daily. The graphic for the newspaper is simplicity itself. It states in bold offset letters the name of the newspaper in conjunction with a recognizable icon of the Earth.

This combination of graphics informs readers that USA Today covers events throughout the nation; it also covers international events as well. The logo is easily recognizable and has become a very recognizable brand for the publishing company.

When designing logos, a clean and simple approach is sometimes the best way to go.
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New Brunswick SPCA - Effective Use of Unique Design
The original idea for this image has been around for quite a while now — the animal silhouettes in contrasting colors, but New Brunswick SPCA has gone one step further by incorporating these images into the font. It is amusing and fun. Sometimes the reinvention of the wheel works if you give it a twist.
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Next Time…
What do employers look for in a graphic designer? Is it a matter of pure, raw talent or are other factors in play here? We’ll explore what qualities make a graphic designer desirable to potential employers. Stay tuned till then!

By admin Posted in Best of the Best Designs, Best of the Best Designs, Design Careers, Design Tools & Utilities, Graphic Design, Graphic Design 101, Graphic Design Resources, Hot in Design Daily 1 Comment

Graphic Design and Effective Messaging - Part I

January 5, 2010 – 4:14 pm

The Medium Is the Message
Marshall McLuhan coined the phrase “The medium is the message.” McLuhan was considered one of the cutting edge media theorists of his day and realized that the “container” of the message or the medium influenced how the final message was perceived.

As graphic artists it is important to understand and use this concept effectively in making sure that your message, whether it is a marketing piece or stationary design, is clear and appropriate to the project you are producing.

Case Studies
Marketers have found that a simple change in color can make a world of difference in how products sell. According to Wall Street Journal on Marketing, 1996 edition:

“… Consumers ascribe a sweeter taste to orange drinks the darker the orange shade of the can or bottle. It’s difficult to correlate color with product sales. But Berni claims that when it changed Canada Dry’s sugar-free ginger ale can to green and white from red, sales shot up more than 25 percent. The red can had sent a misleading cola message to consumers.”

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The Examples
Good graphic design incorporates effective color palette selection, graphics, images, fonts, and information. The following examples give good direction on how to utilize these elements in your projects. Some are world famous while others are not but they all show effective graphic design techniques.

The effective design element is highlighted in italics after the product name.

Coca Cola - Use of Color

In this instance the color red is so closely connected with this product that people around the world automatically associate a red soda can with Coca Cola. The color red is attention getting and also clearly separates the Coca Cola brand from other similar products on store shelves. This is smart thinking and effective color design. If you want to garner attention for your graphic designs choose some bright primary colors or use good contrast.
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“Starting Small” Kid’s Clothes Hamper - Use of Contrast and Graphics

Here’s a graphic design that uses contrast as an element in the overall design. The cute little monkey is featured in a nice tan pastel color with green highlights in the leaves. The background is a rich dark brown color. The overall graphic is effective and friendly for any children’s room.
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Spalding Basketball - Use of Font

What do you do when you have a highly recognizable font that is associated with your product? One word: Big. In the case of Spalding, a manufacturer of various sports equipment, the Spalding font is the main graphic element here. Nothing fancy, just the unique Spalding font. Sometimes less is more.
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Healthy Choice Frozen Food - Use of Images and Information

Back in the day frozen food was considered “sub-standard” and convenience food. But this has changed and frozen food has been elevated to a position of being a healthy food choice. The graphic design does several things well. It displays the food in a photograph, it shows the nutritional ingredients on the front, and it uses a color palette (green) that connotes the idea of health.