Category Archives: Design Careers

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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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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 [...]

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Photoshop Backgrounds for Graphic and Web Designers - Part III

December 10, 2009 – 9:30 pm

The Rest of Them
This series concludes with several colorful Photoshop backgrounds that can be used for the times when you need something colorful and eye-catching for a backdrop. And as it was with the previous examples, you can modify these patterns to suit your own specific needs.
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Light Rays
If you need a dramatic and striking background [...]

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Photoshop Backgrounds for Graphic and Web Designers - Part II

December 4, 2009 – 12:00 pm

Abstract Photoshop Backgrounds
In the following tutorials, you’ll learn how to make Photoshop backgrounds that are more abstract and artsy. Since these themes are open-ended in nature, they can be used for many types of graphic design projects and web design layouts. You can scale these backgrounds to be used as buttons, backdrops, or poster elements. [...]

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Graphic Design, Book Covers, and You - Part II

November 20, 2009 – 5:30 pm

Reading a Book by Its Cover
The chance to produce art for a book cover is rare, but the essential thought processes and creative steps are very similar, if not identical, in the inventive process. In this series we actually try to read a book by its cover–to see if the design concept is successful or [...]

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When Design Becomes Literal

November 11, 2009 – 6:00 am

As a graphic artist, you face the challenge of creating designs that are unique, and interesting. Some designers, as you will see, have taken the idea of design to a very literal form.
The following examples are fun to look at and admire, but also serve as inspiration to think “inside the box” by approaching design [...]

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Logos: What Makes a Good Design? - Part III

November 10, 2009 – 7:56 pm

And Now the Good Stuff
In our last few articles about logo design we’ve seen some logos that didn’t quite work because of design flaws, problems with concept or lack of visual appeal.
This time we’ll look at some of the most famous logos in the world, and some that aren’t so famous to see why they [...]

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