Graphic Design

К сведению

2008-09-25T18:33:24Z

ПРИВЕТ ВСЕМ. МОЖЕТ ПРИГОДИТСЯ.

КАЧАЮ ЛЮБЫЕ КАРТИНКИ С ФОТОБАНКА www.shutterstock.com

1 КАРТИНКА – 500руб.
ОПТОВИКАМ СКИДКИ)
ПИСАТЬ ВОТ СЮДА: shutterman1@yandex.ru
БЫСТРО И НАДЕЖНО!

Logo

2008-01-12T18:32:28Z

For my new company - comments/criticism welcome.

Logo

2007-12-05T17:57:16Z

What do you think? Suggestions?

Portfolio Help!

2007-12-05T17:53:55Z

Questions about my online portfolio!

. Flash or Dreamweaver?
. What size if its in Flash?
. Know any good books or tutorials for CSS?
. What should go in my portfolio? I do both graphic and web design. How many pieces?

okay maybe i didnt have that many questions. I just have so much to do.

Thanks in advance!
Abigail L. Hester

a_graphicdesign @ 2007-11-26T17:33:00

2007-11-26T22:34:40Z

http://creamofcabbage.livejournal.com/2188.html

Some feedback please

2007-11-25T03:07:19Z

Hi all

As part of an assignment we have to design a make believe website and as I plan one day I hope to start a small website and graphic design business from home, I thought I would run with that. I already have a large website but it is not suitable to show the teacher or class so had to try something different. I am not used to and still learning how to do other graphics so would appreciate any feedback, comments or suggestions on what I have come up with

Hope its ok to ask this here

Thanks

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Damn Computer!

2007-11-21T19:58:06Z

Last night my computer crashed and neadless to say I lost everything.

I was wondering if ya'll knew of any good websites for photoshop brushes? I'm still using CS2 fyi.

&&& also what are your favorite design websites? blogs? where do you get your inspiration?

x
x
x

Ways to get more freelance work!

2007-11-16T21:06:35Z

Word of mouth is the go

Enlist your family and friends to spread the word about your services
Send out an email to everyone in your address book, announcing what you do, where you are and what you can offer
Ask your satisfied clients for referrals
Offer free consultations to new referrals
Consider a referral or finders fee

Love those clients

Get in touch with past and current clients when you have a new service to offer them
Get in touch with past and current clients when you have completed a flagship project
Start a newsletter
Take advantage of every outgoing email by using your email signature as a marketing tool
- Send promotions for services with your invoices
- Ask your clients to place a credit on your work in web, video or print
- Make a calendar featuring your work for clients to put up in their offices to serve as a constant reminder
- Make a poster for your client to hang up on their office wall
Talk the talk
- Go to industry events - conferences, association meetings, seminars
- Go to events in your client’s industry
- Sponsor a client event
- Join your local Chamber of Commerce and get involved
- Socialize and always have your card ready
- Do some pro-bono work for a charitable organization with industry links
- Get involved in social groups you’re connected to (church, school, university)
- Join an industry organization and get listed
- Contact people you used to work with and ask them to send you any run-off work they might have
- Offer to give a seminar to a local business group
- Practice an elevator speech about what you do and have it ready to go wherever you are
- Participate on online forums (using the forum signature line)
- Comment on blogs to draw people back to your freelance site
Promote Yourself
- Get car signage
- Get t-shirts made with your URL
- Try location based Google Adwords
- Advertise in a niche magazine or trade publication e.g. a magazine just for cafes
- List yourself in business directories or the Yellow Pages
- Research sites your clients are visiting and buy advertising there
- Advertise in online directories
- Take out an ad out in a local newspaper
- Participate in a trade show
- Holidays are your friend! Send a clever holiday greeting to clients showing your work
- Promote a free first consulation service
- Have a gimmick that makes you stand out
- Give something away for free
- Place an advert in an industry newsletter
- Offer branded pens and paper at industry events
Be an industry expert
- Pitch an article to an industry publication
- Pitch a story to a blog or resource website
- Offer to speak at industry and networking events
- Start a blog and publicize it
- Submit tutorials or how-to’s to websites
- Get on the radio
- Write an eBook or Report for your target market and promote it online
- Enter your work into competitions and awards… and win
Use the media
- Issue a press release about a story related to your services and try and get it into a local newspaper or magazine
- Pull a publicity friendly stunt (think Richard Branson)
- Run a contest which ties into your services
Job Boards
- Keep an eye on online job boards
- Check out Craigs List for your city
- Keep an eye on offline job boards
- Pin up a little advert on boards in your local area or community
Brrr – it’s cold in here!
- Find out how you could improve a companies business and profits and cold call them with your pitch
- Mail promo postcards to potential clients
- Mail fun promotional items to potential clients (calendars, toys, posters etc)
Help leads find you
- Search-optimize your website and get Google traffic
- Have a follow up conversation with all potential leads
- Make sure you’re listed in the Yellow Pages and White Pages business section
Get in bed with local business
- Contact your local internet service provider or printing house and offer them a commission if they refer work
- Establish contacts in larger agencies that can refer their run-off work
- Keep in touch with freelancers that will offer clients a complementary service to yours and throw each other work
- Create a local business directory and use it to get to know other business owners who might later need your services
- Cross promote with other businesses
- Ask if you can put your business cards or brochure in local stores
- Rent officespace shared with other businesses or freelancers
Industry Specific Ideas
And here are some ideas that are tailored to certain industries…
Photographers
- Enter your work into a gallery or run an exhibition
- Submit some work to stock agencies to attract attention
- Do a new series of work so you have a reason to show your portfolio to an old contact
- Send in your photography work to industry magazines to make a name for yourself
- Start an online photojournal
- Photograph an event or series and pitch it to a newspaper or magazine
- Get an Agent
Programmers & Developers
- Pitch your self as a developer who understands web designers, because most of them need a developer
- Write a small web app like ta-da list or jobpile and get some recognition
- Answer tech questions on forums and use a signature that says you offer freelance coding services
- Enter a programming contest like RailsDay
- Contribute to open source efforts and get known
Illustrators/Animators
- Start a comic strip blog - e.g. gapingvoid.com
- Make characters and create merchandise based on them - figurines, badges, tshirts etc
- Enter some competitons to get your illustrations in some famous places - snowboards, posters
- Create an awesome animation that wins you fame like Laith Bahrani
- Do stock illustrations for a site like istockphoto and have a portfolio site offering custom ones
- Write to big blogs and offer to do a cartoon strip (k10k)
- Send in your illustration work to magazines like computerarts.co.uk
- Create a promo Reel of animations or illlustrations and send it around/get it publicised
- Send your illustrations to gift card publishers
Writers, Bloggers, Journalists
- Pitch yourself at ad, design and web design agencies as a copywriter
- Find some photos on iStockPhoto and write some great ad headlines for each and make a mailer out of it
- Submit articles to article banks for sale
- Write opinionated, witty pieces and get them publicised on Digg with a blurb at the bottom about your services
- Pitch article ideas to editors, online and off
- Write a book and publish it with lulu.com
Designers
- Submit work to design compilation books and magazines
- Get your portfolio/profile listed on a site like Coroflot
- Design a great website and submit it to design galleries like CSSMania.com
- Build a great portfolio and submit it to design portals like DesignIsKinky.com
- Start a magazine, design portal or blog
So there you have it, lots of ideas! Do you know of any more? Add them in the comments and i'll add them to the list…
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a_graphicdesign @ 2007-11-16T12:53:00

2007-11-16T20:58:00Z

Wow! I def. need to promote this community. What do yall think about doing theme's on design work? Maybe Christmas cards? Does anyone want to create a banner for the community to help us promote. Normally, I would have by now but I've been super super busy trying to get my portfolio ready and my resume finished.

I'm basically using this community post things I find and I want to read later or if I find something that I think might be helpful to some of you....is it?

xxx

a_graphicdesign @ 2007-11-15T14:49:00

2007-11-15T19:55:13Z

Hi Everyone!
This is my first post ever here at a_graphicdesign. I just finished a batch of mini web icons, and I thought that maybe some of you guys would be interested in them :/
I read all the rules, so I hope I don't mess up!
P.S: this community is great, even though I've never had the time to post, I really enjoy reading articles posted here :)

Thanks and Enjoy.

>

p.s: I'll let whoever is in charge of tags, because I don't know how it works here :D

Being a web designer is like...

2007-11-14T00:49:42Z

Someone asked me what being a web designer was like. For those of you graphics design people on the edge of school and considering padding your skillset, keep this in mind:

Being a web designer is like being the only skilled laborer on a remote island under U.S. law. Not only are you expected to know how to design and build the house, you have to know plumbing, landscaping, painting, electrical wirining, irrigation, obtain the land, the permits, manage the money, secure the loans, and market and sell the thing.

Your client will be the equivalent of New Guinea royalty, somehow important but with a limited budget, may have never lived in a house or had electricity, and will still have the audacity to tell you how they think you should do it. You will be expected to know their culture, language, and what they want-even though they don't.

Oh, and that blueprint you drew up: It will change drastically throughout the project.
-Sarmonster

12 types of clients

2007-11-13T19:31:12Z

Client Breed #1

The Low-Tech Client

How to spot one:
Looks confused and disoriented when discussing anything high-tech, calls rather than emails, wants everything to be faxed. The Low-tech client needs to go through everything twice to get it, but will then happily take your advice.

The Highs:
The Low-tech client will rely solely on your sage wisdom for all things technology related. They will look to you as your technology saviour and will stroke your ego with their reverence of your knowledge and advice.

The Lows:
The low-tech client will need to be handheld through everything from setting up their email to opening up PDFs. Charge accordingly. They can also be particularly frustrating if they decide to ‘work it out themselves’. A Low-tech client’s idea of how a website should work for example is often not pretty.

How To Work With One:
The low-tech client needs to be handheld. Make sure everything technical about a job is in writing for them to reread at their leisure. This will save you a lot of time explaining things repeatedly. It’s also best to just accept that you will not be using a lot of the technology that makes our lives easier these days (email, online project management etc) and should instead budget in time for phone calls, faxes and face to face meetings.

It is very easy to start to patronize your low-tech client unintentionally. As you can imagine, this can damage your relationship and even worse hurt their feelings. Make sure you balance the playing field by asking for their input in the areas they know about – their business. This will keep them happy stop them feeling the need to weigh in on your area of expertise – which can waste everybody’s time.

Finally if you work in technology, make sure that your Low-tech client knows how to use whatever product you give them!

Client Breed #2

The Uninterested Client

Thanks to one of our commenters for pointing out my negligence in writing ‘disinterested’ rather than ‘unintererested’ which would have been correct! It is now fixed.

How To Spot One:
The uninterested client is a strange beast – where most clients can’t wait to get involved in your work, the uninterested client just wants things done with as little effort from them as possible. You’ll spot an uninterested client on first meeting when you ask them questions about their business and are met with the minimal response. The uninterested client will rarely provide requested information or materials and will often ask you to complete tasks outside your area of expertise because they “don’t have time”.

The Highs:
An uninterested client will give you a lot of creative freedom, mostly because they have no interest in being involved. Their insistence that you “take care of it” may broaden your skill set and your ability to delegate to outside contractors. You may also gain experience making it work when you don’t have the information or materials you need.

The Lows:
The uninterested client will ask you to take care of everything from copywriting (when you’re a web designer) to flyer design (when you’re a copywriter). Sadly they will often not realize that this should incur extra cost. The uninterested client sometimes marries their lack of interest with wanting things done a certain way producing a very hard to deal with client.

How To Work With One:
It is best to get into good habits early with your uninterested client. A freelancer must be pushy with an uninterested client, so get used to calling and emailing repeatedly. A friendly and humorous tone is a great help when trying to push them along. An uninterested client generally isn’t trying to be rude and unpleasant, most of the time they’re very stressed and crying out for a little help. If you can be straight with them that extra work costs extra money, either take on that extra work if you can or use it as an opportunity to outsource.

A uninterested client is a tricky client, but if you manage to take care of them they often become very loyal, happy to have someone that ‘takes care of business’. Just make sure you are straight about costs, and be clear with yourself that nagging is unavoidable.

Client Breed #3

The Hands-On Client

How To Spot One:
The hands-On client is a frustrated artist, as soon as they walk in the door they will be telling you about their skill as an artist, illustrator, photographer or writer. The hands-on client already has a very specific idea about what they want and usually has very little interest in your thoughts on the matter.

The Highs:
If you’re happy to just do exactly as they ask no matter what you might think of it, a hands-on client can be a good little earner. Almost always there is little confusion as to what the client wants to see and this can make these jobs easy.

The Lows:
If you feel you have an ethical responsibility to point out the flaws in your hands-on client’s directions, you are headed for conflict. Hands-on client’s secretly believe that they could do their job much better than you and that there is little or no specialist knowledge you could possibly impart.

One oddity about working with a hands-on client sometimes occurs when you give in your creative ambitions and agree to do it their way. All of a sudden your hands-on client may accuse you of making them do all the work or not doing your job. This can go as far as baulking on payment. Naturally this is highly infuriating.

How To Work With One:
When you find a hands-on client, the best thing to do is go with the flow. If you try to fight it you usually lose and the job winds up a lot harder than it needed to be. If your hands-on client knows exactly what they want, then power to them, recognise that and give it to them.

Often its a good idea to explicitly tell them that they seem to have a very specific idea of what they want and that you will be following their direction, however make it clear that if they would prefer; you are more than capable of doing it without their input.

Client Breed #4

The Paranoid Client

How To Spot One:
The legal papers come out almost immediately and are elaborate to say the least. A paranoid client will often not want to even discuss their project without getting you to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) and be prepared for drafted agreement to be heavily pitched in their favour.

The Highs:
If you work with a paranoid client, any legal agreement you sign should also be protecting you. So as long as you don’t breach any part the agreements you sign you should get paid.

The Lows:
You MUST get any major legal agreements looked at by a lawyer (and not the lawyer that works for them). As you would imagine, this can cost a lot of money that your client may not be willing to pay. Often within these documents are a whole list of grounds for the client dismissing you without payment. Grounds might be that you miss a deadline for whatever reason (even if the paranoid client is at fault).

From personal experience, I have always found the most paranoid clients are the ones who seem to have the most problems as well. This happens because they are always on the lookout for evidence that they are being ripped off or taken advantage of. Needless to say this means that you can easily wind up trying to straighten our points of legality with them rather than doing your job.

How To Work With One:
It is not worth working with a paranoid client for a small or low paying job. The risks far outweigh any possible gains. Besides, a personalized legal agreement is very expensive, so if they’re willing to spend a large sum on protecting their interests they should be paying you equally well.

For a large job with a big client you may wish to consider going for it, but even then factor lawyer’s fees into your quote. Most companies have legal agreements because they want to protect themselves or sensitive projects, but some paranoid clients use them in a predatory way. Remember that the paranoid client paid more to be protected, so you should quote more to make sure you get a fair deal.

Client Breed #5

The Appreciative Client

How To Spot One:
The appreciative client will shower you with praise and make you feel special – gosh I love an appreciative client!

The Highs:
The appreciative client will make your life very easy as they’ll often pick the first version of the first draft and declare it perfect. They’re very enthusiastic and generally a delight to work with.

Even when the appreciative client does not like something they often word things in ways that make you happy to continue work on the project to get it pitch perfect.

The Lows:
They’ll make the rest of your clients look bad.

How To Work With One:
Sit back and enjoy the glory. Make sure you get them a very nice Christmas gift and throw in a freebie every now and then. An appreciative client is like gold to a freelancer, so do your best work and make them feel like a VIP.

Client Breed #6

The Get-a- Good-Deal Client

How To Spot One:
The get-a-good-deal client is a wheeler-dealer and believes that the price you first give is just a starting point for negotiations. You’ll know you have a get-a-good-deal client on your hands because agreeing on a price and job description always involves a bit of to and fro. Often times get-a-good-deal clients are successful entrepreneurial types who have haggled their way to wealth.

The Highs:
Get-a-good-deal clients are often great for getting repeat and referral work having their fingers in lots of pies and you can sometimes make deals that payoff well for you as well as them.

The Lows:
If you aren’t a good negotiator or you don’t recognise a get-a-good-deal client soon enough you can wind up feeling taken advantage of as they take whatever there is to be had. Unethical get-a-good-deal client’s are usually up for ‘no harm trying’ mentality that can see them trying to get out of paying for certain things or at their worst bullying you for more work or discounts.

How To Work With One:
The best way to deal with a get-a-good-deal client is to fight fire with fire so to speak. Taking a get-a-good-deal approach back on them usually negates their strengths and ensures that you cut a fair deal. This means coming in high and then lowering your prices and being very assertive on points of payment and workload.

Client Breed #7

The I’ll-Know-It -When-I-See-It Client

How To Spot One:
The I’ll-Know-It-When-I-See-It client shares much in common with the uninterested client except in a more frustrating way. Their indecisiveness and inability to articulate what they are after makes them one of the few clients that it is generally best to steer clear of.

The Highs:
If you can produce the “It” for this type of client you can possibly win them over and turn the I’ll-Know-It-When-I-See-It client into a very appreciative and trusting client who rejoices in having found someone who has their same ‘vision’.

The Lows:
If you don’t produce the “It” this type of client can quickly become highly frustrating as you stab franticly in the dark while worrying about blowing your budget and timeframe.

To make matters worse the I’ll-Know-It-When-I-See-It client often becomes agitated or unhappy with you if you don’t magically produce “It” leading to strained relations and a project that rapidly goes south.

How To Work With One:
In order to work with a I’ll-Know-It-When-I-See-It Client you need to remember two things:

- First be VERY clear with how much revisions cost. If you don’t do this you WILL blow your budget
- Second unless you can produce “It” you could be in for a rough project, accept this fact.

Client Breed #8

The Always-Urgent Client

How To Spot One:
All their emails are ‘highest priority’ and their couriers are always red-hot. They work on weekends and late into the night and think that everyone else does too. Additionally the always-urgent client often seems to think they are your only client and that their job should therefore be your highest priority as well as theirs.

The Highs:
Since there is never any room for prolonging a job the always-urgent client will usually okay jobs relatively quickly. They often won’t have time to okay a quote so you end up charging by the hour.

The always-urgent client generally knows when they are being unreasonable and will do their best to pay you quickly, which is handy for cash flow.

The Lows:
The always-urgent client adds stress to your life, and if you want to keep them you may need to work late nights or over the weekend. You may also endure repeat late night phone calls and nonchalant requests that you build websites, organise photoshoots and produce detailed illustrations in oh… say a few hours!

How To Work With One:
The always-urgent client must be taken with a grain of salt. Everything will be desperate so you must decide when it is worth the inconvenience to yourself and your other clients. You must make it clear to the always-urgent client when their requests are unreasonable, right from the beginning. As always, keeping this light-hearted and jokey is the way to go, thereby defusing situations where you might otherwise come off as aggressive.

The always-urgent client is similar to the disinterested client in that they both require extra care. You may need to chase up the always-urgent client if you know a job is coming up in order to give yourself more time and as with the disinterested client, if you take care of them when it counts they will be loyal to you.

A word of warning though, having multiple always-urgent clients can lead to severely stressful situations as everything is needed now, now, now! So unless you thrive on pressure, you are advised to limit the number of this type of client you engage.

Client Breed #9

The Decision-By- Committee Client

How To Spot One:
Usually inhabiting the world of large corporate clients, the decision-by-committee client can still be found in smaller operations where they share their decision making with a spouse, neighbour or dog. The decision-by-committee client is one who lacks a single point of authority and for which every decision must be approved by many people.

The Highs:
Since decision-by-committee clients don’t have anyone making firm decisions it is sometimes possible to just do whatever you think and sneak it through under the radar. This can easily backfire though, so be careful.

The Lows:
The decision-by-committee client at its worst is achingly slow to work with and when many people have thier pet peeves you can wind up with a highly inferior product to show for the work. Decision-by-committee client almost always reduce to the lowest common denominator and if there is one person who dominates they are usually the one person you wish *didn’t* dominate.

How To Work With One:
Unfortunately decision-by-committee clients are a fact of life when it comes to working with large corporate clients and this is one reason why it is important to charge high when dealing with the big guys.

It helps to be firm and quickly identify the stronger members of the committee and target them for responses while trying to win them over by conceding lesser points and sticking to your main guns.

Client Breed #10

The Doormat Client

How To Spot One:
The doormat client is the client who puts up with anything and just keeps coming back. They are usually very unassertive and seem to be content waiting for ages for you to get back to them or accepting less than perfect work.

The Highs:
The doormat client is often also very appreciative which is always nice. Its also relaxing to have a client who doesn’t mind waiting around.

The Lows:
Unfortunately doormat clients often bring out the worst in freelancers. Without the pressure of a potentially angry client a freelancer can easily become laissez-faire about their work and wind up taking advantage of the client’s passive nature.

How To Work With One:
The doormat client requires great discipline to make sure that you stick to your timeframes and deliver the goods. If your client doesn’t protect themselves then it is up to you to do so for them.

While you may wish to take advantage of their generous nature on occasions when you are stressed, you should try your best to treat them the same as every other client.

Client Breed #11

The Budget Client

How To Spot One:
Every client is on a budget, but some clients just seem that much tighter than the others. The budget client can be the result of doing a friend or relative a favour, or equally just a regular client who never has any cash.

The Highs:
Budget clients are sometimes appreciative of the work they are getting done so cheaply - though unfortunately this isn’t always the case.

The Lows:
Budget clients are cheap and at their worst still expect the same service and workload as their higher paying brethren. This makes them both annoying and bad for business.

Budget clients are at their worst when they exhibit traits from other clients such as ‘Always-Urgent’ or ‘Paranoid’, in which case its just not worth it.

How To Work With One:
Make sure your budget client realises they are on a budget and that therefore their work may not always be first priority and that you probably can’t get those extra changes or revisions in because it simply doesn’t make good business sense. If your budget client gets aggressive or manifests other negative traits, accept that they aren’t worth it and let them go.

Client Breed #12

The You-Should- Be-So-Lucky Client

How To Spot One:
The you-should-be-so-lucky client is much cooler than you and they know it. They generally have a cool but low paying project for you and are in an industry everyone wants to work in…think music, film and fashion industries in particular.

The Highs:
The right you-should-be-so-lucky client looks great in your portfolio, and your friends will think you’re cool. You’ll make some handy contacts and your professional credibility will probably benefit. You’ll also be hanging out with the cool kids – TAKE THAT HIGH SCHOOL!

The Lows:
You won’t be paid much and the you-should-be-so-lucky client will act like they’re doing you the favour, not the other way around. If you do enough jobs for a you-should-be-so-lucky client you will start getting jaded about the industry and feel mistreated for your efforts.

How To Work With One:
The you-should-be-so-lucky client can be a great asset to your portfolio, but that will be the main reason to do the job. Because everybody wants this type of job (until they’ve actually got some) there are many talented but green freelancers more than happy to work for almost nothing. If you are a student this can be a great thing to do, but for a seasoned freelancer it can impact your cash flow. So pick your you-should-be-so-lucky clients carefully and use them sparingly to impact your portfolio or break up the monotony of corporate jobs. And of course, make sure you enjoy being that damn cool!

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Funny Videos

2007-11-09T17:37:53Z

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpqwrEdlo4s

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yJexyQT0l1c

50 Ways to Become a Better Designer

2007-11-08T20:44:57Z

1] Metaphors.
Great ideas can stem from using themes and metaphors. Basing a site design around the idea of a school, for example, can open up a whole avenue of ideas. A great design works because the theme houses and conveys the content seamlessly.

2] Don’t take all day to brainstorm.
It always helps to throw ideas around with a colleague or friend (as long as he knows what he’s doing). Try to have a couple of short sessions of brainstorming rather than one massive one as ideas can quickly go cold.

3] Get off that computer!
Sometimes it’s best to just have a break. Leaving the computer can seem like going on holiday in rush hour, but it usually helps if you just take a 10 minute break and get some fresh air. If you can’t do that, try listening to some music, or taking your jumper off.

4] Join a forum.
A lot of creatives work from home, but that doesn’t mean they can’t talk to anyone. There are a lot of really helpful and talented people out there willing to have a chat about design, you just need to find them. Here are some of my favorite forums:

Pixel 101 (Probably my favourite)
Illustrator Techniques
Designate Online
DevLounge (OK, it’s not a forum, but it’s a really decent site)

5] Think brand.
Try going to a few courses on branding, as brand thinking is vital to developing the way you think. Keep your ideas squeaky simple, and 9 times out 0f 10 they will work. Thinking in terms of branding means you can develop key words to stem your ideas from. Complexity just doesn’t work.

6] Use a sketchbook.
I almost always start with ideas that I have scribbled down in my trusty sketchbook. Whenever I get an idea I just make sure I get it down on paper. This always helps as whenever you’re stuck at a later date, you don’t have to go out and buy another book, just refer to your own! Don’t just keep it to ideas though, put URLs, book titles, words, and all the sketches down that you can. It will develop into your creative mind, on paper.

7] Get your specs straight.
Always ensure you know the media you’re going to be using at the start of working on a project. Knowing that there’s going to be photography involved means you may need to think about locating a shoot. 3D may mean getting some help to make it look that little bit better. Taking it to print in the last minute is also not advised: things never go to plan! Ensure you know the scale of production you’re going to be dealing with, and research the printing processes you’re going to use.

8] Draw a map.
I find it helps to visualise the brief. Highlight key words and phrases, and jot them down in your trusty sketchbook. Then see how these ideas could link up by drawing lines between them and branching out from those core ideas. Pretty soon you’ll have enough on the page to sketch out some decent ideas.

9] Rough it out.
Once you have THE idea, and it’s on paper, try putting it together at low res on the computer. This way you can see what you might need to rethink or improve to get the job done well. At this stage you don’t need to worry about perfect dimensions or colours, just see how it goes.

10] Take a shower.
No, not because you’re odor is putting your colleagues off, but because (apparently) running water increases brain productivity. Try not bring the brief in with you, but spending time in a place that you feel really comfortable in can greatly help those ideas flow.

Getting into good habits is one of the best pieces of advice for any designer. But how?

11] Stay on top of the latest happenings.
Don’t let yourself fall behind the times of design and technology: they’re both fast moving industries. On the other hand, don’t go following the latest fads just because everyone else is. Keep up to date by visiting sites such as PixelSurgeon and DesignIsKinky. However, our personal favourite for up-to-date design is this absolutely mind blowingly awesome site called liquidicity

12] Keep to web standards.
It always looks like you mean business when you’re site is 100% standards compliant. However, some browsers (cough *IE* cough) still don’t always like to play ball. If it works and looks the same in all browsers then you have done your job, no matter how compliant you are. If there is one tool you’re going to get to dramatically improve your web design standards it would have to be the Web Developer Toolbar for Firefox.

13] Make a library.
In most programs, you end up reusing something that you once made a while ago. It always helps to keep a well organised library of all your reusable files. This especially applies when you’re working with Flash, where you can keep track of loops, buttons, timers, code snippets, and symbols. This centralised library can also help keep you’re work consistent.

14] Save. Save. Save. Save again.
Are you getting the message? No matter how decent your computer is, don’t leave yourself in a position where you could loose all of your days work in one flick of a switch. Sometimes it helps to have had a dodgy computer in the past, as I now save every time I leave the window I’m working in. Sometimes my Mac just won’t play ball, and the only option is a reboot. Don’t let a reboot ruin your day.

15] Collaborate.
We never let things go before we’re completely happy about the final version. Working together means you can share your ideas as mentioned before, but also give critique to one another before finalising the design. These friendly, supportive criticisms can save you from harsher comments later on from your boss or client. Working together is also a whole lot more fun.

16] Do it right first time.
It’s not always easy, but ensuring you have tested your site across browsers thoroughly before putting it out in the open will ensure your customers and clients are a lot more happy. This sort of service is what a lot of clients will look out for when choosing someone to design (or redesign) their site.

17] Save your repeated actions
In a lot of applications you can end up doing the same tasks over and over again. For example in Photoshop you can save repeated procedures as “actions”. If you happen to be a Mac user and have OS X Tiger, you can use Automator to run repetitive aspects of your work flow for you. To be honest, I have never really got on with “Auto”, but I know a lot of people find it really helpful.

18] Your assets’ greatest asset.
Keeping track of your assets can be a challenge, but it’s important you keep them how YOU want. Everyone has a different way of working. For example, when working on a site, I keep all of my full res and vector images in an entirely separate folder to the site, and when it comes to getting final composites ready for the web, I export at a compressed size to the respective folder of the site. One of the reasons why I like Illustrator so much is because there’s no need to worry about starting off at a large resolution, due to the vector based design. This is important in Photoshop, where it’s always best to start off big, and scale down when you need to.

19] Simplify.
Striving for simplicity may not seem too tricky at first, but when you have a wealth of ideas, it’s important not to complicate and distort your original message. If you are using a lot of complex visual elements, try to keep the colours simple, and vice versa. This way, your colours and design won’t compete with each other.

20] Experience is everything.
The longer you have worked in design, the more experienced you become. Spending more time focusing on the applications you use can really speed up your production, making you more efficient and more knowledgeable of their feature sets.

Don’t be a bad workman and blame your tools. Ensure you know your applications like the back of your hand.

21] Naming Files.
Often overlooked, but naming your files in an organised and consistent way really helps you see how things have progressed, and what file belongs where. Never EVER attach “final” to a filename, because you will always go back to it and change it. Eventually you’ll have a folder full of twenty newer versions of that “final” revision. I have got into the habit of naming my work and putting “01″, “02″ etc after it so I can see how many revisions I have made easily, and recall an older one to compare quickly.

22] Gradients in Flash.
The default green to black gradient in Flash is evil. Don’t use it. Ever.

23] Another layer of Photoshop Cake.
Always try to use as many layers as possible when working in Photoshop, avoiding merging them together. The worst thing possible is doing an amazing composition and thinking “actually, I think I’ll change that” and realising you merged those 2 layers. What’s worse is if you have gone past its history state, meaning even if you undo the last 50 changes you have made, there will still be nothing you can do!

24] Use a pen and paper.
In this day and age, it’s getting less and less common to use a pen and paper (I hope you remember what they look like). Try sketching a few images out and scanning them in. Bring them into Photoshop and play around for a bit. This can really help you build a more organic and original feel to your work.

25] Play with Colour. Like no other.
After creating your image in Illustrator, or whichever application you use, try modifying the colours slightly by pulling it into Photoshop. This can really help you to unify the final colour of the composition.

26] Buy a new computer.
Call that a tip?! Well, it’s often forgotten, but the apps on the shelves today are getting faster and faster. To be honest, if you’re computer is more than 5 years old it’s time to consider an upgrade. Obviously your requirements are going to be unique: 3D animation is a whole lot more demanding than print design, but never the less, the faster your computer, the faster you can work. Many designers prefer Macs (I do), but PCs can run all of the applications that Adobe provide, and a few more. The PC vs. Mac argument is entirely up to you.

27] More RAM.
Just bought a new computer? Time to buy more RAM. Can’t afford a new computer right now? Buy more RAM. All the small jobs, like working on a couple of images, writing on your site, and playing back previews in Flash build up to devour any RAM you have. It’s as simple as this. Buy more RAM and you’ll be able to work faster.

28] Get more plug ins.
No matter which application you use, there’s almost always more plug ins available. Getting new filters and effects for Photoshop can greatly help you improve and speed up your work. Adobe’s own site is great for Photoshop plug ins.

29] Gradients in Photoshop.
To avoid the horrid “banding” that occurs when printing gradients in Photoshop, add a little noise to the layer. Obviously the amount of noise varied depending on canvas size and resolution.

30] Learn more.
Buy a few books, and visit a few of the websites that have been created to teach you how to use the software you own. For example, when I was learning Flash, the first thing I did was go out and buy a book. Sams Publishing run a great series of books claiming to teach you [app name or programming language] in 24 hours.

A good designer checks his work. A great designer double checks it.

31] Ask your friend.
Get a friend or someone nearby to give their thoughts on your work. Even if they’re not a designer, it always helps to get another perspective on your work.

32] Do some Acrobatics.
If you have to send a piece of work for printing (gasp), check, double check, and triple check everything in Adobe Acrobat Professional. Things you should look for are overprints, spot colours, trapping, and knock-outs. Doing this simple step thoroughly will save a ton of time, and money.

33] Add texture.
To give pieces a more organic feel, consider adding hand made gestures, and bringing a texture to your work. Don’t over do the organic additions, though, ultimately you should know when the work is complete.

34] Bring a little shade in.
Adding a few shadows, and darker areas can really enhance your work. These little touches can really create a flow in your work, especially if using vectors, as they bring a little smoothness to an otherwise sharp composition.

35] Take a Break. Then Stare Until your eyes hurt.
Once you are nearing completion of a project, try taking a break, going outside, and looking at other things- anything, for a few minutes. Then come back, and stare at the project again, for ages, looking for anything that could be changed for the better. Specifically look for colours that could be made stronger or weakened in images. In sites, look for the simple things that you would assume are correct, like links. There’s almost always at least one link where you have forgotten to put “http://” beforehand.

36] Stop. STOP!
Knowing when enough is enough is an essential skill. As time goes on you will get better at knowing when a piece is at its peak. Not every cake needs a cherry on top.

37] Print finishes.
Once your work leaves the computer, it doesn’t have to stop having any creative input. There’s a whole universe of ways you can dramatically enhance your work in print that are just impossible when it’s on screen. For example, you could try using metallic inks, foil blocking, embossing, and die-cutting. These effects can even be used together to create a really unique and inventive composition.

38] Prepare yourself.
When working with motion projects and animation you need to be prepared. Compressing clips early on in a project will eventually grow into a noticeably poor quality shot. Don’t compress anything until the final cut, and even then, keep a full, high quality version somewhere safe. Just in case.

39] Proof read.
They always said so at school: check your work before handing it in. Always ensure you re read work, and then pass it over to someone else and then someone else again. Get as many people to read your work as possible, ensure it all makes sense, and you’ll be fine.

40] Return to the brief.
Once you feel you’ve finished, give the project back to the team. Ensure everyone likes (maybe that’s a strong word, shall we say “doesn’t hate”) it. This is where you need to evaluate whether or not it meets the original brief, and if you have kept closely to your original idea.

Don’t dwell on your mistakes. Learn from them, and move on. (Heard that before?)

41] Never ever rely on the spell checker.
I really can’t emphasize this enough. Ensuring your text has no mistakes will not guarantee you more work, but letting work go out with mistakes will guarantee you being unpopular with your clients.

42] Work with clients, not against them.
Your clients may seem to be the ones holding you back, but they’re the ones that you need to listen to. Think of them as the ones who will lead you to the starting post and get you off in the right direction.

43] Re re read.
Again, it’s all about checking. Especially when writing emails, for example, don’t fill in the address bar until last. Not only does this avoid accidental sending of an unfinished email, but it also forces you to write it in full, and to think twice before sending it. Re read your own emails at least twice. You can’t just “undo” a sent email. If only…

44] Stick to the brief like honey sticks to toast.
A lot of companies try very hard, in fact too hard to win a pitch, and come across to potential clients as desperate. Just ensure you do what it says in the brief, and no more. This way you will save time and money.

45] Specifics.
Just ensure you are specific about what you are offering. If a client asks for something you are going to find difficult, make it clear that they will either have to give you more time, more money, or just leave it. Simple as that.

46] Do what you do best.
Don’t try to win clients who are going to demand more from you than you can offer. If you’re an amazing web designer, don’t go trying to dabble in professional 3D animation because it just won’t work. Stick to one thing, and show everyone else how awesome you are at it.

47] Keep a back up of everything.
Too often, I have lost files due to a disc error, or over written a folder by accident. These sorts of incidents are even more common with web design, when several members of a team have access to upload any files they want to the server. However, when running a site, you can also avoid loosing online files by ensuring everyone makes a copy of all the files on the server on a regular basis. You can even get scripts that will run a daily backup for you. For back up on your local machine, there’s already a plethora of options, but in OS X Leopard, the next version of the Mac OS, there will be a new back up utility called Time Machine, which will ensure everything is constantly backed up to an external hard disc. It can’t come soon enough.

48] Never assume anything.
Never *ass**u**me*: it will make an *ass* out of *u* and *me*. Too many times, people make assumptions and then kick themselves when it’s too late. For example, sending something off for printing, assuming the colours are all correct without a pre-print mock-up.

49] Justify yourself.
If you want to make a statement, or do something a little differently, many clients will say outright “No.” Try giving them a persuasive and valid reason for the decision, however, and they may feel more inclined to let you go with it.

50] Don’t over sell yourself.
Be up front and clear about what you are able to do. The last thing you want to do is make the client think you’re the best thing since sliced bread, and let them down at every stage of the project. Treat clients as they deserve. That’s all I’ll say.

</div>

Resume Tips

2007-11-07T17:58:01Z

What should my resume look like?

Your resume must reflect your professionalism in its content and appearance. Using a simple, easy-to-read layout is essential. Your resume and all of its key elements should be easily understood at a quick glance. With this in mind, your content should generally fit on a single page. Interviewers look through dozens of resumes, so you should make the reading process as simple as possible. In addition, there is a good chance that any additional pages will get separated and lost.

Keep your font simple as well. It is more important that your resume be easily read than to have it be fancy. Keep your choices to the basics (a safe bet would be Web-safe fonts such as Arial, Verdana, and Times New Roman).

Go to www.professional_web_portfolio_site.com

Of course, what you put into the resume is as important as (nay, more important than) the look of the resume itself. Make sure you include such vital information as your online portfolio site. This should have a simple and obvious name such as www.jsmith.com. If you have a long name that is hard to pronounce or remember, it might be best to use your initials or some variation. You want people to be able to remember you and your site. An address that shows some personality can work too, but don't get too creative. This aspect could keep you from getting the job when you consider that the interviewer is probably a non-creative who is looking through a pile of resumes. Plus which, any address that is hard to remember or isn't professional will work against you.

What makes a good email address?

Like your Web site URL, your email address should also be simple and professional. Having a funny email address might be great for a personal account, but you should have an account set up for professional purposes as well. Typically using your first initial, coupled with your and last name, is a good direction to go in (for example, jsmith@www.jsmith.com). If your name might be unwieldy, it might be best to stick to initials.

Why do I need a cell phone?

Having a cell phone or a business-only phone is also important. Being a freelancer means you are your own company. A client might second-guess her decision if she called a company and heard loud talking or music in the background—wouldn't you? It's important that you represent yourself as a professional at all times. In addition, it is very important that you have 24/7 access to your phone, as headhunters and freelance agencies often need to fill an opening as soon as possible, and will often give the job to whoever gets back to them first. Waiting until the end of day will cost you jobs. To be able to respond and accept a position in a moment's notice, on the other hand, gets you the gig.

What kind of experience should I list?

When listing your experience, think of what skillsets the client is trying to fill and try to keep your entries relevant. It is good to list your current title and the title of your last position if you had one (for example, Art Director, Marketing Manager, Mac Production Artist, and so on). If you need guidance in choosing the right title to describe your position, refer to the Design Field Career Descriptions page in the Career Center. List the dates you held the position for as well. It is important to not to have any time that is unaccounted for on your resume. If this is unavoidable, be prepared to be able to explain your employment gap.

What are the essential details?

A good check list checklist of details to include under each job description would be: a detailed description of your responsibilities, the size of the company you worked for, the size of the team you worked with, and your role within the team (if pertinent), as well as any specific software you used.

What other types of experience are important to list?

In addition to your work experience, your formal education is also a vital statistic to add to your resume. You should also include any past educational achievements, such as degrees or certificates earned, as well as any awards or honors you may have received.

What else?

You should also have a quick shortlist section of your resume that is a short, easily readable listing of selected URLs you may have worked on, an abbreviated list of clients (once you have a number of clients under your belt it is best to highlight which clients you wish to make the memorable ones to the interviewer), as well as a list of and all of your software skills you possess. Be honest about your software skills. You don't need to be an expert with each application, and very often an agency or a client will test your software skills. Claiming a higher level of expertise than you actually possess could make you appear unprofessional.

What shouldn't be on my resume?

Personal information should never be on your resume (age, personal description, religious or political affiliations, hobbies, family status). It is illegal for the interviewer to ask you personal questions, so don't volunteer any personal information. A resume is meant to portray your professional life only. It is assumed that you will supply references when asked, so there is no need to specifically say mention this on the resume.

</div>

Idea Generator

2007-11-07T17:56:26Z

http://www.tdbspecialprojects.com/

a_graphicdesign @ 2007-11-04T15:05:00

2007-11-04T20:07:24Z

Follow the link.

Definite use of cross-posting. My apologies.

P.S. Is it okay that I defined the tag as "tutorial"?

You Have To Watch This

2007-11-02T20:26:53Z

Sometimes the worst thing we can do for our clients is give them exactly what they want.

http://www.whoneedsdesigners.com

Lovely Design Work

2007-11-02T18:26:08Z

Web & Graphic Design Portfolio Advice

2007-11-01T15:09:01Z

Q. A portfolio can be an artistic statement in itself. What defines a good portfolio in your mind?

Nomi: An effective portfolio accurately represents the designer's abilities and skills in the best possible light. This means that it is clean and well put-together, and while it's nice to try to be a little different, a portfolio should not look gimmicky. The viewer should be more aware of the work than the portfolio itself. An effective portfolio illustrates the designer's self-presentation and communication abilities as well as showcasing the work.

Q. When you're starting to learn design, it's tempting to stuff your portfolio with everything and the kitchen sink. What defines a "portfolio piece?"

Nomi: For a design student, the more in-depth the project, the more chance it has of becoming a good portfolio piece. A piece that clearly shows the ability to research a project and also exhibits skill with typography, color, composition, and technical issues will say a lot about the designer in a small space. A prospective employer will be going rapidly going through your work, and so you have limited spaces to fill in a portfolio.
Q. Sounds like you need a clear picture of your work's strengths and weaknesses. How it important is it to get a second opinion about your body of work as a whole?
Nomi: Getting a second opinion is super-helpful. It's very difficult to self-edit, especially when you're putting together your first portfolio. You may be really attached to a certain piece of work that just doesn't fit in with the rest of your book, and it really should be taken out. Without a second opinion, it's difficult to see that.
Q. Nomi, you coordinate the portfolio review panel at Sessions.edu. What goes on in a portfolio review at a traditional art school?
Nomi: At Parsons, where I studied, students all bring their portfolios to the review, and one by one they lay them out on the table and have them torn to shreds! It's really a hard-core critique.
And the work that's getting critiqued in a portfolio review may have been critiqued more gently at an earlier point in the year, when you had just done it. But at the end of the program, when it's all gathered into your portfolio, it's looked at with a harsher perspective, more like the fast appraisal it will be met with in the job market.
Q. Sounds intimidating. Don't people get upset when their work gets shredded? I know I would. . .
Nomi: Absolutely! People would burst into tears, run out of the room crying. You'd be high-strung and extra-vulnerable too, because you stay up all night for weeks trying to make your portfolio what you hope the teacher will want, working your butt off on pieces that get cut with a wave of the teacher's hand. And you're afraid some of your favorite pieces may be axed—which they often are.
In a portfolio review nothing is sacred, no matter how much love or effort you put in to a piece: if it works it stays; if it doesn't, it goes.
Q. What's different about a portfolio review at an online school?
Nomi: Well, for one thing, you are receiving your comments privately in writing, as opposed to verbally in front of an entire class—and by the way, the atmosphere can be very cut-throat competitive among students at a traditional art school, especially when they are all that stressed out! At an online school, the emphasis is more clearly on each individual, as opposed to a class where there is a competitive vibe between students.
Students in our online review will definitely find their work being reviewed by a more critical voice than they've heard in their Sessions.edu classes up until that point. Classes can be challenging, but they're supportive environments. In the portfolio review, we're looking for unflinching, industry-honed impressions of the work from a professional portfolio standpoint.
Q. 90% of the time, designers don't have a review panel, except perhaps those nagging critical voices in our heads. How can designers develop the ability to become more objective about their own work?
Nomi: Objectivity often comes from letting go. Remember—removing a piece in your portfolio is not equivalent to burning it! You don't invalidate a work by editing it from the book you take on job interviewss.
Another way to become more objective is to spend time looking at other people's work with a critical eye, thinking about what could have been done differently to improve the work. When you train your eye on the work of others you can do so without having your judgement clouded by the fact that it's yours.
Q. What are some portfolio-building opportunities that students often overlook?
Nomi: Every time you have an assignment that is set up from a client's perspective, where you are doing an industry-specific project, you have an opportunity to create a portfolio piece—it is not just an exercise to help you learn a certain software or technique. If you are asked to make revisions, you have the chance to perfect that piece for your portfolio, so it is best to really put the time in, not rush on to the next project.
Q. Quality of work matters most, of course. But how much does a portfolio presentation affect the client's perception of the work itself?
Nomi: If the portfolio is clean and well-presented, that speaks to the designer's communication skills. Also very important is the designer's ability to speak about and explain the concept behind each project. The portfolio tells the prospective employer that the designer understands the relationship between art and commerce.
Q. How essential is a Web portfolio, in this day and age?
Nomi: Very important! A Web presence is de rigeur these days, even if your focus is primarily print design. It's the quickest, least expensive way of getting a range of clients to view your work. Don't leave home without one!
</div>xox

a_graphicdesign @ 2007-11-01T11:05:00

2007-11-01T15:06:02Z

Mac Users Get A Credit Card Stealing Trojan for Halloween, Security Company Reports

Hackers are reportedly sticking virtual razor blades into Apple computers this Halloween, as a Mac security vendor reports Wednesday that a Mac-focussed Trojan is reportedly loose on the internet costumed as an innocent video decoding file.

Mac OS X users visiting malicious porn sites are told to download a special codec that will let Apple's Quicktime player to play the porn flicks, but instead of adult treats, users get a malicious trick, according to anti-virus vendor Intego.

The OS X Trojan, which infects a computer after a user chooses to download a proprietary codec, hijacks the infected computer's DNS settings. Internet-connected applications use DNS settings to figure out how to translate URLs, such as Wired.com, into the physical address of a server, according to Intego's alert. By hijacking the DNS, the Trojan is able to redirect visits to sites such as banks, eBay and PayPal to fake websites that attempt to harvest user's logins and passwords to commit financial fraud.

Awesome Website

2007-11-01T14:50:53Z

Take a Look
http://www.ndesign-studio.com/

Websites

2007-10-31T19:05:23Z

Random Links
Links for boring days: http://also-online.com/links/
Instructables: www.instructables.com
Rumor has it: www.snopes.com
13 Gigapixel Picture: www.harlem-13-gigapixels.com

Design News/Articles/Jobs
AlGA: www.aiga.org
All Graphic Design: www.allgraphicdesign.com
BittBox: www.bittbox.com
Creative Heads: www.creativeheads.net
Designorati: www.designorati.com
Peachpit Blog: http://www.peachpit.com/topics/topic.aspx?st=61435&rl=1
Freelance Blog: www.freelanceswitch.com
Web Developer Resources: www.webmonkey.com
Site Critic: www.sitecritic.net

Cheap Hosting
AHHosting: www.duoservers.com/?r=abigailhester

Nifty Sites
Color Schemes: http://kuler.adobe.com
Colors: http://demos.manifestinteractive.com/web_services/custom_apps/pantone/pantone_list.php
Fonts: www.daont.com
Browser Shots: www.browsershots.org
Lipsum: http://lipsum.com

More
www.thefwa.org
http://brandsoftheworld.com
http://logopond.com

Hi :)

2007-10-31T17:10:03Z

[[[[[ Introduction ]]]]]

Name: Abigail Hester *Abi*
Age: 21
Hometown: Hampton, Virginia

I'm a graphic and web designer. I just graduated from ECPI College of Technology in August with an Associate's Degree.
I love everything there is about computers! I spend the majority of my time photoshopping or creating something in Flash.

Thats about all for now!

x
x
x

Graphic Design

К сведению

Logo

Logo

Portfolio Help!

a_graphicdesign @ 2007-11-26T17:33:00

Some feedback please

Damn Computer!

Ways to get more freelance work!

Word of mouth is the go

Love those clients

Promote Yourself

Be an industry expert

Use the media

Job Boards

Brrr – it’s cold in here!

Help leads find you

Get in bed with local business

Industry Specific Ideas

a_graphicdesign @ 2007-11-16T12:53:00

a_graphicdesign @ 2007-11-15T14:49:00

Being a web designer is like...

12 types of clients

The Low-Tech Client

The Uninterested Client

The Hands-On Client

The Paranoid Client

The Appreciative Client

The Get-a- Good-Deal Client

The I’ll-Know-It -When-I-See-It Client

The Decision-By- Committee Client

The Doormat Client

The Budget Client

The You-Should- Be-So-Lucky Client

Funny Videos

50 Ways to Become a Better Designer

Resume Tips

Idea Generator

a_graphicdesign @ 2007-11-04T15:05:00

You Have To Watch This

Lovely Design Work

Web & Graphic Design Portfolio Advice

a_graphicdesign @ 2007-11-01T11:05:00

Mac Users Get A Credit Card Stealing Trojan for Halloween, Security Company Reports

Awesome Website

Websites

Hi :)