Diary of a Graphic Design Graduate

I'm a 34 year old, final year graphic design student at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. Blu Rose Pixels Photography & DesignPromote Your Page Too

[mattahan]

[graphicdesignstudent]

Design With Limitations

Among the printers and studios showcasing their wares at Risorama are Chicago’s Tan & Loose Press, Glasgow’s Risotto Studio, We Make It from Berlin and Bananafish Books, arriving all the way from Shanghai. Alongside the shows from established studios, Risorama will also present an exhibition of Risographed work from artists including Palefroi, WAOOO (We Are Out of Office), Rose Blake, Atelier Bingo, Rob Lowe (Supermundane), Merijn Hos and Nous Vous’ William Edmonds. There will also be drop-in workshops throughout the day for visitors to learn more about Riso printing and take home their own creations, aiming to bring the process to even more people.  

Read More

Source: "Design With Limitations, How Graphic Designers Are Harnessing the Rise of Risograph." Eye on Design. AIGA, 2016. Web. 18 Aug. 2016.

[unstuckcommunity]

Most likely to succeed? It comes down to grit.

That person’s got what it takes to succeed.

What is the “it”? Smarts? Vision? Creativity? Those are great qualities, but they can’t make a full impact without another ingredient: determination to get things done — in a word, grit.

Grit keeps us going when things get tough. It pushes us toward the finish line when we’re too far away to see it. When we get stuck, grit insists there has to be another way.

Psychologists have recently found that the grittier a person is, the likelier they are to succeed. The connection is so strong that grit is a better predictor of success than raw talent or high IQ.*

Whether or not you’re naturally gritty, it’s the kind of mettle you can develop. It comes down to believing that change — in your abilities and circumstances — is always possible through your own actions.

This is what goes on in a gritty frame of mind:

• Growth is always possible. You know you can expand your abilities. You choose to learn from, rather than judge yourself for, the things you didn’t do well.

• Change presents opportunities. When you’re faced with change, you stay positive. Resisting change (I hate starting over. What a waste of time. I’ll never see the point of this.) makes the problem grow bigger in our minds. Adapting to change (Why not? Maybe it’ll surprise me. At least I’ll learn something new.) keeps us thinking in solution-oriented ways, which becomes second nature over time.

• Hard work is sometimes hard. You keep an eye on the bigger picture. You’re willing to make sacrifices for the end result. You know that setbacks are only temporary.

• Achievements don’t happen overnight. You’re in it for the long haul. You set your goals with a sense of purpose and realistic milestones. So there’s all the more reason to stick with the plan and less temptation to hit snooze or reset.

* Curious about the research? Psychologist Angela Lee Duckworth’s TEDx talk is a great place to start. To check how gritty you are, take Duckworth’s grit scale test online. Want to find out if grit (or something else) is your greatest strength? The Superpowers card deck, made by SYPartners, the creators of Unstuck, will bring that to light.

[graphicdesignstudent]

Teach Our Girls to Code

Via Ethics in Graphic Design

Historically, women are woefully under-represented in computing and technology fields. Today, women earn just 18 percent of tech degrees and get 11 percent of tech executive positions. This trend extends into the field of graphic design, where women hold a small percentage of the jobs in the rapidly expanding disciplines of game design, UX, UI, and web design. Research has shown that the industry would likely benefit economically, as well as socially, from an increased female presence. Equal pay for women is still an issue in the U.S. with women typically earning 79% of what men are paid, and around the world earning even less. Tapping into the tech industry would be one area where women could grain ground for equal pay, and create parity within the industry sector.

In recent years, there’s been a debate about whether or not graphic designers need to know code. Some argue that it’s not necessary; stating that they simply need to design and then hand their designs off to others for coding. Others contend that employers increasingly expect their designers to have experience with front-end development and coding.

In AIGA’s 2016 article “What do graphic designers need to know?” they mention that technique is the most recognizable, yet rapidly changing part of what designers know. In addition to being able to manipulate type, forms, and images for both print and digital media using contemporary software, graphic designers need to know basic programming like HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

A quick look at job listings might settle the argument. Take a look at job listings on AIGA’s site or Behance and you’ll find a high number of them do require some coding skills. If you need any more convincing, take at a recent NY Times article about workers turning to coding for a career change; it’s a sellers market; companies cannot hire fast enough with the average base salary for software engineers starting at $100,000.

Let’s stop arguing, and in honor of Women’s History Month, instead, let’s start encouraging the women graphic designers we know to learn code.

Sources:

http://girlswhocode.com/

http://www.aiga.org/guide-designersneedknow/

http://www.economist.com/blogs/democracyinamerica/2015/01/women-and-work

http://artbistro.monster.com/careers/articles/8794-10-fastest-growing-design-jobs

http://azraelgroup.com/should-designers-code/

[graphicdesignstudent]

Diary of a Graphic Design Student turned 5 today!

[graphicdesignstudent]

Some of the best confessions I have ever seen

[graphicdesignstudent]

Six Rules For Dealing With Clients

Here are some great rules to follow via Clients From Hell

1. No matter how many design concepts you produce, the client will always attempt to combine their weakest elements.

2. Keep all emails down to two sentences – three or more and they won’t get read to the end.

3. Never ask two or more questions in an email – you’ll only get one answer.

4. Don’t expect clients to take your written payment terms as more than guidance.

5. If they ask for more it’s trivial. If you ask for more it’s prissy.

6. Any client that says “I could do this myself, but…” actually can’t, and they aren’t worth the hassle.

[graphicdesignstudent]

Here is another great post via Ethics in Graphic Design 

The gender gap in compensation and the lack of women leaders are issues that many women face. AIGA’s Women’s Leadership Initiative celebrates and fosters women’ s achievements in design. As part of their commitment to empowering women designers they have sponsored a series of webcasts on the topic of negotiation.

Graphic designers are visual communicators and problem-solvers. Negotiation is a communication discipline—it’s not a battle—just a conversation. Negotiation has roots in improvisation and all improvisation adds information. It’s about bringing information to the conversation in order to problem-solve your way to agreement. Yet despite this fundamental relationship between problem-solving and negotiation, women in design often struggle with negotiation. Many have the opposite experience—they cringe at the prospect. Fears of being thought of as being too bossy, too emotional, or not being taken seriously, hold many women back. As shown above, women are four times less likely to negotiate then men. 20% of women refuse to negotiate at all and women ask for 3-32% less when they do negotiate.

In the first webcast, AIGA Women’s Leadership Initiative, that aired last November, Lisa Gates, co-founder of She Negotiates, talks about how women need to understand their natural way of operating, and change the conversation to match their style, not feel the need to match someone else’s style. Women need to add communication and negotiation skills to their toolbox, use them in their own way, and practice every day. Gates talks about assessing your market value and takes us through the steps to find out how. The webcast has been archived and is available for viewing through AIGA’s site.

The second webcast which aired in January, Blueprint for Everyday Workplace Negotiation, is also available for viewing.

The third, Set and Get Your True Market Value, takes place on March 19, 2015. As you celebrate this month’s Women’s History Month, tune in to learn more—it will be well worth your time.

Sources:

http://www.aiga.org/webcast-advancing-leadership-negotiation/

http://www.aiga.org/womens-leadership/

http://www.shenegotiates.com/

[graphicdesignstudent]

Life After Graduation

For the first few weeks I took full advantage of my empty days that were once filled with classes, studying, and the life of an academic scholar. I got the best sleep of my life and caught up on 5-years of leisure reading. Once I got over my freedom overdose things starting getting boring so I did what any sensible new grad would do, go looked for a job. I made great connection and had really good interviews, even snagged a interview with Apple. I have worked with some really great companies and organizations since finishing school but in the end I have come to love just being a Freelancer. The best thing you can do for yourself (while still in school and out) is network, network, and more networking. Make as many connections as you can. Promote your work to the max and when you reach the max make new work. Stay updated with the tools of the trade and most importantly keep your portfolio up to date and easy to share. So what am I doing now? Well, besides posting from my phone in the midnight hours. I have just wrapped up an apprenticeship with The Future Project. I have officially launched a soap company and enjoying my life.

[oileanhandmade]

Save 15% with code COLORS in our Etsy shop.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/OileanHandmadeSoap

[graphicdesignstudent]

How many followers do you have?

59

[graphicdesignstudent]

Graphic design needs your willing mental participation, even if it's subconscious. Graphic design is a message-sending into the brain. It is a cerebral experience, not a physical one. Architecture wants you to walk through it. Industrial design takes your hands (or body parts) to appreciate it. Fashion makes you put it on. But graphic design is purely a head trip, from your eyes to your mind.

Chip Kidd, A Kidd's Guide to Graphic Design

[graphicdesignstudent]

Have no fear of perfection — you’ll never reach it.

Salvador Dali

[graphicdesignstudent]

Final Days

I know it has been a long time since I've made a post but it has been for good reason. This is my last official full week of school! While I will always be a student of life I will be an alum at The Art Institute of Pittsburgh. This 5-year journey has been long and sometimes quite frustrating but at the end I have much gratitude. I can't say I am grateful for the student debt I've acquired but I am grateful for all the things I have learned. For many considering pursuing a degree in design I will be the first to say they don't teach you how to be a designer per se but more so you learn how to become a professional. You can use these skills in so many ways. So if you are going to school to better learn how to use Adobe software don't wast your money. You can learn that free on this vast classroom called the World Wide Web. I suppose in many professions we further our education to be better at the passion that we already have. While talent helps it doesn't make you the best at what you do. It takes motivation, practice, and the wiliness to find your own style. As I start my new journey as a professional I want to continue to share my journey with you all. Experience is a real teacher but most importantly sharing your abilities is the best thing you can do is to share. I want to show my gratitude to you all by sharing my experiences. I do hope that someone reaps benefit and if you do please share. Former Design Student, Aisha H.

[graphicdesignstudent]

Studies point out that success in any field has nothing to do with talent. The key is simply to practice. And practice a lot-10,000 hours of it, or just 40 hours a week for 5 years, to be great at any thing you choose to do.

Malcolm Gladwell

[graphicdesignstudent]

When bankers get together for dinner, they discuss Art. When artists get together for dinner, they discuss Money

Oscar Wilde

[graphicdesignstudent]

What Makes a Good Business Card

Here is a excellent breakdown of business cards via Clients From Hell

A bad business card is worse than no business card. Personally, I don't find business cards to be an effective tool in marketing myself. Few people have a rolodex as a resource. When I meet a client face to face for the first time, I try to make sure I speak to what I do, and I find I can do so more effectively than a piece of paper. But (for designers especially), a 3.5 inch* intro to your business is a great place to show what you're capable of. 

*business cards in North America are typically 3.5 x 2 inches. Pervert. 

The basics of business cards

Finish: Ordering online presents a lot of confusing options for printing. These include coated/glossy (shiny finish), uncoated/dull/matte (raw paper), wove (uncoated, but smooth), laid (textured lines), and linen (finer textured lines).

Weight: the thickness of the stock the card is cut from. The higher the number, the thicker the card will be. 80 pounds is standard. Thicker cards tend to look nicer.

Quantity: You will get a discount for ordering more, but unless you're networking like mad, remember that some information (e.g. phone number, address, etc.) may go out of date before you get rid of them

Colour: Most printing services will limit you to two colours unless you pay a premium.

There are a variety of styles beyond the basic card. These include unique sizes, unique folds, double-sided or see-through, rounded corners or edges, cards made from unique card stock (cards made from wood or fabric or chocolate or some other atypical material), or cards that serve a function (e.g. cards that include a coupon, or a map, etc.).

What to include:

Your name

Logo (only if you have a decent one)

Your website/portfolio

Email address: This is my preferred mode of communication for business. Don't use your old email at [email protected]. Your business, your name, or your job title should be at the front half of your handle. If possible, use your custom domain name on the second half, e.g. [email protected]

Phone number: For clients that still use their phones for phone calls. Don't include your mobile unless you're prepared to answer with some semblance of professionalism every time you answer. 

Mailing/Physical Address: I have two business cards; one for general interactions, and one of the photography arm of my business. The photography one includes the address of my studio, so potential clients have it on hand. My general card has no use for that information. 

What you do: This can be as simple as your job title, or it could be a tagline describing you, your work, and/or your medium. This is why someone who has your business card will call you, so if you're handing it over, refer to our previous post about selling yourself to clients before you hand them your card.