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gmc9987 posted:I don't mean to take the air out of your sails or anything but, Well Weird Al is playing at Blizzcon this year. So does anyone have any tips for putting together an animation demo reel? As in what should I try to animate scene wise? Doredrin fucked around with this message at 00:11 on Nov 4, 2016 |
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Nov 3, 2016 22:08
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Doredrin posted:Well Weird Al is playing at Blizzcon this year. Fuckin lol
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Nov 4, 2016 04:12
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How exactly is someone supposed to get their first job when literally every single job requires at least 3 years of experience? Is that just a standard line that is more of a suggestion, or are companies really particular about that?
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Nov 4, 2016 11:12
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Doredrin posted:How exactly is someone supposed to get their first job when literally every single job requires at least 3 years of experience? Is that just a standard line that is more of a suggestion, or are companies really particular about that? Corporate communications takes literally anyone without experience. I got my job editing for a company and I had no external work experience other than random things I'd do on Youtube (and they sucked compared to things I do now.) It's soul-sucking, though. I'm looking to get out because working on at least 2-3 videos a day (with over 20 backlogged) and getting bitched at by my boss who does nothing other than accept work orders for me isn't quite what I want out of this full-time nightmare. I'm trying to freelance as soon as I can get enough clients outside of work.
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Nov 4, 2016 13:40
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Doredrin posted:How exactly is someone supposed to get their first job when literally every single job requires at least 3 years of experience? Is that just a standard line that is more of a suggestion, or are companies really particular about that? Look for paid internships. If you can get your foot in the door in a creative position, even if it's an internship, and prove that you've got some promise you have a good chance of being hired on into a junior position or at least getting a really good letter of recommendation out of it. You're basically brand new to a highly skilled and technical industry (which, if you've been out of it for 8 years you absolutely are brand new), which is flooded with cheap overseas talent. You're not going to be able to just walk into a full time, mid-level position unless you are incredibly talented.
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Nov 4, 2016 14:16
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I think I'm just going to work on personal projects and hope someone notices me. My ultimate goal is to direct or be in some creative position, so at least I will get better at that.
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Nov 4, 2016 17:09
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Doredrin posted:I think I'm going to work on personal projects Good quote:hope someone notices me
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Nov 4, 2016 22:36
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Question: how do you guys deal with stuff you can't post in your portfolio? I left after 8 years at a bank and the bulk of my work I did there is way deep under NDA for at least a couple more years. I've tried redacting some of it but it ends up looking like one of those stupid CIA things where only the page number is still visible. I have stuff to show in person or by screen share but most of my work on my website is 10+ years old now. Ideas?
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Nov 9, 2016 20:22
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qirex posted:Question: how do you guys deal with stuff you can't post in your portfolio? I left after 8 years at a bank and the bulk of my work I did there is way deep under NDA for at least a couple more years. I've tried redacting some of it but it ends up looking like one of those stupid CIA things where only the page number is still visible. I have stuff to show in person or by screen share but most of my work on my website is 10+ years old now. Ideas? NDA because of content or the design aesthetic as a whole? If it's the former, you could always, instead of redacting, just put in Lorem Ipsum type and explain it in person. If it's the latter, it;s a funny sticking point. Lots of places will say you can't use that stuff, per NDA's, to promote yourself. A lawyer friend of mine told me years ago, that there's some weird law that prevents previous employers from hindering one form getting work. It's some old law that covers, if memory serves, "artisans, craftsmen, and candle-makers". I'm no lawyer so don't hold me to that. In my own experience, which is predominantly branding and packaging, I do this: If it's a package that made it to shelf, meaning it's in stores and available to the general public, I'm using it everywhere because it's in the public eye. A lot of stuff starts out as concepts and never really make it to shelf/through testing/etc. Those are owned by the client - not even the design firm whom I contracting with or employed by. So that stuff I keep off the web because it's proprietary. I don't need Proctor & Gamble's legal hordes breathing down my neck. BUT some of that concept work is awesome. So I show it in physical form or PDF to a direct person.
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Nov 10, 2016 15:10
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Doredrin posted:How exactly is someone supposed to get their first job when literally every single job requires at least 3 years of experience? Is that just a standard line that is more of a suggestion, or are companies really particular about that? Working on personal projects is one great idea, but also just getting plain lucky by having an in via a friend. It highly depends on what you're looking to do, but in my case a friend I'd been gaming with for years online referred me to the advertising company they worked for and I've been doing design work for them ever since. That's been going rather well, just to note. Far better than I ever could have expected, I only had some concerns in the middle of the year around the summer as the actual work coming in slowed to a crawl but it picks up heavily in the months afterward it seems. As of February of next year I'll have been working with them for a year, and the hope is that things remain consistent and I can stick with them for a few more years going forward to build the experience people expect. It's not the exact same as working at a physical agency of course, but there's more than enough back-and-forth via Skype for me to understand what's going on. I've also learned a lot not only on the advertisement side of things but also regarding how to create certain effects and such in photoshop that before would've confused me. My passion is definitely design still, but learning more of the marketing end of things may not be a bad idea either. Edit: Regarding what Ferrule mentioned above me. I'm actually not entirely sure how to go about presenting anything I've done in my portfolio. A large amount of the work I do is basically taking existing assets and fitting them within different sizes. So taking the original PSD of say 1200x628 and creating several resizes of 800x320/768x1024 etc. There have been a few "original" static ads created, though a lot of the recent ones have been simply dropping new art from them into an existing ad and beyond that most other originals are using stock photos and provided assets. In the long run it seems to be an issue of branding, so I'll have to figure out whether I can include any of this in my portfolio eventually or if I need to take the same skills I've learned and create fake ads with logos I've personally designed. Arthil fucked around with this message at 06:35 on Dec 3, 2016 |
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Dec 3, 2016 06:24
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Hey guys, i'm looking for a little advice on my creative career (or maybe just hoping typing this out will help me organise my thoughts idk.) I graduated art school with a visual communication honours degree in 2014, (this is the UK for reference,) and since then have been working for a social care charity that helps vulnerable and disabled people with their daily lives. Some of the help is aimed at getting them back into employment, some of it is purely social/therapeutic. I began working in the crafts workshop, where the "service users" made cards and gifts to be sold to the public, but was soon offered my own graphic design workshop, where I taught service users to use computers if they didn't already, Photoshop, and the basics of design. I would come up with design projects, write tutorials for them and let the service users go hog wild, hopefully creating something that could be printed on a card or tshirt. Eventually we got people looking for the odd logo or leaflet designed, which was a pretty nice confidence boost for the service users who worked on it. The reason I needed to say all of that is to give some background to what comes next. My partner had to move jobs, and we need to move down nearer London. While the south of England does have social care services and some social enterprises, by and large the same opportunities will not be available to me there. If I stay in social care at the current level I am, I'd be doing community/domiciliary care most probably. That leaves me with two options. I could study for a master's degree in art psychotherapy, which would give me more options for counselling/hospital based work and be a significant salary boost. For a 2 year course I'm looking at ££,£££ which I would not be able to get a loan for, I'd have to work somewhere else (probably retail) for a few years to save that amount. That would also give me time to work on a portfolio, which I would need to be accepted onto the course. My other option is to go for a career change and see if I can do anything in graphic design. London and the area surrounding is great for marketing/pr/advertising and general graphic design jobs. There are various internships available. Only problem with that is the huge gaps in my knowledge. I'm pretty good with Photoshop and ok with inDesign, but completely suck at Illustrator. I don't even have awareness of other packages besides that. While my degree taught me a lot about commercial graphic design, I have very limited experience in it. Oh, and I don't have a portfolio. Stuff I did in uni was ok to get me through uni, but nothing i'd want to show a prospective employer. Ditto for the work i've done while at my social care job. So really, I'm not sure what to do. I'm still working at my current job until February at least, after then my partner and I will be moving. After that I guess I will have a few months to sort my poo poo before I definitely, absolutely have to have some kind of paid employment (although the temptation to say "gently caress it" and just get a retail job for money will be strong.) Can you guys give me any advice? Also I wasn't sure if this belonged here, in it's own thread or in careers/business. Please forgive my ignorant self.
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Dec 18, 2016 12:50
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Do you like helping people? If so, I'd say look into art therapy. Do you like making money? Then look into professional graphic design. While there are some jobs that will bridge the gap, most of the gigs you'll get as a professional graphic designer will not be satisfying outside of A) solving problems and challenges given to you by a client, and B) watching your own skill level grow while exploring new and different techniques. Now don't get me wrong, both of those can be terribly fun if you have the right personality, and even if you don't they'll still take you a long way through a career. However, if and when the fun of both of those wear off you may be left with the empty feeling a lot of designers have – all you're doing is helping other people sell stuff. There are of course some design firms that specialize in helping non-profits or political parties or what have you, and you could always look into in-house design positions for larger cause related organizations, but if the vast majority of design studios survive by taking virtually every job that comes their way even if it's boring or selling a crappy product or whatever. Also, if you want to get an in-house position or a job with a design firm and you don't have a portfolio or work you'd like to show outside of university projects you're looking at paid internships at best until you can get some references and expand your portfolio. Something to keep in mind. Please take this all with a grain of salt. I'm at a point in my own career where I'm feeling very cynical, so a lot of that is coming through in this post. I've certainly had (and continue to have) a successful career that's on the whole relatively enjoyable, but your job with disabled folks sounds a thousand times more satisfying than my day to day of polishing clients' turds to help sell them. kedo fucked around with this message at 18:18 on Dec 18, 2016 |
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Dec 18, 2016 18:15
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^^ That was actually pretty helpful. It's good to hear from someone who has experience and isn't terribly biased one way or another. You say you're cynical, but that honestly sounded a lot more real than people I've spoken to irl who've said "stay the gently caress away from graphic design" or "don't waste money on a master's." At least you can back up your statements. I think I am leaning towards art therapy, simply because it's what i'm used to and yeah, it is a nice feeling knowing you're making a difference in someone's life, that's not to say that I don't think graphic design can make a huge difference too, but I guess it's more impersonal. I'll definitely keep your comments in mind if things take a different course though.
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Dec 18, 2016 19:50
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I'm five years from military retirement and am deciding on a second career, university to attend and a geographical area to settle down in. I'd like to get far, far away from twenty years worth of bureaucracy, so freelancing sounds great! And simultaneously terrifying -- I purchased The Art of Freelancing so I've got a pretty good idea of the downsides. I don't have a degree so I'd definitely like to take advantage of the free college education Uncle Sam is going to give me, preferably from a good school in case freelancing doesn't work out. I'd also love to live in a city that is liberal, with a relatively low cost of living (to stretch my retirement dollars as far as possible) and if at all possible, a significant Spanish-speaking population. I have quite a few things going for me: I can move anywhere in the country post-military since I don't have kids and my girlfriend is also willing to pick up and move. I've done 3D work, illustration, video, graphic and web design before both full-time and part-time in corporate, freelance and pro-bono environments, so I've got a pretty good idea of what its like to have a creative career. Lastly, the military benefits not only provide me with retirement pay, medical insurance and housing while in school, but there's a placement program that practically guarantees me acceptance into any top school in the country. Any advice on a good freelancing career, schools or cities would be much appreciated!
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Dec 27, 2016 03:17
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If I want to self-teach myself to become a copywriter, how do I know what's good advice and what's not? Seems like there are tons of results for "how to be a copywriter" but I don't know how to choose. Are there any people well-known for giving good advice?
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Jan 9, 2017 03:18
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Are there good resources for self-teaching graphic design, or any relatively inexpensive online courses on the subject? I'm currently working my way through a degree in outdoor education, and one of the more interesting components of that field is interpretive design, the guys who put together all those informational signs you see at a state park or nature center (Example). Normally, you would get a park interpreter in a room with a graphic designer, and together they would hash out a sign that presents the information in a visually interesting way. I'd like to be able to do both parts of the job. My interpretation professor recommended a minor in graphic design, which is a great idea, except my school doesn't have one, and I'm too close to graduating to tack on a minor anyway. I'd like to be able to learn enough to be competent, because I definitely do not currently have an eye for design. Is that going to be possible without someone guiding me through it and critiquing my work? Baronash fucked around with this message at 17:48 on Jan 13, 2017 |
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Jan 13, 2017 17:33
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Baronash posted:Are there good resources for self-teaching graphic design, or any relatively inexpensive online courses on the subject? I'm currently working my way through a degree in outdoor education, and one of the more interesting components of that field is interpretive design, the guys who put together all those informational signs you see at a state park or nature center (Example). Normally, you would get a park interpreter in a room with a graphic designer, and together they would hash out a sign that presents the information in a visually interesting way. I'd like to be able to do both parts of the job. Long story short: yes, it's not going to be possible. I mean, maybe you could buy some books off amazon and visit design-themed websites (check the resource thread) but you're going to need someone to work with you, teach you the in's and outs, and certainly critique. Especially if, as you say, you don't have an eye for design. That's, sadly, not really something that can be totally taught. You can teach me proper holds and stances and releases for how to shoot a free-throw but I ain't going to make it into the NBA. You can certainly develop but you'd need some serious coaching, otherwise you'll end up as some designer's client who famously says "I'll know it when I see it". I dunno - maybe a community college course or two? Just an intro to design? See if you like it. DOn't throw money at something you'll end up not liking/understanding/etc in the hopes that you'll eventually catch on.
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Jan 13, 2017 19:34
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Well that sucks, but it makes sense. Community college isn't really an option. My current school is in a small town that is 3 hrs from anywhere, and if I get the job I want after graduating, I'm looking at 60-90 hr workweeks spring through fall.
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Jan 13, 2017 23:53
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I'm sorry to be harsh. There may be online courses but those require a lot of commitment hours and frankly, form those I've known who've taken them, don't seem to be all that helpful. Just getting an email or a video with no real feedback. But maybe read a book and visit sites like I said. Look at "what you like" and kinda go from there? Also, when you get a job and need way-finding and other design help call me.
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Jan 14, 2017 15:32
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Baronash posted:Are there good resources for self-teaching graphic design, or any relatively inexpensive online courses on the subject? I'm currently working my way through a degree in outdoor education, and one of the more interesting components of that field is interpretive design, the guys who put together all those informational signs you see at a state park or nature center (Example). Normally, you would get a park interpreter in a room with a graphic designer, and together they would hash out a sign that presents the information in a visually interesting way. I'd like to be able to do both parts of the job. The answer to your question really depends on the scope of your ambition, in two senses. Ambition as in, how far do you want to take your professional design work? (Just to the level of creating stuff like the example you posted? Or do you want to work for big brands, or at a design agency or firm?) What's your ideal endgame, in terms of the work you do day to day, if you could flip a switch and have all the skills you want? And ambition as in, how much do you already pursue design-related work in your free time? Do you make custom tshirts? Holiday cards? Posters? Do you find yourself messing around in Photoshop or Illustrator? Doodling logos for yourself or friends? No project is too small or unworthy here, the question is whether you do design related things on your own.
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Jan 18, 2017 08:36
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I'm in my final semester of my Digital Media and IT program with a focus on Visual Communication and Web Design. The class I need to complete to graduate is Capstone, and I am in a Web Capstone. Capstone involves the students taking on an industry client in a small group and finding a self-initiated client as a solo project. I only have 2 and a half months to complete a website for each client. My first client proposal was rejected because it was for a portfolio website for a local illustrator. I was told that an artist isn't the best client and that his current website "serves". I then began talks with my old vocal school who has never had a decent website in it's existence. As a former student, I would really like to work with them on giving them a good website, and it's something I feel I can reasonably create on my own within the timeline. I am more of a designer than a developer with some JavaScript experience, so doing an online store or anything with databases, PHP or CMS is beyond me, as I didn't take those classes. I started talking with the owner of the vocal school on Friday and he's been very prompt with responses through Facebook, but was acting as a middle man for one of his instructors who is "in charge" of the non-existent web stuff. I told him to just give me her email so I could discuss it with her directly, since she wants me to build the website on Homestead and that wouldn't be allowed by my instructors. I waited the weekend since I know the school gets busy then, and by Monday, sent the owner another message like "Hey, I sent her an email on Friday, but got no response. Could you let her know to get back to me? I need to get the ball rolling on this project." He said he would let her know. Now it is Wednesday and I sent him another message that unless we can meet up in person within the next week to discuss the project, I will have to find another client as I am already 2 weeks behind and the project is due early April. He said he "talked to her last night and that she will get back to me." I have already messaged another potential client, but have not heard back from them yet. I'm thinking of telling the owner that I need to have an interview before Tuesday because I need a contract signed. I feel I have been too patient just because I wanted to do a project for my former vocal school. How much time is reasonable to give to a client to get back to you before you just drop them?
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Jan 18, 2017 16:50
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If they're not communicative now it's not going to improve over the course of the project. Imagine waiting days for feedback that you need to have in order to move forward. When they finally do give you feedback, it will be awful because they don't care and make your job ridiculously more difficult. I'd drop them and find someone more enthusiastic about engaging with you.
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Jan 19, 2017 04:14
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Find someone else so you can pass your class, ASAP. Finding clients - even free ones - is hard (trust me, ugh was 2016 a lovely year). BUT don't give up on your old vocal school. Keep at them! Use what you do for them (eventually) as another piece in your portfolio. It's super-good experience (you're already getting some from them on the business side - this is a business after all). Real world work is always better than class assignments when it comes to portfolios, not to mention the experience of doing another site and working with a difficult client. That's stuff they can't teach in a classroom.
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Jan 19, 2017 16:46
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Prolonged Priapism posted:The answer to your question really depends on the scope of your ambition, in two senses. The example I posted is about all I have my sights set on. At the moment, I really don't do any design work in my free time. This is really the first time I have run across a design-related career path that seems like something I might like to do. I know, I probably sound like someone who woke up one day and said "I'm gonna be an artist." If, by magic, I was suddenly very adept at graphic design, I would probably want to work for a company that specializes in the planning and design of interpretive installations. At the very least, I'd want to make this type of design work at least a small part of what I do.
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Jan 19, 2017 16:54
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It's definitely possible for you to learn to do that sort of work - the example you posted is pretty basic. It's just a few pictures, titles, and text laid over a background image. That's trivial to produce in Photoshop or Illustrator. All of the technical skills you'd need to create something like that are definitely covered in any "Photoshop Basics" youtube playlist you care to work through. After that you'll know enough lingo to google up anything specific that you still don't know how to do. Honestly graphic design is like anything else that doesn't require actual credentials (doctor, lawyer, engineer) - you'll get the job if you can prove you're good. Nobody cares if you have a certificate or a diploma or took classes. Your portfolio is all that matters. If you aren't good enough yet, you just have to do more work on your own until you are. The thinking behind the design you posted is also very basic, but you'll have to develop that skill too. The only way is trying (and struggling) to make things on your own. I'm guessing that in the sort of places where you'll work, there will be a graphics person. Depending on how many employees there are, they might do this on the side/at home, or it might be an official part of their job, or at a large enough place, it will be their only job. Buddy up with this person, and watch them work when you can. Note what programs they use. Find out where the signs actually get made (local sign shop? ordered online?). What process is appropriate (digital printing, like your example? cut vinyl? laser engraving? routing?) Get a sense of the pipeline - who decides that a sign needs to be made, who decides what should be on it, who designs it, and who produces it? What file types does the designer send out or produce from? Once you know this and have worked through some tutorials you can choose (or make up) a simple project and try to create a production ready file for it. Arrow signs for a trail. Directions to the bathroom. A rules list for the slack-line. The history of the little stone bridge (with pictures). Try to match the look of existing signs - is there a standard size? Colors? Font? Take pictures for reference. Talk to other people about your idea and get feedback. You can still design a file even if there aren't the funds or will to produce the physical sign - it can always go online. Or, at worst, in to your portfolio. Get used to the idea that some things you make will never get used in real life. When your design is ugly, just keep messing with it. Every creative project hits a point(s) where the creator is disgusted with it and thinks it's a failure. Just keep working. Having a commitment helps, because you have a good reason not to abandon a project when it gets tough. When in doubt, copy a layout from somewhere else. You'll learn through the recreation and it'll give you more ideas for the next job. If you're lucky, you'll be able to do this at a place with no established graphics person. Presto, now you are the graphics person! If there's more experienced designers there already, do it anyway and become the unofficial apprentice designer. There will be un-glamorous jobs they can throw to you (think tiny species name tags for an arboretum, or signs with the numbers 1-300 on them). Little to no design, but a lot of set up work. Great experience. Do this work at home. For free. If there's no "real" work they need help with, work on your own projects. Along the way it may make sense to buy an online course or some books. They can help round out the theoretical side, or show you faster ways to do things, or suggest new possibilities. But they're a supplement; a resource. They exist to help you better understand how to approach your own projects - they are not projects in themselves. Basically, if you want to do something specific, just start doing it. At the scale that matches your circumstances and skills. Preferably by way of volunteer projects for/with others so that you're forced to finish. Some of these will exist and just need somebody to do them, some you'll have to step up and suggest/pursue yourself. Gradually you'll get better and take on more ambitious projects. Thus it keeps being a challenge, and you keep learning. Rinse and repeat until you're good enough to get paid. This will take 2-7 years, and at times you'll have to get creative or scrappy or gritty. If you want it enough, though, you'll find a way. In the grand scheme of your career a few years is not a very long time. So work hard and eat poo poo and in a few years you'll have the skills and experience to decide how far you really want to take your work. And if that sounds like too much, then it is - you don't care enough about that sort of work. Which is fine. Find what you do care about, and apply the process to that instead.
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Jan 21, 2017 03:13
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Wow, thanks for all of that. It's a nice breakdown of what I should be shooting for.
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Jan 21, 2017 07:52
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I'm looking for career advice. I have a degree in design and about a decade of minor freelance experience in anything from print to web. I've been working as an in-house designer for over 5 years. I was hoping this job would be a stepping stone to start my career, but right now it's a dead end. After 5 years, I have almost nothing worth showing in my portfolio. The work is mostly signage, some posters for events attended by a dozen people, and a few websites with decent traffic. None of the sites are worth looking at, because they all get designed-by-committee to be as safe and generic as possible, so nothing stands out. How do I expand my portfolio? I do personal projects all the time, but I wouldn't say any of it is marketable. Some advice I received was that I need some big names in my portfolio for print or "comparable" web work to my current position (museums, schools, etc. were some things tossed out). I have no freelance contacts, so I don't know where to begin. I'd like to expand my freelance work and it's sounding like I'll need to do a lot of it as "volunteer work." That said, I don't want to end up designing menus or t-shirts for family BBQs for no pay. I'm just really at a loss at where to begin.
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Jan 24, 2017 00:48
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text me a vag pic posted:I'm looking for career advice. I have a degree in design and about a decade of minor freelance experience in anything from print to web. I've been working as an in-house designer for over 5 years. I was hoping this job would be a stepping stone to start my career, but right now it's a dead end. After 5 years, I have almost nothing worth showing in my portfolio. The work is mostly signage, some posters for events attended by a dozen people, and a few websites with decent traffic. None of the sites are worth looking at, because they all get designed-by-committee to be as safe and generic as possible, so nothing stands out. Quoting myself from a few pages back. The same advice goes for you. kedo posted:...she needs to work on self initiated projects. She's not going to get a great job without a great portfolio, and it sounds like she's not going to be able to fill her portfolio with awesome work in her current gig. She should pick imaginary (or real) businesses/organizations, rebrand them and design an entire package for them (stationery, website, interiors, signage, etc). Or if that's not the type of design work she wants to do, pick whatever she would prefer to do and do that. If your portfolio has both boring work from your current job that shows you can listen to direction and work with clients and some self-initiated projects that display your creativity and skill you should be fine.
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Jan 24, 2017 01:50
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What's so unmarketable about your personal work? I'm just curious. If what you enjoy working on is somehow outside the bounds of marketability, maybe you should seek out novel ways to monetize the stuff you really like to do.
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Jan 24, 2017 01:58
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kedo posted:Quoting myself from a few pages back. The same advice goes for you. So, just anything? I'm worried that my portfolio is just going to look like a college student's, with nothing but projects and no real world products. I've been trying to do more web design and I was told, flat out, that I need actual, live examples of work. I guess I'm trying to find a way to do that. But in lieu of that, any suggestions for self-initiated projects? I know it seems silly, but I really have no ideas and I tend to freeze up when presented with so many options. I respond well to client work because they usually have a theme and direction they want me to head in. Neon Noodle posted:What's so unmarketable about your personal work? I'm just curious. If what you enjoy working on is somehow outside the bounds of marketability, maybe you should seek out novel ways to monetize the stuff you really like to do. In my free time, I tend to do more illustrations and goofy stuff than design. I like to draw cartoons and portraits of rappers no one but me gives a poo poo about.
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Jan 25, 2017 20:44
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You need to build a portfolio that contains work that will appeal to employers. Simple concept. This means if you can't get actual work you need to do personal projects that look like real work. Find a need or a void: find a local business that could benefit from pro bono work and treat that like a portfolio piece. Do a "design study" by redoing a well-known company's stuff and be able to explain what you changed (improved) and why. Make up a fake company and design for that. Treat it like a "real" gig and produce "real" work. If no one will pay you to do it until they see "live" work, then make up some live work. Pretend you are an employer and be your own client. Don't just accept the "need experience to get a job in order to get experience to get a job" paradox! gently caress that poo poo. Pull your head out of your "I dunno what to work on!" rear end and make some poo poo that will appeal to employers!
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Jan 25, 2017 21:42
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A good live example of your web design work is your portfolio, how does that site look and how much work have you put into the design of it?
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Jan 25, 2017 22:03
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gmc9987 posted:A good live example of your web design work is your portfolio, how does that site look and how much work have you put into the design of it? mutata posted:You need to build a portfolio that contains work that will appeal to employers. Simple concept. This means if you can't get actual work you need to do personal projects that look like real work. Find a need or a void: find a local business that could benefit from pro bono work and treat that like a portfolio piece. Do a "design study" by redoing a well-known company's stuff and be able to explain what you changed (improved) and why. Make up a fake company and design for that. Treat it like a "real" gig and produce "real" work. If no one will pay you to do it until they see "live" work, then make up some live work. Pretend you are an employer and be your own client. Don't just accept the "need experience to get a job in order to get experience to get a job" paradox! gently caress that poo poo. Pull your head out of your "I dunno what to work on!" rear end and make some poo poo that will appeal to employers! Quoting this mostly so I can find it again easily. I guess my biggest issue is I don't know what appeals to employers. Sorry, when I meant "live" work, I meant up and running websites. Very few of the sites I've done work on are still running. I'll start keeping my eyes open for businesses who might need some spec or pro bono work. Thanks all, I have a lot to think about.
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Jan 25, 2017 22:35
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text me a vag pic posted:So, just anything? I'm worried that my portfolio is just going to look like a college student's, with nothing but projects and no real world products. I've been trying to do more web design and I was told, flat out, that I need actual, live examples of work. I guess I'm trying to find a way to do that. But in lieu of that, any suggestions for self-initiated projects? I know it seems silly, but I really have no ideas and I tend to freeze up when presented with so many options. I respond well to client work because they usually have a theme and direction they want me to head in. Avoid cliched projects (ie. redesigning a magazine, designing a wine bottle, etc). An easy way to pick projects is to come up with a list of your favorite businesses or non-profits or causes, check out their websites and find some with crappy brand packages. Redesign them to the best of your ability while keeping in mind what they might desire if they were an actual client and then post them in your portfolio. When I used to be in charge of reviewing applicant's portfolios I saw a lot of this and was totally fine with it as long as they were clearly labeled as fantasy projects. When people say they want to see "live examples" of your web work they mean they don't just want to see screenshots. In the web world static images don't go very far. People want to be able to click through a site to see how it works and feels. However not every company will require that – if I encountered someone who was purely a designer and not a developer and had high quality screenshots in their portfolio I didn't care whether or not they linked to a live version of the site.
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Jan 25, 2017 22:37
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Since we're on the topic of portfolios what's a good size for something illustration-oriented?
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Jan 26, 2017 00:32
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If "live" just means "usable on the Internet" then it's time to get some hosting and domains and put your projects up where you can control them.
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Jan 26, 2017 01:45
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Anony Mouse posted:If they're not communicative now it's not going to improve over the course of the project. Imagine waiting days for feedback that you need to have in order to move forward. When they finally do give you feedback, it will be awful because they don't care and make your job ridiculously more difficult. I'd drop them and find someone more enthusiastic about engaging with you. The lady finally got back to me later that day saying it wouldn't work out, as they absolutely NEED to have the site built with Homestead. I recommended a different website builder and wished them luck. The other client got back to me and I had my proposal approved! It's for a local antique mall and they're pretty much letting me do whatever I want with it. The lady's favourite font is Comic Sans, but she understands if I don't use it for the website.  This class also has a group project (groups of two), where we're designing a romantic travel website. Since both my partner and I are designers, we both drew up logos to show her. My partner did several, while I focused on one. We put them in a PDF to show her so she could tell us which one she liked best. Turns out she absolutely hated mine, but preferred the one that I thought was the weakest of my partner's designs. Oh well! Based on her other opinions, it seems like we just have very different tastes, so my partner will be taking the design lead on the project. It's a little disappointing that the client and I don't jive, but that's life. At least the project is still going. Another group had their project put to a halt when the client revealed they just wanted the students to add e-commerce to their site without redesigning it (it was quite ugly, so the students who chose it really wanted to make it look nice). Another of my classes is Portfolio Development, and I have my business card design due tomorrow night. What's a good tagline or job title for someone who does graphic design, web design, colours and illustration? I don't wanna go with anything lame like "Creative Guru". I was thinking of "Makes things pretty" because that's how I like to describe the things I do.
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Jan 26, 2017 09:58
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mutata posted:If "live" just means "usable on the Internet" then it's time to get some hosting and domains and put your projects up where you can control them. I was coming back to say this. If you still have the source code for all your web design work, give each one a subdomain on your portfolio site and host a couple sample pages (with all legally-required stuff removed). You could also do a skin for something like https://www.csszengarden.com the HTML and CSS files are open source and would be a good place to show off your web design chops without any legal problems hosting it as your own work.
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Jan 26, 2017 13:32
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mutata posted:If "live" just means "usable on the Internet" then it's time to get some hosting and domains and put your projects up where you can control them. kedo posted:Avoid cliched projects (ie. redesigning a magazine, designing a wine bottle, etc). An easy way to pick projects is to come up with a list of your favorite businesses or non-profits or causes, check out their websites and find some with crappy brand packages. Redesign them to the best of your ability while keeping in mind what they might desire if they were an actual client and then post them in your portfolio. When I used to be in charge of reviewing applicant's portfolios I saw a lot of this and was totally fine with it as long as they were clearly labeled as fantasy projects. gmc9987 posted:I was coming back to say this. If you still have the source code for all your web design work, give each one a subdomain on your portfolio site and host a couple sample pages (with all legally-required stuff removed). You could also do a skin for something like https://www.csszengarden.com the HTML and CSS files are open source and would be a good place to show off your web design chops without any legal problems hosting it as your own work. I'm just quoting you guys so I can go back and find this later.
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Jan 26, 2017 15:57
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Nessa posted:The lady finally got back to me later that day saying it wouldn't work out, as they absolutely NEED to have the site built with Homestead. I recommended a different website builder and wished them luck. Dealing with clients is a careful balance of standing up for your ideas, listening to feedback, not letting them walk all over you because they're writing your checks (which they are doing for your design skills - YOU'RE the expert here) and leaving your ego at the door. Communication his huge. If you differ in opinions on direction, find out why. Make it about more than what looks "prettiest" - what designs best serve the goals of the project and why? What ARE the goals of the project? How does each decision support those goals? Make them justify their decisions beyond "I like the way it looks", because you should be doing the same. As for a "tagline", feel free to drop it and keep it simple. IMO your name, contact info, and professional title are all you really need. When you give it out you will ideally be in a face-to-face situation where you can give a stronger first impression than your card ever will. Toeing the line of trying to be cute can backfire.
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Jan 28, 2017 09:04
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