Talent is Not Enough - CH7

In Chapter 7 of Talent Is Not Enough, the legal aspects of starting your own design firm are the main focus. There are many things that a designer can get held up on while starting their own firm starting with the type of business that they want to set up. This can vary depending on the size and complexity of your business. You could start out as a sole proprietor which means that you are the single employee of your own business. this generally requires little effort and money to get set up. The next option is a general partnership. In a partnership the business is made up of two or more people that hold the business as co-owners. This generally does not require much formal paperwork or effort in order to be obtained. Next, designers could acquire a limited partnership. This is when the day to day operations are made separate from the legal and investing aspects of the company. This limits the control of the management on their part. The chapter then begins to move into the direction of the different types of corporations. Corporations are defined as being a separated from the legal and founding employers of the corporation. The two types of corporations are type "C" and "S". These two are generally harder to set up than a partnership or sole proprietor. The final business model is an LLC or limited liability corporation. This type of business model is very common because it is generally very easy to set up and also offers a wide range of benefits such as liability from business debts and smaller taxation.

Talent is Not Enough- Ch 3 and 6

Chapter 3 in the talent is not enough book begins to discuss issues when beginning a freelance career in design. Although it is a good way to expand your network and portfolio, there are many issues that designers get caught up in that may cause them legal troubles. Many of the issues that are discussed deal with the benefits that you may have to provide for yourself, or your employees if you own a small private business. This relatively short chapter also touches on the different documents that freelancing may require such as W-9, invoices, purchase orders and form 1099.

Chapter 6 of Talent is not Enough dives a little deeper into the world of freelance design. When freelancing it is important not only to know your worth within the market, but also how much it will cost you to operate. To do this, you must calculate your expenses such as office supplies, travel expenses, insurance, and advertising. The overall message in this chapter is to price yourself so you are successful and also competitive with other designers.

Ch6 - Complete Graphic Designer

In the final chapter of The Complete Graphic Designer branding is discussed. Branding is described as how something is perceived by the viewer. Today branding is very important in order to establish yourself, company, or client as a reliable and accurate representation of your product. The way your brand us perceived can also give you great financial results. An example used in the book was the difference between a .49 cent cup of coffee and a $3.00 cup of coffee. The way that a company such as Starbucks has built upon their brand has allowed them to charge more, not only due to the quality of the coffee, but also because of the experience that the customer has come to expect from the brand. Another important aspect of this chapter was the different kinds of brands. These include: Monolithic brands (brands with a dominant presence), subsidiary brands ( parented beneath a larger brand), Endorsed brand (a product or division of a larger brand) and Pluralistic brands (a large brand that is a sort of container for established brands). The next important piece of information in this chapter is the importance of market research. This can be done in many ways. First, market research can be obtained by gathering specific information with surveys and interviews with consumers. Focus groups are another form of obtaining market research information. This is when a small group is gathered with similar age, race and income are gathered and asked similar questions in order to obtain valuable information. Next up there is mystery shopping. Mystery shopping is a way for the client to gather information without the audience even knowing often times. This way employees and customers are not put on the spot to gather information, but they are observed. Finally, there is usability testing. This uses groups similar to focus groups to involve the consumer with giving feedback in many ways by using the desired product before its release. This can be anything from design to ease of use to its functionality. The chapter wraps up by describing many other ways of promoting your brand such as interior and exterior signs and package design that must remain consistent throughout in order to maintain an established identity.

Ch5 - Complete Graphic Designer

In chapter 5 of The Complete Graphic Designer, the author discusses how to successfully create an identity for yourself or a company. In the first section of this chapter it is made clear that an identity is not a brand, but instead it is a visual system that helps to identify goals, values and the personality of the company or individual. It is important not to confuse the identity with that of the brand which is all in the mind of the consumer. It is the consumers perception of the company or individual that makes up a brand. Another important aspect to creating a successful identity is to maintain consistent throughout all of your branding materials. Consistency is imperative in order to establish the brand as a legitimate business or company. Another important aspect to consider while creating an identity is to design for longevity. This means that when creating a logo and deciding on colors, typefaces etc... that the designer should not focus on current design trends to use as a crutch, but rather look at building a strong identity that suits the brand itself. This brings us to the importance of the assets that build the identity such as the logo, color and typefaces. All of these elements that build an identity are important to establish the brand in the consumers mind and make them easily identifiable. Next, the chapter moves on to the paper systems that are established within the brand. This includes letterheads, business cards, and mailing envelopes. All of these materials are meant to be designed in a way that represents the established identity and informs the consumer of the origin of these materials. In order to maintain a consistent look throughout these materials it is important to build a brand usage document or style guide. having one of these will ensure that all of the colors, logos and typefaces are used properly throughout all materials within the company which will help to establish a stronger brand identity.

AIGA- Jeff Fisher

Jeff Fisher is logo designer that is known worldwide for some of his logo designs. However I felt that this lecture was geared towards an older audience that may not be aware of the different ways that social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter can be used to promote yourself. Most of this lecture was spent talking about this or different books he had been featured in. Although I have a lot of respect for the way that he has taken initiative and built a business around doing what he loves; creating logos, I felt that this lecture was not very informative. I think that much more of the time could have been used to speak about how he created his brand and the different philosophies he used while creating a brand around himself, rather than how to use your Facebook status. Although Jeff has become a successful designer throughout his career, he mentioned that he does not keep up to date with many of the up and coming design trends. I have heard this from many designers, however I have to wonder, Is this a good idea for all designers?

There were a few positive things from this lecture too. One thing that was touched on briefly was treating yourself like a product. This will help to build a stronger identity. Another useful tip from this lecture was to make yourself as a personal business seem bigger than you really may be. For example, Jeff always refers to his business as a firm, making him sound larger and more capable of quality work. This technique can give you an advantage over other freelance designers that do not market themselves this way.

The Complete Graphic Designer- Chapter 3

In chapter 3 of Complete Graphic Designer many of the basics such as the importance of grid structures were discuss. Personally I felt that this was really good for me to read right now because I feel that I have lost touch with using grid structures a little bit. This section has helped me remember how important grids and organization in your work really are. Although this process may be basic it is the most important in order to create a successful design. Other aspects such as photography are discussed in order to talk about how they can be incorporated based on different issues such as copyright, amount of content and most importantly style. This chapter may have been somewhat of a review, however I felt that it was important for me to revisit things like this in order to help reinforce the importance of basic design processes.

Resume v2

Chapter2- The Complete Graphic Designer Synopsis

In Chapter two of The Complete Graphic Designer one of the first issues discussed is that of the importance of color. As designers color is a tool that may be used in order to better portray a message, or make a message clearer. What many of us may not realize is that color in the western world may have a completely different meaning in the east. This was one of the major points to take away from in the first section. The next section of reading discusses how to approach a design project. Much of design happens far before the designer is actually able to sit down at a computer. This may be due to the designer having preconceived notions as to the way the design of a certain product or company should look or function, or even how it could work better. Chapter two recommends that the designer asks him or herself a set of questions in order to get on the right track for the project. These questions include asking about the company history, core values that need to be addressed, competitive advantages, the target audience, and how is the audience going to benefit from the resulting design. The first step in any design project is to conduct research. Research may be the most important step in the design process. The research is what helps you determine not only the problem with the current design, but how a solution is going to be achieved and also define the overall direction of the project. After thoroughly researching anything and everything related to the project it is time to develop a creative brief. A creative brief will help to address both the questions and the answers to the design problems at hand.This may include things such as budget, deadlines and the final deliverables of the project. In the creative brief one of the most important questions worth asking is, "what exactly is the problem that needs solving?". After defining this issue, it is a good idea to have an organizational overview that includes things such as a calendar with specific deadlines and a list of final deliverables. It is also important to address the specific needs and interests of the intended audience. This may include anything from the jobs of the targeted audience to what they do on their free time. This is when the brainstorming begins. It is a good idea to write down anything that comes to mind in order to be able to draw from later, even if the idea at the time seems pointless or irrelevant, it may come in handy at some point throughout the project.This is what the book calls "idea incubation". Once this has been completed it is time to start bringing concepts and different approaches to the table. Once the strongest concepts have been chosen, then refinements must be made to those and this is a long process. You can spend hours upon hours creating iterations of only one idea, however it is important that when presenting these iterations to the client that you don't overwhelm them and give them too many options to choose from, otherwise it will make it tough for them to narrow down ideas. Once these ideas have been finalized, it is time to implement the product. Following these steps are extremely important in order to successfully implement both creative and effective designs that will suit the client.

SelfAnalysis

In order to fully analyze myself, It is important to mention a few things that may help to fill in the blanks. I am currently 23 years old and have lived in Colorado my entire life. As many young Coloradans do, I spend a large majority of my time in the outdoors. This has led to a passion of mine other than design that will be discussed later on in great detail. This passion is snowboarding. Snowboarding has probably been the most significant influence in my life other than my family. Throughout high school I spent much of my time on the mountain, whether it was after class or on the weekends. This is where the initial spark of Tyler as a designer began. I started to make snowboard videos of my friends. After high school I moved around a lot, looking for a places where I could snowboard and continue my education in a lighter manner. After exploring opportunities in places such as Steamboat and Breckenridge I decided it was time to start pursuing a career field. In recent years since I have started to pursue a career in graphic and motion design, I have learned a lot about myself. Although many of these things are positive, I have also found that many of these things are in need of improvement and development. One thing about myself that I have learned is there is no end to what I can learn. This applies to both my career and life in general.

I have many personality traits, many of these traits are positive. However, just like anyone else there is always room for improvement. I have found throughout the years that I have an extremely positive attitude. This trait is one that I have never found to have a negative outcome on my life. By keeping a positive outlook on things, life seems to become easier and more enjoyable. Another quality that I have found about myself that comes along with having a positive attitude is that I am very easy to get along with. Along with my positive attitude comes with the ability to give constructive criticism in order to help others on creative projects. The ability to help others is something that I have always wanted to achieve and continue to achieve throughout my life.

Another major component to my personality is the communication strengths that I can provide. Communication is one of the most, if not the most important part of the design field. Communication can be the difference between successful ideas and those that are not. I have found that one of my biggest communicative strengths is to produce ideas visually. Although design may be one of my strengths, I feel that my ability to express ideas without concrete visual examples or support can sometimes hinder my ability to fully express an idea or concept. This is something that I work at everyday in order to better prepare myself for the professional world of design, where this skill will be invaluable to my success.

Along with many of these traits have come both reward and failures. One of my most recent accomplishments includes winning a University of Colorado Denver “Digital Visions” award. This particular category was specified for introduction and public service announcement videos and motion graphics. This award is something that I would like to build upon in my career, and also something that I will continue to look back on and remain proud of the effort that went into producing the final product.

Some professional strength’s that I have acquired over the few years of experience include working very well on tight deadlines and the ability to communicate effectively with clients and coworkers. Over the last couple years I have become much more organized, which has helped me meet deadlines and create projects faster and more effectively. The combination of these two aspects has only increased my overall happiness in the workplace, but also helps me work more effectively with others. Although these aspects have helped to shape my professional knowledge, there is still much for me to learn not only about applications and technical skills, but also about the design industry and appropriate practice that I will soon encounter.

Some of the things that I am looking for when researching different organizations and firms is nearly just as much about the people as it is about the work. The working environment is something that is extremely important to me while working in a creative field. What I am looking for in an organization are a group of professional, yet laid-back people that are fun to be around. These individuals must have a strong work ethic that is creatively driven. Another aspect that is very important to me is that my ideal colleagues would be able to both give and receive constructive criticism in order to further increase the quality of a product or design. These are all elements that help to ensure my maximum creativity, production and overall enjoyment in the workplace.


The reason that I have chosen to pursue an active career and diploma in the Digital Design field is because it is something that allows you to stay on your toes and continue learning everyday throughout your career. I stumbled into the field of design after being offered a job from a friend who knew I had a limited background in video editing. After settling into my new and unique experience as a design intern, I began to meet new contacts within the field, who have become both mentors and close friends. Through this opportunity I was able to gain knowledge from experienced professionals that have helped me to jump-start both my education and career in the design field. However, as I began to catch on after a couple of years, I was interested in finding an opportunity where I could be tasked with more responsibility and a wider variety of projects and problems to solve. After leaving the origin of my design knowledge, I searched for a job where I was able to pursue the video and motion graphics side of design. I was able to track down an internship that an instructor of mine had recommended me for. Since beginning at the CU online media production department, I have been able to take on new projects that have helped the overall quality of my work extensively. At the CU Online media studio, I have been tasked with leading the motion graphics side of our department. This entails, creating motion graphic packages from the early concept stages to the delivery of the final product to the client. This has made me a stronger designer in the way that I think about aspects of a project such as planning, time management, communication with clients, and the overall polishing of the product. These skills will prove to be invaluable throughout my career.

I have learned a lot in recent years, not only of design, but also about myself as a person. As I further my career I hope to always be striving to improve both of these aspects of my life in order to reach the goals that I have laid out for myself now and in the future. One thing I cant express enough is the potential to be continually learning and observing the world around you. As a close friend and family member once put it it is important to think of yourself as a “perpetual sponge”.

Job Description

Spillt - Seeking junior Motion Design artist for full time employment.

Seeking a young and talented motion designer who is creatively driven, while maintaining a strong work ethic in the workplace. The ability to work across multiple platforms such as web, 2D, 3D, compositing, video editing and various other post production responsibilities. During your time here you will produce videos and motion graphics for new media ads, website content, television, and other types of digital communication. Although industry experience is encouraged, this opportunity is about the quality of your work, not the amount of time you have spent doing it. Some skills that are required but not limited to are an expert knowledge of applications such as Adobe Illustrator, After Effects, Cinema4D, Final Cut and/ or Adobe Premiere. Web and print design knowledge is also a plus. With these skills applicants must have a strong sense of design and typography that will be utilized daily. A Bachelors degree in the design area is preferred as well.

Our studio is located in the downtown Denver area, therefore applicants must be able to commute or relocate in order to work in our Denver office. We specialize in a variety of projects including network re-branding, television spots, film titles and video production. Compensation for this position is in the range $40,000 to $60,00 per year with limited health insurance benefits.

Spillt is not only looking for not only talented designers, but also those who are passionate about the design field while maintaining a fun and positive attitude.

Please respond to jobs@spillt.com with a copy of your resume as well as a link to your portfolio and reel.

Thank you,
Spillt
www.spillt.com

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Resume

Reading Number Four

In the second chapter of "Talent is not enough: business for designers", different ways to not only prepare yourself to get a job in the design field but also the interview process are discussed. The chapter starts off by asking "what kind of job are you looking for within the design field?" This is the first and most important step in deciding what you would like to do with your design career. In doing this you must assess your strengths and weaknesses as a designer in order to determine what to look for in a particular job. One of the resulting questions from this may be " am I a specialized designer or a general designer?"

The chapter moves on to speak about the materials that you will need in order to prepare yourself for the job search. Materials will include, but are not limited to, stationery, business cards, resume, cover letter, and thank you letters. These materials will assist you and be a major factor in your placement of the job market.

Each potential employer will look through your portfolio which is now most commonly on the web, although it may be a good idea to have printed documents, projects as well. For each of the e projects it is usually a good idea to do the following:
-Identify the project client
- Explain the issue that your designs would be addressing
- The solution that you developed in your design.
- How well was it received, and how did it impact the client

When conduction a search for the right job, there is information that is important to remember while contacting and keeping in touch with potential employers. This information can include how you became are of the opportunity, the job description, compensation and benefits etc... All of this information is important while maintaining contact with potential employers.

This chapter then goes on to discuss where one can go to begin looking for these opportunities. There are many options offered, however the most relevant and successful way seems to be through networking. Although this may be the best way, this does not always mean it will work. Other ways of searching can include head-hunters, ads or classifieds such as craigslist , and most of all your favorite firms or agencies.

Once an interview has been obtained, it is then discussed how to act and the simple things you can do to maintain proper etiquette throughout the interview process. These things can include the way to dress, proper time to ask about compensation/ benefits, and aspects that may seem small but make a huge impact such as thank you follow up letters.

As the chapter begins to wrap up, the aspects of beginning the transition from the school life to the life of a professional designer are discussed. These transitions could be minor issues such as workflow of a company to major issues such as the level of creativity you will have while working with certain clients. All of this information is important to keep in mind throughout the process of preparing for interviews and how to maintain a professional appearance and land yourself a job!