Blog &bull Business
Busting the myths: what Graphic Design ISN’T
May 27, 2009
image by nicolasnova
For a bit of fun I’ve put together a list of things that Graphic Design Isn’t, based on my own experiences and those of others. I hope this will be helpful for designers and clients alike.
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Urgent! How to handle those last-minute design requests
March 11, 2009
Image by Alex Kehr
Good designers know how to make realistic deadlines and then stick to them. But there are times for every designer when an urgent job materialises and must be squeezed into the work schedule.
Some designers dread getting the phone call or email requesting work to be carried out at breakneck speed; others thrive [...]
E-cards or traditional cards: which are better?
December 27, 2008
If you’ve been participating in the holiday season, it’s likely you’ve been part of the seasonal exchange of greeting cards. Most are traditional paper-based cards, although there are also plenty of e-cards landing in in-boxes at this time of year. That’s no surprise, as many of us are spending increasing amounts of time communicating via [...]
What is the cost of compromising on good design?
December 3, 2008
Image by tanakawho
Let’s face it, there are times when designers and their clients don’t see eye to eye over a project. When all else fails a designer may comply with client requests which are at odds with their own professional judgment, simply to make the client happy. But is this an ideal solution in the [...]
How to adapt during an economic downturn
October 28, 2008
Image by Foxtongue
We live in interesting times. The worldwide financial downturns have led to a great deal of uncertainty for small business owners and independent contractors (freelancers), including designers. On the plus side, small operators are in a better position than their larger counterparts to adapt to changes in business conditions, even drastic ones.
In recent [...]
Less is More: Top Designers’ websites
October 14, 2008
Designers wanting to advance their careers are sometimes advised to concentrate on creating a personal brand. With this in mind, I decided to look at how some renowned graphic designers present themselves and their work online.
Most of the designers shown here have personal websites to showcase their portfolio. There are a few sites representing studios [...]
Design checklist: What clients should provide their designer
October 8, 2008
Image by kennymatic
Preparation is key to successful management of any project, and design projects are no different. The more preparation that both client and designer do right at the start, the more smoothly the work will go.
I find checklists can be very useful, so I’ve prepared a checklist of things that clients should provide their [...]
One thing blog designers must have
September 23, 2008
Image by kevindooley
Designing for blogs, creating blog themes and building websites with Content Management Systems (CMS) make up probably the fastest growing aspect of web design. The measure of a web designer who is keeping their skills up to date is that they offer at least one of these services.
A good web designer should also [...]
How Inexperience can teach you about Design
June 25, 2008
Can you remember your first-ever design job? Whether it was the first piece of work you got paid for, or the freebies you used to do for friends and which gave you the first inklings that a career in design was for you? Looking back is fun, but for me it’s also served as an [...]
Reasons to keep your web portfolio short and sweet
June 19, 2008
The common wisdom for compiling a strong design portfolio is that you should limit the size to around a 10-15 samples of your work (give or take a few). I have perused a lot of design portfolios online, and it’s interesting to see how many break this rule.
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