A little glimpse of what I’m up to, more updates to come!
Hello everyone,
The past couple of months have been tumultuous to say the least. Long story short, I’m now working for a magazine publishing house after a good recommendation from a friend, which is a reason to always make new connections and to cherish ones that you’ve already got.
I want to share with y’all a few resources I’ve stumbled upon while researching a things for my work.
Things ranging from website design process, how to get a step ahead of your competition when it comes to finding clients,
The making of the Pulkovo Airport website
The first resource being a website that shows the process of creating a website. There’s plenty of sites and books about creating logos or brands but stepping into website design is completely new and foreign to me. Check it out, and there’s more examples once you click on the homepage.
Sorry for the lack of posts lately. Even though I don’t have a full time position I’ve been freelancing and it’s equated to full time work. Sigh.
Anyways crossing my finger on getting a full time position soon so I can somewhat have an organized working schedule.
I have learned a lot however. Upcoming posts include some of the freelance tips and tricks I’ve gathered. So stay tuned!
As designers we constantly need to be on the lookout for inspiration. I’ve stumbled upon Niice.co which is created by Chris Armstrong and Pete Hawkins. Niice pulls from sites like behance, fubiz, to populate any search term you may want to draw inspiration from.
Have you ever wanted to pick the brains of your design hero?
As a young designer out of college you realize that there are a ton of information that they did not teach you at school. It’s not that they couldn’t but most of this information is learned through experience.
Learn the Secret Handshake allows young designers like myself a little bit of that insight from those that have paved the way before us. This site allows you to see specific things that people look for in a portfolio, resume or a designer in general. Who knows, maybe you’ll get your Aha! moments with sage advice like this.
Your portfolio is not what you did, but what you’re going to do next. – Tobias van Schneider
So check them out, it’s a wonderful resource for knowledge and inspiration.
What kind of classes should you take in design school?
Going to college to become a designer is a little different than say…an accounting major. The most important note to keep in the back of your mind is:
Which classes will give me the best portfolio pieces and experience?
That should be your mantra all throughout school when you’re registering for classes. What classes specifically should you learn?
Really inspirational talk by Jane ni Dhulchaointigh the founder of Sugru
Jane talks about being an aspiring product designer and the process of inventing Sugru, which enables you to hack any object in your life. To me this shows that we must blaze a path in our lives, because no one else will do it for us. Jane had a vision and aspirations and never quit.
Whenever someone asks me what I do, I’m always hesitant to say I’m a graphic designer because what usually follows is a blank expression on their face.
I mean how can I say I push pixels around on the screen until they ‘feel’ right while sounding like I actually went to school for this?
No this isn’t an Abduzeedo marketing plug. I just thought to share some free typefaces that I’ve encountered on the internet.
Download them for free or if you wish you can also donate.
Noupe – 44 free fonts for creative designers
Benbrushdesign – 9 high quality free donts everyone should have
Here are some that I liked.
The interviewing process can be a daunting task. You’re putting your work out there to be judged and critiqued, and this can hit you right in the feels. So how best can you prepare yourself for an interview?
Let’s start off with the basics.
- Know your work like the back of your hand. Everyone has a different way of doing this, but for me I usually know key bullet points that I want to touch on when it comes to discussing my work. Practice talking about each project and about your process. One of my professors has even recommended to videotape yourself just for a different point of view.
- Look sharp. This is going to be the first impression they get of you. You don’t need to be in an Armani suit, but you do need to look professional. Of course this differs depending on the type of workplace you are trying to land a job. I would ask what their dress code is and either match that or go one step more formal (never wear a tux). Remember, dressing sharp may not land you the job, but dressing horribly can put you out of the running instantly.
- Prepare a leave behind. What is this? For me, I put together my resume, business card, and three laid out examples of my projects. What this does is give a positive lasting impression even after you have left. It makes you look professional and on your game. More info about leave behinds can be found here http://freelanceswitch.com/designer/graphic-design-leave-behind/
The actual interview can differ in a lot of ways. But from my experience here are the top questions that you generally want to know and have prepared an answer beforehand.
- What do you know about us? Please look at their about page at least once and pick some key elements that you will want to regurgitate out.
- Tell us about yourself. No this does not mean tell us your life story, keep the information pertinent to the actual job. For me it’s where I went to school, and where I’ve worked since then.
- What were your responsibilities at your old job? I try to highlight key roles that are applicable to the job that i am applying for. If it’s a marketing role, I want to emphasize my active partaking in running websites and creating marketing pieces.
- What is your strength/How can you contribute? Usually this goes hand in hand, but really think about this one. Find a key aspect to your work that you’re prob of and can offer an employer. It can be that you have great ideas, you’re really quick and efficient, or that you’ve got a yearning for learning, etc.
- Do you have any questions? Yes you will be offered to ask questions, this is your chance to see if this is the right place for you. Some questions I like to ask: can you describe a day for this said position? How do you usually start off your design process? What is the workplace environment like?
Keep in mind an interview is a dialogue between you and another person. This is not an interrogation, be personable and be yourself and remember to send a thank you email or letter for taking their time.
Design Your Ass Off 