Christopher McLaughlin - Graphic Designer

Motion Graphics Project - "Listen"

2008-04-09T17:18:00.001-07:00

I am quickly approaching graduation from Quinnipiac University and am now in the final legs of this race we call college. It's finals week here in Hamden and as the entire campus stresses out I am no different. I have completely 1 final project with alot more to go. Below is the video project I completed for my Motion Graphics class:

Description: the goal of this project was to create a motion graphic film, between 30 and 60 seconds. The subject of the project was a word and that words wikitionary.com definition. I was lucky enough to be assigned the word "Listen". I decided to use music in my project and then synced the treble and base of my music with the velocity and movement of the particle strands. I then used simple arial font for text and had that text appear as if it was escaping or trapped in the audio wave. Hope you enjoy.

Technical: The video was developed using Adobe After Effects and the Particular plug-in from Trapcode. The music is from, one of my favorite bands, Jimmy Eat World's "23".

10 - Considering the Alternative

2008-04-02T21:50:00.001-07:00

Upon conclusion of Eisenman’s Building Design Portfolios I find myself once again looking at my alternative portfolio. Attempting to now sound redundant I explore the various possibilities of alternative portfolios such as the ones provided by Eisenman in her book.

The first alternative portfolio to stand out in Eisenman’s collection was that of German designer, Christian Steurer. Steurer prints his portfolio on newspaper. While he doesn’t do news print design the newspaper printed in some color allows Steurer’s work to really jump off the page. Steurer mailed the rolled up newspapers to potential employers giving him an edge over other designers.

The portfolio of Eramos Tantos design studio in Mexico was the next to grab my attention. The artwork inside the portfolio varies in style as it is all encapsulated within a bound ringed book. What makes this portfolio alternative and interesting is that the portfolio is that the bound book is place inside of a recycled film can. The film can ties into the work that the studio produces and adds a nice touch to the already beautiful portfolio. To top it all off, the film canister is shipped inside a cardboard box which contain movie related stickers on the outside, tying together the entire package.

When considering an alternative package for my own design work my goal is to develop and interesting package that allows me to combine all my interests; music, photography & design. Kristie Downing combines similar interests in her alternative portfolio. Package in a retro (vinyl) Record Box, Kristie displays her work on record sized boards. The packaging is interesting and unique and allows employers and other design to gain more insight of Downings interest and personality.

An alternative portfolio may allow a designer to show even more of their creativity. One major downfall to these alternative portfolios is that they often cost more than a struggling design student can afford.

9 - Hello [Again]

2008-03-26T21:00:00.000-07:00

Yet again my weekly readings have brought me to the topic of print portfolios. This week it is Sara Eisenman’s book, Building Design Portfolios, which I find to be the most engaging on the subject. While few words are written in the 50 pages I was assigned it is the pictures of professional print portfolios and student portfolios that grabbed my attention and focus this week.

Stoltze’s Design portfolio was the first professional portfolio to make an impression upon me. Simple yet elegant, the portfolio simply features photographs and thumbnails of the designers work nicely balanced against the white space of the portfolio pages. The balance against the white pages causes the artwork to really jump off the page. The pages of the portfolio vary in size as many conform to the 5.5”x8.5” dimensions of the metallic binder, while other extended beyond the binder using conveniently placed folds. As I just alluded to, the entire portfolio is encased in a metal binder. While slightly expensive the binder is sure to last long and protect your work. Stoltze Design goes even further with their portfolio by their content into three separate metallic binders based upon the subject for which the work was performed.

The second designer’s work to grab my attention was Deborah Norcross’s. Her portfolio is also simply designed and maintained within a metallic box similar to Stoltze. While her portfolio I s fantastic it is her promotional piece which engaged my attention. Deborah Nocross has been designing CD covers and album artwork for Warner Brothers for year now so the majority of the work she has been doing, and is known for, is relatively small. In order to effective display her work she created a promotion package filled postcard pieces of her portfolio. The package is very simply but it allows for each one of her pieces to gain proper attention while correctly presenting herself as a designer.

As I continued through Eisenman’s book I came across the student portfolio of Sophie Nicolay. Nicolay’s portfolio was in no way unique in design. I am not attempting to say her work was anything less than excellent but instead I am commenting on Nicolays casing of her portfolio. Nicolay's portfolio casing, while not cheap, can be purchased at any art store. The organization of her work within the casing was done extremely well and made her portfolio look very professional and impressive.

Lorenzo Geiger’s student portfolio commanded my attention immediately. As you may have noticed I am a fan of simplicity and Geiger’s portfolio is simplistic yet intricate at the same time. His portfolio is simple, small, and slender. Used as a handout, his portfolio contains exquisite pen and ink drawing for CD’s, labels, and stickers. His portfolios looks similar to one I wish to accomplish at the completion of my portfolio class. Until I reach this point of completion stressing out is my new profession.

Interesting Links:
Art Supplies - Hulls New Haven

8 - Organizing and Optimizing my Design Life

2008-03-19T19:04:00.001-07:00

Once again my weekly readings brings me back to my portfolio. This week, designer Sara Eisenman discusses the essential steps to creating an organized and successful web portfolio. To learn more about this process please refer to Eisenman’s book, (pg 74 – 94). While Eisenman’s words were extremely helpful my attention was focus on the advice found in designer Building Design PortfoliosCynthia L. Baron’s, Designing a Digital Portfolio.

This week in Baron’s, Designing a Digital Portfolio, Baron discusses the tips towards collecting work and presenting it to you clients. Collecting work is a process, which I have been dreading. Unfortunately, as a design student, I have made the unfortunate and common mistake of saving my previous work in various different places on my computer. If I could offer advice to younger design students it would be to stay organized and be careful about saving your work. Although it seemed easy at the time to simply save something to my desktop, I know realize the faults of my laziness. After slowly weeding through the unorganized mess that is my files pace I was able to collect work, which I felt, was worthy of my portfolio. Unfortunately now I had another long process of refining and optimizing my work for my portfolio.

As you progress as a design student you learn new tricks and design principles and when you begin looking back at your older work you start to realize that there is a better way you could have approached this or maybe done this a different way. This is how I felt looking at many of my older pieces. I now saw details I missed or an area of a project I could have approached better. My design style had changed and because of this I now desired to change many of my old pieces. While refining your work is a good practice do not delete your older original piece. Your old artwork is reflective of yourself as a designer. Redesigning old work and then presenting it in comparison with your new design can show your progression as a designer and will allow a potential employee your though process, progression, and your desire to achieve better. Presenting old sketches of design will help as well.

So now you have your work, new designs, and old designs, what’s next? The next step to concern yourself about is presenting that work in your portfolio. When working with a web portfolio, which appears to be essential these days, one of your largest concerns is going to be optimizing your work for web. Web portfolios are great. They allow you to ha e your wonderful designs viewed by anyone with an internet connection, however what is lost with web portfolios is the quality of work; scanned items can lose textures and details, high quality images can lose resolution, etc. When designing your online portfolio allow time for yourself to go back and edit work to ensure the quality is preserved when viewing it online. Also when interviewing for your job, do not simply rely of a web portfolio. Print portfolio are always added bonuses for potential employer.

Interesting links I have come across this week:
SxSW Web Awards 2008
SXSW - Designer Portfolio Award Winner - JLern Design

7 - Another Perspective on Portfolios

2008-03-13T08:33:00.001-07:00

Once again we are brought back to talking about the importance of our portfolio. From pages 40 – 74 of Designing a Digital Portfolio, Sara Eisenman discusses the usage of print portfolios, job hunting and self-promotion as a designer.

Although I have discussed the importance of a web portfolio in many of my previous posts I also believe that print is just as important. In today’s technologically savvy world almost everyone has easy access to a computer and to the internet however for those few chances that you come across an employer who does not, a print portfolio (Print Portfolio Example) will be life saving. Even when an employer has access online portfolio, a print portfolio can help secure that desired job. An essential part to proper usage of print portfolios is the presentation of that print portfolio.

The first thing to consider when presenting a portfolio is the order of things. According to Eisenman, “The first thing in your portfolio or design box should be a strong sample – a drum roll to get the viewer excited or, at least engages.” As Eisenman continues, the piece should not be your strongest, “”but it needs to catch attention and hold it.” From that point forward your work should be ordered so that it continues to build excitement and anticipation until the final piece, which you show the highlight of your portfolio. An unorganized portfolio can become a difficult puzzle for and employer to decipher.

Once you have developed a successful portfolio it is time for job hunting. The first thing to do is to prepare for your interview; practice possible questions, research potential companies, and review your own work so much so that you are able to talk about your design process in a professional manor. Another integral part in preparing yourself is developing your resume. The first step in creating your resume is to simply include as much as you think may be necessary and later go back and weed through those things that are not so necessary. If you have a professor, advisor or colleague easily accessible they can be a great reference when reviewing your portfolio.

Once you have prepared your portfolio and yourself for that next job interview its time to get your next interview. You have a couple of options when applying for jobs; the two main being you can call and ask for an appointment or you can wait for them to call you. As a new designer it’s your duty to start calling. Waiting for the design work to realize how great your work is unreliable and can take a while. Creating promotional pieces for yourself can help in the job process. Any promotional material will immediately get your name out into the design world and can leave an impression at an interview. Successfully designing for yourself allow you to gain a better understanding of yourself as a designer.

Some more great print portfolio examples:
GraphCom Group / Example 2 / Adrenaline Design

6 - Designing the Portfolio

2008-03-06T05:30:00.000-08:00

For the past few weeks I have been ritualistically posting each Thursday morning to my blog. The content of each post has been centered on my portfolio and myself as a designer. Looking back upon earlier posts, I’ve realized that I never discussed what exactly a portfolio is, what it entails, or where it even came from.

What is a portfolio? According to Sara Eisenman’s Building Design Portfolios: Innovative Concepts for Presenting Your Work, “a design portfolio is a grouping of loose sheets collected in a portable case.” This definition has been altered in today’s digital world as present day portfolios “assume the range a range of new forms; websites, motion portfolios, files on disc, portable document format (PDF), and limited edition books or monographs.”

The earliest of design portfolios were type specimen books, or books that showed previously printed type samples if particular type faces and how those samples could be arranged on a page. According to Eisenman, one of the earliest type specimen books is Trissino’s display of Arrighi Italic in 1526. Fast-forward to the mid 20th century and the idea of type design and graphic design has evolved so much so that colleges and universities begin to offer graphic design courses. No longer was design a trade learned through apprenticeship, as it became an art form studied by students and taught by teachers. Today portfolios have continued to evolve with the inclusion online digital displays through websites, work positions on matted boards, multiple formats of artwork including digital and print forms, and elaborate cases to collect all the artists work within.

While the form of portfolio has changed the essential methods to making a successful portfolio have not. When approaching a portfolio the first thing to keep in mind is the audience for which you will present your portfolio. Design your portfolio to satisfy your potential employer. Research your employer and see what work they have used in the past and also listen research the design they are looking to use in the future. Researching your audience shows that you have a definite interest in the position and that you are willing and able to do the work necessary to getting that job.

The next important method to keep in mind is the tone of your portfolio. Ultimately your portfolio is your work and must represent you. Gear your portfolio towards the job that you want but keep in mind another essential method in building portfolios, and that is the range of your portfolio. Maintaining a wide range of work in your portfolio is essential for younger, less experienced designers. Although you may want to work in web design you may be asked to do print design. Ultimately a job is a job when it comes to being a young designer. Any job is a way to get your foot in the door as a young designer and can be the stepping-stone to a better job down the road.

Another important decision when it comes to your portfolio is the presentation of the portfolio. While it seems to be a growing trend to have an online portfolio it doesn’t hurt to have a printed one as well. Printed portfolios, just like online portfolios, can be range from the extremely intricate and elaborate to the simple. A simple form on presenting your portfolio is with the use of poster board. Matting your work on black poster board allows your work to truly stand out against the blank background. Many designers will tell you that this matting process is essential to any interview or presentation. More elaborate designs can include large books with intricate binding, for example Brian Roettinger’s portfolio book Lost and Found.

While I may be rambling onward about portfolios and the pros and cons of using a hard shell or soft shell presentation case the one thing I have been reminded through out all these books I have read and all the classes I have taken, is that it is the work itself which sells an artists. Your work is how the design world will ultimately view you as a designer. The first true process to any portfolio design is to ensure that the work you have is the best that you can do and that you are truly satisfied with it. Once you have truly examined your work and have spent time scrutinizing your own designs it will be easy for you to present them to others.

5 - Halfway to graduation and still organizing my life/ work

2008-02-27T20:23:00.001-08:00

We are quickly approaching the halfway point of my very last semester here at Quinnipiac University. The fear of graduation is getting stronger by the day while the desire to leave the halls of academia for a world full of possibilities is slowly fading away. For the past 6 weeks I have been meticulously collecting every piece of graphic design work I have ever done to add it to my growing portfolio. As I have become more educated in the design world I started to notice that many of my designs seem to follow a trend or a fashion at the time I was making it. This realization initially angered me. As a designer, well once I realized I was a designer, I wanted to create new and original artwork; things which had never been done before. In my mind the truly successful designers were those able to create something new an inventive. With this mindset I found the majority of my previous work useless in my portfolio.

After finally completing Adrian Shaughnessy’s, How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul, there was one quotation, which stood out to me. The quote came from chapter nine as Shaugnessy recapped the saying from one of his past colleges, Julian House. British designer, Julian House stated, “I don’t believe in originality as an absolute. I think it’s more to do with interesting twists on existing forms. Borrowing from the Modernist designers of the past, for instance, is not plagiarism; it’s more a continuation of the process and ideas that they set in motion.” This quote once again gave me hope that I could be a successful designer. Although I may not have been creating completely new artwork I may have been improving upon the current design and adding my own voice to it. With this in mind I was back to collecting my previous work.

What work do I collect? Do I need it all? Once again Cynthia Baron’s Designing a Digital Portfolio provided me with my much-needed answers. According to Baron, three simple tips can help you when collecting work as a student; keep process materials, keep editable backups of computer files and retrieve any graded work. These three suggestions while help students to collect work that they may not have thought was important. Showing the process of work will help potential employers analyzes your ability to accomplished tasks as well as the way in which you approach design projects. When collecting your work, make sure that you retrieve as many design notes (such as font and color selection) as possible. The ability to explains ones work and decision as to why this font or that color has been chosen will make the designer look knowledgeable about their craft and make the designer appears competent in the design field.

Finally Baron also offers a suggestion for students looking for work. When applying for a job request previous examples of work from that company. Seeing what that company has looked for in the past can give the designer a good starting point when designing their portfolio.

4 - Establishing a Mature Relationship for your Rep'

2008-02-20T22:00:00.000-08:00

Clients, a word I have often thrown around in these postings. In the design word, clients are everything and everywhere. In order to work a designer must interact with clients, whether the client is “good” or “bad”. While many perceive all clients as bad, author and designer Adrian Shaughnessy teaches us otherwise. In his book, How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul, Shaughnessy states that even the “ bad” clients are desirable to work with. While it is nice to have a client that agrees with every suggestion the designer offers and is willing to let the designer have free range while designing, it is often the challenging client which produces the best work from the designer. A difficult client will present the designer with a challenge, which can often bring new and creative designs out of the artist. The true test in determining the quality of the client is the ability to establish a relationship with that client.

According to Shaughnessy the ideal client situation involves you, the designer listening and absorbing the client’s point of view, and then conducting yourself in such a way that your client is inclined to allow you to have a point of view. This mature type of relationship will lead to a positive work environment, which will allow for input from both the client as well as the designer. With this type of relationship the clients thoughts and desires are appreciated and included while the creative voice of the designer remains strong. A successful relationship between the artist and client will lead to a positive work environment and the potential for future employment.

Hold on to these clients that you are able to establish a good relationship with. It is more common than not that a client who seeks a designer once will often seek more work soon after. By establishing a mature relationship with your client you can ensure that when looking for a designer on future project, the client will return to you. Retaining a client will often be easier than looking for a new one, however it is important to remember, Shaughnessy writes, to not let your returning client be your only client. As stated in the earlier chapters of his book it is vital to a designer’s success to continually be looking for new work.

While maintaining clients is helpful a designer must also know when to sack a client. Difficult clients can challenge a designer to achieve something great however, “There are some clients who are frankly exploitative and can cause damage to you and your company.” Before you decide to part ways with this client ask yourself these questions: Have you delivered everything you are obliged to give them? Do they owe you any money? Are there any other links that can’t be easily severed? As Shaughnessy writes, “If you are satisfied on all these points…then sack them.

As I stated earlier a designer should always be looking for new clients and new work. The proper dissolution of previous client relationships is critical and can affect your reputation in the design world. Ensuring that you have fulfilled the three questions listed above will make sure that you, the designer, will exit the relationship with a positive reputation. The reputation of a designer is imperative to the success of that artist in the design community. Just like in high school a reputation is key and can change at the drop of a hat. Even the designer with a small reputation can soon be trust upward in popularity with one successful project and can equal be forgotten with one unsuccessful design.

3 - Research in Design: My Never-Ending Quest for Knowledge and a Job

2008-02-13T21:48:00.000-08:00

Clients. Defined in Merriam Webster’s Dictionary, a client is “a person who engages the professional advice or services of another.” From my understanding these are the people who will be controlling your livelihood in the design business. Success in the design appears to be determined by the number of clients you are able to attract and the quality of work you are able to produce for those clients. So then how do you go about finding clients? Two options for attracting work are actively seeking out potential clients/job opportunities or allowing clients to come find you. Although they are both very similar they do differ slightly.

As a new designer attempting to work in “the industry” you will have to seek out your clients. According to Cynthia Baron’s, Designing a Digital Portfolio the first step in searching fro a job is to determine your audience. What is your target audience and how can you go about appealing to them? Baron gives a list of questions to assist you in narrowing your job search:

- Geography: Where are you looking?
- Independent studio / agency or in-house department?
- Company size?
- If independent, what is the specialty?
- Client or company industry category or categories?
- Type of projects?
- Specifying in a specific media?
- Specifying in specific activities or sub-culture?

These question will help you to narrow down the search when looking for a job in the in the industry. So where do you find these jobs? Like searching for any job personal connections are important.

Look for personal connection in fields in which you are interested. For example, if you are looking to work in graphic design and page layout and you have a friend working at Sports Illustrated and he is in good standing, talk to this friend and see if he knows a position that is open or give a promotional card of your work which he could then pass onto his employer. These types of connections can often lead to interviews, internships and even job offerings. Now you may have no interests in sports but remember the experience is key and can help you land future work.
Another great way to find work is through the Internet. Searching on various engines such as Yahoo or Google can help a designer to actively seek out work while allowing for specification of those positions. These types of sites also come in handy when researching you potential employer. Weather it be a large corporation or an individual client it is extremely helpful to do the research on that employer. Baron suggests researching the type of designers they have worked with in the past, the work they have had done for them, and the specific about any upcoming work they are looking to have done. Collect the research you have gathered and then design your portfolio to match the result. Both Baron and Shaughnessy, the author of How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul, suggest researching your potential employer before hand and then applying the knowledge you have gained form that research to determine which work to include in your portfolio as well as which work to discuss with that employer. While this may seem like your are narrowing yourself down to a certain specialty, you are showing the client, or employer, that you understand their business and what they are looking for. If successful in your research, what they are looking for will be you.

Another way of attracting work is to let employers find you. A great way to do this is to do year mailing to companies that interest you. Including promotional samples of your work can often attract new business. While this practice is far less successful than actively seeking out clients it is not something to be forgotten.
In order to be successful in the industry or even to survive in the industry I have learned that I must be constantly searching for work, weather it be at a large corporation or a small flyer for a mom and pop bakery in my hometown. With the ever-fluctuating economy work is scarce and if I wait for the moment when I am out of work to search for other work then I am already too late.

Mind Maping Myself: Organizing Ideas for a Digital Portfolio

2008-02-13T20:23:00.001-08:00

A great way of collecting ideas when designing your personal portfolio is by creating a mind map. Below is a mind map which I created using the Nova Mind program. The mind map contains a wide array of information about me as a designer including, the programs i have become knowledgeable in, my previous work experience, design projects, the classes I have taken, my contact information, my social networks, and many more. Feel free to click on the image below and learn more about me.

2 - Can I do it on my own?

2008-02-07T08:13:00.000-08:00

Can I do it on my own? I often perceived graphic designers, the ones I was interested in, as individual artist working by themselves in some trendy studio/loft and to me this seemed interesting. Throughout my high school education I began to develop skills reflecting that of a graphic designer. Being self taught in design for the majority of high school, since my school had little to no art program, I became accustomed to working on my own. When I came to Quinnipiac University to pursue a degree in Interactive Digital Design I quickly learned that graphic design was not the solitary profession I had perceived it to be. Within my classes we exchanged ideas, reviewed each other’s work, and assisted one another in completing our assignments. For the first time I was getting the feel of what working in a studio would be like. Graphic design what not simply the solitary artist but it was also groups of artists working together. With my graduation quickly approaching, I have began to question with path of graphic design is for me, the solitary freelancer or a team member in a design studio.

The first path to examine is the freelance designer. In the book, How to be a graphic designer without losing your soul, designer Adrian Shaughnessy explains both the advantages and disadvantages to being a freelance designer. The first advantage that seems slightly obvious, Shaughnessy states this in his book as well, is the freedom that comes with freelance. As a freelance designer you have the freedom to work your own hours, work where you like and be selective about clients. While these all seem appealing the downfall of being a freelance designer is the cash flow. If you desire to be a successful freelancer will often take on jobs they may not like and many jobs will force you to pull many all nighters as you will be doing the entire design and execution yourself. Another disadvantage as a freelance designer is the inability to interact with other designer. Often this interaction can aid to a design.

The interaction with designer is a major advantage that attracts many to design studios. Studios allow for the interaction of ideas back and forth between designers. Design studios allow for a consistent flow of income. While it may be a lower amount than a freelancer would make, the income is reliable. A disadvantage to working in design studios is that you are a member of a team and often do not get individual credit for your design. In a design studio a designer has bosses or other designers they must respond to.

So which is it for me? Having been exposed to an environment, such as Quinnipiac, where I have been able to bounce ideas of other designer, I believe that the design studio is for me. I am still in the learning process and I believe that a design studio will allow me to learn the ins and outs on the business as well as develop my skills further. A design studio will allow me to expand my portfolio and will give me the knowledge necessary to be a freelance designer at some point.
But how do I get a job in a design studio? This question brings me back to my portfolio and to the wisdom of Cynthia L. Baron and her book, Designing a Digital Portfolio. After completing the first chapter I came to the conclusion that I am a graphic designer and as a graphic designer I need a digital portfolio. But what should I put in the portfolio? As a student I have had to take many different design related classes which has allowed me to create a wide array of projects however which project do I include. According to Baron, I should include the one’s that interest me the most. As a designer I want to be hired into a field that I truly enjoy working in and therefore I should display those projects that enticed me the most. However since I am a new designer it is unlikely that I will be offered a position right away in my desired field. While these types of jobs are not desirable they do provide the much needed experience. In order to appeal to various different employers, Barons says, I should be able to list, in an intriguing way, my skill level and the various programs and concepts that I have developed knowledge on. Another thing that is important when designing my digital portfolio is the language that I use. My language should reflect my work and more importantly the work I wish to get. These are just a few things to consider when looking at my portfolio but they are an important beginning to a long process.

1.5 – How do I become a modern graphic designer; a jack of all trades?

2008-02-06T21:16:00.000-08:00

In graphic designer, Adrian Shaughnessy's first book, “How to be a Graphic Designer without Losing Your Soul," Shaughnessy address many of the questions I have been askign myself over and over; What does it take to be a designer? What does it take to be successful designer ? Do I have what it takes? and will I be able to make it out alive? According to Shaughnessy, in order to maintain your sanity in the graphic world you must first posses the basics that are necessary to each designer, communication, cultural awareness, trust in your client and yourself, integrity, and talent.

“Without constantly scanning, scrutinizing and absorbing what goes on around you,” Shaughnessy states, “you cannot become a successful design.” The first essential of graphic design it to become familiar with the world around you. Learn, love, live and become passionate about various things and then bring that passion and knowledge into your design work.

Next as a graphic designer working in the field you must learn to communicate. While being able to speak in front of large amounts of people is a nice, somewhat essential, quality to have, the first lines of communication must start on a one to one basis. A designer must be eloquent in both design terminology and life, being able to carry detailed conversation with those who design savvy and those who are not. The majority of the people your communication skills will be tested upon are your clients. In the design world almost everyone is a client. A truly successful designer must be able to eloquent describes their ideas and works with excitement and enthusiasm so that the enthusiasm can be transferred to the client. Developing and open communication with your client will allow your client to trust and have faith in you.

Similarly you as a designer must try to have faith in your client. Listen to the client’s needs and try to understand their vision. According to Shaughnessy, the best relationship are built when client and designer are able to mutually decide on the design. When working for a client a designer must not overpower the client with his or her own idea. Equally the designer must not let their credibility and integrity be tarnished by the forceful client.

Integrity is yet another important attribute of a designer. In the highly competitive market it is challenging to maintain integrity as the desire to land the big project often overshadows the creativity of the designer. While money is necessarily for those essential things in life, food water, etc. it is not the be all and end all. The money will come and go but the designer will always have to live with the choices they have made.

The last and most obvious of attributes is talent. Each designer is talented in some way, weather is be print, motion, web, or whatever, but it is the combination of all the talents being pulled together which allows the design world to be as great designer. Speaking of talent, the talent of the designer is in the heart and mind of that designer, no designer should never let themselves become limited by the equipment (computer) in front of them and must remember that graphic design is about expressing a voice not simply playing with fonts on a poster.

For any college student, especially those in the design field, who has ever wondered why they were forced to take history, English, business and all those others classes that may have seemed useless to them at the time it is because these skills, this knowledge will help each person to better themselves both as a person and as a designer.

1 - Who am I? What am I?

2008-01-31T08:33:00.000-08:00

The first chapter of Cynthia Baron’s Designing a Digital Portfolio, challenges the reader to question who they are in the creative world. According to Baron the design industry is made of many different classifications. How we classify ourselves will help to determine how the rest of the creative community views us and in turn the job opportunities that are presented for us. The format for our portfolio is also dependent upon this same classification. So then how should a person in the creative world define themselves?

Baron analyzes the creative world, dividing the various creative professions into six categories; art, 2D graphics, design, freelance or full-time production, motion graphics and performance. The first category, Art, is further divided in to two subcategories, the student and the fine artist. The student is the artist working towards furthering their education in the subject while the fine artist has mastered their craft and looks to present themselves to the world. The category of 2D graphics represents photographers, such as Jamey Stillings, and graphic artist, such as Michael Bartalo’s, who have both chosen to represent their portfolios digitally using their personal websites. The design category covers a wide array of designers including architects, industrial designers, graphic designers and multimedia designers. For creative professions working in the design category, both digital and print portfolios can be beneficial to achieving their desired job. For professionals in the motion graphics industry, such as videographers or animators, digital portfolios are a must. In the final category of performance professionals digital portfolios are also desirable. According to Baron, “a digital portfolio offers the opportunity for a performer to establish credibility and to provide a more professional presentation.”

So where do I classify myself in the creative world? After this week’s reading I have determined that I am a graphic designer. Although I enjoy working with other mediums such as photography, I find that my true interests lie in the fields of print media and web design. Through out my Quinnipiac University education I have been required to take a wide array of courses to fill requirements however the classes I became most comfortable in and believe I have done my best in are those geared towards print design and web. Although I still have a lot to learn, I hope that I can transition from being a student of print and web to being a professional working with them everyday.

The Beginning of the End

2008-01-24T11:48:00.000-08:00

This is the first post for my very last semester of schooling here at Quinnipiac University.