"Up to Date" Designer
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- Knuckleberry
First off, please keep this post clean... please.
With an impending need to jump the sinking ship that is my current employer. I am looking ahead to possible changes within my skill set.
What do you believe a designer in the current market needs to know to make him/herself standout within the crowds?
I.e. if you are a print designer should you know css? Environmental / Industrial designer should know apparel?
I do understand that being a "designer" should be able to cross boundaries but employers don't see it that way. Its a bit black and white to most.
Please advise. This is a bit vexing and I am looking for some advice.
-Joshua (knuckleberry)
- jfletcher0
It's Friday night, so I'm guessing it you, me, and maybe 2 other people.
What type of design do you do? For me, I've found better success in specializing than being a jack of all trades. I studied graphic and Interaction design, and ended up moving my core skill set to interaction. I can still do graphic/visual (somewhat), but I found I wasn't as talented at the hands on aspects of that, and hence wanted to focus on my strengths and get the most from that. I also learned bits of C++ and became pretty good at web development (and did it for a few years). However I found when I wasn’t able to concentrate, I wasn’t able to exceed in any one area.
So for me, to help stand out, I tried to become really strong in aspects of interaction design. Does this make me valuable to all employers? Nope. Some people would never hire me, and I’m fine with that. You can think of it like an Apple design. You do something really well, and don’t concentrate on the other parts. You’re not for everyone, but for the people that find value in you, you can be indispensible. Recently I’ve been trying to look at strategy aspects of design more, as you can apply interaction design principles [in cooperation with strategy] to industrial and visual design for great results. I can’t do industrial hands on at all, but I can help set up a strategy, vision, requirements and environment for great industrial designers to thrive in... just like my managers have set up an area for me to thrive in.
I’ll caveat that I have seen [and know] a few people who are truly skilled in multiple areas of design and can also code. These people are *extremely rare. You find a lot of people who say they are good and can do it, but also think branding is a logo and design started with the ipod.
Sorry if that was super long, but it’s a Friday night in working, so I figured I’d take time to respond.
- jfletcher0
From your website I see you’re graphic design. If you want to push your skill keep studying hard and learning more about history and periods of graphic design, learn art history. In addition, think about what graphic design means on computers beyond websites. For example, Penguin publishing is thinking about how to bring books to the ipad is a much richer way:
Still graphic design, but starting to think about making the inevitable leap to digital. Look at e-ink and motion graphics. Animation and cinematic elements... like the opening credits to Seven, or the [in my opinion] terrible ones for Signs.
- jfletcher0
Ok, still responding. I’ll push on your portfolio a little bit here, but for a graphic designer to use Courier on their site... not the greatest font. Or is there a specific reason you use it? I once saw a portfolio review that was entirely in courier, and when asked why he used it, he explained he said “if you can make something look great in courier, you can do it with any font”. I don’t agree and still didn’t like it, but I like and respect that he had a clear rationale behind it.
Also for a graphic designer, your grid, spacing, padding, and layout are a little rough to me.. for example, having all the text flush against the blue border gives a bit of an anxious and tight feeling around the readability.
As a side note, I also prefer a sentence of two about the product and what you were looking to achieve.
Sorry if I’m going off track, but it seems like you want contrastive advice and thoughts.
- You say that, but someone here on QBN has a REALLY nice portfolio, and it's all Courier.dMullins
- Knuckleberry0
Jfletcher:
I agree, on my site, it was done in a bit of rush cause I thought I was being let go. Now that I have a bit of time to actually make something I am proud of I am taking the time to learn the CSS or javascripting needed to do the things I want.With that said though... I am an environmental designer (of sorts, lately I have become the draftsmen... which I do not like). I am trying to find my way into the things I love. I do love web design but I see my skill set being a bit vintage in the world today.
But with the web stuff said I do have 2 years in silkscreen / apparel design and about 4 years in this environmental / industrial side. I do freelance a bit and have done some web, however poorly it was though... sorry clients.
Thank you for your help and reasoning.
-Joshua(knuckleberry)
- Knuckleberry0
and I think it is just us... maybe my keep it clean comment scared some trolls.
- jfletcher0
@dMullins - I'm not saying courier can't be nice, but I didn't buy his *principle in relation to his work. Plus I didn't think his execution was strong with it.
- acrossthesea0
What is it you really want to do?
- akrokdesign0
lets face it, no matter how good any designer is. there always more stuff to learn.
if you good at writing copy, that's a huge benefits. all around, i think.
- monospaced0
I was never instructed in anything except what most of you would call print design. Mostly it was a passion for all things "designed" that got me through school. I grew up with Legos and saw my house go through a couple of major remodelings and I built forts in the forested area for many years.
The reason I mention this is that to be a good designer, on that is always "up to date," it's important to be more than that. You've got to be a thinker and an engineer, almost like an architect. I mention this because I have designed websites, packaging (new die solutions/engineering), furniture and environments all without any formal training in the areas. If you have a strong ability to learn, an insatiable curiosity and a technical base—and don't discount the design eye—you can design just about anything. In my book that would make someone up to date.
- graphic design should be called graphic engineering imolukus_W
- agreed...half my job is mathmonospaced
- Ah, well - I mean 'engineering' in the sense of problem solving mainly -> but I can see mathematics could be important.lukus_W
- right, of course. the fundamentals of engineering (with math thrown in) are essential for a healthy careermonospaced
- monospaced0
You ask about "knowing apparel." I think that if you wear clothes and even bother to think about their design, from construction to what it looks like, you're already one step closer to "knowing" it. You must challenge yourself and design things you've never designed before. I managed to convince my current employer that I would be comfortable designing just about anything, and they bought it. I have not let them down.
- monospaced0
Truthfully, if someone asked you to design a front desk, or a kiosk, or an environment (signage and structure) based on an existing identity, could you do it? With critical thinking and the ability to pull in the right resources (engineers and digital renderers) it's amazing what you can pull off. I realize now that I'm ranting, but you must have faith in your abilities.
- monospaced0
In the end, it's about finding the right position as well. Aim high!
- lukus_W0
My advice would be to focus yourself on getting a job in your chosen field, rather than engage in years of extra study and preparation. This advice might come across as a bit flippant, but I think the solution to your problem could be quite simple;
-> find a job title that looks interesting
-> find out what you need, to obtain a job matching the title, and decide whether it's worth the dedication
-> get the skills and experience required
-> apply for job matching chosen title
-> switch- You told him not to study extra, but then tell him to get the experience required. Which is it?monospaced
- Yeah sorry, that's not too clear - I mean aim for a specific job, rather than take a course which will increase a general range of skills.lukus_W
- skills. (if that makes sense?)lukus_W
- I'm often tempted to go and do an MA, but then stop myself - because I don't think the MA would necessarily lead to a specific job I'm after.lukus_W
- specific job I'm after.lukus_W
- I totally get it. I now see that experience and education aren't exactly the same.monospaced
- gramme0
I think jfletcher said something about playing to your strengths. If you're a heavily right-brained person like me, don't try to become a web development master, but do hone your writing skills. I think it's a waste of time to develop a skill that doesn't play to your strengths. Being a master of 1–2 disciplines is far better than being merely competent at many things.
If you have a good sense of designing across time, then get into video (at least from a directing/storyboard perspective).
- fresnobob0
"You cannot stay on the summit forever; you have to come down again. So why bother in the first place? Just this: What is above knows what is below, but what is below does not know what is above. One climbs, one sees. One descends, one sees no longer, but one has seen. There is an art of conducting oneself in the lower regions by the memory of what one saw higher up. When one can no longer see, one can at least still know. "
-Rene Daumal
- I'm all about helping other designers become successful, but I've read this 3x and don't find it helpful. What's up?monospaced