design advise
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- bjladams
a acquaintance of mine has just graduated with a degree in graphic design.
he's looking to start his own studio immediately, and has asked for some advise.
after some thought, i told him that the best advise i had was that he should work for another design firm for a few years, so he could learn the challenges on someone else's dime.
he seems to have take that as in insult, and so has already made the first of many errors - i think.
anyway, if you were asked to hand out advise to recent design grads, what would it be?
- fadein110
advice
- ukit20
I would *advise them to learn proper grammar:P
- bjladams0
sorry, that meant to be titled:
design. advise.
periods seem to have been removed :-(- but all the other's are just plain wrong... this is why i do pictures, not words.bjladams
- If you cant write properly people will think you're just stupid.CygnusZero4
- Where as people think Cygnus is stupid regardless********
- bulletfactory0
My advice would mirror yours. I think he'd have a better shot at success by working as a designer at an agency and learn the ropes.
I know I was not prepared to start a professional and profitable studio my first year out of design school.
If he's looking for honest advice, which you've provided, and is offended by your feedback, then he's not looking for advice - he's wanting his ego stroked. Fuck him and his feelings.
- yeah, it was pissed about your advice, he wont last longdewilde
- Douglas0
read some books on running a business.
hire a good experienced producer.
- Douglas0
be prepared to not have a life for a few years and work 80hr weeks.
- RustyStew0
I have to agree with your advice as well. Its very difficult to comprehend how little we know coming out of school until we have worked some in the real world. I mean shit, we just spent what, 4 years learning about this stuff and we are awesome! How could we need to learn so much more?
- Morning_star0
Dear acquaintance of bjladams,
You know nothing, you think you know everything but you don't. May i suggest you take your head out of your arse and go and 'try' to get a job. The harsh reality of commercial portfolio review is a sobering experience and one you should learn from. Even if you don't take the jobs, permanent or freelance you will have gained valuable insights into your abilities.
When you finally wake up to the truth that there are many, many like you, try to get a job at a 'good' agency and absorb every bit of experience and information you can get your hands on.
That's All
- Douglas0
I wouldn't necessarily say that starting a shop right out school is a bad thing. It works well for some people... making their own rules, learning from your mistakes, etc. If he takes a job as a junior at a design studio, he will be shielded from clients and the business of the company, thus only learning more about the production of jobs.
- sseo0
If he's not interested in your advice, suggest he read about how other studios got started. Two that immediately jump to mind:
karlssonwilker inc.
http://www.amazon.com/karlssonwi…Never Sleep
http://www.amazon.com/Never-Slee…
- robotron3k0
he needs to study what other young design school grads do to get ahead and become a principle in a small agency just a couple of years out...
- lvl_130
your acquaintance sounds arrogant. if he gets offended by your advice to work for another shop first, he's going to be in a world of hurt when he tries to deal with his "own" clients giving feedback on things he's created.
- 23kon0
He'd be crazy to start on his own straight out of art school.
Although you might think you've got a mature head on your shoulders when you first leave, you really don't!
A few years of working for an agency is the best thing to learn the ropes in the industry, it'll also help him with making contacts too.Starting out on your own means starting off with no clients and no experience and no decent commercial portfolio - the latter of which is essential for attracting prospective clients.
Having said that, if he's been working through college doing a lot of stuff on the side and already has some clients then he could take the chance?
Or just work for a company for a few years and do fun stuff on the side that he wants to do - knocking out flyers and stuff like that or small work for startups or small businesses that don't have the money to go to a larger agency (that way he won't get into trouble at his full time job as there is no conflict of interest as it's different ballparks).
- identity0
Senior year has a way of deluding folks' into thinking they're king-shit.
I remember the feeling well. How stupid I was.
- jfletcher0
tell him he needs a little humility, to shut up, and listen.
- bjladams0
i can remember wanting to do the same thing, but glad i waited. perhaps he can make it- time will tell.
sadly, his portfolio reflects some decent ideas with less stellar execution. it's mostly a buffet style group of designs, with no clear direction or style.
i don't think that the motivation and desire is the problem, but he's wanting to invest quite a bit of borrowed money into it.
he's got the theory of "build it and they will come" - and he's quite quick to critique all the other studios around down into the ground. we're not a huge city, so keeping in good rapport with the other firms is a key, as i've found we all end up working with each other at some point.
he's just emailed me again asking how many pixels wide a business card should be and if anyone in town can print them within the next few hours.
- btw, these cards are for him, he's not already drummed up business.bjladams
- yikes... how many pixels wide is a business card? Tell him 100px wide.d_rek
- ha, i'll put him in touch with qr codes.bjladams
- 3.5x2px @ 1ppiduckseason
- Douglas0
does he come from a business minded family by chance? does he have backing? or a business plan for a bank loan? or will he be running shop from his bedroom and calling himself a studio?
- bank loan. not good with numbers. wants a big shiny studio. no fam history of good business that i know of.bjladams
- duckseason0
Send him to NYC, we'll put him in his place.
I agree with and can relate to identity's comment. I thought I was the shit when I was leaving school. You just don't realize how much you didn't learn/don't know until you land that first job.
