Category: Design

Keep Your Eyes Open

When it comes to being inspired to design you really should keep your eyes open. Because whether your in your house or outside waling your dog inspiration is everywhere. I really did not understand the meaning of keeping your eyes open until I started paying more attention when I’m on the bus to work or driving to the store.

Now I find it funny when I used to feel uninspired about designing because I was doing it wrong. The way that I have began to become inspired even more is when I seen the video below the other day

Just think about it if David Rees can get psyched about sharpening pencils and even write a book and start a business what is your excuse for not being inspired.

Benefits of Thinking Like A Kid

Thinking Like a kid is something that we tend to forget here’s the benefits of thinking Like a kid

  1. You will remember to be open to the possiblilites
  2. Nothing is impossible or too hard to do
  3. Everything will be as fun as it was the first time
  4. You’ll be in the moment and nothing else will matter
  5. Creativity will unfiltered from societies standards
  6. You’ll keep trying until you figure out a way
  7. You will not be afraid to ask for help if needed
  8. You will be more fascinated by everything around you

So remember to think like a Kid and you will see the world in a different way.

Image rights belong to Anthony Asael

Believing In your Design Skills Matters

 

 

Starting out as a designer and producing work can be such a hard thing. One main thing that involves is producing work that you enjoy and are proud of.  When you are first starting out of school you’ll soon realize that your protective shield from school is gone. Coming up with projects and getting projects to do is an art in itself.

You have to realize that the first couple of years your going to be producing work that is not as good as you want it to be. The way that you can get past that is to continue designing as much as possible. If you are serious about becoming a better designer you’ll keep going no matter what.

So finally I’ll share how I learned to believe in my design Skills and Work

  1. I started learning as much as I can about design even going back over what I learned in School
  2. I kept designing even if I didn’t get paid for it
  3. Looking at bad design work and seeing what they did horribly wrong
  4. I acquired a better taste for design

Because honestly if you don’t believe in your design skills who will? The more confident you are in your skill set the better you will become.

How to Ruin Your brand Like Donald Trump

I’ll be the first to admit that I actually had a lot of respect for Donald. Learning about how he went from being bankrupt multiple times and etc until I found out that he inherited his money, but that’s a different topic.

Lately I have noticed how much Donald Trump has been ruining his own brand. For instance his rant on twitter is going to now make the whole world look at him even more different then they already do. The video he made asking the president to release his college records or something like that was just pathetic. Plus you can go to trumps youtube channel and you’ll see how much people like his videos from the ratings.

 

Being that you as an individual are a symbol of your brand lying to the people on national TV does not help your brand. For example Richard Branson is on CEO that I have a lot of respect for on how he and his team have created the virgin brand to be what it is today.

If You want to Ruin your Brand Like Donald Trump Follow this list

  1. Lie to the public
  2. Stir up controversy just to remain in the Public eye
  3. Let your ego get in the way

 

What are something that you have seen someone do to devalue a brand?

The Environment Shapes how your work turns out

The Space in which we design and work depends a lot on how our work turns out. Which can mean a good or bad thing. If you are working in such a place as above I’m pretty sure your having a fun filled time designing or It could be the total opposite.  In your working space put up inspirational material on your walls if your able to.

For example I design in my bedroom and then I will move to a place in my home where I normally would not. Switching locations allows for a different mindset on how to work. The same thing can be used as an example when you sleep over a friends house its not going to be the same as if you were at home.

This is what I did to make my workspace more creative

1. I put up inspirational material on the walls

2. I let the sun shine through the window

3. Listening to Music helps a lot and makes the process a lot smoother (I’m even listening to Music as I type this)

4. And one major thing that has helped me is to The Book called “Caffeine for the Creative Mind” there is a lot of good exercises to help get you in the creative mindset.

Image rights belong to Uuushh

I Cannot Take you Serious As A Designer If

  1.  You Do not have a portfolio site
  2. Your not googleable
  3. You don’t have business cards
  4. Your designing just for the money
  5. You have a Facebook fan page as your portfolio site
  6. You use helvetica for everything
  7. You have no Idea who Charles And Ray Eames Are
  8. You don’t care about doing Great work
  9. You just put work on your portfolio site to fill the space
  10. You don’t know anyone in your city that is a graphic designer

I’m sure there are more that I could come up with. This is just a list of things that I have seen online or experienced myself and did wrong.

So what are somethings that you’ve seen or experienced?

How to Build Your Reputation As A designer

Image rights Belong to John December

When I first started on my path to the design world I had no idea how to build my reputation. Because in Art school they do not really teach you how to go about doing such a thing. I tend to look at your reputation as a designer which will show people how it is to know you as a person and how it will be to work with you.

The first thing that I immediately did was to start connecting with people in the design community. Connecting with other designers will definitely serve you greatly. The way to go about connecting with other designer is to go where they are, That means go to forums, Blogs and leave good comments, following other designers on twitter (Beware of the people who think having a high follower count and a low I mean really low following count is the thing).

Twitter is one major thing that has helped me tremendously with networking and LinkedIn as well. On LinkedIn there are groups that you can join and network through those as well. Because the more you engage and interact with the discussion the more you’ll be noticed.

Heres the steps I took to build my reputation

1. Started networking with other designers

2. I had a portfolio site ( No A FaceBook Fan Page Does not Count)

3. I had business cards readily available

4. I Created my own Blog that you are reading now.

5. I immersed myself in the design industry

6. I was not afraid to talk to other designers

7. Seek out criticism even though it may scare you do to so

8. Remember that you are as good of a designer as you make up your mind to be