Design & Ideas by Maria Lavender

SECTION A Designed as part of Fall Semester 2013 for Publication and Information Design: ART 440 Graphic Design, Department of Art and Design Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Designer: Maria Lavender Advisor: Professor Barbara JK Nwacha Publication is not for sale nor for profit

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What is Graphic Design? Vision & Voice: Design Education as Agent for Change AIGA Position on Spec Work Sample Letter for Spec Work Myths of the Self-Taught Designer: The Third Conversation Between Ego and the Devil

SECTION B 9 10 12 13 14

Insights on Writing Your Resume

Ten Common Mistakes in Resumes and Cover Letters What Designers Must Learn A Guide to Internships Presenting Your Portfolio

SECTION C

15 Graphic Design: A Career Guide 16 What is Graphic Design? 17 How To Find Your First Job 19 What Goes On In Design School 20 Who Becomes a Designer?

CO NT EN TS

WHAT IS

GRAPHIC design? Graphic design is the most ubiquitous of all the arts.

It responds to needs at once personal and public, embraces concerns both economic and ergonomic, and is informed by many disciplines, including art and architecture, philosophy and ethics, literature and language, science and politics and performance.

Graphic design is everywhere

, touching everything we do, everything we see, everything we buy: we see it on billboards and in Bibles, on taxi receipts and on websites, on birth certificates and on gift certificates, on the folded circulars inside jars of aspirin and on the thick pages of childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s chubby board books. Graphic design is the boldly directional arrows on street signs and the blurred, frenetic typography on the title sequence to E.R. It is the bright green logo for the New York Jets and the monochromatic front page of the Wall Street Journal. It is hang-tags in clothing stores, postage stamps and food packaging, fascist propaganda posters and brainless junk mail. Graphic design is complex combinations of words and pictures, numbers and charts, photographs and illustrations that, in order to succeed, demands the clear thinking of a particularly thoughtful individual who can orchestrate these elements so they all add up to something distinctive, or useful, or playful, or surprising, or subversive or somehow memorable. Graphic design is a popular art and a practical art, an applied art and an ancient art.

Simply put, it is the art of visualizing ideas.

â&#x20AC;?

JESSICA HELFAND

Vision and Voice:

design & business

DESIGN EDUCATION AS AGENT FOR CHANGE by Chris Chapin Thesis: In order for our students to be able to affect how the world sees — we, as educators, have to first teach them how to see the world. AND In order for our students to be able to go out and give voice to those who need it — we first have to help them find their own voice. As art and design educators, there is no more powerful way in which to affect change in the world than through giving our students the power of vision and voice. In each course we teach, students study some aspect of how to create: to compose, paint, draw, set type, photograph and produce. We teach them how to solve problems, organize information, tell a story, and create clear and beautiful presentations. In the midst of learning these tools, students are usually clear about what to do with them — but often loose sight of why. Why paint, why design, why create. It is through this question of why create (what is the purpose?) that forces for change can begin to grow. Unlike specific tools and methods, purpose is not something we can give our students. We can, however, challenge them with the question, and help them find ways to examine why they will create. At the core of this question is another question; what will they be putting into the world through their art and design? It is through this question that students can begin to consider the changes their work will bring about. In addition to a sense of purpose, an artist/designer who wishes to affect change in the world needs to develop the two most important tools of all: their vision and their voice. on vision Vision is not the ability to see the future, but rather the ability to clearly see the present, evaluate it in the contexts of social, political and cultural environments, and then imagine what the future could look like. Vision is about clarity; seeing beyond conventions, habits, surface reactions and disinformation — to reveal a true picture of a problem or condition. It is supremely important that we help each student develop his or her clear and unique vision. The first key to how we teach students to see clearly is through teaching them critical thinking. This manifests in several areas in the education of an artist/designer: through teaching about culture and politics, through teaching how to research, through teaching about processes in the development of meaningful work, and through helping students discover where they can fit in the sociopolitical world. There are also effective exercises in developing how students see, in courses such as photography, typography, drawing and creative writing. In these courses, students can be challenged to view objects, places, people and situations through a variety of different lenses. Upon completion of courses like these, students often see the world around them differently. It is important to emphasize, at this point, that the vision each student develops must be his or her own, and not overly influenced, or determined, by the vision of the teacher. We are serving the student’s individual growth only as far as we are able to help them develop their own unique vision. on voice All art and design requires the artist/designer to have a clear and unique voice with which to communicate — to employ his or her vision of what can be created. In the fine arts, the voice is that of the individual artist — in design it is a creative combination of the

April 11, 2006 designer’s voice and that of the client. How does one develop a voice — how do we, as educators, foster the development of each student’s unique voice? The answer, of course, begins with the tools of communication — but does not end there. Students must also be exposed to the voices of historically and currently successful communicators, and examples of how they have affected change through art and design, in order to see what is possible. We can also create projects that require employing vision, developing a point of view, and building a meaningful message. Through the projects we assign, we can also encourage a deep understanding of how formal skills can be creatively interpreted. A large number of these lessons are manifest through the discussion of student work, beginning with the student’s articulation of vision, communication concepts, and uses of media. Integral to discussions of student work is the process of testing how effectively a message is communicated. This stage completes the process, by confirming that the artist’s vision is voiced, and the voice clearly understood. on change That change will occur is a given, a law of nature. We have, however, choices regarding our relationship with change. We can become proactive participants in world events, leaders in the development of our social, cultural and political environments — agents for change. This can be one result of clear vision and a strong voice, using the powerful tools of communication to inform, educate, protest or persuade. Positive change does not have to be sociopolitical however. Vision & voice serve both social and commercial needs, as design and illustration are particularly powerful tools in promoting commercial successes. We, as educators, can create projects for our students, which develop not only their problem-solving skills, but also teach them how to recognize, define and frame problems. This will empower them to perceive problems in a clearer light than others will, and enable them to address those problems more creatively. Then there is change that we cannot control. In these cases, we can teach students to respond creatively to change — not by being reactive, but by being actively responsive. This requires a special awareness that is inherent in all successful artists and designers. We should do everything we can to help students exercise their sensitivity and awareness to forces of change in the world. Again, this serves both sociopolitical and commercial needs equally. The purpose of this article is not to deliver any groundbreaking new teaching methods, but rather to open some explorative dialogue to examine our teaching methods and purpose in art and design education. Whether we are teaching a technical or conceptual course, or some combination of both, we have the opportunity to challenge students to recognize the power of these tools and consider how they can be used to affect positive changes in some aspect of life. My intent here is to encourage both colleagues and students to view art as more than self-expression, and design and illustration as more than services rendered. I would like us to consider, in everything we create, what we are making and how it affects the world around us. These considerations will not only make students better citizens — but will also enable them to better serve clients seeking insightful outlooks and an innovative message.

AIGA Position on Spec Work

AIGA, the professional association for design, believes that professional designers should be compensated fairly for the value of their work and should negotiate the ownership or use rights of their intellectual and creative property through an engagement with clients. AIGA acknowledges that speculative work—that is, work done prior to engagement with a client in anticipation of being paid—occurs among clients and designers. Instead of working speculatively, AIGA strongly encourages designers to enter into projects with full engagement to continue to show the value of their creative endeavor. Designers and clients should be aware of all potential risks before entering into speculative work. AIGA is committed to informing designers, students, educators, clients and the general public on the risks of compromising the design process though information, materials and services that can help in forging a healthy working relationship between designers and their clients.

BACKGROUND, RESOURCES AND OUR THINKING

Uncompensated design is not the same as spec work. Speculative work—work done without compensation in the hope of being compensated, for the client’s speculation—takes a number of forms in communication design. There are five general situations in which some designers may work, by choice, without compensation:

X Speculative or “spec” work: work done for free, in hopes of getting paid for it X Competitions: work done in the hopes of winning a prize—in whatever form that might take X Volunteer work: work done as a favor or for the experience, without the expectation of being paid X Internships: a form of volunteer work that involves educational gain X Pro bono work: volunteer work done “for the public good”

For students and professionals, there may be a different line drawn on which of these constitute unacceptable practices. In each case, however, the designer and client make the decision and must accept the relevant risks. Most designers would consider the first two types to be unacceptable. In certain design disciplines, such as architecture, advertising and broadcast design, business practices differ and professionals have been expected to participate in speculative work. This usually occurs in fields where the initial design is not the final product, but is followed by extended financial engagement to refine or execute a design. In communications design, this is often not the case. The design submitted “on spec” is all that the client is seeking. Spec work presents risks to both the client and the designer Clients and designers knowingly engaged in spec work share an equal responsibility to understand the potential risks and rewards: X Clients risk compromised quality as little time, energy and thought can go into speculative work, which precludes the most important element of most design projects—the research, thoughtful consideration of alternatives, and development and testing of prototype designs. X Designers risk being taken advantage of as some clients may see this as a way to get free work; it also diminishes the true economic value of the contribution designers make toward client’s objectives. X There are legal risks for both parties should aspects of intellectual property, trademark and trade-dress infringements become a factor. History of restrictions and policy The historic prohibitions on speculative work by graphic designers appear to have emerged from the guilds of Europe. The reasons to avoid situations that call for speculative work are sound—and professionals and educational institutions have promoted these restrictions as ethical standards. Yet, in the 1990s, the Federal Trade Commission declared that AIGA could not make a prohibition of work for free as part of its statement of ethics for it was a restraint of trade (or price fixing)—in other words, it prevented designers from being free to charge whatever they wanted, including nothing, for their work. In some ways, that ruling anticipated the issues raised in this era of liberalization of the market place through technical innovation. (For reference, we have preserved the previous version of AIGA’s position on spec work as an archive.) Sample letter for designers and firms (revised May 2009) Clients may, at times, request that you or your firm compete for an engagement on the basis of spec work. While it is up to each designer to make the choice of whether to engage on this level, this sample letter is intended to serve as a resource if you choose to communicate with these clients to explain why speculative proposals compromise the profession and the resultant work. You should modify it based on the needs of your particular situation.

[Your firm name] Dear [name of potential client/graphic design buyer]: [Name of your firm] would like to work with you to produce communications materials for your organization, but we are concerned that your request for proposal includes a solicitation of design concepts to be produced on a speculative basis by the professionals you are considering. The approach you are pursuing is one that compromises the quality of work you are entitled to and also violates a tacit, long-standing ethical standard in the communication design profession worldwide. AIGA, the nation’s largest and oldest professional association for design, strongly discourages the practice of requesting that design work be produced and submitted on a speculative basis in order to be considered for acceptance on a project. There are two main reasons for this position:

1. To assure the client receives the most appropriate and responsive work. Successful design work results from a collaborative process between a client and the designer with the intention of developing a clear sense of the client’s objectives, competitive situation and needs. Speculative design competitions or processes result in a superficial assessment of the project at hand that is not grounded in a client’s business dynamics. Design creates value for clients as a result of the strategic approach designers take in addressing the problems or needs of the client and only at the end of that process is a “design” created. Speculative or open competitions for work based on a perfunctory problem statement will not result in the best design solution for the client. 2. Requesting work for free demonstrates a lack of respect for the designer and the design process. Requesting work for free reflects a lack of understanding and respect for the value of effective design as well as the time of the professionals who are asked to provide it. This approach, therefore, reflects on your personal practices and standards and may be harmful to the professional reputation of both you and your business.

There are few professions where all possible candidates are asked to do the work first, allowing the buyer to choose which one to compensate for their efforts. (Just consider the response if you were to ask a dozen lawyers to write a brief for you, from which you would then choose which one to pay!) We realize that there are some creative professions with a different set of standards, such as advertising and architecture, for which billings are substantial and continuous after you select a firm of record. In those cases, you are not receiving the final outcome (the advertising campaign or the building) for free up front as you would be in receiving a communication design solution. There is an appropriate way to explore the work of various designers. A more effective and ethical approach to requesting speculative work is to ask designers to submit examples of their work from previous assignments as well as a statement of how they would approach your project. You can then judge the quality of the designer’s previous work and his or her way of thinking about your business. The designer you select can then begin to work on your project by designing strategic solutions to your criteria while under contract to you, without having to work on speculation up front. If you would like to work with our firm in developing a process that will benefit you most and maintain the high business standards we expect of [name of soliciting company or organization], please do not hesitate to give me a call. There are many local and national designers who can provide you with solutions that will far exceed your expectations, with respect for an appropriate budget and schedule. In the end, this approach ensures a more effective, professional and profitable process for everyone involved. Your consideration of these professional design issues is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, [Member Name], AIGA

NOTE: This letter is intended to be a resource for you when preparing communication with clients who may be requesting speculative work. You should modify it based on the needs of your particular situation.

About AIGA AIGA, the professional association for design, stimulates thinking about design, demonstrates the value of design and empowers the success of designers at each stage of their careers. AIGA’s mission is to advance designing as a professional craft, strategic tool and vital cultural force. Founded in 1914, AIGA remains the oldest and largest professional membership organization for design, and is a nonprofit, 501(c)(3) educational institution. For more information on AIGA, visit www.aiga.org.

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myths of the self-taught designer: the third conversation between ego and the devil

by David Barringer August 9, 2005

Ego and the Devil are ready to contemplate the designer’s project of self-definition.

multicultural branding; the latter shrugs at the half-finished logo on his monitor. In either event, the project is as open, or closed, as any designer, self-taught or otherwise, wishes to make it.

Ego is eager to note that this project of defining oneself is not the exclusive domain of the self-taught. Every designer enjoys this opportunity, even if the designer’s choice is to decline to engage the project willfully, but instead, to let circumstance control. A designer, for example, may specialize according to her desire, and this would require rejecting certain kinds of work, whatever their pay scale, in favor of other kinds, whatever their future viability. Another designer may simply stick it out indefinitely, wherever “it” happens to be, accepting without complaint the ebbs and flows of a working life defined by others. The former defines herself as, say, an expert in

In defense, the Devil says his intent is not to claim territory for the exclusive enjoyment of the self-taught but only to explore the point of view of one type of inhabitant, one with which the Devil happens to be familiar: the self-taught. But their discussion is interrupted. A figure emerges from stage right. He flips open a ringing cell phone. Ego and the Devil eye him suspiciously. Bald, the stranger wears a purple scarf, cashmere tank top and jeans. Inky letters squirm on the toes of his spiffy designer bowling shoes. On the left toe is scrawled Thought; and on the right, Trouble. The stranger speaks.

BUMP/DEVIL/EGO You two are going to be taking calls.

Bump: Talking about self-definition is fine, but we need a few selves

who’ve done some defining. I’ll be cold-calling self-taught designers to hear what these real folks have to say. First up is Bri Tucker of Breez Graphic Design Studio in San Marcos, Texas. Devil in the red T-shirt: you’re up.

Devil

: I think being self-taught matters most to those who are selftaught, and not as a source of shame or a point of pride but as a simple—or complicated—fact. How do you feel about your experience?

Bri Tucker: Being self-taught felt giddy at first because it was new and

fraught with danger for a 21-year-old who was steeped in academics and clutching a newly minted degree in a completely unrelated field. It was a sudden decision to start my own design studio, simultaneously learning graphics software and the complexities of running a business (for which I had no natural aptitude). Pride in being self-taught and self-employed is completely justified. Pridefulness, however, is not. Instead, I have humble gratitude that I live in America, where we have the freedom to reinvent our lives, the technology to reach out as far as the imagination can take us and the luxury of introspection.

Devil: The canyons of my ignorance will need to be bridged somehow,

and I think the educational experience provides a safe bubble in which, free from the usual daily pressures, you can learn the history of the discipline, the tools of the trade and the skills of the craft. But I don’t want to eat my knees at a tiny desk, to be the slow kid in school. But maybe I’ll get over this and take some classes. What about you? Will you ever return to school? How do you feel about it?

Bri Tucker

: I will never return to school—not for graphic design. I acknowledge that I am missing valuable exposure to the history, theory, tools and skills of our industry; I am simply burned out on the demands of academic achievement. I am very good at what I do, and yet without continuing education, I will inevitably fall behind my potential. But, while my dedication and joy for making my clients happy is undiminished, I have developed other interests. My curiosity and passion are now directed toward organic horticulture and ecology. That’s right. If I’m ever caught in a class or seminar, or even searching Google, I’ll likely be researching plants, birds or bugs.

Who are you? I’m Bump. As in Bump in our night?

Bump: Thank you, Ms. Tucker. Ego in the tie: comments? Ego: Individuals regard design as only one part of their lives, as some

subplot of their larger life story, whereas I as a critic tend to look at individuals as playing some small role in Design’s larger story. The eccentric unpredictable details of any designer’s life complicate my wish to present a coherent narrative. I want Design to have a story. Designers want to have lives.

As in the Bump on your head. What’s with the words on your shoes, Thought and Trouble? One always leads to the other, and I need them both to get anywhere.

BUMP/DEVIL/EGO/bri tucker/brad jamison

Devil

: The issue of being self-taught may not matter to Design, but it matters to those who are self-taught. It influences their specific relationship to their work, the way it might for artists and writers and any craftsperson you might name. I’m not talking portfolios, job titles or industry trends. I’m talking about the personality of the worker, the way a person crafts an identity through her work.

Bump: The next identity on the line is Brad Jamison of Snavely

Associates in State College, Pa.

So where are we going?

Devil: Brad, you’re a self-taught graphic designer who started out

working for a Pennsylvania ad firm. How did you overcome the presumption of ignorance during the interview and hiring process? Was it a smashing portfolio, a willingness to be paid peanuts or a relative who put in a good word?

Brad Jamison

: Definitely a willingness to be paid peanuts. My first interview was for a production “artist” job at a publication known for its high turnover and low wages. Ignorance during the interview was probably more obvious than I recall, but whatever I did worked because I landed the job. Maybe I was the only applicant? My portfolio was nothing special. I majored in Communications in college and had a few projects to show from my one required graphic-design class. Other than that, I guess it was just good fortune.

Devil

: How did you think of yourself and your work as you presumably struggled to learn and advance in your craft? For example, you might have been insecure as a self-taught designer, and so, unwilling to advertise your ignorance of certain matters, you had to learn in secret.

Brad Jamison

: I definitely felt insecure. However, I wasn’t afraid to ask questions. I’m sure I asked things that made people think, “What an idiot,” before I finished my sentence. Even so, my goal was to learn as much as I could as fast as I could. My work at first, being primarily small publication ads, required little design. So I really didn’t experience design insecurity until I started working for the company I’m with today. That’s when it began, that feeling of “What did I get myself into?” It took a long time and a number of projects to overcome this.

Devil

: You were promoted to senior designer at this firm. I imagine you kept your eyes open, learned whenever you could, worked hard and moved up. But this is true of many designers, self-taught and otherwise. A meritocratic working environment is ideal but rare. You had to be confident in your abilities to design as well as manage other people. A degree and some education are often an Ego boost, inspiring selfconfidence. You lacked that. You also had to perform, which means you had to deploy acquired skills. How did you do that?

Brad Jamison

: An eyes-open, learn-from-others, sponge-like existence was a big part of how I grew. Getting things done obviously helped too. My real break was having an environment that allowed me to grow. We’re a group of 15 people doing a tremendous amount of work. Everyone wears many hats. My confidence grew slowly out of this environment. A good job here, a happy client there. Acquiring skills was a little different. My creative director mentions often that having an eye for design is not something you easily learn; it’s more something that you possess. I spent a tremendous amount of time drawing as a child. I think that a lot of my understanding of basic design principles started with these projects. Software skills came from spending lots of time in front of the screen, reading plenty of tech literature and not being afraid of trying something new. My company has also provided training opportunities as well.

Devil

: I can imagine many self-taught designers working in print, crafting logos and brochures, booklets and business cards. But you style yourself “an interactive media expert.” This is quite a broad and ambitious bit of self-definition. I am overwhelmed by the Teahupoo waves of media software. I have no idea where to even start. How did you start, and how did you develop your skills to the point where you can bravely stake a claim as an expert?

Brad Jamison

: You are a Devil, aren’t you? My brave claim comes from our copywriter having a little fun with our website bios. I’ve learned quite a lot about the, as you say, “Teahupoo waves” of media software primarily though good old-fashioned trial and error. But something too many people lose sight of is that it all boils down to concept and message. I don’t know every piece of software on the market. It’s not my job to. If I don’t know it, I find someone who does. Or I bury my nose in another book, message board or whatever, and solve the problem. So am I “an interactive media expert”? You make the call.

Bump: Actually, I’ll make the call. Thank you,

Mr. Jamison. Next up, Chuck Anderson of No Pattern.

Devil: I’ve read some interviews with you in which

your interviewer introduces you as young and self-taught, both of which seem to highlight the fact of your achievements. Identifying you as self-taught implies a certain kind of biography: you’re either the intuitive creator, born with a gleam in your eye but no guidebook in your hand; or else you’re the heroic loner working hard into the night to learn what you know. What’s the more complicated truth?

Chuck Anderson: I was born with a gleam in

my eye and a passion in my heart to create. I’ve really never “learned” anything about art from any teacher or stayed up late at night practicing things. I have always been extremely independent, and in school I think I was a bit of a loner. I would say I am an intuitive creator who likes to laugh in the face of guidebooks. I’d like to think I’m more of one of the guidebook’s authors.

Devil: One of the myths of being self-taught,

in any discipline, is that you lack the capacity to self-correct. You don’t understand enough about the history or the craft itself to recognize when you’re unintentionally referencing the style of Stalin-era propaganda, rehashing the mannerisms of Modernism or just plain making every color theorist cringe in agony. To create, you have to be reckless, but to review your work, to develop it during the process of creation, you have to criticize it. You have to self-correct. What criteria do you draw on to evaluate and develop your work?

Chuck Anderson: Making color theorists cringe

in agony is probably the last thing in the world I have any worry about. That’s not to say I have the world’s best eye for colors, but it is to say I could care less what they’d think about my work if I’m happy and getting paid. My self-correction comes when I sit back and go, “Wow, I am burnt out.” Self-correction for me is just stopping, getting out of the office and the house, and spending time with my girlfriend or my friends or my family. I don’t sit around all day worrying about why the composition on a certain piece didn’t turn out right or what I could have done differently with the colors. If I’m not happy with a piece of work I’ve created, I finish it and say, “Well, that sucked. I guess I’ll start over or just try something different.”

Bump: Start over and try something different?

Don’t mind if I do. Ego and the Devil? Sit down and shut up. For next month’s fourth and final chapter in this ongoing conversation, I’m going to wash my mouth out with fire. I’m both a self-taught amateur and a pro with a degree, and I know in my heart that graphic design is for happy servants, the gullible and glib, the literal and cynical. Smart people get bored by it. Smart people move on. Already, Ego squirms with outrage, and the Devil lusts for revenge. Ultimately, they will join forces in battle against me. Don’t myth it.

ADVICE FOR getting started

Insights on Writing Your Resume by Steff Geissbuhler, Chermayeff and Geismar Inc.

I can tell a lot from your resume. It is probably the first I hear of you and therefore an introduction to you as a person and as a professional designer. It’s your one-page portfolio. It’s the virtual you. The way your cover letter is written tells me whether you did your homework before sending off the resume. Misspelling my name or that of the firm is definitely not a qualifying asset. (I know they’re both difficult names and should be the final round question in a designer’s spelling bee contest.) But come on! You can look it up. We are in the Yellow Pages. Carefully state your interest and why you want to work for us and why you think you’re just what we’re looking for. Generic flattery isn’t getting you anywhere, but a reference to something which caught your interest might help and tells me that you know something about us. The resume itself is definitely information which should demand my undivided attention. It needs to be designed. Your choice of typefaces and typography, the layout and the organization of information, the paper stock, etc., all contribute to the way I perceive you as a potential designer working for us. It also shows me what you can do on a single piece of paper. But high wire acts are dangerous, so keep it simple and readable. (Even David Carson’s business card is ultimately readable.) No elaborate personal logos, please, especially if you’re just out of school. It’s a bit pretentious. Your resume needs to motivate me to want to ask for your portfolio. Your education and work experiences are very important, but ultimately it’s the live you, your work and presentation, which make me want to hire you.

common mistakes in ten RESUMES and by Petrula Vrontikis, cover letters Vrontikis Design Office People in this business are trained to make fast judgments, so avoid these errors in your first impression.

Dear Sir or Madam.. ”

“

Only on a bad day do I feel like either. Address me as “Dear Ms. Vrontikis” if you’re the formal type, or just “Dear Petrula.” It’s OK, my studio is small and we are pretty easy-going. The point is to use the level of formality appropriate to the type of firm you send it to. “Mr.” or “Ms.” (never “Mrs.”) is the safest choice for large firms and in-house agencies. Beware: “To Whom It May Concern” may be no one—canned cover letters are meaningless. Keep in mind that meaningful letters receive meaningful responses. The question to consider is: What unique qualities do I have, and how will these qualities uniquely benefit this firm. Obviously this requires soul-searching and researching. Both of these are in your job description as a job hunter. Many times candidates feel the need to present someone other than themselves in a resume’s content or design. Authenticity is one of the qualities most appreciated by interviewers. Be who you are. If you’re clever—be clever. If you’re not, don’t try to be.

Dear Mr. VonTrikis”

“

OK, so my name isn’t so easy. Well, neither is Steff Geissbuhler of Chermayeff & Geismar, or Michael Vanderbyl. Even Margo Chase gets her name butchered. Think of this as test #1. Do you really know how to research? Do you care if it’s right? We certainly do. Call the firm. Confirm the spelling of the recipient’s name, ask for their exact title, then use this opportunity to check the address you have. Designers move around a lot. Ask if there may be an additional person in the firm to send your resume to. The firm’s principal may be too busy to see you, but it’s the Creative Director’s job to.

. . . the number you have dialed has been disconnected . . .”

“

Timing is everything, so when a firm needs you, you want them to find you. The time after graduation is filled with change—which may include your phone number and email address. Your resume should have some “permanent” way of reaching you—maybe a pager number, a free Hotmail email address, or your parent’s home phone number. It’s such a disappointment to not be able to locate the perfect candidate three months or so from when their portfolio was reviewed.

So-and-so recommended I call you.”

“

There are times candidates have said this confidently, but I’ve never heard of “so-and-so.” It makes this transaction awkward and brings up suspicion. Make sure you ask permission before using anyone’s name. Also confirm the relationship this person has to your desired target when you ask.

I ll call next week to follow up.”

“’

Great statement, and by the way, I believe you. So do what you say you’re going to do. It’s test #2. Don’t bother typing “Call me...” or “I can be reached at... ” It’s your job to get a job, and follow-up is in your job description.

I ll just email it to you.”

“’

Unless the firm specifically requests a fax or email, never send your resume that way. It’s cold, impersonal and just generally looks bad. The overall impression you make includes your ability to make the most of these materials. Choose good paper. Be creative. Make the presentation something special. Emails and faxes shift the focus to content (work experience). If you’re just starting out, there may not be

that much content, so you need to focus on the presentation aspects. That way you let the limited content you do have shine beautifully. Do make sure your materials can be read when photocopied or faxed. You’d be surprised at how often these materials are forwarded from one designer to another looking for candidates.

. . . I designed stationary packages . . .”

“

Designing packages that don’t move concerns me :-) Misspellings and other language problems are death to this process. In addition to the obvious purpose a résumé and cover letter have to introduce, inform, and impress, they are a way for you to alleviate my fears about hiring you right out of school. These include lack of attention to detail such as grammar and consistency. The truth is that we are fairly confident about your creative skills, but concerned about your competence and general work style. Some design firms just don’t hire candidates right out of school, because it’s so hard to know what they don’t know.

Job OBJectIVe

Using too many fonts and styles, or fonts that are too trendy is just annoying! Think of a trendy font as a hairstyle that looks great today—but looking back a year from now, you’re probably going to say: “What was I thinking?!” Know the difference between “cool” and wrong. A current example of this is using all lower case letters. It may look cool elsewhere, but for these documents, it’s just wrong.

“Worked on”” many projects for local design studios and directly with companies. Avoid vague references about your employment experience. I don’t have high expectations of a recent grad in this area. Simply state your title, the name of the firm and its location. Include a brief sentence defining your responsibilities. Don’t give me a long list of the firm’s clients or other “padding.” Stick to what you worked on. Definitely keep school projects, including sponsored projects, out of this category. Beware: listing a lot of experience, employed or freelance, but not showing any of the work in your book makes me suspicious. I’m concerned that your design approach may drastically change when the project is real. Do include an original or a copy of a letter of recommendation if you’ve completed an internship or worked for a recognized design office.

I ll take it!”

“’

One of the biggest mistakes is not going through and completing this process. Accepting an offer before you graduate is so seductive. You may be relieved you don’t have to go through this, but beware: it’s like getting married at 19. You’ll never really know what else is out there :-) This is a nerve-racking and stressful endeavor, but actually quite rewarding once you get going. It’s one of the only times you can play “Show me yours and I’ll show you mine.” :-) Meeting people you’ve admired, talking about the ideas you’ve been passionate about, seeing great studios, and ultimately deciding what appeals to you most, is really great. It is an interesting test to trust your intuition to discriminate between perception and reality. It’s the best way to be introduced to a design community that you’ll be a part of for many years.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Petrula Vrontikis is one of the West Coast’s leading graphic designers. As principal and creative director of Vrontikis Design Office, her Los Angeles-based design firm, Vrontikis’s work has appeared in over 30 books on graphic design and is part of the permanent collection of the Library of Congress. Her portfolio includes an extensive list of national and international clients, ranging from Fortune 500 companies to small proprietorships. She is a Senior Faculty Member in the Graduate and Undergraduate Graphic Design Programs at the world-renowned Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California. Her classes provide creative and practical insight. She continues to provide resourceful information to graduates as part of her commitment to the industry. In addition, she teaches a course, “Yoga for the Creative Person,” designed to help students understand how focusing on their overall wellbeing can enhance creativity.

A good internship host will:

Eric Madsen, The Office of Eric Madsen My impression after interviewing students over the years is that there is generally very little awareness of the graphic design profession at the high school level. It doesn’t seem to have changed much since I was in high school, but let’s face it, there haven’t been many prime-time television shows about the adventures of a graphic designer either. One of the most important things a prospective graphic design student can do is to discover for themselves as much as possible about the profession outside the college curriculum. Early in their college studies, students should visit design firms and talk to people successfully practicing graphic design. This will help them know what to demand of the curriculum, will put them in touch with the reality of the profession, and in turn will make them more marketable to an employer. They should demand that outside designers be brought in for lectures, critiques or special project assignments and that studio tours be arranged. I recommend internships and believe students should show their portfolios for review after their second and third year, or even after each semester of those years. The student will learn that the subject of typography is absolutely critical, that exposure to a wide variety of design problems is essential, that the concept or idea behind the design is key, that practical knowledge of production and design skills is as important as theory, that exposure to basic business practices is helpful, and that the importance of the portfolio can’t be overemphasized. At the moment of the interview, the portfolio becomes the student. They will also learn that the ability to write and speak effectively, even to spell correctly, is essential. The designer’s client base is the business world, and the successful designer is one who is prepared to communicate with this market. Designing is only a small part of the process. Planning, listening, writing, estimating, scheduling and supervising are all part of a designer’s role.

One last thought: Be prepared for the fact that your parents will probably never understand what you do for a living.

a guide to internships AIGA believes that quality internships provide an invaluable stepping stone towards professional practice and create continuity within the design profession. We thank those who open their doors to young designers and generously share their knowledge and experience with the next generation of design practitioners.

What is an internship?

An internship is a temporary job at a design studio that is geared toward an upper-level student or recent graduate. Studios may hire interns to assist on a specific project or for a set amount of time, such as the summer or a semester. Students and young designers often develop their practice by broadening their education with a mentor, while gaining experience in a professional design environment. Sponsoring design studios benefit from each intern’s unique approach, perspective and assistance during the creative process. An internship is an opportunity to: • Apply design skills acquired in school to real-world projects • Collaborate with professionals • Gain insight into the professional world of design • “Test-drive” a particular working environment where you may hope to land a full-time job • Network with design professionals

• Issue you a job description before the internship begins that includes expected responsibilities and work hours • Provide an opportunity for you to work directly with a senior level designer or art director (who acts as a mentor) • Situate you in an on-site, professional, ethical and safe work environment • Take account of your personal learning goals and answer your questions • Provide you with the opportunity to experience a broad range of activities, including ideation and creative concept development, client interaction, new business proposal writing and production preparation • Ask you to perform administrative work only as it relates to the design profession • Give you an evaluation at the conclusion of your internship • Reimburse you for transportation expenses incurred for and while on the job

How to be a good intern

To make a good impression as an intern, you must exhibit the utmost professionalism. Recognize that you may receive more responsibility by presenting yourself as dependable, easy to work with and appreciative of the internship opportunity. Take cues from co-workers and fall in line with the social style of the workplace. As an intern, you should: • Arrive on time and be ready to work as soon as you get there • Treat everyone in the office politely and respectfully • Prioritize communication and ask questions if you do not understand something • Make no demands (don’t be “high maintenance”) • Show enthusiasm and a willingness to help

Time and money

Internships vary in their duration and compensation. Internships typically last from a few months to a year. You may be paid by the hour, by the project or a flat rate may apply for the duration of the internship. Remember that an internship can be a worthwhile experience whether or not you are paid for your time. As a paid or unpaid intern, the studio will often also offer you invaluable small perks such as travel reimbursement, tickets to lectures or specialized training, recommendation letters or introductions to other professionals. You may also be eligible to earn academic credits for your internship experience. Check with your school’s career services office to find out if your internship qualifies.

Happy hunting!

How to find an internship

This process can be a job in itself! Although it may be timeconsuming, remember there is a lot to be learned from the experience, which can set the stage for strong career development. The process of seeking an internship provides valuable experience in talking about a your work. You will also learn about the professional practice of design and possibly discover new directions that your career could take. Competition for internship opportunities can be high—be sure to start the application process early.

So there I was, standing in the large lobby of the Marketing and Promotion Department of J.R.Geigy (now Novartis) Pharmaceutical Corporation in Basel, Switzerland, awaiting the arrival of Max Schmid, the head of the then-famous design department. The receptionist asked me to wait for Mr. Schmid who would come down by elevator to pick me up. I was very nervous, clutching the handles of my homemade, oversized portfolio—made out of large DIN 01 boards and glued canvas spine, corners and handles, containing all my original drawings, posters, photographs, booklets and other school work. It was my first personal interview after receiving my diploma from the Basel School of Design. The elevator doors opened, Max Schmid came towards me and I started to walk towards him when suddenly the bottom of my portfolio came unglued and everything fell to the ground, sailing slowly—for what seemed forever—in all directions along the polished surface. My large drawings and boards took off across the floor like curling stones, going and going. I turned bright red and bent down to gather everything in a hurry. But Max stopped me. He suggested that we should just walk through the work and discuss the pieces where they had landed. Letting the chips fall where they may, or the Swiss equivalent to that. As other people arrived in the lobby, some commented on my work, while Max and I walked through my accidental exhibit. Max had turned my most embarrassing moment into a humorous and interesting display, making it clear with his spontaneous reaction that it was the work and me he was interested in, not just the packaging. As a bonus I also got the job. I had to start somewhere, just like you. This experience also serves as an introduction to what I’m looking for in a portfolio.

Get your book through the door

PREPARATION Send a letter and a well-designed resume in advance. Your resume is a simple typographic design problem, displaying vital information about who you are, where you’ve been and what you’ve done in an organized and structured fashion. Follow up with a phone call and make an appointment. Call the day before to confirm that you still have an interview or a drop off, who to see and when. Brush up on the firm’s work. It helps to know something about the studio and what they do and have done before you can expect them to be interested in your work. WHAT IS A PORTFOLIO? A portable proof of your design education and a document of your work. A display of exercises, talent, thinking and solutions to visual communication problems. The physical form of the portfolio is completely up to you. It should, however, not be too precious or complicated. Nor should it require delivery by freight elevator. It is a communication tool, not a self-centered reflection of your personality.

ORGANIZATION A well-structured portfolio has a beginning, a middle and an end. It should be a well-designed book that shows off your work in the best possible light. Samples should be clean and removable. The sequence doesn’t have to be chronological, but I wouldn’t put early school work at the end. Don’t forget that the final image leaves a more lasting impression than the first. SKETCHES Show your sketches separately. This will assist those of us who think of your sketching process as one of the most important and telling parts of your presentation. LABELS It helps to label your work with very short descriptions, in case you have to drop off your portfolio and don’t have a chance to narrate in person. Keep in mind that a first portfolio review gives me only a first impression of you and your work. If I’m interested, you will be called back and you and your work will be scrutinized in more detail. Please forgive me for not reading your books, thesis project, poetry or research papers. I’m getting an overall impression and can usually judge from what I’m looking at. If it doesn’t communicate visually, you probably chose the wrong profession. CDS AND WEBSITES Your digital portfolio should be designed just like the regular portfolio with the same attributes described above. It should be easy to open, navigate and review. I have quite a collection of portfolio CDs which are now coasters, because they couldn’t be opened. Whatever you do, don’t make us work at it. Make it easy to get to your information. Don’t think for a minute that I pay more attention to your email than to a letter or phone call. It is much easier to ignore or delete your email than it is to print it out and keep it on record.

Present in person

I personally prefer, whenever possible, to see you in person, because it’s not the work I’m buying—it’s you I’m interested in. I want to hear and see you present your work. Your intelligence, enthusiasm, energy and passion are more important to me than your whole portfolio. Besides, I’m always as little suspicious of the involvement and influence in your work by faculty and fellow students. If I’m criticizing your work, it is always meant to be constructive. It also shows me whether you can take criticism. This is an important factor in evaluating your potential to learn. Actually, my criticism is often directed at the faculty who taught you. Dress presentably. Speak up and narrate your work. Don’t just sit there and wait for questions or comments. Be self critical. It is one of the most useful traits to be able to evaluate your own work in as an objective way as humanly possible. Tell me what you think is good and what is not so good. I want to know whether you know the difference. Most of all I want to see and hear that you love and live this profession with a passion.

By Steff Geissbuhler, Charmayeff and Geismar Inc.

The guide was intended to help individuals make decisions about preparing for a career in graphic design. It defines the purpose and practice of the field and identifies the strong links between effective educational programs and effective professional practice. The materials in this section were developed as part of the AIGA publication Graphic Design: A Career Guide and Education Directory. The guide was intended to help individuals make decisions about preparing for a career in graphic design. It defines the purpose and practice of the field and identifies the strong links between effective educational programs and effective professional practice. Suggestions are made to help the individual evaluate schools as well as potential employers, and comments from educators and practitioners provide insight into their expectations when evaluating prospective students and employees. Graphic Design: A Career Guide and Education Directory Edited by Sharon Helmer Poggenpohl Copy right 1993 American Institute of Graphic Arts

:n g rap c h i de s i g

PRESENTING YOUR PORTFOLIO MY OWN FIRST TIME

DESIGN A portfolio is a design problem. It contains an assortment of given visual and verbal material. As with all publications, what you put next to one element either plays up that individual piece or fights it for attention. An interesting layout of spreads and pages, color, form and/or thematic relationships, dramatic scale changes, humor, elements of surprise, details and whole pieces, sequencing and rhythm, are all tools to entertain the eye. It is a show piece in the best sense, and I haven’t even talked about the individual work itself.

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what is graphic design? from AIGA Career Guide

Suppose you want to announce or sell something, amuse or persuade someone, explain a complicated system or demonstrate a process. In other words, you have a message you want to communicate. How do you “send” it? You could tell people one by one or broadcast by radio or loudspeaker. That’s verbal communication. But if you use any visual medium at all—if you make a poster; type a letter; create a business logo, a magazine ad, or an album cover; even make a computer printout—you are using a form of visual communication called graphic design. Graphic designers work with drawn, painted, photographed, or computer-generated images (pictures), but they also design the letterforms that make up various typefaces found in movie credits and TV ads; in books, magazines, and menus; and even on computer screens. Designers create, choose, and organize these elements—typography, images, and the so-called “white space” around them—to communicate a message. Graphic design is a part of your daily life. From humble things like gum wrappers to huge things like billboards to the T-shirt you’re wearing, graphic design informs, persuades, organizes, stimulates, locates, identifies, attracts attention and provides pleasure. Graphic design is a creative process that combines art and technology to communicate ideas. The designer works with a variety of communication tools in order to convey a message from a client to a particular audience. The main tools are image and typography. Image-based design Designers develop images to represent the ideas their clients want to communicate. Images can be incredibly powerful and compelling tools of communication, conveying not only information but also moods and emotions. People respond to images instinctively based on their personalities, associations, and previous experience. For example, you know that a chili pepper is hot, and this knowledge in co m b ina t io n w it h t h e image c re ate s a vi sual p un. In the case of image-based design, the images must carry the entire message; there are few if any words to help. These images may be photographic, painted, drawn, or graphically rendered in many different ways. Image-based design is employed when the designer determines that, in a particular case, a picture is indeed worth a thousand words.

Type-based design In some cases, designers rely on words to convey a message, but they use words differently from the ways writers do. To designers, what the words look like is as important as their meaning. The visual forms, whether typography (communication designed by means of the printed word) or handmade lettering, perform many communication functions. They can arrest your attention on a poster, identify the product name on a package or a truck, and present running text as the typography in a book does. Designers are experts at presenting information in a visual form in print or on film, packaging, or signs. When you look at an “ordinary” printed page of running text, what is involved in designing such a seemingly simple page? Think about what you would do if you were asked to redesign the page. Would you change the typeface or type size? Would you divide the text into two narrower columns? What about the margins and the spacing between the paragraphs and lines? Would you indent the paragraphs or begin them with decorative lettering? What other kinds of treatment might you give the page number? Would you change the boldface terms, perhaps using italic or underlining? What other changes might you consider, and how would they affect the way the reader reacts to the content? Designers evaluate the message and the audience for type-based design in order to make these kinds of decisions. Image and type Designers often combine images and typography to communicate a client’s message to an audience. They explore the creative possibilities presented by words (typography) and images (photography, illustration, and fine art). It is up to the designer not only to find or create appropriate letterforms and images but also to establish the best balance between them. Designers are the link between the client and the audience. On the one hand, a client is often too close to the message to understand various ways in which it can be presented. The audience, on the other hand, is often too broad to have any direct impact on how a communication is presented. What’s more, it is usually difficult to make the audience a part of the creative process. Unlike client and audience, graphic designers learn how to construct a message and how to present it successfully. They work with the client to understand the content and the purpose of the message. They often collaborate with market researchers and other specialists to understand the nature of the audience. Once a design concept is chosen, the designers work with illustrators and photographers as well as with typesetters and printers or other production specialists to create the final design product. Symbols, logos and logotypes

Tips for design students on finding the first job. Many young designers find it hard to believe that they can make a living doing something they find compelling and interesting—something they love. Finding the right first job, even if it’s a summer job or an internship, is not just an important step in launching your career. It is an exploration of the field and a continuation of the learning process. Even the most skilled designer finds the search for a first job stressful. The suggestions that follow can reduce that stress by providing an overview of the process. Before you can begin your job search, you need to understand 1.) yourself: your motivations, strengths, and weaknesses; 2.) your work: its nature, style, and variety; and 3.) the job market: corporations, design offices, and the wide variety of other businesses that employ graphic designers. Then you can get ready to present yourself and your work in a portfolio. To create a portfolio, select only your best work—the work you are proud of and want to discuss. Bearing in mind that people remember best what is first or last in a sequence, bind together sketches that show your ability to think, to sketch and to brainstorm. Meanwhile think about your strengths and weaknesses (we all have weaknesses), and prepare yourself to discuss them in an interview. Because your well-crafted , unique communications can take a beating when they are handled, safeguard your work. Shoot documentary slides of the work for your own record and for a slide portfolio to send to a distant location. If your school provides courses or advisory sessions for assembling a portfolio and marketing yourself; take advantage of them. Show your portfolio to teachers and attend any portfolio reviews organized by local professional design organizations. Listen to the feedback you get. Identify special interests or characteristics that you bring to the work situation as well as what you would like to learn on your first job. You’ll want to make clear to your prospective employer that you know learning continues throughout a career. In fact, the learning curve is particularly steep for the first two or three years after you finish school and should continue for the rest of your life. Everyone looking for a job should have a resume, but this document can be especially important to a design applicant. Your resume deserves careful typographic design that reflects your type skill and ability. Remember to give the facts an employer wants to know as well as reliable address and telephone number. It is also a good idea to design and print stationery and business cards for yourself. They provide another opportunity to make an individual design statement. Any designer with whom you interview will appreciate the difficulty of designing this material. Designing for yourself is worse than representing a client; it can be like having an identity crisis.

Symbols and logos are special, highly condensed information forms or identifiers. Symbols are abstract representation of a particular idea or identity. The CBS “eye” and the active “television” are symbolic forms, which we learn to recognize as representing a particular concept or company. Logotypes are corporate identifications based on a special typographical word treatment. Some identifiers are hybrid, or combinations of symbol and logotype. In order to create these identifiers, the designer must have a clear vision of the corporation or idea to be represented and of the audience to which the message is directed.

The next step is to identify the design offices, corporations, or individuals with whom you’d like to interview. School placement offices usually have job leads of real value, and they cover the larger organizations that recruit for design positions. Trade magazines and design annuals in your school library are also good resources. If you want to work in a particular geographic location, look for help wanted listings there. Also scan your school’s alumni lists for recent graduates in that city. Call them up and discuss your interests with them. Alumni know people in design and are often willing to help a recent graduate meet them. Looking for a job is a serious networking activity. This may be the first time you network, but it won’t be the last.

Prospective employers often prefer to receive a brief letter and resume before committing to an interview. If possible, use the letter to establish your interest relative to a particular job opening or to the organization’s specialty. Give the reader of your letter a sense of who you are. Follow up with a telephone call to arrange an appointment.

The person you are contacting is probably a busy professional, so don’t be easily discouraged. Be politely persistent if you do not get an appointment immediately. Sometimes you will get an interview with someone who has no job openings but is still willing to meet with you. Take this “exploratory” interview. It will be excellent practice, and you may be more relaxed if your dream job is not on the line. What’s more, this individual may help you make other connections. The first interview is always the most stressful, so arrange mock interviews with friends to get practice and feedback. At the real interview, try to relax. Remember to breathe. If you don’t see design work displayed, ask to see some. Ask questions about the organization and its projects. Be interested in them; then explain how you can help with their needs. Don’t drone on about yourself; be attuned to the interviewer’s verbal responses and body language. An interview, when it really works, is a dialogue between people who are sharing information and finding common ground. After any interview, always stop to record your impressions. A follow-up note of thanks will be appreciated as a courtesy and is a way to help interviewers remember you. When you are offered a job, you may be taken by surprise and neglect to negotiate. Don’t just blurt out a “yes.” Employers will respect your taking time to consider the conditions of your employment. This is your opportunity to establish your market value as a designer. Figure out what it takes to live reasonably in the city under consideration, and don’t forget your educational loans. Try to find out what entrylevel design salaries are in that area, and balance that information against your personal strength as a designer. Remember, in addition to money, other things are negotiable, such as health benefits, paid vacations, unpaid leave days, starting date, flexible hours, or months to a performance review (and hopefully a raise). You can sacrifice some of these items for others that are more important to you. Be clear about the offer, ask quesitons, and take time to consider it. Try to adjust whatever is not satisfactory now. It is important to start off a relationship with clarity and trust. After you accept the position, celebrate but don’t throw out your contacts. Send them a note announcing your new position.

Finding your first design job means matching your creativity and skill with an organization’s real needs. It is also a valuable learning experience. While you are looking, you are learning about the various ways design is practiced. Your next job search—whether it occurs soon or well down the road—will be easier; you will have gained a clearer vision of the field and how you want to position yourself within it. Remember to communicate, to follow up, and to be courteous. That way, you’ll take away from this first stressful experience some valuable information, increased confidence, and satisfaction.

what goes Design education doesn’t happen in the typical university lecture hall or laboratory. It takes place in studios (literally, places for work) and through seminars (organized discussions characterized by informality and high interaction). Learning takes place through the analysis of problems and possible solutions using composition, typography, photography, images, and space. Students use materials and processes from basic hand skills to computers to create communications.

Another difference is that design education is project-based rather than subject-based. Teachers create projects to reveal certain visual or communication principles or the nature of certain kinds of problems or media. Students learn by doing. From early to late in the curriculum, projects become more complex as students build on past experience. From the university’s perspective, design education is expensive because it requires that teachers spend time with students individually. No student is anonymous in a design program. Another aspect of design education is the group critique. “Crits” take place at different stages in a project and provide an opportunity to step back and reflect on the project, to exchange critical or supporting ideas, to clarify intentions, and to develop the ability to discuss or even defend one’s own work--a necessary skill that will later be important with clients. The critique helps students to deal openly with criticism while it trains them in the important verbal skills of explaining the reasons behind their solutions. They must go beyond “I like it” or “That stinks.” Critiques help students to internalize standards of excellence, to develop a shared vocabulary for discussion, to learn to incorporate useful suggestions from others, and to evaluate their own and others’ performances. This process helps students to separate work from self and to acquire the maturity and perspective needed in order to benefit from intelligent criticism. The critique is a basic exercise in critical thinking.

on in

design school

Graphic design exists as a response to the need to organize the flow of communication in society. The designer creates the visual interpretation of the message from client to audience. The ways in which the designer chooses to present this information depend on training and on the designers’s own personality. That’s why design schools spend as much time on the student’s path to a satisfactory solution as they do on the solution itself. Design school students are immersed in problem-solving activities. They think spatially as well as verbally; they work in teams and individually; they get things done. As a projectoriented, highly interactive process, design education fosters dialogue, resourcefulness, and a constructive direction for these creative students. Graphic Design: A Career Guide and Education Directory Edited by Sharon Helmer Poggenpohl Copyright 1993 The American Institute of Graphic Arts

WHO BECOMES from AIGA Career Guide A DESIGNER? There are probably as many kinds of designers as there are kinds of design, so how do you know whether a career in design might be right for you? First, you might take a look at the clusters of characteristics often shared by designers and see if you find yourself reflected there. Begin with the three most common traits designers share: interest in the visual world, curiosity about communication in all its forms and creativity. Designers tend to be skilled “lookers.” They take in the world both visually and conceptually. They scrutinize color and texture, they look at relationships between things and they find the repetition and rhythm in what they see. Conceptually, designers look at an idea from all sides, searching for an approach with a twist—one that goes beyond the ordinary. These habits of the eye and mind feed their creativity. For designers, the world of objects and ideas becomes an immense playground from which they emerge with fresh ideas and images.

I am an information architect. Architect in my definition doesn’t mean style but a kind of rigor in thinking. Information means understanding—and my only passion is to make things that interest me understandable.

Richard Saul Wurman

My early studio exposure to a design studio made me aware of the design profession as an opportunity to apply analytical abilities to an interest in the fine arts. Graduate design programs made it possible for me to delve more deeply into the aspects of design I found personally interesting. Since then, the nature of the design profession, which constantly draws the designer into a wide range of subjects and problems, has continued to interest me in each new project. It’s been this opportunity to satisfy personal interests while earning a living that has made design my long-term career choice.

Won Chung

I need to make things that connect in a meaningful, useful, evocative way to others, and I like to indulge in the sensuousness of the material world. I learned that I could use design not only to reach into myself and express my own feelings, but also to reach out to others with images and words that are well researched and thought out, condensed and transformed into a communication that could involve everyday folks in our shared public environment.

Sheila Levrant de Bretteville

Making things is second nature for designers. Somehow thinking something or saying something just isn’t enough. Designers sense intuitively that the process of making something real engages the mind in a different and powerful way: forms and colors change; new ideas emerge. They like projects with definite beginnings, middles and endings because these kinds of projects are tied to development and achievements. Generally, designers dislike routine or maintenance activities. Starting something new and unknown challenges them.

Designers are attracted to things that perform a definite function—things that are useful and beautiful. They are interested in improving everyday life rather than creating art for museums. To designers, the limitations of design and communication are seen as challenges rather than as straightjackets. As you have seen, there really is no exact, ideal, universal designer type. General characteristics—including creativity, openness to new ideas and a desire to explore the visual world—are more important than specific traits or qualities. Coming from a variety of backgrounds, from all ethnic groups and from locations as diverse as New York City, Great Plains States, Kansas and Tokyo, Japan, designers are different and seek to refine that difference as they appreciate the differences of others.

I became a graphic designer because my best skill, drawing, did not exercise the rest of my mind.

Colin Forbes

I like the way words look, the way ideas can become things. I like the social, activist, practical and aesthetic aspect of design.

When I was growing up, I wanted to be an artist and an actress. This desire lasted until my second year of college, when I became attracted to design. I took my junior year at design school with the ideas of returning to my former college—but I never went back. My destiny was design.

Laurie Haycock Makela

When I was a child I was obsessed with drawing. At the age of six, when I was confined to a bed for a year as a result of a childhood illness, I found that the only things that kept me busy were building cities out of clay and drawing. Obviously, the urge toward form-making was an important part of my makeup.

As a reflection of their creativity, designers often have an abundance of curiosity. They ask questions, delight in playing the devil’s advocate and are often reluctant to accept someone else’s habits or customs. Some say they are “off-center”—more self-directed than they are controlled by society or others. Designers also have intellectual curiosity: they want to understand how communication works, and they are not timid about trying out their ideas on their family and friends. They are interested in the visual interpretation of abstract ideas. They draw, they read, they experiment, they make things. They explore culture by participating in it, not only by doing things but also by observing the creative work of others, including attending concerts, seeing films, or just paying attention to life as it goes by. They soak up sensory experience and ideas.

Milton Glaser

Deborah Sussman

THE END

Typefaces: Devanagari Sangam MN Ruby Glow Supersonic Love

Image Sources:

5 - http://everypainterpaintshimself.com/galleries/velazquez End Page - http://www.flickr.com/photos/umutsevim/7749058242/

Written Texts:

Jessica Helfand Chris Chapin AIGA David Barringer Steff Geissbuhler Petrula Vrontikis Eric Madsen Sharon helmer Poggenpohl

Publication is not for sale nor for profit