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Posts Tagged ‘Industry Trends’
The Mobile App Quandary – iPhone or Android?
1/18/2012 3:09 PM By Vince Font
One of the biggest myths about the development of smartphone apps is that there’s more money to be made on the Apple market than on the Android market. If you’re an aspiring smartphone App Developer, this sort of thing can muddle your decision on whether to focus your efforts on becoming an iPhone App Developer or an Android App Developer. Before you make that choice, it’s important to take a few things into consideration.
1. Android has quite a bit of catching up to do. No question about it, ever since the release of the first iPhone, the rest of the tech world has been busy playing catch-up with Apple. The trouble is, it’s tough to catch up with a trailblazer and Androids are still engaged in a high-speed pursuit. What’s encouraging, though, is that the Android market has something that Apple lacks: diversity. There are far more Android handsets available than there are iPhones, and at far more affordable prices to boot. What this means is that the demand for quality apps is much higher on the Android market, which could impact your earnings significantly.
2. First movers don’t always win the race. In other words, don’t declare iPhone the winning platform yet. For a perfect example of how this can work out, just look at the space race between the ex-Soviet Union and the United States. The Soviets were the first to launch satellites, monkeys and eventually men into space— but with a lot of ingenuity and even more cash backing, the US emerged victorious in that regard. If you want a more earthbound example, take a look at Google and Facebook. Neither were the first to move into their respective fields, but having seen the diminishment of Yahoo and MySpace, there’s proof that being first is no guarantee of longevity. If you’re a smartphone App Developer considering focusing your efforts solely on the Apple market, you’d do well to remember this.
3. There’s always a dark horse. In the future, the competition will expand far beyond the iPhone and Android markets. So apart from hopping into a time machine and traveling a few years into the future to see what newfangled platforms and operating systems are headed our way, what’s a smartphone App Developer to do? Keep your eyes and ears open, because if there’s one thing in this world that you can count on every time, it’s change.
If you’re a Mobile App Developer, the best thing you can do is pursue as many opportunities as you can while building your resume and gaining valuable experience. You can accomplish this handily by getting registered with Artisan, a staffing agency that focuses on matching up talented freelancers with companies hiring for freelance projects. To crack open a new chapter on your earnings potential, visit our job board today.
The Top 3 Realities of Being a Freelance Marketing Consultant
1/6/2012 3:18 PM By Vince FontIf you’re considering leaving your day job to pursue a career as a freelance marketing consultant, it’s critical that you look before you leap. Most importantly, you should take a long hard look at some of the realities that freelance marketing professionals face on a daily basis.
• Reality #1: There’s no guarantee that you’ll get to work from home in your jammies. While this might sound like the dream environment for many, even if you’re a wildly successful freelance marketing consultant you may never spend any work time in slippers and sweats. Lots of companies that hire marketing professionals require an in-person presence, in which case you’d better not get rid of your business wardrobe prematurely.
• Reality #2: There’s no such thing as long-term job security. Although you can improve your chances of never running out of work by hooking up with a staffing agency like Artisan, there are no assurances that the job market for freelance Marketing Consultants won’t dry up. Then again, there are no assurances these days in any job market at all… so why not explore your opportunities in the freelance field?
• Reality #3: You may have to move around a lot. At very least, you should be prepared to do a lot of traveling. Part of being a successful marketing professional will require that you take project assignments in various locations throughout the country. If you’re not comfortable moving around or traveling, freelance work in this role might not be for you. At Artisan, we not only offer to connect you with plenty of hiring companies—we also offer health benefits and time off. To find out more, contact us today.
Freelance Design Job Opportunities in Indianapolis Buck Unemployment Trends
12/16/2011 11:30 AM By Vince FontWith Indiana’s unemployment rate hovering just under nine percent, hardworking Indy residents could use some good news. Fortunately, there’s a silver lining in every cloud and what sometimes looks like rain is often the precursor to a brilliant rainbow. Flowery language aside, the great news is that there’s plenty of work to be found, especially if you broaden your search to include Indianapolis freelancer positions being offered by major companies in the Hoosier state capital.
If you’ve got experience in web or graphic design but have had a tough time finding employment, or if you’re gainfully employed but simply checking out your future options, there are opportunities in the freelance market that might point the way to significantly greater earnings—even in a down economy.
The fact is, there are many high paying Indianapolis web design jobs waiting to be discovered. The trick is knowing just where to find them and utilizing all of the right search methods to gain access to them. One method of doing that is by going through Artisan, a creative staffing agency located in Indianapolis that can put professional web
designers and graphic designers on the fast track to landing lucrative projects with high profile corporations seeking local talent. Visit Artisan today to learn how you can discover Indianapolis graphic design job opportunities right under your nose.
Four Trends in Mobile App Design Today
12/12/2011 4:46 PM By Vince Font
To continually come through with highly functioning mobile app designs, you’ve got to stay on top of evolving trends. After all, what good are User Interface Designers who constantly have their heads turned the other way focusing on what’s long since passed? For those of you seeking high profile jobs as User Interface Designers worried about falling behind the curve, here’s a rundown of some of the most popular trends in mobile application design.
• Use of bold colors to help make apps stand out. User Interface Designers know that in order for a mobile app to make an impression on a user, it’s got to pop—visually speaking, that is. And no better way exists to make something really stand out than to imbue it with bright, bold, primary colors. Considering the fact that your intended audience is probably only spending a few minutes trying out the application of your design before moving on to the next to determine which will meet their needs, first impressions are as critical here as they are anywhere else. If you don’t grab their attention quickly, you’ve lost them.
• The less gloss the better. People’s tastes change with the wind and what was once appealing to the eye—glossy finishes—has now been replaced by an increased popularity of the matte finish look. However, unless the change is an easy one and if you haven’t already made lots of headway in your mobile application design, you may not want to waste your energy changing this. After all, once the pendulum swings back to glossy, your mobile app style could be all the rage again.
• Text based interfaces are eternally user friendly. Never think that simply because your particular app design isn’t as flashy as the next developer’s, you’ll be left behind. People still have a fondness and desire for the kind of simplicity that can only be rendered on their mobile device screen through text. Finding the right font, however, is always critical—just as choosing the right combination of colors that won’t make it impossible for users to read what it is they’re supposed to be reading in the first place.
• Voice recognition commands. Although you’d think that the advent of such a thing as Swype text would make communicating via mobile device far simpler, recent trends have seen an increase in the popularity of mobile apps that can be controlled by speech recognition. With more and more developers incorporating this into their mobile design, failing to consider its inclusion is equal to overlooking the obvious.
Staying on top of mobile app design trends is critical to making yourself an attractive candidate for user interface design jobs—but if you don’t know where to look for those jobs, you might as well be spinning your wheels. User Interface Designers looking for work can expand their reach by also taking on freelance assignments through an agency like Artisan that connects you with companies interested in hiring Designers and Developers on a full-time or freelance basis. Register with us online and let your career unfold.
Promising Job Growth for Graphic Designers in DC
9/28/2011 3:02 PM By Vince Font
Although the DC graphic design job market isn’t exactly predicted to explode into meteoric growth anytime in the near future, there’s good news in the here and now for job hunters looking for graphic design jobs in Washington. Employment opportunities for graphic designers nationwide is expected to grow 13 percent between now and 2018, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
The basis for this estimation comes from the fact that the demand for talented graphic designers will continue to be fed by the growth of interactive media like business websites, the proliferation of mobile devices and the continued growth of social media. Experts agree that taking these key factors into consideration, the BLS’s meager 13 percent job growth prediction might be a conservative estimate. The fact is, there are now more cell phones on the planet than there are personal computers, and if the trend continues DC graphic design jobs – as well as graphic design opportunities elsewhere – will likely increase sharply.
So what does this mean for aspiring graphic design specialists on the job market in the nation’s capital? In short, it announces that now is the time to start focusing like that proverbial laser beam to put yourself in front of as many potential employers as possible. Aside from hiring a Washington DC resume company to imbue your portfolio with pizazz, pairing up with a high quality creative staffing agency will open doors to opportunities you might otherwise have strolled right past.
Strong Employment Growth Continues for Mobile App Developers
8/22/2011 1:30 PM By William Pirraglia
Mobile applications developers continue to enjoy an employment demand paralleling the growth of smartphones. As the number of platforms expands, the volume and diversity of jobs keeps pace. Along with the proven Blackberry, Palm OS and Windows Mobile platforms, the iOS (iPhone) and Android op systems are now at the forefront of developer allure.
A skilled iPhone developer may have a choice of creative digital jobs. iOS, derived from the proven Mac OS X, shares its breeding with Unix and drives the wildly popular iPhone and its many apps. A talented user experience designer familiar with the Mac OS X operating system should find lucrative opportunities for freelance and full time employment if they adapt to the iOS.
This mobile operating system has also been modified for the iPod, iPad and Apple TV products, generating even more potential job opportunities. As the smartphone and tablet markets strengthen, front end development jobs increase for iOS products and other mobile operating systems.
Android app developer jobs may be even more numerous. Android is really a 3-in-1 solution with operating system, middleware and user applications components. Since Google’s purchase of the original version based on the Linux op system in 2005, Android has been improved, streamlined and expanded.
As the most popular smartphone platform, the Android system has created thousands of new front-end, back-end and user-interface design jobs. As an open source operating system, there are consistent opportunities for third party developers to create applications, most of which use the Java language, to date.
The appearance of the Open Handset Alliance in 2007 – a consortium of companies, including Google, HTC, Motorola, Qualcomm, Samsung and others - created the goal of developing “open standards” for mobile devices. Since its inception, new members (including Sony Ericsson and Toshiba) have joined this group, further expanding opportunities for app developers.
Android technology is not restricted to smartphones. Highly adaptable, the Android system is also a winner for the growing tablet market. Those professionals with strong knowledge of this op system will find numerous Android app developer job opportunities for the foreseeable future. As the system matures, along with its developers, the exploding job market may or may not flatten out. Much depends on the creativity of developers and the continuing demand for new smartphone and tablet apps. The ever increasing demand for Apple’s iPhone and the variety of Android devices signal a continuing strong job market for developers.
While these two systems lead the mobile app market, other operating platforms also demand talented developers. For example, the Symbian mobile operating system, maintained by respected cell phone giant Nokia, captured a 29 percent market share of the global smartphone market in 2010. Based on its S60 platform, this system has more quietly been as popular as iOS and Android to date.
The bottom line for mobile application developer jobs is impressive and projects continued strength in the future. Working with premier creative talent firms like Artisan, mobile app developers have options and opportunities stronger than other growing high tech jobs. The creative talent sector is already moving faster than most other industrial areas.
Digital Print Industry Needs Up-to-Date Marketing Professionals
8/15/2011 3:30 PM By William PirragliaDigital printing has revolutionized the industry and changed the opportunities for marketing professionals. While the need for some traditional titles remains, i.e., fulltime proofreader, other classic print industry workers may no longer be required, i.e. typesetter.
Although digital printing isn’t less expensive than traditional print options, in short runs it is eminently faster and easier to create winning copy. The plethora of desktop printing software allows some clients to produce final copy, download it to a CD or flash drive and deliver it to a digital printer for super quick turnaround (direct-to-plate).
Strategic sales and marketing professionals to generate revenue are in high demand. Certainly, the public focus remains on e-commerce and web copy, but direct mail and marketing demand fast, accurate, quality print materials. Those marketers with contacts and knowledge are valuable to aggressive print companies seeking new revenue.
As companies discard their recession-fueled survival mode, they move towards growth and revenue stream strategies. Experienced marketing professionals can also develop innovative pricing models that help both print companies and clients save money and time.
Marketing professionals seeking freelance or fulltime opportunities that might earn them competitive wages should be familiar with the following digital print and marketing components:
- Direct-to-plate printing
- Lead times for different volumes
- Helping print companies re-engineer and re-invent themselves
- Prepress requirements
- Some graphic design knowledge
- Project management skills
- Direct mail and marketing procedures
- Appearances at trade and industry shows
New jobs are also appearing from smaller printers who, before the perfection of digital processes, were relegated to predominantly local markets. However, the internet, electronic communications, interactive websites and, of course, digital printing have allowed small businesses to compete with larger printing houses. Needing talented marketing professionals, these businesses are another source of challenging employment opportunities.
Changes in the publishing industry also generate new freelance and full time proofreading openings as publishers still need many classic prepress functions. However, instead of risking large dollars in printing books that may never be sold, publishers can now capture complete novels in “memory.” They can then order print runs based on firm orders from customers and booksellers. Prepress and marketing needs are strong, but printing risks have lessened dramatically.
New York Continues as a Mecca for Interactive Jobs
8/4/2011 12:30 PM By William Pirraglia
The market for high tech jobs in New York, formerly strong even during the recession, continues to be active and thriving. While the city’s unemployment rate remained at 8.6 percent in May 2011, hiring in financial services, health care and education slowed.
However, the market for full time interactive jobs in New York remains positive. Employers are posting many new marketing and advertising jobs for freelancers and full time employees. The online community is an oasis for marketing and advertising interactive opportunities.
As noted, hiring for non-high tech positions slowed in May, but freelance digital design and marketing opportunities continued. The demand for graphic artists and designers has been particularly strong in the first half of 2011. While there appears to be no overriding single reason for this growth, the New York graphic designer market remained active even during the depths of the recession.
Interestingly, the non-profit sectors have become excellent sources of interactive designer professionals. Recently, motion graphics designers and digital animators have been enjoying a resurgence of demand with even full time jobs increasing.
Always in demand, talented marketing copywriters should see additions to their portfolios and bank accounts with numerous opportunities in the New York City-metro area. Not wanting the digital community to collect all the talented professionals, the print industry is using the season to ramp up with new jobs for art directors, print designers and graphic designers with both digital and print experience.
As usual, New York, along with Los Angeles, continues to lead the U.S. in interactive design jobs with companies in the entertainment and other related industries. For example, Disney Interactive, with a strong presence in New York City, has been hiring for talented freelance and full time positions throughout the year so far.
The many news agencies, video production firms and web content providers are a lucrative source of contract and full time interactive jobs in New York. According to observers and the Bureau of Labor Statistics alike, this demand should continue throughout the year and could last until 2014.
Graphic Design Work Alive in Washington, DC
7/19/2011 12:57 PM By William Pirraglia
Ask a top Washington, DC staffing agency about the demand for graphic designers and they will share some good news with you about the strong job market in the area. Emerging from the recession doldrums are the federal government, educational institutions, public relations firms, non-profits and professional associations - all creating lucrative opportunities for graphic designers.
Searching graphic design firms, the nation’s capital also returns employment needs in positions ranging from interns through graphic design managers. While the unemployment rate for the District remains higher than the national average at 9.8 percent for May 2011 (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics), the market for creative talent continues to improve. There is also an evident demand for freelance and fulltime graphic designers; The Washington Post recently featured nearly 200 graphic design jobs in the Washington, DC metro area alone.
Interactive media, including growing mobile applications and animation needs, is fueling this demand. However, the competition for the best jobs will be strong. The fallout from the recession has not yet dissipated. There are still more talented professionals than there are creative jobs. Those wishing to take advantage of these new freelance and full time opportunities must keep their skills current, market their ability properly and exhibit persistence and patience.
Don’t discount the print industry. Sure, the “paperwork reduction” efforts of the government are still active, but graphic artists and designers are continually needed to create materials. Even newcomers and junior creatives will find opportunities for internships and entry level jobs that give them the experience and portfolio references they need to accelerate their careers.
Use the recession recovery and economic rebound, however modest, to your advantage as a talented graphic designer. The opportunities in 2011 are there – it’s up to you to maximize your personal opportunities to improve or jumpstart your career. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that jobs for graphic designers will grow at a 13 percent rate through around 2018. Perfecting your graphic design skills promises to enhance your career and income in Washington, DC and across the U.S.
