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Posts Tagged ‘Industry Trends’
Web Content Writing
12/10/2009 10:19 AM By adminWeb content is a growing sector of the copywriting field. Businesses are finding that it's not enough to simply have a Web site — their site needs to be clear and engaging, while also attracting search-engine traffic.
Businesses are also putting more products and services online, each needing appealing descriptions and information that encourages customers to buy.
All of these require skilled web content writers who can persuade and inform while also bearing in mind the special requirements of web usability and the techniques of search engine optimization (SEO).
Jobs in the Film Industry
6/24/2009 9:53 AM By Catherine TFilm is a famously difficult industry to get into, and California is full of talented people who want to break into it. Nevertheless, you may find opportunities as a Los Angeles graphic designer that would not be available in other cities. Here are some of the jobs on a film that require design training:
Art director: This person leads the crew working on the look of a production — prop makers, construction crews, landscapers, and so forth. It's a primarily administrative job, but it is important in translating the production designer's vision into the final product.
Production designer: This is a high-level job for the person responsible for a film's overall look.
Graphic designers: In addition to the designers who work directly on a film, there are designers who create the credits, posters, DVD packaging, advertisements, websites, and video games connected with a film.
Graphic designers also work on products used in movies. When the script calls for a 17th-century inn sign or a futuristic bank vault blueprint, a graphic designer must create some of the "set dressings" that add to the look of the film.
What is AJAX?
6/23/2009 1:35 PM By Catherine TAJAX is short for Asynchronous Javascript And XML. The most popular thing about AJAX (often rendered "Ajax") is its ability to create near seamless, no-waiting applications. One of the best things about Web 2.0 technologies is the ability to use AJAX to cut the waiting time to zero when it comes to loading features, maps or other content. AJAX combines XHTML and CSS, uses something known as "asynchronous data retrieval" and Javascript to eliminate the wait. A great example of Ajax at work is Google Maps. When you drag sections of the map to look at them, they load in real time. There is no hourglass or "please wait" icon while the graphics load. That's thanks to Ajax.
AJAX is not new. It's a new way of using existing Web design technologies and is compatible with most Web browsers. To start learning Ajax to help you get freelance Web developer jobs, you'll need to have a knowledge of HTML, XHTML and Javascript. Ajax lets your Javascript communicate with the server using the XMLHttpRequest object. If that sounds like a foreign language to you right now, you need to put some study time in with the basics before you can start using Ajax to earn money as a freelance Web designer. But once you have the knowledge and skills to move forward, let Artisan help you find the perfect company for you.
Skills for TV Design
6/11/2009 9:55 AM By adminThe Los Angeles graphic designer who works on TV-related projects needs training in design topics like typography, color, and composition, but also in software used to create television shows. This includes:
- Adobe AfterEffects
- Adobe Premiere
- Avid video editing
- Final Cut Pro
- Maya
- 3D design
How the Internet and E-Commerce Have Made User-Centered Design Critical to Success
6/8/2009 10:48 AM By adminThe early days of the Internet – the late 1980s – lacked any user Interface Design principles. Since most Internet access was via dial-up modem, slick graphics, effective navigation, and usability engineering was non-existent. Fast forward to today and all freelance Usability Designer tips include user-centered design as a critical – sometimes the most important – component of website architecture.
Just as brick and mortar businesses attempt to make it easy and pleasant for customers to buy – using attractive locations and reasonable prices – e-commerce sellers desire the same mix. Usability experts and Interface Design professionals integrate pleasing aesthetics and information organization to make the user-friendly buying process enjoyable and simple. The most successful user Interface Design tips stress these features. Consequently, the most successful usability consultants market themselves based on these principles.
By understanding the audience and employing usability testing procedures, you can enhance your freelance career by stressing your process to create an effective user-centered design that maximizes revenue and brand loyalty for your clients. You can emphasize that you employ graphic design with taste and minimal clutter, while using consistent navigation that allows users to get to information in three clicks or less.
Web Designer Qualifications: Shopping Cart Savvy
5/26/2009 1:38 PM By Catherine TIf you are looking to work as a Web designer in the world of retail one of the things you may be asked to do is to create a shopping cart for a client to add to their Website. This means that one of basic qualifications of a Web designer is having some type of experience in setting up this type of system. Although not every Website will have a shopping cart feature, it is something that is good to be able to add to your skill set as a designer. If you aren't able to do this, you may lose out on some of the jobs that are available out there.
Shopping carts can be simple or complex, depending on the products and the kind of set up that the client desires. Some customers may simply want to sell a few items, while others may want an entire store on the Web. There are many different types of shopping carts you can use, and what you select will depend on what your personal preference is–or what your client would like. The important thing is having the skill set to implement this feature for a customer; it makes you far more marketable in the long run.
Where Does Brand Management Come From?
5/21/2009 10:00 AM By Catherine TThe field of brand management was invented at Procter & Gamble in the 1930s. A young man named Neil McElroy had been placed in charge of marketing Camay soap, which competed not only with other soap makers but with P&G's own Ivory brand.
McElroy wrote a now-famous memo arguing that each brand should have a marketing team devoted to it, each targeting different markets and working to differentiate their product.
Today's brand manager may be full-time or freelance, and may be targeting consumers on the Internet as well as through traditional media. Yet the mission — to take responsibility for the marketing of one specific product — remains the same.
Why Usability Testing Procedures Are Critical to User Interface Design Principles
5/8/2009 10:48 AM By Catherine TAn experienced usability professional understands the criticality of employing usability testing procedures to optimize their interface design. Less experienced, although possibly technically superior, Information Architects and Interface Designers sometimes overlook the importance of testing to high level performance on a usability job. Here is why experienced usability experts include user testing as part of their process.
First, for a moment, think about the wide variety of needs of companies and websites. A Government site desires a user-centered design, but lacking a profit motive, seldom needs the best of the best when hiring usability specialists. Contrast this position with a large e-commerce company, like Amazon.com. These companies need to maximize user Interface Design principles to offer a totally user-friendly experience for customers to enjoy the most revenue possible.
Usability experts, who incorporate effective testing into their design process, usually refine their architecture to produce websites that embody the mantra, “Don’t Make Me Think Too Much”, espoused in his book of the same name by usability expert, Steve Krug. Usability testing procedures can achieve the ultimate goals of users: Simplicity, consistency, and conventionality of site navigation and information retrieval.
Where to Find User Interface Hiring Trends
4/19/2009 11:13 AM By Catherine TUser interface hiring trends are typically influenced by the following.
• Current popular Interface Design project focus items, and
• Overall economic environment on a national and international scope.
Employers hiring Interface Designers are subject to the same financial constraints as the business community as a whole. Yet, there are typically many lucrative user-centered design opportunities available. You can find hiring trends at many different sites offering jobs for User Interface Designers. There are also many neutral sources, those that are not a job website, to learn about the “hot” project types indicating good trend lines. You might even learn some valuable information about user interface design hiring trends from some of the better, more relevant blogs.
You’ll also find valuable trend information at the best staffing agencies for User Interface Designers, like Artisan. With their professional fingers on the pulse of the hiring market, they can offer you direction and data that will help you get the design jobs you want at attractive compensation levels.
Even in down economies, interaction design professionals should enjoy overall positive hiring trend lines. Actually, some clients and employers sometimes have more online jobs as they focus on better User Interface Design to improve sales and branding quality.
