Subscribe by RSS
Posts Tagged ‘new york’
New York: New Museum
5/15/2009 10:29 AM By Catherine TThe New Museum is located on Bowery Street in New York and the building is an impressive sight in and of itself. A contemporary art museum, this seven-story structure is known for housing work that makes a statement. If you are looking for ideas that are more modern than traditional, start here and get your mind in the mood for thinking sideways, backward–and maybe even upside down. You won't be able to decide if you should look to the building or the artwork for inspiration. Luckily, you can do both.
Coming up with totally new design ideas that have a powerful impact can be exhausting–especially if you are not in a very creative place, mentally. The New Museum can help incubate fresh perspectives and give you a bit to think about. It can assist you in making that shift to a more modern way of thinking. Don't schedule an interior visit on Monday or Tuesday as the museum is closed, but if you just want to marvel at the architecture you can stop by any day of the week. Bring an open mind and you just might find what you are looking for.
Communication Arts Interactive Design Contest
11/12/2008 7:33 AM By Sharon PotschInteractive talent–are you going to go for it? Communication Arts announced their latest interactive design contest today. Artisan is proud to represent some of the best interface and online designers in Chicago, New York, LA, and San Francisco. We'd love to see some of you putting your work out there. You can read more about the design contest on Comm Arts' website.
Why Live in New York?
11/5/2008 9:43 AM By ArtisanA study of happiness by the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania reported that New Yorkers were among the most miserable people in the United States. So why would someone talented and creative want to live here?
New York is heaven for someone who wants to be surrounded by the best and brightest creative professionals. New York graphic designers can draw inspiration from the ancient Egyptian temple at the Met and the latest abstract painting at the Museum of Modern Art. New York writers can find agents, editors, and publicists, all on the same street.
You may have to share an apartment to get by. But there's a good chance you'll be sharing it with other creative, interesting people, spotting celebrities on the street (but being cool enough not to do more than nod), with a huge variety of cultural, dining, and entertainment opportunities at your doorstep. The choice is yours.
New York Publishing
8/2/2008 9:41 AM By ArtisanNew York is home to more than 1,000 publishers, including many major global conglomerates. This concentration means New York design jobs are more plentiful than in other markets. This, of course, does not mean they are easy to get.
New York graphic designers are many and their qualifications are great. As Frank Sinatra sang, "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere." As a designer, you have to be not only great at your work, but also skilled at networking, willing to work long hours, and capable of selling yourself effectively.
Publishing industry opportunities for freelancers include book design, book covers, advertising, promotional materials including in-store displays, web design, and imprint design. You'll need a knowledge of how the industry works and how it is changing. Read the publishing-industry pieces in the New York Times and consider taking a couple of publishing classes, or even getting a master's in publishing. Freelancers who can demonstrate experience in a particular sector such as health care, or who are fluent in a foreign language may find themselves in greater demand.
Saving Photos For The Web
6/27/2008 11:51 AM By ArtisanWhether you work for a New York graphic design company or do photo retouching, you should know how to save an image for the Web. Photoshop allows you to accomplish this quickly and easily, but you will have to remember a few details to make sure you are doing it in an efficient manner. Images that are too large will take a long time to load on the Web, and viewers get frustrated waiting for the page to come up. By the same token, you want to have good image quality so that the pictures look good.
This balancing act is exactly what Photoshop allows you to have pinpoint control over. First, click on "file," then select "save for Web". A box will come up that gives you a number of different choices. Since most photos come in JPEG format, you will need to dial in the quality settings and save. It is really a matter of personal choice how you set these, but again, you want a combination of good image quality and fast load time. It may take you a few tries to decide on what settings work best in your particular circumstance, but after a while you will be better able to come up with what makes the most sense for the project you are working on.
New York Networking
6/20/2008 9:40 AM By ArtisanOne great thing about New York — someone's always holding a meeting, coffee, dinner, get-together, or pub crawl. All of these (well, maybe not the pub crawl) can be successful networking opportunities for a freelancer seeking to make connections.
Dress up sharp, pack your business cards, and make the rounds through the following groups for New York designers:
- American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA)
- Graphic Artists Guild (GAG)
- Art Directors Club (ADC)
- Color Association
- Grolier Club of New York
- MediaBistro
- Society of Publication Designers
Interactive Media
4/10/2008 9:40 AM By ArtisanThe great thing about designing for the Internet is that you can do it from anywhere, right? Technically, yes. Yet New York designers are routinely on the forefront of interactive media, winning major awards and creating high-profile projects.
This is partly because they have access to decision-makers at hiring companies, and partly because of the city's prominence in related fields like art and television.
The wide variety of jobs available also means a freelancer needs to be more careful about checking out a client before accepting a job. Qualifying prospects can be time-consuming. One solution is to work through an agency that matches freelancers with clients. Over time, as you build your network and a list of regular clients, you'll find you're less likely to take freelance jobs from strangers.
Does that mean you have to move to New York to succeed? Of course not. Still, it wouldn't hurt to book a trip for a conference once or twice a year, and make time to have lunch or coffee with people you know (or meet) in the web field.
Freelancing and the Financial Sector
3/20/2008 9:37 AM By ArtisanNew York is one of the world's financial hubs, with stock exchanges, banks, and major financial services companies doing business here. That creates opportunities for New York designers who understand how banking and finance work. A financial product, such as a stock or an insurance policy, does not initially appeal visually to a prospective customer. Good design, however, can convey the benefits of the product. Here are some of the projects a New York graphic design pro might work on:
- Annual reports
- Print, Web and TV advertising for financial products and services
- Logos and branding for financial companies
- Internal communications, such as employee newsletters, for financial companies
- Client newsletters for stockbrokers and investment companies
- Direct mail campaigns
- Window signs and in-bank advertising
- Brochures
Advertising Opportunities
1/13/2008 9:36 AM By ArtisanNew York has always been associated with the advertising industry. Freelancers who want to work with top names in the field are thick on the ground here, and the New York designers who create the nation's ads are a striving and competitive bunch. To join them, you'll need a great portfolio and great networking skills.
