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Posts Tagged ‘training’
New York Skill-Building
10/10/2008 9:43 AM By Catherine TThere are eight million people in New York City, and some days it seems like at least a million of them are freelancers competing for the same jobs you want. If you need to add some software to your resume or want to refresh your creative eye, try these institutions:
- 3D Training Institute
- Fashion Institute of Technology
- Katharine Gibbs School
- New York School of Design
- New York University
- School of Visual Art
- Art Institute of New York City
- City College of New York
- Columbia University
- Cooper Union
- City University of New York
- Parsons The New School for Design
- Fordham University at Lincoln Center
- New York Institute of Technology
- New York School of Interior Design
What is PHP?
9/20/2008 1:31 PM By Catherine TIf you want to learn how to become a freelance Web developer, knowledge of PHP is an important part of making yourself a marketable commodity. PHP originally stood for "Personal Home Pages," and freelance Web developers today know it as a flexible server-side scripting language that allows interaction between the user and the website that uses PHP. To understand where PHP fits into Web design, look at its place in the scripting world. HTML is the basic structure that creates a static, unchanging Website. PHP is a command language that gives a Website the ability to accept a reader's inputs and let the Website respond to that input.
PHP is what allows a site to change. If you want to build an e-commerce site as part of a freelance Web developer job, PHP allows you to set up the shopping cart, calculate taxes and shipping and other features. PHP allows you to create photo albums or slide shows. Knowing PHP allows you to give today's customer what they want; a destination on the Internet that responds to a customer or reader in a variety of creative, fun to use ways. Today's web technology trends include demands that can be met by the features you can create using PHP or modifying the PHP already in use on that site.
Develop a Specialty
6/16/2008 10:30 AM By adminFreelance web design jobs are all unique — each one is different. So it's important to keep up your skills in all the basic web technologies.
At the same time, it can be lucrative to develop a specialty. Interface design — the process of making a website or application easier are clearer to use — is one area where contracts are widely available.
Another kind of specialty might involve one specific area of content. For instance, if you know a lot about opera and have a great portfolio, you might market yourself to popular opera singers, opera companies, and singers' agents to build opera-related sites.
Designer and blogger Andy Budd describes the ideal skill set as being like an inverted T — a base of expertise plus one (or maybe more) deep specialty.
Platform-Specific Design
4/27/2008 1:40 PM By adminOne of the most helpful qualifications of a web designer is the ability to create platform-specific design. Imagine how in demand you will be with the ability to design iPhone-friendly applications. Just as with the ability to customize content management system templates and graphics, freelance web designer jobs that require specific knowledge of iPhone-compatible design can be plentiful, but they require specific expertise. As more companies recognize the importance of mobile technology, and creating web-based media to cater to mobile users in new ways, freelance opportunities are available for those who have the know-how.
If you already have skills in this area, consider doing a few small projects and see how you like it. Can you build a 100% mobile-friendly WordPress template? Create a new app for use with an iPhone? You can do it as a hobby as you continue your journey through web design until you feel ready to market those skills to an ever-expanding list of clients. The iPhone isn't the only platform-specific opportunity for freelance web designer jobs, there are plenty of other platform-specific needs. Choose one you are familiar with and start from there.
Photoshop: Staying Up-To-Date
4/11/2008 11:49 AM By adminIn order to maintain an edge in the field as a creative, it helps to stay up-to-date on the latest trends that are out there. This is also true of using Photoshop–there are so many different things you can do with this program. Knowing what is hot is crucial for everything from graphic design illustration to designing brand identity. How can you keep up with the ever-changing industry? One great way to stay on top of things is by checking out the most current Web-based tutorials. Be sure to subscribe to these sites if you can or bookmark them so that you don't miss out on the new information. It can also be helpful to actually schedule in time for learning new techniques as part of your work week.
Another thing you can do is just take the time to play around a bit on your own. Sometimes learning is all about the "lucky accident," and you just might find a new way of looking at things by allowing yourself the time to create. Who knows, you may wind up being a trend-setter yourself! Another simple way to stay up on the latest trends is to subscribe to a Photoshop or design magazine. These publications try to uncover the new directions that they see emerging, which can be your first clue as to where the industry will be going next.
Help For Photoshop Users
3/27/2008 11:48 AM By adminCan't decide what brush to use for a particular project? Are you having problems understanding how to create an animated GIF for a Website? Learning all the things that you can do with Photoshop can seem overwhelming, but the good news is–there is help available. It doesn't matter whether you are a production designer or the president of several graphic design firms–if you want to learn more about the program, all you have to do is make a little bit of time to check in with Adobe.
Besides tutorials, Adobe provides a selection of articles and troubleshooting information on their Website. This can be a life-saver if you need to find quick information. In addition to that, there is also online help offered if you have a specific question in mind or want to double-check your progress. Adobe also provides forums and blogs that have tips, tricks and solutions for those who are needing a bit of help getting things done. Examples of forums you can join include the Photoshop techniques forum and the photography forum. There is also information that is provided specifically for Windows users, and some for Macintosh users.
Build Your Design Skills
2/15/2008 9:44 AM By adminChicago's reputation for excellence in graphic design means there are many options if you want to get a degree, learn a new program, or explore a new area of design in an academic setting. Institutions offering programs for Chicago graphic designers include:
- Columbia College Chicago
- Illinois Institute of Art
- Institute of Design (Illinois Institute of Technology)
- Art Institute of Chicago
If you work through a freelance agency, you may also be able to obtain training through the agency or your employer.
How to Become a Freelance Web Designer: Your First Step
2/14/2008 1:24 PM By adminIf you want to become a web designer, chances are you've already explored some of what you need to learn to get freelance Web designer employment or full time work. If you haven't, the first thing you will need to learn are the basic skills. How do you design a new Website? What does it take to become a freelance web designer? These questions can be answered at least in part by taking one simple step–design your own personal site and use it as your laboratory.
Try starting out simple; get a free WordPress site and explore the art of modifying and customizing the PHP code and CSS to make the site do what you want it to do. These are baby steps, but you'll be surprised at how many freelance Web design jobs are available for those who know how to do these little things. Once you start to master one content management system such as WordPress, you can move on to Joomla or another system and try your hand at that. The beauty of starting this way is that it costs you nothing except any research manuals you need to purchase to grow your skills even more.
A Design Learning Mecca
2/10/2008 9:50 AM By adminThe lively Los Angeles graphic design market has spawned a number of educational programs ranging from quick software training courses to full-time fine art degrees. Whether you're looking to keep your skills up to date or looking to land a teaching job, these institutions may get you started:
- Art Institute of California — Los Angeles
- American Inter-Continental University
- Platt College
- Westwood College
- The Los Angeles Film School
- University of Southern California
- Los Angeles City College
- East Los Angeles College
- Los Angeles Valley College
- California State University, Los Angeles
- UCLA
- Loyola Marymount University
- Occidental College
- Otis College of Art and Design
- American Film Institute Conservatory
- California Design College
