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Posts Tagged ‘web design’
What’s the Future of Graphic Design in Chicago, Elsewhere?
2/14/2012 10:54 AM By Artisan
Artists seeking freelance design work are finding it increasingly easy these days to find projects through such agencies as Artisan Talent, a Chicago creative talent agency that specializes in pairing uniquely gifted professionals with high-level job opportunities. However, with the state of graphic design so rapidly evolving in an era where more people are being reached via pocket-sized mobile devices, will a career in graphic design still be viable in the future?
The short answer to that question is: yes. The long answer requires us to take a look at developing trends in the face of declining print publications, including the growing market for electronic publications like e-books and online blogs. Today, you can still pay a visit to your local book megastore and find shelf upon shelf of printed publications bearing the creative works of graphic designers the world over. Tomorrow, however, may be a different story.
Of course, even if every bookstore on the face of the earth were to close down overnight and publication houses were to throw the giant “off” switch on their printing presses, there would still be a plethora of creative jobs in Chicago, San Francisco, New York, Los Angeles and elsewhere to be snatched up by capable individuals. Here’s why you shouldn’t worry about the future of graphic design.
Brand logos are critical components of marketing that aren’t just limited to the physical print world, and freelance design work for everything from website logos to social media marketing logos will continue to proliferate.
Motion graphics will continue to play a much larger role in the overall scheme of graphic design as more and more companies move to the Internet and the social media sphere to popularize their brands through video ads.
Web design, a distinctly modern take on classic graphic design, will continue to play a critical role in the careers of designers as websites continue to evolve from being superfluous luxury items to absolute marketing necessities.
Traditional signage isn’t going anywhere. If anything, graphic designers will be asked to push their abilities to the limit and play with the public’s expectations, to create attractive and compelling designs that will try to compete for the attention of preoccupied customers more interested in its smart phones than the world around it.
Keeping yourself in the loop for exciting freelance opportunities in graphic design is as simple as registering with a Chicago creative talent agency that can connect you with high-profile and high-paying clients. Visit www.artisantalent.com to learn more.
Vince F is a freelance writer available on WriterAccess, a marketplace where clients and expert writers connect for assignments.
Weeding Out Web Designer Pros From the Flakes
1/9/2012 1:15 PM By Vince Font
The trouble many companies face when hiring Web Designers has little to do with finding people of skill and more to do with finding individuals who can produce high quality work on time. The reason? It’s easy for someone to get an education as a Web Designer. Work ethic, on the other hand, can’t always be learned and is seemingly in short quantity these days. If you’re looking to hire a Web Designer but want to avoid finding certain things out the hard way, we’ve got a few tips to help you out.
• Approach a creative talent agency in your search. You can still hire a Web Designer by listing the position on your company website or job boards, but top staffing agencies pre-screen all candidates and even perform pre-qualification interviews to be able to present you with a list of ideal job candidates.
• Know what you’re looking for. You don’t have to be an expert in web design to hire a Web Designer, but you should know enough to be able to discuss what you expect of them. It’s not enough to know what you don’t want, and it’s certainly unfair to expect someone to read your mind.
• Follow up on referrals. This is particularly important if you’re not using a creative talent agency or other staffing firm to find qualified people, since they’ll usually take care of all of the verification for you. You don’t want to find out that the individual you’ve hired for a critical project is not at all who you thought, so do your homework before signing a contract.
If you’re not sure what you’re looking for, it’s strongly recommended that you work with a staffing agency like Artisan who will be able to work with you to determine the quality of Web Designer you need and can provide a qualified match faster than it’ll take you to say “We should have come here sooner.”
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.
Three Things That Will Make You a Better User Interface Designer
9/29/2011 2:42 PM By Vince Font
To land a job as a full-time interactive designer, you’ve got to do one thing: Be good at what you do. But as everyone knows, sometimes being good isn’t enough to make you the top candidate for a job. Don’t forget, there are thousands of others aspiring to get the same spot. If you want to be in that enviable position of being able to take your pick of user interface design jobs, you’ve got to be more than just good. You’ve got to be incredible.
There are two kinds of web professionals in this world: Those who just read the part about “being incredible” and swell with confidence and those who shrink in fear. If you find yourself in the latter category, don’t despair. There are plenty of things that you can work on that will help you develop into a much better user interface designer. Interestingly enough, those things have very little to do with education or work experience.
Learn to See the World Through Other People’s Eyes
This is one of the fundamental abilities that all user interface designers must have. It’s not enough to look at a program or a product with your own eyes and think of how it could be made to function better. This is an inherently flawed approach that will only ever please a small segment of the populous: You. When approaching your work as a fulltime interactive designer, you’ve got to be able to put yourself in the shoes of users from all walks of life, from tech-savvy youngins to potentially tech-phobic senior citizens – because everyone appreciates a smart, friendly experience.
Learn to Make Mistakes
The people who will be using the products and the programs you design will make mistakes on a regular basis, and therefore it’s vital that you learn how to “break” things in a way that will uncover potential bugs before a final product is released. This requires that you develop the ability to throw caution to the wind when it’s required. Not everyone has an on/off switch that enables them to toggle between being intensely focused and being lackadaisical, but if you really want to be a well-rounded interactive designer you’ve got to channel this inner power and learn how to use it.
Have an Eye for Design
User interface designers need a knack for aesthetics. By definition, you’ll be designing things that people have to look at and interact with on a daily basis – and the fact is, people can be incredibly picky about the way that something looks and feels as opposed to how it actually functions. Being able to produce something that works AND looks good is a key requirement of all user interface design jobs. If this isn’t something that’s already innate to your sensibilities, you’re going to have to develop it if you want to get far.
In your quest to garner the necessary education and experience to become the best user experience designer you can be, you’re going to learn quite a few things about yourself. You’re going to find out what kind of an observer you are, whether you’re as broad minded as you give yourself credit for and if all of your masterpieces are merely works in progress. When you arrive at these conclusions, don’t take them as a sign of having reached your limitations. Instead, grow from them and then go out and find the dream job you’ve worked so hard for.
Putting Together a Portfolio to Get You Hired
9/21/2011 2:59 PM By Patrick Ogle
The first thing any job seeking freelance designer should worry about is his or her resume, which lists all of their design qualifications; shortly (very shortly) thereafter should be presenting an amazing portfolio. When a creative talent agency hires a freelancer, especially for any type of design job, they have to be sure the person has a portfolio that reflects the client’s business needs.
Graphic designer portfolios should contain your best work, both in print and digital form. With a physical portfolio you have to pare down what you bring with you. When putting together your online portfolio, you have more room to strut your stuff. Just remember, having only your best work up is better than posting all your work – quality over quantity. Just because a web portfolio can host more of your work doesn’t necessarily mean it should; put the focus on your most exemplary pieces.
You’ll find that all freelance job agencies are looking for different things within your portfolio, but one thing that will always turn them off is technical glitches in your online portfolio. If the functionality of your site is in question, why should a prospective employer assume you’ll do good for their site? This holds true even if the design job you are aiming for is not web. So if you’re constantly grappling with the functionality of the site on which your portfolio is published, consider switching to a simpler platform or eliminating the bells and whistles that are causing you headaches.
Once you have the site running smoothly, consider the importance of cohesive organization. The way your work is displayed should have some rhyme and reason to it. Don’t be afraid to use words to explain how you put together a particular piece and why you made critical design choices. If you don’t consider yourself a wordsmith, take a first stab at these explanations and have a friend with strong writing skills clean up your copy. This goes a long way towards showing what kind of designer you are.
Providing hiring managers and talent agencies with easy access to relevant samples of your work will yield you more jobs with shorter interview cycles. And always remember that, especially as a designer, attention to detail can get you hired just as quickly as inattention can get you fired.
Why Web Developers May Want a Working Knowledge of Art
9/8/2011 2:46 PM By Patrick Ogle
Many people attracted to a web development career—specifically custom web design—have a background in computer science. This is obviously an appropriate beginning. But there is another skill set you might want to have when looking for freelance web designer jobs. You might actually want to be an artist or at least a creative visualizer.
A web designer job requires that you know how to program, but it is equally important that you understand key elements of design—and not just HTML color charts. Do you have a sense of what colors work together and how they may affect customer behavior? Do you know how the human eye travels across a picture and its relation to composition? When companies hire a web designer, they may not specifically think they need an artist, but if you have no background in the field and are not working with a creative partner, it will certainly show in your work.
Even if you are an experienced programmer with little or no background in art, remember that a little education never hurt anyone—even if it’s very basic. Simply exposing yourself to more art and design while furthering your knowledge of art history and theory is helpful. You may find yourself wanting to explore your own art, whether through sketches or photography.
You don’t need to know what kind of paint Matisse preferred for landscapes, which of his ears Van Gogh cut off, or that Andy Warhol grew up in Monroeville, Pennsylvania. But you can learn something about the elements of design that have persisted throughout history, and it may greatly benefit your work in web development.
Find or Create Full-Time Web Design Jobs in a Down Market
8/16/2011 3:42 PM By William Pirraglia
Full Time web design jobs were a rare, hard-to-find species during the recession, but the economy is finally rebounding. Unfortunately, the recovery is modestat best. Web designers, like many other professionals, must recharge their creativity and imaginations to secure creative jobs. While full-time web designer jobs and other opportunities remain scarce, businesses are changing from a survival to growth mode.
Do not wait for the job market to improve; take a proactive stance to jump start your career. As a cutting edge professional, extend your state-of-the-art mentality to recharging your future. While the national jobless rate is declining, you should adopt an entrepreneur focus. Simply stated, “If it’s to be, it’s up to me.” Here are a few simple suggestions to revitalize your web design career:
- Expand your sphere of influence.If you’ve ever attended sales or entrepreneurial training seminars, you’re aware of the mantras “manage and use your network” or “make two to four new contacts every week.” Adopt or recharge these theories. They work. Everyone has a network, even just a few friends and family. However modest your network may be, expand, enlarge and activate it. At a minimum, use the growing power of social networks to expand your familiarity and, thereby, influence.
- Be visible. As the economy rebounds, more employers restart recruiting activities. Unless you’re already recognized as a superstar in your field, make it a priority to get out and about. Make time to attend job fairs, industry conferences and seminars, and become active in appropriate professional organizations. As hiring managers “put a face and personality with a name,” you improve your chances of moving up the credibility ladder of potential employers.
- Accept part time and contract assignments for less compensation than you desire.Even if you seek full time web designer jobs or other creative jobs, consider freelancing or part time employment to re-energize your career. In so doing, you make it easier for creative staffing agencies and employers to give you the opportunity to display your expertise in your field. Employers perceive less risk without the necessity of a cumbersome long-term job commitment, and love the budget-friendly cost controls that come with contract employees. As you demonstrate your considerable talent, these assignments may become full time employment offers.
- Stay focused, positive and confident. The lay off, downsizing and retrenching policies of employers during the recession are moving to a more favorable growth attitude for many companies. This is no time for you to become discouraged with your job search. Stay focused and confident in your talent and the future possibilities for re-energizing your career.
How to Hire the Best Designer for Your Project
8/10/2011 1:20 PM By Jeff OrloffA number of employers have reported being burned at least once when working with freelance designers. Either projects are not completed on time, budgets are exceeded or the quality of work doesn’t match expectations. While it may seem easy to blame the freelancer for such mishaps, more can be done on the part of the person looking to hire a graphic designer.
Look for experience that meets your requirements
One of the biggest mistakes made is to immediately jump at freelance designers with a great deal of experience because we feel safer with them. Instead of looking at the number of years they have been working or the number of projects, look at the type of work they have done. Does it apply to your project and needs?
Clearly describe your needs
Telling someone you want a logo isn’t going to be enough. Explain to potential designers exactly what you want and listen to possible feedback. Another thing that causes a rift between freelance designers and their clients is when the client continuously changes their mind. That is why most contracts only allow for two to three versions before it costs extra. You can really save a great deal of money, get better results and keep your designer happy if you are clear about what you want and stick to it throughout the course of the project.
Be willing to pay for results
One complaint among many freelancers is that clients often balk at their rates. The truth is, if you want to hire a professional you are going to have to pay for their quality and experience. If you want a job done as cheaply and quickly as possible then be prepared to be disappointed with the end result.
Of course no one expects the client to be the only one working at forming a healthy professional relationship, but when they do put forth that effort they are often rewarded with not only an outstanding product but a partner they can count on for future projects.
Revamp Your Resume to Impress Freelance Hiring Managers
8/9/2011 1:33 PM By Jeff Orloff
As companies scale back on permanent staff, more look to hire freelance designers and writers to handle their design, development and communication needs. However, just because there is more work in these fields does not mean it is easier to find employment. Conversely, because there are more freelancers applying for these jobs it makes the competition even stiffer.
Since your resume is one of the first things a hiring manager or client will see, take some time to give your CV a bit of a makeover so that you can feel confident it stands out among the rest.
Update your skills
If your resume notes Image Ready, Front Page or Write! as software that you are familiar with or Cold Fusion as part of your web site development skills, you should consider updating your skill set. People like to see that you understand legacy tools, but they also want to know you have evolved with the times and can master current programs.
Make sure to reflect your latest work
If you haven’t touched up your resume for some time then you may need to revisit it to update any projects you have worked on recently. While you’re at it, make sure that when describing the project you describe actionable outcomes that showcase your strengths.
Give your resume a youthful look
Experience is definitely a good thing to show in a resume, but you don’t need to go all the way back to the paper route you had as a kid. Find a cutoff point for your experience and keep it relevant to the job or assignment at hand. If you feel the need to list older jobs, add an Additional Experience section to your resume. Many people will not read anything beyond a third page.
When you have revamped your resume to make it reflect your current abilities, take the time to read over it for any grammatical errors or formatting issues. This is your first shot to prove your professionalism, so do it right!
