Archive for October, 2010
Considering Graphic or Web Design for a Career
Where to Start
School is definitely the best place to begin training for your new design career. Hopefully, the school you choose is up on all the latest technology and software. The universal standard is the Adobe software, namely, Photoshop and Dreamweaver for graphic and web design, Photoshop, InDesign, & Illustrator for graphics, and Flash for animation. So learning which software you will be using most is key. Without those skills, you’re not very hire-able in the marketplace. Adobe also offers many regional seminars and training courses that can be a compliment (or even an alternate in some cases) for traditional schooling. But never discount the fact that an actual degree goes a long way on a resume.
An Eye for Design …
Client Buzz What Every Web Designer Should Hear
For any web design project I do, I ask clients to tell me exactly what they want so I can successfully meet their goals. While this is common sense, actually getting clients to describe their vision can be harder than you think. If your client isn’t buzzing with ideas, you might want to reconsider signing on.
In this scenario, I volunteered to assist a non-profit foundation board I was familiar with in designing and implementing their first web site. The board consisted of 14 members, a fairly large number of people to work with. There are a couple of things to remember when you’re considering a client with so many voices. First, ask yourself if you’re comfortable working with so many ideas, concerns, and opinions. And secondly, even if the answer to the first question is yes, understand that you will never make everyone happy.