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rocksteady1983 · Dec 19, 2011

Thought I would pass along this fantastic site for some fonts.

http://www.losttype.com/browse/

Anyone else know sites like this and not so much like dafont.com?

Bgamer90 · Dec 19, 2011

rocksteady1983 said:
Thought I would pass along this fantastic site for some fonts.

http://www.losttype.com/browse/

Anyone else know sites like this and not so much like dafont.com?

Nice! Thanks.

cbox · Dec 20, 2011

bluerei said:
If there is a design you like the least, you're doing it wrong.

Well unfortunately, working in the real world means you have to sometimes make sacrifices; and, while my quality of work does not diminish, my thoughts on the final product do.

Eight Diagram Bat Fighter · Dec 20, 2011

ConvenientBox said:
Well unfortunately, working in the real world means you have to sometimes make sacrifices; and, while my quality of work does not diminish, my thoughts on the final product do.

Unfortunate that you're tied to the design practices of your real world where you have to sacrifice things.

(._.) · Dec 20, 2011

I have some experience with graphic design. Pretty much all self taught and I focused mainly on boxart designs, movie posters, and typography. Will post some of my work for c/c. I would like to get back into it.

RDreamer · Dec 20, 2011

bluerei said:
If there is a design you like the least, you're doing it wrong.

You've never done a bunch of preliminary designs and just not really liked one of them? Seems weird. I suppose I'd never put one I didn't like in a lineup outside of school where they force you to have X number of designs, but I'd still find myself liking one design more sometimes. Sometimes a design is just more inspiring. Sometimes a design just speaks to you more. Sometimes you start one or two designs and get them good and they'd work just fine. Then you start on another one and it just clicks and works on another level to you, but you still want to show all the options. I don't think that's doing it wrong.

bluerei said:
During one of your slides where it's the one of the planets, you completely lose your navigation and logo. Black text on black background does not mix.

I like that part. If that wasn't the first slide it wouldn't make sense, but I think it works really well as a quick intro. It minimizes the distractions and throws you right to where you're supposed to be reading. Then the next slide introduces the rest of the site.

cbox · Dec 20, 2011

bluerei said:
Unfortunate that you're tied to the design practices of your real world where you have to sacrifice things.

Care to explain your reasoning and disagreement with me...?

RDreamer said:
You've never done a bunch of preliminary designs and just not really liked one of them? Seems weird. I suppose I'd never put one I didn't like in a lineup outside of school where they force you to have X number of designs, but I'd still find myself liking one design more sometimes. Sometimes a design is just more inspiring. Sometimes a design just speaks to you more. Sometimes you start one or two designs and get them good and they'd work just fine. Then you start on another one and it just clicks and works on another level to you, but you still want to show all the options. I don't think that's doing it wrong.

Sometimes you need to add in something that a high paying client, or shareholder, or higher power wants in order to keep them happy, or say - if seniority or bad attitudes get in the way. I'm now in a position where I get to make those final decisions, but I was once at the bottom where despite your best efforts, whatever the client says, you do. If someone thinks I'm doing it wrong, they need to smell the roses.

Eight Diagram Bat Fighter · Dec 20, 2011

ConvenientBox said:
Care to explain your reasoning and disagreement with me...?

Sometimes you need to add in something that a high paying client, or shareholder, or higher power wants in order to keep them happy, or say - if seniority or bad attitudes get in the way. I'm now in a position where I get to make those final decisions, but I was once at the bottom where despite your best efforts, whatever the client says, you do. If someone thinks I'm doing it wrong, they need to smell the roses.

I'm just talking about designers in general, but that's called pride. Which isn't entirely bad, but if you're doing it for a paycheck, then you need to stop caring so much about what you think looks good and do the job they pay you for. Designers like that are the worst to work with and many have been fired from the jobs I have worked at because of that attitude and the constant fighting or back talk with their bosses. If you're the one in charge, you don't have to settle all the time with what the client wants. Work with them, not just for them.

They hired you to do a job they can't do. They hire you for your creativity. If they are going to crap all over everything and micromanage you and second guess you at every turn to the point where you're not happy with what you give them, then drop them. Are you a design service studio or a creative studio? There is a big difference between the two and if you're the latter and not satisfied with what you're giving them, then absolutely you are doing it wrong.

RDreamer said:
You've never done a bunch of preliminary designs and just not really liked one of them? Seems weird. I suppose I'd never put one I didn't like in a lineup outside of school where they force you to have X number of designs, but I'd still find myself liking one design more sometimes. Sometimes a design is just more inspiring. Sometimes a design just speaks to you more. Sometimes you start one or two designs and get them good and they'd work just fine. Then you start on another one and it just clicks and works on another level to you, but you still want to show all the options. I don't think that's doing it wrong.

No. Just because you have to work around the limitations that the client gives you doesn't mean you have to rank your designs from best to worse. Give them options, not a scale.

Each one of those options can and should work for the final look, so you should be happy with every style. If you're not satisfied with the options you give them, then there is something wrong on your end.

RDreamer said:
I like that part. If that wasn't the first slide it wouldn't make sense, but I think it works really well as a quick intro. It minimizes the distractions and throws you right to where you're supposed to be reading. Then the next slide introduces the rest of the site.

You like the part where the site can't be navigated because of the black background and black menu system with the black logo? Not to mention that this is a site for Interactive branding and design. The navigation is the most important part of a site. That should never go away unless the user wants it to. And the user should never want that.

RDreamer · Dec 20, 2011

bluerei said:
No. Just because you have to work around the limitations that the client gives you doesn't mean you have to rank your designs from best to worse. Give them options, not a scale.

Each one of those options can and should work for the final look, so you should be happy with every style. If you're not satisfied with the options you give them, then there is something wrong on your end.

No one said anything about not being satisfied with the options you're giving them. There's a difference between having one design you like least and handing in a design you dislike. As I said in my post I probably wouldn't hand over a design I actively disliked. That'd be stupid. But I'd be lying if I said I never ever had a favorite direction. Sure, all the options work and all the styles work, but one might resonate especially well with you, and you might personally think it works a bit better. That's fine.

bluerei said:
You like the part where the site can't be navigated because of the black background and black menu system with the black logo? Not to mention that this is a site for Interactive branding and design. The navigation is the most important part of a site. That should never go away unless the user wants it to. And the user should never want that.

Now, I'm not the site creator, but I'd say his intention isn't for you to navigate the site right off the bat. There's a quick few seconds where he highlights exactly what you're supposed to read by making everything black and essentially hiding the navigation for a second. It works and I like it for that initial few seconds. The problem does come in when it cycles back to it. THEN it is a big problem. You don't want to take away navigation after that initial splash. So, I suppose I should have said I like the idea behind it, but yeah I'd agree with you that it probably needs to go.

Vorg · Dec 20, 2011

Guys is there a major difference between Corel Draw and Illustrator? Never used Illustrator.

gimz · Dec 20, 2011

so i just received a call this morning and asked to go to an interview tomorrow
I'm wondering to designer, what clothes do you usually wear to go for an interview for a creative post? the job im going for is Multimedia Designer

John Rabbit · Dec 20, 2011

bluerei said:
If there is a design you like the least, you're doing it wrong.

actually, if all you're doing is producing designs that you like you're doing it wrong.

sometimes what the client wants is not what you prefer, it's what you can do with their vision. i've designed several things that personally, i do not find appealing, but they satisfied the client and in that regard i'm proud of the work.

Vorg said:
Guys is there a major difference between Corel Draw and Illustrator? Never used Illustrator.

ostensibly no. corel fans will swear corel does things adobe programs can't, adobe fans will bitch how the one person on the marketing team who uses corel instead of indesign gives everyone a headache.

gimz said:
so i just received a call this morning and asked to go to an interview tomorrow
I'm wondering to designer, what clothes do you usually wear to go for an interview for a creative post? the job im going for is Multimedia Designer

business/business casual. slacks, button-up shirt, nice shoes, no tie. i've had interviews go weird because i showed up in a tie and jacket and the entire team i'd be working on is in jeans and polos (because they're "creatives"). sometimes its a total shot in the dark. hip, younger design firms/teams don't follow the typical office attire guidelines whereas older people in positions of management or HR are looking for someone who can dress nicely. i find that not wearing tie strikes a good balance between looking good for the office but not appearing stuffy.

that said, in a perfect world you'd be judged on what you said and your portfolio.

Eight Diagram Bat Fighter · Dec 20, 2011

Rabbitwork said:
actually, if all you're doing is producing designs that you like you're doing it wrong.

sometimes what the client wants is not what you prefer, it's what you can do with their vision. i've designed several things that personally, i do not find appealing, but they satisfied the client and in that regard i'm proud of the work.

I said happy and satisfied with your work that you deliver to the client, not what you would like as if it's your own personal project. People who do it the way you're talking about tend to fall into a style they can't get out of and have no clue how to adapt to different styles of designing and because of that unfamiliarity, they don't like their work or what they submit.

xxracerxx · Dec 20, 2011

gimz said:
so i just received a call this morning and asked to go to an interview tomorrow
I'm wondering to designer, what clothes do you usually wear to go for an interview for a creative post? the job im going for is Multimedia Designer

I would wear nice pants, button up shirt, and a simple tie (no plaid, etc, just solid color).

Rabbitwork said:
business/business casual. slacks, button-up shirt, nice shoes, no tie. i've had interviews go weird because i showed up in a tie and jacket and the entire team i'd be working on is in jeans and polos (because they're "creatives"). sometimes its a total shot in the dark. hip, younger design firms/teams don't follow the typical office attire guidelines whereas older people in positions of management or HR are looking for someone who can dress nicely. i find that not wearing tie strikes a good balance between looking good for the office but not appearing stuffy.

See I feel that dressing nicer than you think they require should always be standard over trying to gauge a company before meeting them. I am not saying to wear a jacket with your suit, but wear a tie at least. Especially since ties are anything but "stuffy."

The Albatross · Dec 20, 2011

Buckethead said:
A client recently made me ugly up a site I made.

I'm still super salty about it.

Can I vent to you GAF?

Story of the 2 sites I did last year. One of them I just wanted to be paid for it, so I went along with it and removed it from my portfolio. The other one ended up alright, but still ugly.

Alfarif · Dec 20, 2011

The Albatross said:
Story of the 2 sites I did last year. One of them I just wanted to be paid for it, so I went along with it and removed it from my portfolio. The other one ended up alright, but still ugly.

I'm not a graphic designer, but I can sympathize with this. I shot a commercial for a client that completely threw out every idea we storyboarded and wanted to do something pretty damned boring and static. I'm not putting it on my portfolio for that reason.

Anyway, sorry, just wanted to do a "I know that feel" post in here. Still subscribed, still reading, still loving what you guys do.

victreeb3l · Dec 20, 2011

ive just had horrible luck with two major clients this past month and ive lost so much money because of it >_<

one of them is a guy with an incredible ego. i designed a site for him but he insisted on making some changes of his own, resulting in the design looking like utter shit. the other person just keeps having random moodswings. one minute, im talking to the nicest person in the world, and then the next im being accused of fraud because they forgot the terms on the contract

both of them were completely unorganized and unprofessional. i kept getting angry emails in the morning about missed deadlines when updates were sent ahead of time in both emails and basecamp. i kept my cool despite being blamed for things i havent done and personal insults. i left midway through both projects and only kept a small deposit despite doing a massive amount of work.

i always hear horror stories about clients but these two were the first time i ever had to deal with this. whats worse is that they both came at the same time

/vent. maybe ill just take it easy until the end of the year and start fresh on 2012 as im incredibly discouraged at the moment

Eight Diagram Bat Fighter · Dec 20, 2011

effingvic said:
ive just had horrible luck with two major clients this past month and ive lost so much money because of it >_<

one of them is a guy with an incredible ego. i designed a site for him but he insisted on making some changes of his own, resulting in the design looking like utter shit. the other person just keeps having random moodswings. one minute, im talking to the nicest person in the world, and then the next im being accused of fraud because they forgot the terms on the contract

both of them were completely unorganized and unprofessional. i kept getting angry emails in the morning about missed deadlines when updates were sent ahead of time in both emails and basecamp. i kept my cool despite being blamed for things i havent done and personal insults. i left midway through both projects and only kept a small deposit despite doing a massive amount of work.

i always hear horror stories about clients but these two were the first time i ever had to deal with this. whats worse is that they both came at the same time

/vent. maybe ill just take it easy until the end of the year and start fresh on 2012 as im incredibly discouraged at the moment

Want a good book to cheer you up? http://www.amazon.com/Clients-Hell-collection-anonymously-contributed-designers/dp/0982473931/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1324368831&sr=8-1

cbox · Dec 20, 2011

bluerei said:
I'm just talking about designers in general, but that's called pride. Which isn't entirely bad, but if you're doing it for a paycheck, then you need to stop caring so much about what you think looks good and do the job they pay you for. Designers like that are the worst to work with and many have been fired from the jobs I have worked at because of that attitude and the constant fighting or back talk with their bosses. If you're the one in charge, you don't have to settle all the time with what the client wants. Work with them, not just for them.

They hired you to do a job they can't do. They hire you for your creativity. If they are going to crap all over everything and micromanage you and second guess you at every turn to the point where you're not happy with what you give them, then drop them. Are you a design service studio or a creative studio? There is a big difference between the two and if you're the latter and not satisfied with what you're giving them, then absolutely you are doing it wrong.

No. Just because you have to work around the limitations that the client gives you doesn't mean you have to rank your designs from best to worse. Give them options, not a scale.

Each one of those options can and should work for the final look, so you should be happy with every style. If you're not satisfied with the options you give them, then there is something wrong on your end.

I've worked for both and inside of major corporations, and you can't drop a client there. I never propose a mockup I hate, and whenever I do have a line up they're all my best work, but sometimes you just have to make others happy. I've had my designs ripped apart by inexperienced designers and art directors, who only have the power because they had been there longer and for some reason, had final say. It's an ugly world sometimes.

John Rabbit · Dec 22, 2011

bluerei said:
People who do it the way you're talking about tend to fall into a style they can't get out of and have no clue how to adapt to different styles of designing and because of that unfamiliarity, they don't like their work or what they submit.

this is...entirely the opposite of what I said.

in fact i was emphasizing the importance of being able to design outside of a personal "style" and still satisfy the client and yourself. a good designer should be able to apply their talent to an aesthetic despite their personal feelings about it. they should be able to understand what it takes to attain a specific look (fonts, colors, effects, layout, etc) without it being something they're "used to".

if anything, a good designer would welcome challenges like that.

ConvenientBox said:
I've worked for both and inside of major corporations, and you can't drop a client there. I never propose a mockup I hate, and whenever I do have a line up they're all my best work, but sometimes you just have to make others happy. I've had my designs ripped apart by inexperienced designers and art directors, who only have the power because they had been there longer and for some reason, had final say. It's an ugly world sometimes.

add salespeople, marketing directors, product engineers, etc to that list. my favorite is when i get a PDF back with commented changes like "this font doesn't work" "change this color" "move this over here" and they all break like 90 different rules of design.

xxracerxx · Dec 22, 2011

Rabbitwork said:
my favorite is when i get a PDF back with commented changes like "this font doesn't work" "change this color" "move this over here" and they all break like 90 different rules of design.

You can break the "rules of design," you know, and still have a great piece of design.

Devolution · Dec 22, 2011

xxracerxx said:
You can break the "rules of design," you know, and still have a great piece of design.

Gotta know the rules in order to break them but it can be done.

xxracerxx · Dec 22, 2011

Devolution said:
Gotta know the rules in order to break them but it can be done.

Well of course, but I hate the notion that you have to follow all these meticulous rules or it isn't "good design." It isn't like you are going to be breaking these rules all the time and on every project but I hate by the numbers design when it becomes a habit. I find experimenting to liven up personal design so refreshing and rewarding.

Salvor.Hardin · Dec 22, 2011

Is there any must-read widely acclaimed book about graphic design that I can pick up? And in that vein, anything about industrial design too.

RDreamer · Dec 22, 2011

Rabbitwork said:
add salespeople, marketing directors, product engineers, etc to that list. my favorite is when i get a PDF back with commented changes like "this font doesn't work" "change this color" "move this over here" and they all break like 90 different rules of design.

I had a marketing class where every Friday the teacher had each person bring in an ad for the class to discuss. We'd pass them forward and then he'd go through them and we would get a chance to talk about and critique each ad. For like 90% of the ads that were brought in inevitably someone would say "They need to make the logo bigger!" and for another 70% they'd say "Make the product bigger!" The few designers in the class would look around at each other confused and wide eyed as the rest of the class basically agreed that any logo should take up almost the entirety of the page. They also had some other brilliant design ideas.

onadesertedisland · Dec 22, 2011

I dislike the idea of a design 'rule', unless we're talking about mechanical specifications etc.

While a grid creates a clean design, using them restricts creativity. You begin thinking where would this go rather than going in with an open mind and trying things.

I definitely think that design is a talent that can be taught, but that natural designers seem to be more fluent in the language.

noah111 · Dec 25, 2011

So i'm no graphic designer or anything (yet?) but a FB friend approached me and asked if I could help him whip up a little logo for his startup 'firm' (music mixing).

He wanted something he could place over images (ala watermark/.png transparent bg) and professional looking with cursive.. Before he told me the cursive bit I made these;

I'd like some criticism. I think it's a bit too much and not simple enough, especially with that pine logo. Also wonder if it's too much inconsistency with the 'pine' versus 'star' styles.

Anyway, he requested something similar in respects to the text wrapping around/with the logo, but with a cursive font instead. Also wants some tabbaco brown/faded dark green color in there..

So I made this (hate it tbh), best I could do with the cursive shit;

Advice/anyone want to take a shot?

noah111 · Dec 26, 2011

No one? Ended up sending this, but now he wants no logo and just "crazy fx on the text itself". Ideas/tips?

Kinda getting tired of this, just doing a favor for a friend who knows no one with PS 'skills', so i'd appreciate people's help.

iNvid02 · Dec 26, 2011

i hoard fonts like there is no tomorrow

noah111 · Dec 26, 2011

So.. what's the difference between typographic design and graphic design. Like the Coca-Cola logo for example, simple cursive but stylized for those specific characters/words.

Not really sure what to do since it's more typographic in nature now with him wanting simple cursive with more jazz, instead of a logo design etc. Hmm, where's graphic gaf's advice when you need it.

MrBig · Dec 26, 2011

Sentry said:
So.. what's the difference between typographic design and graphic design. Like the Coca-Cola logo for example, simple cursive but stylized for those specific characters/words.

Not really sure what to do since it's more typographic in nature now with him wanting simple cursive with more jazz, instead of a logo design etc. Hmm, where's graphic gaf's advice when you need it.

Sit down with him and talk about style, show him a bunch of fonts, and customize a typeface that is specific to his wants. Once you whittle it down to what looks good send him one or multiple choices.

I don't have professional experience but that's my initial process for designing something for anyone.

kehs · Dec 26, 2011

Sentry said:
So.. what's the difference between typographic design and graphic design. Like the Coca-Cola logo for example, simple cursive but stylized for those specific characters/words.

Not really sure what to do since it's more typographic in nature now with him wanting simple cursive with more jazz, instead of a logo design etc. Hmm, where's graphic gaf's advice when you need it.

Even though you're doing logo revolving around a typeface, it's not typographic design.

When you get into doing typography you have to think about letters functioning under different scenarios and the entire alphabet at a set.

noah111 · Dec 26, 2011

MrBig said:
Sit down with him and talk about style, show him a bunch of fonts, and customize a typeface that is specific to his wants. Once you whittle it down to what looks good send him one or multiple choices.

I don't have professional experience but that's my initial process for designing something for anyone.

Unfortunately he's half way across the earth, but I've tried as much through FB. Tried to talk to him about style and gave him a bunch of fonts.

He wants 'fancy above all', and 'simple, cursive, professional'. But tbh cursive to me is the opposite of simplicity or professional, especially for a start up company it seems tacky.

I'm gonna try to go with my gut more and give him what I think he wants rather than working off his requests, which kind of at this point are leading no where (he doesn't really know what he wants?).

But seriously, thanks for the advice.

Copernicus said:
Even though you're doing logo revolving around a typeface, it's not typographic design.

When you get into doing typography you have to think about letters functioning under different scenarios and the entire alphabet at a set.

I know, that's my point. It's not typographic design at all, it's just some graphics/logo stuff but not typography, so I can't exactly produce a new form of cursive just for his liking at this point.

He saw some of my logo work on the side and knows i'm into basic PS shit (high school friends) and confronted me on FB for some help giving his startup 'company' a little p'zaaz.

I'd love to study typography in the future though, i'm not even a pro at illustrator tbh.

yencid · Dec 26, 2011

Sentry, I like the first one the best. I dont know why but for me music production doesnt strike me as something that should go with cursive.

dmshaposv · Dec 26, 2011

Salvor.Hardin said:
Is there any must-read widely acclaimed book about graphic design that I can pick up? And in that vein, anything about industrial design too.

I would suggest reading this book: http://www.amazon.com/dp/0714839949/?tag=neogaf0e-20

Paul Rand is, in my opinion,one of the most diverse graphic designers. Having tried many different styles over the years and creating some of the most iconic corporate identities.

Forget IBM, UPS, NeXT, AT&T and all that well-known stuff. Just seeing his style evolve over time is a joy. He was also as witty with copy text as with graphics/illustration.

Kikarian · Dec 27, 2011

Sentry said:
So i'm no graphic designer or anything (yet?) but a FB friend approached me and asked if I could help him whip up a little logo for his startup 'firm' (music mixing).

He wanted something he could place over images (ala watermark/.png transparent bg) and professional looking with cursive.. Before he told me the cursive bit I made these;

I'd like some criticism. I think it's a bit too much and not simple enough, especially with that pine logo. Also wonder if it's too much inconsistency with the 'pine' versus 'star' styles.

Anyway, he requested something similar in respects to the text wrapping around/with the logo, but with a cursive font instead. Also wants some tabbaco brown/faded dark green color in there..

So I made this (hate it tbh), best I could do with the cursive shit;

Advice/anyone want to take a shot?

He will be toning the opacity down, as it's a watermark. So take that into consideration, as the font is striking and sharp at parts. I would do cursive, but space the letters out a bit. Also, find a different cursive font.

zlatko · Dec 27, 2011

JasonMCG said:
Awesome thread - subscribed!

I work at an agency in Denver. I'm a full-time designer and handle all the in-house motion design.

That's cool. I'm out in Denver, up in Thornton, and this is what I'm picking as my major at CCD for college. I'll try to finish up my associates this year to get the Graphic's Design degree.

HAL_Laboratory · Dec 27, 2011

ConvenientBox said:
Graphic and web designer here, for about 8 years now. Love it.

I've worked for worldwide corps and small startups, and for myself. When I'm not at work, I'm freelancing so I'm busy maybe 80% of the time.

I'm a diehard PC user and will always use a PC - Discussions with young gd's get heated when I get involved lol. Though I will use a mac if I have to. I have a wacom but I actually work faster with my 10yr old dell mouse, which amazes me sometimes. Maybe I need a bigger tablet.

Ditto on every point. Except now I'm working mostly in illustration and my Intuos is getting a lot of use.

Battlezone · Dec 29, 2011

So I've been busy lately, and haven't had a chance to contribute as much as I'd like-good conversation going on in here, though.

So, I got a dribble invite for Christmas this year. Anybody here on it? I've only published one thing so far, and I just posted it today, but I'm not really following anyone, so if you're on there, let me know, and I'll follow you:

http://dribbble.com/blackartdirector

ThatObviousUser · Dec 29, 2011

Anyone here use Forrst? Since the above post mentioned Dribbble, Forrst is like an alternative... sort of... It's easier to get feedback with, I think. But it's more of an upstart site.

I think it's pretty great.

noah111 · Jan 1, 2012

yencid said:
Sentry, I like the first one the best. I dont know why but for me music production doesnt strike me as something that should go with cursive.

Yeah, I agree. He stills wanted something 'fancy' so I ended up producing this;

And then this, since he had to cling on to the productions text;

Nothing too great, but I like how it turned out personally. Thoughts?

(PS. For a watermark, I just made something simple for him to use instead; http://f.cl.ly/items/3P100v1l1J0s2e2v2o3i/PS_watermark_B2.png)

also, I know this is barely graphic design or even typographic design but i'll post it here regardless.

exhume · Jan 5, 2012

So what are the best things to include in a resumé when applying for design jobs? How many pieces of work is a good number, is it a good idea to include things like backup sketches or school grades, should stuff like old non-design-related jobs eg. retail be included?

I had one art director guy tell me not to bother with a work history if it wasn't design related and to include more stuff that showed what I was like as a person eg. photos, a big cover letter etc. But that seems to go against what I've learnt from other people and experience finding work in the past.

RDreamer · Jan 5, 2012

exhume said:
So what are the best things to include in a resumé when applying for design jobs? How many pieces of work is a good number, is it a good idea to include things like backup sketches or school grades, should stuff like old non-design-related jobs eg. retail be included?

I had one art director guy tell me not to bother with a work history if it wasn't design related and to include more stuff that showed what I was like as a person eg. photos, a big cover letter etc. But that seems to go against what I've learnt from other people and experience finding work in the past.

I wouldn't include any of your actual work on a resume, if that's what you're asking. Have a portfolio online or something that you can link to, and have it referenced in the resume. For the most part a lot of the people that might be hiring you aren't going to look at your work anyway, and it just bulks up the resume. I think normal resume rules still apply. Keep it short, but impactful, so you don't want to send them an actual portfolio as a resume.

Personally, I included my previous jobs for a while when I didn't have experience in an actual place. I didn't get many callbacks. I doubt this was because I included those, but more because I didn't have enough experience doing design full time. Now that I'm at a place I can list off a few things I've done and I cut out the rest of my experience altogether. It hasn't hurt me one bit, since I'm getting way more callbacks now. So if you have some freelance things ,and you've worked somewhere, skip the retail experience.

So, basically send a nice cover letter where you mention your skills and a bit about what you're like and why you should get this job, then a one page resume listing what you've done design wise with a reference to your portfolio in a spot that it can be easily accessible would be best.

Futureman · Jan 5, 2012

anyone have a good recommendation for a Mac keyboard to work with After Effects, Photoshop and Premiere Pro?

I just have the standard wireless one that came with my iMac. Looking for full size so I can take advantage of keyboard shortcuts.

Flek · Jan 5, 2012

Andrex said:
Anyone here use Forrst? Since the above post mentioned Dribbble, Forrst is like an alternative... sort of... It's easier to get feedback with, I think. But it's more of an upstart site.

I think it's pretty great.

yeha iam on forrst and if one (good) gaf designer wants to be there to - i do have earned me 1 invite =)

or if someone could invite me to dribble i could invite him/her to forrst. Because i still don´t know how to get invited to dribble?

Battlezone · Jan 5, 2012

I totally lucked into my Dribbble invite. I've connected with a bunch of designers on Twitter and Facebook, and one of them offered up one of their invites on Facebook at almost the exact time I logged in.

If I get any invites once I'm more active on the site, I'll be sure to share them here, if anyone's interested.

cbox · Jan 6, 2012

I just joined forrst and put up my nutella graphic... turns out a member on the site saw it on spreadshirt and let me know. Someone stole me design and has been selling it for 20 bucks a shirt...

Sent an email to spreadshirt to immediately take it down. *sigh*

temp · Jan 7, 2012

So what's the best font manager for Windows? Suitcase Fusion? MainType?

Flek · Jan 7, 2012

ConvenientBox said:
I just joined forrst and put up my nutella graphic... turns out a member on the site saw it on spreadshirt and let me know. Someone stole me design and has been selling it for 20 bucks a shirt...

Sent an email to spreadshirt to immediately take it down. *sigh*

haha turns out the poster on forrstr was me. Design world - so small

Vespa · Jan 8, 2012

Can anybody recommend a book (or site) on layout? Something with an emphasis on arranging text with illustrations. I'm a fan of Tum Muller's work, especially the stuff he does with Ashley Wood:

Also something for poster designs, I assume they have their own 'language' for design?

I'd love to know why the arrangement of text on something like this works:

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