Reclaim the humble pencil and get sketching. Try to look elsewhere first for your inspiration before checking out the ideas that have gone before. The dullest people are those who can only discuss one subject. Sitting next to the person who talks about her doll collection all evening is never pleasant. Dull people tend to have limited life experience, or they are genetically predisposed to being boring. Designers who only read design books and publications may be well versed in multiple design ideas and noted designers, but like the doll collector, dull.
Design is about ideas. Almost any subject aside from design can be informative. A book on quantum physics may inspire a new way to envision information. Books about history can help us rethink proportional systems. A fiction book may be written in a minimal way and teach us to communicate more succinctly. Most importantly, books force us to question, have introspection, and reconsider our lives. If we are true creative people, this is not a simple, nice addition to our process; it is the core of a good process.
Google is a wonderful tool to search for a good local Chinese restaurant, 18th-century Virginia history, and software tips. Google is a poor substitute for actual scholarly research. Libraries are a better resource.
A well-trained librarian is a human Google. He or she can help direct a designer to the correct area of interest. Searching for information on Google is like wearing horse-blinders. For example, a search for Cecil Beaton will lead to multiple sites about Beaton. Some of these may be well researched and correct, others may be completely fictional. This search, however, will lead only to Beaton. Scanning books on the shelf of the library will result in accidentally stumbling on Irving Penn, Ansel Adams, or a multitude of other photographers previously unknown.
Research is compiling verifiable data from multiple credible sources. A website about Beaton created by a fifteen year old for a high school project is none of these things.
Visual trends are created and followed, only to be replaced with a new theme a short time later. When these trends arise there is a chance that, with designers taking the same approach, work of a similar concept or appearance will occur. It stands to reason. Be honest and you will take greater satisfaction in what you do—your work will be appreciated more because it is original! John the designer is looking forward to working with his new client and arrives in good time for the briefing.
Two weeks later John arrives to present his concept for the brochure. The moral of this sad tale—always get a written brief. The end. That written brief is a real plus at the start of any project, but more often than not it can throw up more questions than answers. I often receive briefs verbally and take notes but again, there is always a need to ask further questions of the client.
The obvious is usually stated, such as schedules and budgets or sometimes not but questions that often arise may include assignment of responsibilities between client and designer, budget structure, and billing terms.
If you are working for a client who has commissioned graphic designers before, the protocols and division of responsibilities are likely to be well understood. But when you receive a new brief, it is vital that you put in writing what you will deliver and by when. Get the deliverables established and confirm with them in writing what they will receive so their expectations are met and there is no disappointment or frustration in the relationship.
So, to avoid dispute, confirm the crucial question of how much a project will cost. In addition, if you are preparing a quotation, make sure that all elements of the prospective job are included: corrections; print management, meetings, commissioning of photography and illustrations, and so on.
If the client understands what they are paying for from the outset, then all will be well. Despite the fact that designers possess a creative side, and we all enjoy our vocation, it is our job and we have to make a living from our efforts.
As such, there is no point in working on a project and not getting paid enough or worse, making a loss. There will be occasions when a client comes to you with what promises to be an exciting project but with little in the way of budget and, as you read the brief or discuss with the client what needs to be done, it becomes clear that their expectations exceed their bank balance. I find discussing options and differing formats will often deliver a solution that works for both parties.
If you work in a design management role or indeed as any part of a team, then please read on. This one is more about being prepared to relinquish control over aspects of a project that other people can handle as well as or better than you.
This attitude can do far more harm than good to a project and is unlikely to produce a better result. Designers have a tendency to challenge themselves. Therefore, almost every project will be more challenging than expected. Even the simplest projects tempt us to rethink and reimagine possibilities. If a person wanted to repeat projects without challenging themselves it would be preferable to take on a career in a poultry factory.
Rarely does a project have too much time. A designer will work on something until it is dragged from his or her hands. A good rule of thumb is to honestly calculate how long it will take to do a project, then triple it. I was sure I had another week to go before I had to hand this in.
It is a mistake to believe you are dressing to express your creativity and that these choices only reflect on you. We dress to show our respect for those around us.
If we are meeting with a group of friends at the local tiki bar, it is reasonable to dress for the occasion to fit in with the group. Wearing a giant teddy bear suit will make most friends uncomfortable. The same is true when meeting clients, or working at the studio.
The clothes reflect the respect shown to the client or employer. This works in both directions. But there are some dos and don'ts that always figure in any heated debate about what one should or should not accept as the right way to create the best graphic design. Packed with practical advice, but presented in a light-hearted fashion, the advisory rather than dictative approach means designers can take or leave the advice presented in each rule as is typical of most creatives with their own strong views on what does and does not constitute good design practice.
Individual entries will either bring forth knowing nods of agreement or hoots of derision, depending on whether or not the reader loves or hates hyphenation, has a pathological fear of beige, or thinks that baseline grids are boring.
Thou Shall Not Use Comic Sans is the must-have collection of the best advice that any graphic designer should have at his fingertips, with each entry combining a specific rule with a commentary from a variety of experienced designers from all fields of the graphic design industry. Grouped into six, color-coded categories—typography, color, layout, imagery, production, and the practice of design—but presented numerically and in mixed groups, the reader can either dip in at random or use the book as the source of a daily lesson in how to produce great graphic design.
This product is available to U. Offers advice and commentaries on the fundamental rules of graphic design. Is this your first exhibit project? You will find step-by-step instructions, useful advice and plenty of examples. Are you a small museum or local historical society looking to improve your exhibits?
This book will take you through how to define your audience, develop a big idea, write the text, manage the budget, design the graphics, arrange the gallery, select artifacts, and fabricate, install and evaluate the exhibit. Are you a museum studies student wanting to learn about the theory and practice of exhibit development?
This book combines both and includes references to works by noted authors in the field.
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