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Archive for the ‘Freelancing’ Category

Oh No… not another graphic design spec work article!!

Friday, July 17th, 2009

Oh No... not another graphic design spec work article!!

I know what you are thinking, this is just another article (or rant) dedicated to probably one of the hottest debates in graphic design… spec work and free pitching. Well you are wrong… sort of. I agree that we really don’t need another article based on this subject as there are so many already out there (like this one, this one and this one). All of these are great and tackle the subject in various ways and showcase a wide range of attitudes and thoughts towards free pitching. However, I am hoping this article will be slightly different and maybe question (as it has us) your thoughts towards free pitching and spec work. I thought I would share with you something that has happened to us here at Eightyone Design in recent months. (more…)

What’s your favourite part of the graphic design process?

Thursday, July 2nd, 2009

Favourite part of the design process

A client recently came to us with an excellent idea for a site and I couldn’t wait to meet with them and get stuck into designing the visual. However when I thought about building the site I could feel a mild headache coming on. This got me thinking, what’s your favourite part of the graphic design process? I realise every project is different and some projects are a pure pleasure from beginning to end whilst others are just painful from the outset. However I still think there must be one part of the process where you think “I’m really looking forward to working on that…” (more…)

How would you improve your graphic design studio or office?

Monday, June 1st, 2009

How would you improve your graphic design studio or office?

Just lately, we have been wondering how we could improve our graphic design studio to make it a more creative workspace. Whether it means adding a huge mural on the wall or simply designing some graphic art, we feel it could do with a bit of a change. After all, an extravagant and funky working space should give you an extra boost of inspiration! This led me to start looking at unusual and creative offices. Here are a few offices and creative spaces that take that concept to the extreme:

(more…)

Why is a Graphic Designer Never Satisfied?

Wednesday, March 11th, 2009

Why is a Graphic Designer Never Satisfied?

After a conversation with Amanda from Truly Ace Design on our post ‘eightyone design christmas card designs‘ (you can see the full conversation here) I started wondering if graphic designers are ever satisfied? In this blog post I look at the design industry and how it may be the cause of our endless search for satisfaction, how online networking and commenting encourages us to re-think our designs and how our eternal pursuit of perfection could just be a mere personal trait of a graphic designer. (more…)

Why did you become a graphic designer: Steve

Monday, February 16th, 2009

Why did you become a graphic designer: Steve

In the previous blog post in this series, Lu explained the route she took to becoming a graphic designer. In this follow up blog post, I will tell you how my career in graphic design came about.

Unlike Lu, I was not always destined to work in the graphic design industry. Whilst I enjoyed Art at school, I certainly was not very good at it and could never produce the pieces of work you saw in Lu’s previous blog post. Throughout my primary and secondary education I did not show any interest or skill for graphic design and I was certain that I wanted to leave school at 16 and start some sort of modern apprenticeship. (more…)

Why did you become a graphic designer: Lu

Monday, January 26th, 2009

Why did you become a graphic designer: Lu

I think I always knew I was going to slot into the art and design industry somewhere and am so pleased that I have a job I love. I can’t imagine doing anything else. In this blog post I share the route that led me to become a graphic designer and how I always knew I’d end up there.

Like most children I’d sit quite happily at a table colouring or painting away. My brother and sister got bored after an hour or so and would charge into the garden, but I’d continue until I was told it was tea or bed time. (more…)

vwcampervanblog.com featured in Web Designer Magazine

Sunday, December 28th, 2008

In this months Web Designer Magazine there is an article showcasing ‘50 trendy and inspiring blog designs’. We are very excited to have one of our own designs featured as part of the collection - vwcampervanblog.com.

VW Camper Van Blog Featured in Web Designer Magazine

This fantastic news comes hot on the heals of our double page feature in Images magazine last month for our clothing and t-shirt design work for WBR World Beach Rugby. (more…)

Eightyone Design featured in Images Magazine

Monday, December 15th, 2008

Images Magazine is a publication produced for textile screen printing, embroiders and garment decorators. It has a circulation of around 10,000 across the UK and Europe. 

Eightyone Design article in Images Magazine

We were recently featured in Images Magazine showcasing the Summer 08 collection of World Beach Rugby Clothing. The magazine discovered our blog through Google and read our post about how we created the WBR Summer clothing range. Soon enough the magazine got in contact and asked to feature the article. We were more than happy to be included in the publication and thrilled they found us through Google. (more…)

Do you produce better graphic design work under pressure? Part 2

Monday, November 24th, 2008

A few weeks ago we published a post declaring that some designers (namely Lu) produce better work under pressure (see the post Do you produce better graphic design work under pressure Part 1). The post explained how Lu finds she can produce better design work to a deadline because she is more focussed. She is not distracted by the desire to “try something a little different” or the need to discover the worlds most perfect design. She felt that when designing under pressure, nothing is driving her apart from the objectives for the project and the messages that are to be communicated from the piece.

However, in part 2 of this blog article, I discuss why I think I create better work when there is a longer deadline and the pressure is off. (more…)

Do you produce better graphic design work under pressure? - Part 1

Thursday, October 30th, 2008

As you may or may not know, Eightyone Design is made up of two designers, myself (Lucinda - or Lu) and my partner Steve. A recent project (which had an extremely tight deadline) caused us to have a (heated) discussion as to whether we produce better design work under pressure or to a distant deadline. This brought up two very different opinions on the subject so we decided to post our very different points of view.

This is the first of a two part blog post in which I explore the idea of not only working more effectively under pressure but also producing better quality work when working to deadlines. The second part of this blog post will be published in a few weeks and will see Steve delve into the arguably blissful world of no deadlines or pressure (to make sure you do not miss out on the second part of ‘Do you produce better graphic design work under pressure?’ be sure to subscribe to receive free updates from the Eightyone Design Blog by email or via RSS).

Part 1

I have to admit I quite enjoy working to a deadline. There is a certain buzz about having a great long list of items to complete before the day is out. For me there isn’t a better feeling than leaving the office knowing I’ve done a good days work. I believe that the quality of my design work is considerably better when working under pressure and here are a few reasons why… (more…)