Freelancing / eightyone design / graphic design blog

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…)

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Posted in Freelancing, Graphic Design

What should a graphic designer wear?

Wednesday, October 15th, 2008

As freelance graphic designers we enjoy a lot of freedom; the freedom to work from home - in a comfortable environment, the freedom to work the hours that are suitable for us and the freedom to decline projects that we think just aren’t right for us.

One freedom I particularly enjoy, which I’ve never really noticed until now, is the freedom to wear what we want. From working at home in your favourite jogging bottoms or your fluffy pj’s to meeting clients in jeans and Led Zeppelin t-shirts, we have the choice to present ourselves as we see fit.

I usually dress quite smart, particularly if I am meeting a client (especially if it’s for the first time). It’s often the norm to find graphic designers, photographers and artists in a more casual dress code and I believe it is acceptable due to the creative industry we are in. I don’t think it compromises our professionalism or work ethic. I love the Mac vs PC adverts and think the difference in dress demonstrates the difference between a “creative” and “non creative” excellently.

(more…)

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Posted in Freelancing, Graphic Design

5 reasons you should detach yourself from your digital world

Tuesday, September 30th, 2008

I have recently given in to temptation and bought the new iPhone 3G which I have been admiring from a distance for quite a while. The main reason for wanting the phone was the ability to sync my mac calendars and email allowing me to continually be connected to the digital world (although the virtual pint is reason enough!).

I didn’t think it was too much of a problem checking and responding to emails at the dinner table or surfing the net at our local pub. However, on a recent holiday I found myself sneaking off to reply to emails and generally plug myself into my digital world at every opportunity. It wasn’t that my clients were demanding answers, they all knew we were on holiday and didn’t expect their emails to be responded too. But I felt compelled to plug in and ensure my virtual life was still there.

I’ve started to wonder if my resistance to unplug from my digital world would have a negative effect our business rather than a positive one? Here are 5 reasons you may want to think about detaching yourself from your digital world: (more…)

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Posted in Freelancing

Why does everyone think they are a graphic designer?

Monday, September 22nd, 2008

I am probably right in saying that not many people would tell a mechanic how to fix your car, or lecture an electrician how to re-wire your house, so why does everyone think they can tell a graphic designer how to design? Friends and family all constantly give me creative advice and critique my work, which I don’t mind at all, but sometimes I do have to grind my teeth and say the classic “That’s a great idea, but perhaps not quite right for this project” line.

Don’t get me wrong I have no problem taking criticism, especially from my clients as I will never understand their markets as well as they do, so creative collaboration and co-operation is fine in that respect. I also fully appreciate that as humans we are all creative beings in our own right and each have an individual sense of style. However I can’t help but think that graphic design as an industry is one that everyone thinks they could dip their toe into if they wished, therefore devaluing the whole industry. So, why do a lot of people think they could be a graphic designer and have the right to hand over golden nuggets of creative advice? Possibly for the following reasons… (more…)

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Posted in Featured Articles, Freelancing, Graphic Design

Why? Because I said so!

Monday, June 9th, 2008

You can either love them or hate them, but you have to agree that without them you’d have no business and no money to purchase all those sparkly and wondrous things us designers like to purchase. Personally I love them I find juggling their juxtaposed objectives and messages intriguing yet challenging, and it makes my job all the more interesting, if not a little stressful at times.

Who am I talking about? well that’s our beloved clients. Unlike us they are new to the design world and can need reigning in or enlightening. Either way they can be known to request some things that drive us designers crazy. Here’s a couple of our favourites:

Client: Can my logo be a photograph?

Designer: Sure… but do you know how that photo will look when it’s been faxed and reduced to the size of a stamp?

Client: OK, we’ll just use some clip art instead then?

Designer: Err…no?

(more…)

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Posted in Freelancing, Graphic Design

The Many Hats of a Graphic Designer

Sunday, April 27th, 2008

Let’s say a client has come to you (as a graphic designer) asking you to create a brochure containing a range of design elements. Is it the graphic designers job to draw any illustrations used in the brochure or is that down to an illustrator? What about the photography? Should it be the graphic designer who takes photographs for the project or should that fall into the hands of a photographer. How about the copy? Should that be written by a copywriter? The obvious answers to all of these are no, they are not the job of a graphic designer and in each case they should be handed to the specialists. So, if that is true, what is the graphic designers job? In this case the graphic designer could be seen as overseeing the whole project ensuring that everyone involved is working towards the same goal set out by the client. However, just to put a spanner in the works, couldn’t a marketeer or the client themselves manage the project if they have a clear understanding of what they are trying to achieve and what they need to do to achieve it? (more…)

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Posted in Graphic Design

How to write a graphic design brief

Friday, March 28th, 2008

When you are starting a new project which requires help from a graphic designer it’s important that the client supplies a full and healthy brief. This brief shouldn’t merely be a shopping list of requirements:

1 x logo
1 x A4 brochure
1 x business card

The brief should inform the designer about the company and its values as well as the objectives of the project. Amends to artwork take up valuable time and can incur extra costs. To ensure that projects are delivered on time and on budget check out the following tips: (more…)

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Posted in Graphic Design

Necessary Design

Thursday, October 25th, 2007

We all stand back in awe when we see a particularly fine piece of design and the creator usually receives a great deal of credit for their masterpiece, whether it be illustration, animation or graphic design. Everyone likes this type of jaw dropping design work, it’s inspiring and exciting.

Even us designers forget that design is all around us and take for granted the time and effort that goes into the design work that isn’t as jaw dropping, sexy or exciting. Every time we read something that flows well or flick through a book that we can navigate with ease, we are enjoying good design work that we don’t give any credit to. Magazine layout, telephone directories, NHS leaflets, technical documents etc.. they are all important documents, and it is important to get the design right, but do we give the mac operators, the layout artists, magazine production artists a pat on the back? No, it’s very rare that these designers get the respect and recognition they deserve. (more…)

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Posted in Graphic Design

The Great Copyright Question!

Monday, September 17th, 2007

There are a great deal of question marks hanging over the subject of Copyright. It clearly is a small, grey minefield. However according to a Computer Arts survey 50% of designers claim they are familiar with copyright, but if this is true why does it have such a hazy and mystifying aura, especially within the online (MySpace) and digital realm?

Copyrights protect your creative property and falls into five basic categories: (1) reproduction rights (2) derivative rights, the right to create adaptations of an original work (3) distribution rights, the right to sell a work (4) display rights, and (5) performance rights. For designers and illustrators, reproduction and derivative rights are the most important copyright rights.

Graphic designers often face a problem of copyright theft. Many graphic designers spend much time, thought and energy creating material to be submitted with proposals to corporate clients. It has been known for the client to receive the graphic designs, and have them developed with a cheaper competitor and give no compensation to the author of the graphic designs.
When you create a work you automatically own the copyright to that work for your lifetime. You don’t have to publish the work or register it to own the copyright. You can write “cease and desist” letters telling someone to stop using your copyrighted work even if the work has not been registered. You can file for a copyright at any time, but you cannot legally file an infringement of copyright action unless you have registered the work in question. (more…)

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Posted in Freelancing, Graphic Design

Burning the Midnight Oil

Monday, August 20th, 2007

After recently reading an article in “Computer Arts” entitled “Burning the Midnight Oil” I felt forced to put pen to paper in utter agreeance. The article, written by Jason Arber, focusses on how erratic us designers are, how we may well have flashes of inspiration at Midnight and will follow these through to the early hours of the morning, whilst the rest of civilisation lay in slumber. All because we live for what we do - design.

Not only that, but we do sometimes except the impossible, for example a client that gives us a tight deadline. The urge to impress accompanied with the desire to win the business forces us to agree to ridiculous time-scales. Arber regards these late night endurance tests as a designers right of passage as at least one time in a designers life (and probably a lot more) you will be forced burn the midnight oil. (more…)

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Posted in Freelancing