Smh...

Recently it feels like people are just doing graphic design because they see some people doing it and getting money for it. But quite honestly a lot of these people wont be getting anywhere because they just don't have the eye for it.

I totally know what's going on in there minds because before i found design I was wasting my time doing music production which I didn't have the 'ear' for, I improved to a certain point then made no progress. It was a bit annoying cus I did spend out on sound font's and midi equipment etc but I knew I wasn't going anywhere so I moved on. I was messing around with photoshop whilst I did music prod. Wasn't anything serious but as I got hang of the program more, i could do better stuff, and things just escalated from there.

Two months into messing with photoshop and setting up a myspace just for the hell of it I had people hitting me up like 'How much for...?' I never thought of it as a way to make money but hell, my prices were cheap and acted as a small reward to the time I spent on someone elses work. Then I got decent and started seeing people with no skill asking for around $200 for a myspace layout I wouldn't wipe my arse with, whilst I was making them for $40 and actually putting time and thought into it. Yeah they weren't gobsmacking back then but hey I improved fast! I got told my prices were a little too affordable by other designers and some clients so I upped them. Now its toasty :]

Yeah everyones first pieces come out crap, so they have to be given a chance, but those people who don't improve month after month its like, dont waste your time man, your talent isn't here, it's somewhere else, go find it! Not in a harsh way, but out of experience I guess cus I wish i never messed with production. I could have got into this sooner, before I chose college courses, I could have spent time learning at college but I couldn't cus music prod. was my dream back then.

There's ways to tell if someone generally has the creative eye or not. My Ways:

• Can get perspectives right in first pieces - I see this as simple as, common sense, not necessarily something learnt because we see everything in perspective, we live in a world thats kept in perspective lol, you should be able to tell what looks right with perspective without trouble. If your can't then switch off your computer and go take a look out your window... you stupid!

• Is able to use colors right - meaning doesn't but a guy in a pink jacket in the middle of everyone else who'se wearing dark colors. Doesnt put someone whose all lit up in a dark street stock.

• Shows attempts to blend - attempts because you have to learn the program to know how to actually blend properly.

• Doesn't follow the rest, comes up with there own creative ideas - too many people download photoshop, look at some covers and attempt to re-create them, which turn out fucking hiddeous!

• Is there biggest critic and doesn't react badly or put there defences up when they recieve negative critism when posting there work in a forum for feedback - happens all the time. Extremely competative area of work, can't take some negative critism? Think everyones hating on your because your work is blatanly whack? Then go sit in a corner and read a book cus you will not last.

Truth is every 13-20 year old with an internet connection will most probably have a copy of photoshop on there computer. Some will use it just for simple stuff not trying to be a designer, others will take no notice of it cus of its complexity, whilst others will see people earning from design and throw themselves in the deep end starting by making a cover for example. Just the clever few will have opened up photoshop, had a click around, thought 'oh this is pretty cool' closes it and comes back to it another day. Again clicks around, learns via trial and error, learns the very basics, gets past the fad of using default styles and filters, starts creating decent, promising stuff and goes from there.

Don't linger where you have no improvement, move on to find your tallent.

What dya think?

Designers are suddenly superhuman!

I feel like i have to write this...

Graphic Designers are not mind readers.
Too often people say "I want this, here's the money, let me know when you're done." No information, no brief, no chosen colors, fonts etc. Wow... we're not mind readers, we don't know you, therefore we have no chance of getting it right for you. Give pointers, give information and you'll get a piece of work that's more 'you'.

Graphic Designers do have a life.
We're not on the computer 24/7. We do have family and friends to spend time with also. If a certain turn around time is mentioned or if the client pays for an order to be completed quicker/jump the que etc then fair enough but if we haven't completed the work on the time you want, that's not our fault. Especially if you didn't ask about turn around time.

Graphic Designers do get ill.
Yep unfortunately. We also can get run over by a bus. If we haven't been in contact with you or made any contact via status', bulletins etc then we may have fallen very ill or what not. Most of the time i'm sure we'll try to contact you however when you're ill you know its hard to be sat infront of the computer, nevermind actually having to use a brain that's basically dead.


Graphic Designers are not miricle workers.
Yes programs allow us to do a hell of a lot but a 500x500 pixel picture cannot be turned into a 1500x1500pixel picture just like magic, with no grains, pixel loss etc. So of course photoshoot quality pictures are ALWAYS best, camera phone pictures will be turned down unless you have the 8mega pixel camera on it. Also I dont want to get technical but DO NOT give a picture with less than 150 DPI on it! 300DPI + is always best! If you're serious then you should have a press kit which contains a photoshoot anyway.


Graphic Designers are not slaves.
"Do me some work and ill promote you" erm... no thanks. I don't care if you're Jesus, you're not getting free work from me. If you don't have a budget set out for artwork then you're not serious, goodbye.


Graphic Designers are generally nice people.
Don't piss us off for no reason. Haters, we love you because you promote us without even asking for free work. All publicity is good publicity.


Graphic Designers need to be careful with other designers.
By all means network with others, we can help each other. But seriously I see designers who are usually beginners with a top friends space (myspace) full of other designers. I mean seriously... do i have to tell you why that's just stupid?

Design is so unappreciated

The thing which made me want to write this layout is because I saw a comment on a clients myspace page (which I recently did the layout for) asking about who did the design for it. That person then left another comment saying something like:

"You have to pay? F**k that i'm not paying for a layout"

That and the stupid amounts of emails/messages I get everyday asking for free work just makes me think about how people take design; which is all around us, for granted. They actually think that the people who sit there, racking there brains coming up with creative ideas, then putting the hours in behind a screen actually should do all that for free.

I mean all these people who ask me for free work are nobodies. Fair enough they're making music or whatever, giving out free music AND trying to sell mixtapes with covers I wouldnt wipe my arse with for over $5. Not worth it mate. You're not going anywhere as a musician for a few reasons.

1. You can't handle business
2. You take take take without giving
3. You try to bribe you're way through
4. No matter how good your lyrics are, I doubt anyone would pick up your CD at a store for the simple fact that it looks worse than used toilet paper.
5. People click the X when they go to you're myspace because YOU think that filling your profile with 1000 videos, 500 pictures, makes you seam good and don't realize that a slow loading stretched page is complete and utter BS.
6. And because you're a complete and utter dip shit because you haven't realized the following things.

Hah. I'm not speaking about every artist. I have worked with many unsigned/indie artists who are good at business, know that style/swagga now includes the internet not just prada and gold, and actually have decent music on offer.

I can't imagen the amount of messages, these pro designers get, off the low lives who think OUR TIME COMES FREE. Hell no it doesn't, at least most designers actually have tallent whilst 70% of the urban music scene is complete balls.


If you're serious in getting heard within the industry you will already know, to make money you gotta spend money. If it don't make dollars it don't make sense, therefore spending 5 minutes on paint doing your own cover that looks like crap won't make eyes pick it up, but spending some cash on a properly designed cover will catch those eyes who wouldn't normally look. Think about it.