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ARTS15 2013 PRINTED IN THE UK £7.99

Kick-start your career

Land your dream job

Studio survival

Climb the career ladder

Earn more money

Changing direction

Essential resources

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w.com

puterarts.co.uk

P r e s e n t sP r e s e n t s

Design CareerDesign Career


Your definitive guide to making your mark in the design industry

100 pages of expert tips and pro advice for carving a successful career in design,

whether you’re just starting out, climbing the career ladder or looking to switch disciplines.

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Your definitive guide to Making Your Mark in the design industrY

COMPUTER ARTS I design m

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4 computer arts presents: The DeSIGN CAReeR hANDBOOK

06 KicK-Start your career

08 Design your career path10 Learning on the job11 Craft a winning graduate résumé12 Finesse your graduate folio14 Boost your job search with social media15 Case study: Louise Ormerod16 22 world-class agencies18 Be more employable21 Case study: Tom Mac22 Design career lifecycles

26 Land your dream job

28 Outstanding applications31 Websites to help your search32 Make your CV sparkle34 Nail every interview36 Case study: Chris Morris37 What they’re really asking38 Skype interviews39 Case study: Michael Bierut40 Is the offer right?

WelcomeIt’s tough to be a designer in 2013: budgets are tighter, studios smaller and the job market more competitive than ever before. Meanwhile, the evolving digital landscape is fast changing any ‘traditional’ career path almost beyond recognition.

So how can you get ahead? To make your mark on the design industry you need to keep one eye on the bigger picture while navigating the minutiae. Whether you’re just starting out, climbing the career ladder or looking to switch disciplines entirely, this special issue from the makers of Computer Arts brings you all the expert advice, tips and guidance you need to get your next big break and carve a successful career in design.

julia SagarEditor, Computer Arts Presents

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5computer arts presents: The DeSIGN CAReeR hANDBOOK

Contents

42 Studio SurvivaL

46 Tricky situations48 Dealing with a bad boss50 When to say no51 Design studio etiquette52 Design a winning workspace

52 Grow your deSiGn career

54 Map your next move56 How to get promoted58 Get more from LinkedIn59 Improve your portfolio60 Work on bigger projects61 Case study: Lee Davies62 Boost your popularity64 Case study: Karan Singh65 Survive management66 Beating stress68 Evolve your freelance career70 Joining forces71 Case study: Leandro Castelao72 Work better as part of a team

74 earn more money

76 Supercharge your salary78 How to negotiate79 Case study: Kate Lester81 Supplement your income

84 chanGinG direction

86 Reinventing your career88 Give your CV a facelift89 Case study: Jose Gomez91 Four ways to retrain92 How to sell your studio

94 eSSentiaL reSourceS

96 Essential resources for design career success

97 Introducing the rest of the Computer Arts Presents series

ARTS15.contents.indd 5 7/25/13 8:27 PM

26 computer arts presents: The design career handbook

ARTS15.ch2_dream.indd 26 7/25/13 3:28 PM

Win your dream job on a budget


Land your dream job

Land your dream job

t here might be more designers than jobs in the creative industries, but don’t bin your Pantone swatch book just yet. There will

always be opportunities for talented creatives: you just need to know where to look for them. Whether you’re a freelancer, full-time designer or recent graduate, with the right mix of craft, graft and design savvy, an opportunity to land your dream job will eventually present itself. And when it does, you need to be ready to grab it with both hands.

In this chapter we explain how to make your dream job a reality. From where to look and how to utilise the power of word of mouth to perfecting your CV, what to wear and nailing those awkward interview questions, the following pages will ensure you’re in the best position to win your dream job.

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ARTS15.ch3_nightmare.indd 42 7/25/13 3:46 PM


studio survival

studio survival

a wkward office moments – they happen. Maybe you’ve been sucked into studio gossip or accidentally hit send on an

inappropriate email; perhaps you didn’t realise the conference call had started when you made that joke – or the issue might be more serious.

From bullying bosses to credit-stealing creative directors, the studio can be a minefield of potentially thorny issues, so in this chapter we bring you some expert tips for safely navigating these sticky scenarios. Of course, we can’t stop you getting into uncomfortable situations in the first place. But we’ve covered most of the classics here, so whatever tricky encounter you next discover yourself in, you should find a solution over the following pages.

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52 computer arts presents: The design career handbook 52 computer arts presents: The design career handbook

ARTS15.ch4_evolve.indd 52 7/26/13 12:31 PM

53 computer arts presents: The design career handbook 53 computer arts presents: The design career handbook


climb the career ladder

Climb the career

ladderW hether you’re climbing the rungs of the

design industry in-house, or want to grow your reputation as a freelance creative,

you need a solid game-plan. Long and short-term goals will help shape your career, and there are countless other things you can do to improve your professional standing along the way.

This chapter covers everything from how to distil your creative interests into an action plan of achievable goals, to what to do to survive your first month in management. By the time you finish, you’ll be brimming with inventive ideas to propel your creative career forward.

ARTS15.ch4_evolve.indd 53 7/26/13 12:31 PM


Earn morE monEy

ARTS15.ch5_money.indd 74 7/25/13 11:43 AM

Earn morE monEy


G iven the rocky global economy, you might not be expecting a salary increase any time soon. Earning potential probably wasn’t

your number-one reason for pursuing a career in design anyway – at least you have a job, right?

Wrong. Now that the worst of the recession is over, full-time vacancies are on the rise, and so are salaries. And as the digital economy continues to expand there are even more opportunities to improve your marketability.

Yes, competition is fierce. But if you want a bigger pay cheque there is action you can take; starting with ensuring you’re being paid what you’re worth in the first place. From how to develop the most in-demand skills to the fine art of negotiating a pay rise, the following pages are packed with top tips for increasing your earning power.

Earn more money

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98 computer arts presents: The DeSIGN CAReeR hANDBOOK

EditorialJulIA SAGAR editor [email protected]

JO GullIveR art editor [email protected]

luKe O’NeIll Illustrator [email protected]

IAN eveNDeN production

Contributorsmichael Burns, rob carney, nick carson, tom Dennis, Kerrie Hughes, Karen Lewis, sammy maine, Damian mcGee, terry Lee stone, Garrick Webster, anne Wollenberg, paul Wyatt

Cover printer philtone Text printer William GibbonsPaper solarispress 75g text Cover precision special Gloss 250gsm Typefaces Idler, Helvetica neue (t1)

advErtising0207 042 4122Charlie Said ad sales [email protected] laura Watson senior sales [email protected] Tozer account manager [email protected] Arthurs senior sales [email protected]

MarkEting Philippa Newman Group marketing manager [email protected] Geary marketing executive [email protected]

Print & ProduCtion Mark Constance production manager vivienne Turner production co-ordinatorNola Cokely ad production manager

CirCulationJames Ryan Direct marketing [email protected] Foley trade marketing [email protected] Richard Jefferies International account [email protected]

liCEnsingRegina erak Licensing director [email protected]

FuturE Publishing liMitEdDeclan Gough Head of creative and design Nial Ferguson managing director of technology, film and gamesDan Oliver editor-in-chiefPaul Newman senior editorSteve Gotobed Group art editorRobin Abbott creative directorJim Douglas editoral director

subsCriPtions0844 848 2852 www.myfavouritemagazines.co.uk

distributEd byseymour Distribution Ltd, 2 east poultry avenue, London ec1a 9pt tel: 0207 429 4000

FuTuRe PuBlIShING lTD, 30 MONMOuTh STReeT, BATh BA1 2BWPhONe 01225 442 244 FAx 01225 732 275eMAIl [email protected] www.computerarts.co.uk

© Future publishing Limited 2013. all rights reserved. no part of this magazine may be used or reproduced without the written permission of the publisher. Future publishing Limited (company number 2008885) is registered in england and Wales. the registered office of Future publishing Limited is at Beauford court, 30 monmouth street, Bath Ba1 2BW. all information contained in this magazine is for information only and is, as far as we are aware, correct at the time of going to press. Future cannot accept any responsibility for errors or inaccuracies in such information. readers are advised to contact manufacturers and retailers directly with regard to the price of products/services referred to in this magazine. If you submit unsolicited material to us, you automatically grant Future a licence to publish your submission in whole or in part in all editions of the magazine, including licensed editions worldwide and in any physical or digital format throughout the world. any material you submit is sent at your risk and, although every care is taken, neither Future nor its employees, agents or subcontractors shall be liable for loss or damage.

We are committed to only using magazine paper which is derived from well managed, certified forestry and chlorine-free manufacture. Future publishing and its paper suppliers have been independently certified in accordance with the rules of the Fsc (Forest stewardship council).

PAul WyATTWriter and creative directorWith several awards to his name, paul produces branding, websites, video documentaries and DVD creative for clients such as Virgin media, the BBc, studio canal and cadbury.www.paulwyatt.co.uk

ANNe WOlleNBeRG JournalistHaving shunned office life, oxfordshire-based anne writes for Computer Arts, Computer Arts Collection and many other publications. she occasionally leaves the house in search of more biscuits. www.annewollenberg.co.uk

TeRRy lee STONe Writer and strategistLos angeles-based terry is a writer and creative strategist who teaches the business of design at art center college of Design and at Lynda.com.www.terryleestone.com

TOM DeNNIS Design writer and editorex-Computer Arts staffer tom has been writing for the magazine and its sister titles for more than five years, editing, commissioning and interviewing the likes of neville Brody, stefan sagmeister and David carson.

Special thanks to... A selection of contributors to The Design Career Handbook

GARRICK WeBSTeR Design writer and editorGarrick is a freelance editor, journalist and copywriter who is also a previous editor of Computer Arts. His interests include crime fiction, comic books, tropical fish and ice hockey. www.memories-book.co.uk

Future produces high-quality multimedia products which reach our audiences online, on mobile and in print. Future attracts over 50 million consumers to its brands every month across five core sectors: technology, entertainment, music, creative and sports & auto. We export and license our publications.

Future plc is a public company quoted on the London stock exchange (symbol: Futr).www.futureplc.com

Chief executive mark Wood Non-executive chairman peter allen

Chief financial officer Graham Hardingtel +44 (0)207 042 4000 (London)

tel +44 (0)1225 442 244 (Bath)

Contributors

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