i want to go there - how to find your path as a designer

15
Portfolio Building Workshop AIGA Upstate NY / 01.28.14 / Syracuse, NY Tina Fey Comedienne, writer I want to go there.

Upload: mitzie-testani

Post on 19-Aug-2015

398 views

Category:

Design


1 download

TRANSCRIPT

-MynameisMitzieTestaniandI’manillustratorandinteractiondesigner

-TonightIwanttotalkabouthowtofindyourpathasadesigner,andgiveyousomeadviceIwishIwouldhavegottenalongthewaytomyownpath.

Portfolio Building Workshop AIGA Upstate NY / 01.28.14 / Syracuse, NY

Tina Fey Comedienne, writer

I want to go there.

AccordingtotheHarvardBusinessReview,10yearsafterwegraduatecollege:

-20%stayinourchosenfield-Only3%remaininasimilarjobandindustry-Ararepersonlandsinthefirstjobthattheywillloveforever

-Infact,manypeoplearedisappointedwhentheyfindthemselvesdoingalotofproductionintheirfirstjob,andnotalotof“design”work

-Useyourfirstjob(s)toexperimentandtobuildbridgestowhereyoumightwanttogo

-Learnaboutbusiness,too.Theyjustcan’ttakethetimetoteacheverythinginschool(there’sagreatpostbyDavidAireyon“whatdesignschoolsarelacking.”Googleit.)

-Learnhowtofail(gracefully);it’sasaferplacethanthroughfreelancemistakes

Your First Job Doesn’t Really Matter.

Jodi Glickman Harvard Business Review

-Inmyexperience,it’syourfirstportfoliothatdoesn’treallymatter,becauseitshouldbechangingregularly

-Goalofyourfirstportfolioisonlytogetyourfirstjob(or2)

-It’ssupposedtoshowyouknowthefundamentals:typography,hierarchy,grid,composition,andunderstandingofcolor,andawidevarietyofapplications(hopefullydeepandnotjustpostersorbookcovers)

-it’sHEAVILYartdirected,itdoesnotnecessarilyshowthatyouknowhowtothinkorwhatyou’recapableofonyourown

-It’sfilledmostlywith“lessons,”not“real”applications-Togrow,trytakingonmultipleroleswheneveryoucan(whichisarealityintoday’seconomyanyway)

-Thiswillhelpyoutodiscovernichesthroughawidevarietyofprojects.Maybeyouwillworkwithahiredspecialistforfilm,animation,illustration,sound,photography,responsivewebsites,etc.)Fromthere,youwillmeetpeoplewhocanhelpyoutofindresourcesforaspecializedpath

-Inmyfirststudioexperience,wetookonahugerangeofworkandIalwaysfoundthatmyfavoriteprojectsinvolvedillustration.Butmyillustration,wastoobroadtodoitprofessionallyatthetime.Itwasagoodlessonandstartedmeonmypath.

You’re only as good as your last [project].

Paula Scher Partner, Pentagram

-Onceyouwanttospecialize,sayingnotothewrongworkwilltakesomediscipline.Anditwillbemoredifficultthefurtherentrenchedyoubecomeinthe“wrongpath.”

Butsayingyestotherightprojectseventuallypayoff:-JessHische’scareerskyrocketedaftershedidasideprojectforfuncalled“DailyDropCap”

-Ialsohaveafriendwhohasapassionforhandletteringbutwasreallyrestrictedinherjobdesigningforanenvironmentaldesignfirm-soshemadeahobbyofletteringforfunandposteditinplaceslikeletterplayground.com.Sheenteredcompetitionsforlettering.Shepostedthingsshedidforfunonherown

website.Shewasliterallycalledoutiftheblueandrecruitedforajobbecauseofherletteringportfolio.

-AnotheralumnfrommyschoolgotherstartfromsellingherworkonEtsy.Herworkgotbetterandbetterandnowshedoesalotofpublishingwork

Jessica Hische Letterer, Illustrator and Self-Described “Avid Internetter”

I am not a web designer.

Soevenifyou’renotthatgoodinthebeginning:-KeepinmindthatkidswithnoexperiencearemakinggreatYouTubevideosandindie-bandposters,silkscreenTs,websites,etc.,sodon’tletlackofexperiencestopyou

-“talentisonething,driveisanother.Acombinationofbothiswhatisgoingtomakeyousuccessful.”—HemantAnatJain

-It’sokaytoshowexperimentationinyourportfolioevenunfinishedwork(youcanputitintheback—makesureit’ssignificantenoughtoshowthedraft.Youcanmoveitupasitimproves)IwasonceaskedifIhadanything“edgier”toshow,aftershowingaLOTofwork.Theunfinished“experiments”iswhatgotmethejob.

Hemant Anant Jain

Creative Director, Albion, London

Are you making your own opportunities or making excuses?

-Howcanyourworkshowpassionifyou’renotexcitedaboutit?-It’seasiertobeexcitedandshowsome“wow”ifyouarespecializing-Plus,wouldn’titbewonderfultolovewhatyoudoeveryday?-Standupforyourpassions/yourpath,evenifyou’rebetteratsomethingelse-Ifyoucan’tgetanopportunityatwork,doitontheside.-Itmytakealotofpractice,butyoucangetthere,eventually

Craig Ward

WordsArePictures.co.uk

Passion and ideas: without those any portfolio is empty, even if it’s full.

Whydoesspecializationmatter?

-Asanewgraduate,knowthat62%of

jobsarepostedtonichejobsites

-You’llgetreallygood(importantsince

graphicdesignishighlycompetitive,

withaseeminglylowpointofentryfor

amateurs,ie:crowdsourcing,Elance,

easyaccesstosoftware&tools)

-Advantagewhenpittedagainstamore

experienced“generalist”designer

-Youcanchargemore

-Thisdoesn’tmeandoonly1typeof

project:ie:handlettererscanworkon

allkindsofprojectsfrommagazines,to

foodpackaging,clothing,wayfinding,

theaterposters,etc.,buttheirmain

focusisinperfectingtheirlettering.

-Competitionwithsimilarniche-

specialistswillbecomeasmallerpool

andsowillyournetworking

Firms that specialize, thrive.... Focus in up to two areas (in terms of...mental capacity).

David C. Baker Principal, ReCources

-Thelawofattraction:likeattractslike-Fillyourportfoliowiththetypeofworkyouwanttodo,notnecessarilytheworkyou’vedoneatyourfirstjob(s)orinschool

-Getthestuffyoudon’twanttodoagainoutofthere,soyouwon’tattractthewrongopportunities

-Themorerepeatclientswiththewrongprojects,theharderitwillbetosayno

-Youmayhavetocreateyourownopportunities(volunteer,freelance,personalproject/self-promotion)

-Thestrongeryourportfoliobecomes,themoreyourclientbasewillgrow

-Soonyouwillhaveenoughworktocustomizeyourportfolioforspecificinterviews(i.e.allwebsitesorallpublishingpieces.)

When was your last serious relationship?

40 Days of Dating www.fortydaysofdating.com

-Itmaybetemptingtoputeverythingyoudointoyourportfolio,whenyouaregettingstarted

-it’sbettertohaveasmallportfoliocomposedofafewofyourbestpiecesrathervs.abigportfoliocontainingalotofmediocrework

-Choosepiecesthatcanbegoodtalkingpointsduringaninterview.

-Keepitfresh.Asanewgraduate,yourgoalshouldbetoaddtoyourportfolioatleastevery3to

6months(obviously,bigprojectslikewebsiteswilltakelonger)

-Don’tbeafraidtocontinuallyupdateyourbestpiecesasyougetbetter

-Trytoreplaceallofyourstudentprojectsinthenext3-5years.

Jacob Gube

SixRevisions.com

A great design portfolio contains only your very best work.

-Thefirstthingyou’regoingtomiss

afterschoolwillbecritiques–

especiallyifyoufreelance

-Ifyou’renotagenerouscritiquer

now,learnhowtobe—thatincludes

listeningandregularlyparticipatingto

others’critiques

-Critiquingskillsaretheonlywayyou

willbeabletokillyourownworkthat’s

notworking(especiallyconsidering

whatyouwillhaveinyourportfolio

whenyougraduate(Remember?Lots

of“lessons”&not“real”work)

-Befriendotherswhocancritique

mercilesslyforanobjectiveopinion–

&keepintouch

-Ifyoustarttosucceed,spendyour

timeworking,notboastingaboutiton

socialmedia

-Acritiquenetworkisalsogreatwhen

youaretryingtodiscoveryourniche

andneedpracticetalkingaboutnew

workinyourportfolio

-Yourcritiquerscanincludeformer

employersyoureallyrespect(andit

canleadtofreelancewiththem)

It’s really healthy for a creative person to be...pushed.

Jacob Escobedo VP/Head of Design of Cartoon Network’s Creative Group

-Don’tbejealousofsomeoneelse’ssuccess,beinspiredifthey’vefoundtheirpath.Butremember,it’sTHEIRpath.Findyourown.

-Don’tcompareyourworktoothers’,yourpathshouldbeunique

SomemoreVictorewisdom:-“Ifyourworkappealstoeveryone,thenitmovesnoone.”

-Yourownvoicecomesthroughwhenyoumakethe

workYOUlike.-Onceyoudothis,thenlookforyouraudience

James Victore

independent artist and designer, New York

Everyone poops.

-Evenifyoubecomeamazingatyourpath&craft—youstillneedtobeabletoworkwellwithothers(whetherfreelanceoronateamordirectlywithclients)

-Explainhowyoucollaboratedonapiecewhenyouinterview

-Talkaboutyourprocess,yourroleandhaveonecompletecasestudyorsetofprocesssamplesready.Orhowaboutafullsheetwithcompletelydeveloped&differentidentityexperiments?

-Evensketchbooksaregreat(tohavewhenaskedtoshowyourprocess)

-Talkabouttheproject’schallenges-Howdidyouimpactthesolution?-Givecredittoeveryoneyouworkedwith-Makesurecreditsarelistedonyourwebsite,too

Michael LebowitzFounder & CEO, Big Spaceship, New York

We don’t believe in rock stars.

-Keepinmindthatmostpeoplewanttoseeyourworkbeforetheyseeyou–itmightevendecidewhetherornotyougettheinterview.

-Theflipbookisan“optional”interviewtoolnow-Leave-behindsarealwaysuseful,especiallyifitreinforceswhatyouspecializein.

-Ifyouwanttoworkonyourown:Googleyourfavoritedesignerwhoisonasimilarpathyouwanttobeon.Seewheretheyareactive(Etsy,Society6,Zazzle,Krop,CreativeHotlist,etc.)thiswillgiveyouanideawhereyoucantry

-Emailpastprofessorsorsucessfullformerstudentsthathavefollowedasimilarpathtoyoursandasksmartquestions(don’twastetheirtimewiththingsyoucanfigureoutonyourown.)

-Takeadvantageofcrossmarketing(linkedin&behance&AIGA)

-Entercompetitionsonceyouloveyourwork,butdon’tletitchangeyourwork(don’tcompareyourself.)

Andy FackrellExecutive Creative Director, DDB Group, New Zealand

I haven’t seen a physical book for a year. [2013]

-That’sitfromme.Thispresentationwillbeuponslidesharelater(withmynotes)

-feelfreetoemailmewithquestionsifwedon’[email protected](putAIGAUpstateNYPortfolioBuildingWorkshopinthesubjectsoIdon’tspamfolderyou!)

Thanks.

Mitzie Testani Illustrator and interactive designer / [email protected]

Your First Job Doesn’t (Really) Matter HARVARDBUSINESSREVIEWhttp://blogs.hbr.org/2011/10/your-first-job-doesnt-really-m

I am not a web designer. JESSICAHISCHEhttp://jessicahische.is/thinkingthoughtsaboutwebdesign

Why Breaking Free From Expectations Is The Key To Good DesignFREERADICALS

http://www.psfk.com/2014/01/paula-scher-pentagram-istock.html?utm_content=buffer59c4d&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer#!teFSW

40 Days of dating http://fortydaysofdating.com/about

Interview: Jacob Escobedo THEGREATDISCONTENThttp://thegreatdiscontent.com/jacob-escobedo

A dozen common mistakesDAVIDC.BAKER http://www.aiga.org/a-dozen-common-mistakes/

16 Tips to Improve Your Design Portfolio & Get HiredWEEKLYDESIGNGRINDhttp://weeklydesigngrind.com/design-portfolio-tips-and-advice/

10 Essential Tips for Creating that Killer PortfolioDESIGNSOJOURNhttp://www.designsojourn.com/10-essential-tips-for-creating-that-killer-portfolio

Breaking In BYWILLIAMBURKSSPENCERhttp://breakinginbook.com:Over100AdvertisingInsidersRevealHowToBuildAPortfolioThatWillGetYouHired

Specialization: a designer’s key to success in the future DESIGNBLENDERhttp://www.graphicdesignblender.com/specialization-a-designers-key-to-success-in-the-future

Sources