Interview with a Designer of Brand Identities; Rich Scott

Oct 24, 2011 by admin    No Comments    Posted under: Designer Interviews, Graphic Design Tips

Rich Scott is a full time graphic designer for his own company designabot.net, which has worked with global clients. Rich mostly works with smaller companies and/or startup businesses.

We got a chance to interview Rich, because he was generous enough to take out time to answer some important questions for DesigningTips.com readers. Continue reading below for graphic designer interview along with some valuable design tips.

DesigningTips.com - Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and how did you end up being a designer?

Rich Scott - I am a thirty one year old designer originally from Australia who moved to the UK at the age of seven. After much travelling I have resettled back to the place of my birth.

I always loved to draw as a kid, deciding early on that I had to follow my passion and be creative in some way. Graphic design seemed like an interesting avenue to follow because it encompasses all forms of art. I had a short spell working for an animation company and stints with design firms but always liked the idea of time/life freedom and thus set up my own design business four years ago.

DesigningTips.com - Is it necessary to go to design school to learn how to be a good designer or is it enough to “attend the school of hard knocks?”

Rich Scott - Honestly I would say it is not necessary to attend design school. I studied graphic design and photography for two years at college then completed a three year degree specializing in graphic design. I think design school gave me a solid grounding and introductory insight into the design industry. Now, with the growth of the internet and design inspiration being so widely accessible, I believe anyone with passion, drive and skill can succeed no matter his or her background.

DesigningTips.com - What are the key elements of a good design? Is good design a function of creativity … of sound experience … or both?

Rich Scott - Concept is king when it comes to any form of design. The vision is what’s important whether you are designing a logo or a car. Being able to communicate your vision to the audience is vital I feel.

DesigningTips.com - Is there any real difference between designing a brochure/pamphlet/logo, room in a home and clothing for a beautiful woman?

Rich Scott - Not much difference really apart from the time taken to complete…from reading a brief/initial sketching to viewing the end product can vary dramatically depending on the scope of the project. Also how you go about tackling them may be different but the same design rules apply.

DesigningTips.com - How do you work on your design projects? I mean, what design software, applications and design tools do you use the most for your projects?

Rich Scott - My design process varies depending on the project. The majority will start with research, brain storming then sketching. However if an idea immediately pops into my head I will jump straight into Adobe Illustrator and begin creating with vectors. Currently I am using cs5 and would say 80-90% of my artwork is produced in Illustrator, with Adobe Photoshop being used mainly for presentation purposes.

DesigningTips.com - Are there ever times when design changes are radical?

Rich Scott - Yes, usually driven by the client. Sometimes a logo and branding system is almost complete then the client will do a complete backflip and desire something entirely different. This is rare and can be a little frustrating but at the end of the day the customer is always right… Ain’t that right? : )

DesigningTips.com - Can you tell us about your design portfolio and clientele (people you have worked with & for)?

Rich Scott - I have worked with a variety of great clients across the globe. I tend to design for smaller companies or business start-ups. Some of my clients include; Maria Andros (www.mariaandros.com), HydroTerra (www.hydroterra.com.au), Reputeer (www.reputeer.de), Ombros Consulting (www.ombros-consulting.com), Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (www.aacbt.org.au), Level Four (www.levelfour.com.au). I also collaborate regularly with Dan Johnson of Spin My Logo (www.spinmylogo.com) and Samuel Nilsson (www.envelope.se).

DesigningTips.com - Any design tips you would like to share with freshers just starting out in the design industry?

Rich Scott - The key for graphic designers starting out in the industry is to be creative and original. With such a vast array of talent ‘out there’, it can be quite over whelming trying to compete with established professionals. It’s up to freshers to believe in themselves, never give up and try to evolve their own design styles. I hope that helps!

Graphic Designer Interview: Janak Desai

Oct 4, 2011 by admin    No Comments    Posted under: Designer Interviews, Graphic Design Tips

Janak Desai, logo design and animation pro who runs a design studio at www.DesignStudioSB.com was recently published as the featured designer over at 99designs.com blog.

Interestingly, Janak has won about 44 design contests at the 99designs and is on a roll with his awesome design skills.

We got an exclusive chance to speak with humble Janak Desai who belongs to India, and were able to get insight of an off-shore graphic designer along with some useful design tips. Read on..

DesigningTips.com – Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and how did you end up being a designer?

Janak Desai – As you know, my name is Janak Desai and I am from India. I completed Advanced Animation Course in MAYA and started my career as a 3D Animator. I was very much interested in post production work of video editing and composting. Besides working as an animation artist, I also jumped into video editing and VFX course. While working on projects of animations, I was also able to make full videos with composting and editing whereas only thing missing was sketches of the logo for logo animation. I used to seek help from other 2D designers, who used to create logos and other design elements of animation for me.

When I started working independently, designing logos and other designs in vector were a challenge for me. I went through some struggle in this part of designing, however learned quite a lot from the online tutorials, e-books & design tip sites. I became skilled in designing logos, graphics elements etc with the help of reading and started taking brand design projects. Now I am a complete graphic designer along with an animation artist.

DesigningTips.com – Is it necessary to go to design school to learn how to be a good designer or is it enough to “attend the school of hard knocks?”

Janak Desai – I don’t think so. I did not learn designing in any design school or institute. But I will definitely like to point out that I had a lot of knowledge of designing being an animation artist. So that obviously helped in sharpening my skills.

I wouldn’t say that you don’t have to attend graphic design school to become a skilled designer however, only going to a design school and learning designing won’t make you a creative designer. You will have to learn a lot, independently of course, work on different projects and also learn from others.

DesigningTips.com – What are the key elements of a good design? Is good design a function of creativity … of sound experience … or both?

Janak Desai – Good design is a package of skills + understanding + appropriate visualization. Experience is helpful for-sure; however you have to attain certain level to use that experience.

DesigningTips.com – What inspires you, and your designs?

Janak Desai – You have to be creative every time and everywhere, not just in designs. If you think creative and act creative, you will be creative automatically when you are working on your design projects. Being creative inspires me the most!

DesigningTips.com – Is there any real difference between designing a brochure/pamphlet/logo, room in a home and clothing for a beautiful woman?

Janak Desai – I think it’s almost similar. I haven’t felt anything different while working on design projects.

DesigningTips.com – How do you work on your design projects? I mean, what design software, applications and design tools do you use the most for your projects?

Janak Desai – It all starts from your research. If I am able to find useful inspiration and proper material, I mix all the stuff, visualize and then sketch down the ideas. After that I start with Adobe Photoshop, and Illustrator.

DesigningTips.com – Are there ever times when design changes are radical?

Janak Desai – A lot of times

DesigningTips.com – Can you tell us about your design portfolio and clientele (people you have worked with & for)?

Janak Desai – I have worked with a variety of clients around the world. All have different needs and diverse choices. Sometimes clients make me learn. And, I have ended up with quite a few awesome designs that I could never imagine before. Sometimes you have to make something which you don’t like but your client insists on working and you have to design it. I rarely put those designs in my portfolio.

DesigningTips.com – Any design tips you would like to share with fresher’s just starting out in the design industry?

Janak Desai – Don’t be afraid of the graphic design industry. Don’t start your career in this industry if you are forced to be a designer. If you like being creative and love designing then you will definitely grow in this industry with your passion. No specific design tips as such, just be yourself & love what you do!

You can find more about Janak Desai from his website here and his 99designs profile here.

Meet Erik Johansson; Professional Graphic Designer from Sweden

Sep 10, 2011 by admin    No Comments    Posted under: Designer Interviews, Graphic Design Tips

Today we have Erik Johansson with us from Sweden, a professional print, graphic designer and re-toucher who has worked with brands like Microsoft, Google, IKEA and many more.

Continue reading below for detailed interview session and some remarkable design tips.

DesigningTips.com – Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and how did you end up being a designer?

Erik Johansson – My name is Erik Johansson. I’m a professional photographer and designer (retoucher) from Sweden. I mostly work on personal and commercial projects. For me photography is just a way to collect material to realize the ideas in my mind. I get inspired by things around me in my daily life and all kinds of things I see, I always try to make sketches of the ideas I get. Every new project is a new challenge and my goal is to realize them as realistic as possible.

It all started out as a hobby, but after publishing some of my graphic design work online I started receiving requests for commissioned work as well.

DesigningTips.com – Is it necessary to go to design school to learn how to be a good designer or is it enough to “attend the school of hard knocks?”

Erik Johansson – I am mostly self-taught. I think that some people just have it in them. There are both good and bad things about not going to art school. I think I have learned the design tools on my own, perhaps not the fastest and best way always. But at least no one can tell me how it should be.

DesigningTips.com – What are the key elements of a good graphic design? Is good design a function of creativity … of sound experience … or both?

Erik Johansson – There are so many rules to follow, but I don’t really care to follow most of them. I do what I think looks good. I don’t know much about composition and rules, perhaps that is a good thing for me. Music has always been very important for my creativity and inspires me a lot, in every possible manner.

DesigningTips.com – What inspires you, and your designs?

Erik Johansson – I get inspired by all sorts of things. Things I see in my daily life or when I just think of something differently. I think I get more inspiration from drawings than photos, for example: Dali, Rob Gonsalves, Escher, Shaun Tan. But I also get inspiration from things in my daily life and I always make sure to take note or quick sketch each time an idea pops up.

DesigningTips.com – Is there any real difference between graphic designing (brochure/pamphlet/logo), interior designing (room in a home) and fashion designing (clothing for a beautiful woman)?

Erik Johansson – All designs are different. I think it depends more on the creative freedom given in each project. I prefer being involved as much as possible in the creative process even when it’s commissioned projects.

DesigningTips.com – How do you work on your design projects? I mean, what design software, applications and graphic design tools do you use the most for your projects?

Erik Johansson – First I have to come up with an idea, which can take a lot of time. It can take anywhere from a few days to several months or sometimes years. To find the perfect spot is another hard thing and it has to take time. When I’ve found different locations and materials, I just need to photograph it and put it together. For my personal projects, I always want to shoot everything myself. I think I get more control that way but it also limits me somehow. I only use Photoshop CS5 to put my photos together.

DesigningTips.com – Are there ever times when design changes are radical?

Erik Johansson – Well, for commissioned projects I always try to keep the client involved, even when the design is far from over. I think that way I save a lot of time and changes.

DesigningTips.com – Can you tell us about your design portfolio and clientele (people you have worked with & for)?

Erik Johansson – I have only been freelancing for a few years but I have worked with some really interesting clients. Most of my clients are advertisement agencies in Sweden but I have also been working with Microsoft, Google, IKEA and I might have something coming up with a big artist or label in the near future.

Your readers can view my latest design project here: http://youtu.be/cTKU9_dqVUg

DesigningTips.com – Any graphic design tips you would like to share with fresher’s just starting out in the design industry?

Erik Johansson – Trying is the best way of learning. Try to find your own style and what you’re good at. When you’ve learned the design tools, it’s just your imagination that limits you.

You can find more about Erik Johansson from his website here.

Make a Statement With Spotless Graphic Designs; Cristiano Siqueira

Aug 26, 2011 by admin    No Comments    Posted under: Design Firms, Designer Interviews, Graphic Design Tips

We know it’s been a while since we last interviewed a professional graphic designer for you, however, we do think the wait was worth this one. Today we are bringing to you Cristiano Siqueira from Brazil, a graphic design artist  and illustrator who has had the pleasure of associating with brand-names like Microsoft, Nike, Gillette etc etc.

Continue reading below for some amazing design tips and a detailed interview session.

DesigningTips.com – Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and how did you end up being a freelance graphic designer?

Cristiano Siqueira – I’m an illustrator working from my home office in Sao Paulo, Brazil. I’m 31 years old… Well, it’s really hard to talk about myself; I don’t think I have anything interesting to say about myself!

Okay let’s try this one time: I like football, I like to go out with friends to drink beer and talk useless things, however at times I also talk about some other things, like career, life, Oh and I’m married I don’t have kids, pets, plants, just a small apartment a Wacom tablet and a Mac.

I took some time to realize that I could work as a graphic designer. My educational pattern was a technical course of communication design, based in traditional art, painting, drawing, sculpture and I had some talent in that field. So, I thought I could be a painter or another sort of artist in the future, after further studies, of course. During that time (1996) a “Designer”, for me, was more like an architect or a professional with years and years of experience. Nowadays, people learn Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and call themselves a “Graphic Designer”. I wish that it was so easy to be one 15 years ago, but it wasn’t. So, with acknowledgment I got in school, the only job I found was of an assistant of another assistant in a small graphic design studio. I got accepted there because I was good in drawing and the employees wanted me to draw few things at the studio, like hand drawn lay-outs, sketches of characters, logotypes, etc.

Once I started at the design studio, daily routines turned out to be quite different than planned. I didn’t make any drawing, as I’d thought and seated in front of a computer with the Adobe Illustrator 7 and asked to redraw scanned logotypes to be applied in books and other stuff. So that’s how I first came in contact with Illustrator. Days and days of redrawing logos made me good with pen tool I think… (Laugh out loud) and that’s how I got promoted to another section, to cut background images from a picture in Adobe Photoshop.

Of course I had problems performing simple tasks, since I didn’t know anything about Photoshop and Illustrator, but I think I have an obsessive (and maybe morbid?) quality for perfection and I took this task as a challenge, studied Photoshop and Illustrator every day, trying to use something more than pen tool. Someone at the design studio suggested me to start colorizing my own hand drawn works in Photoshop and I did it, getting some of the unexpected and out of the world results. With these great outcomes, the directors of the design firm realized that I could do a lot more than cutting off images and that’s how I got to work on my first design project. And this is how, following step by step, with many success and failures, I ended up being a “Graphic Designer”.

Almost 6 years later, after working as a designer for books, CD covers, packaging, etc… I finally started my career as an Illustrator artist. Initially, working for children books and packaging design (with the partners I had from the graphic design jobs), later for magazines and advertisements. The first year as freelance illustrator was really bad, very few projects and that too well underpaid. I had a good experience in graphic design industry however I didn’t know how an illustrator could work like that; the first year was much more of a learning curve.

I found a lot of information on internet blogs, different web-forums, and while interacting with experienced design professionals. I found the SIB (Brazilian illustrators association) and while networking with graphic artists on board, I learned more on how the illustration industry worked, with the knowledge about quotations and contracts. The second year was way better, a lot more design projects and much better payments. I also started sharing my work on different design portals like DeviantArt and of course on my own website. Since then, the ball kept rolling and I kept myself working on new projects and upgrading day by day.

DesigningTips.com – Is it necessary to go to design school to learn how to be a good graphic designer or is it enough to “attend the school of hard knocks?”

Cristiano Siqueira – In my opinion, yes! It’s good to study, to become a graphic designer and even after starting out. The designer needs to keep taking lessons because a lot of new things related to design industry keeps coming around and the creative artist needs to stay up-to-date. For basic development, I think it’s essential.

To be a good designer, one needs to know the basics of his work for example; Composition, color theory, typography, illustration, photography, gestalt, semiotics.

According to me, good designer is a professional who is able to manipulate the graphical language to transmit ideas and concepts. You can only be successful at this, if you study design basics and learn from the past experiences of other design professionals and researchers. All of these things can be learned at a good design school.

DesigningTips.com – What are the key elements of a good design?

Cristiano Siqueira – Key basics of a high-quality design are; good and clear communication, the efficient use of graphical elements to support the communication, high technical level of execution and creativity.

DesigningTips.com – Is good graphic design a function of creativity … of sound experience … or both?

Cristiano Siqueira – I think good design is a realistic portrait of a communicative intention. I mean, the design is good when it can translate an idea, concept or message from an image that can be successfully received by targeted audience. To be precise, when people can actually understand what you really want to say!

DesigningTips.com – Is there any real difference between graphic designing (brochure/pamphlet/logo), a room (office space/bedroom) and clothing for a beautiful woman?

Cristiano Siqueira – Sure, each request has its own language, common codes and references. While using the key elements of a good design I just stated above, you need to use the right basics to be efficient in your communication, and the right elements can be found by studying the language of the different uses, however they all are quite relevant or similar works.

DesigningTips.com – How do you work on your graphic design projects? I mean, what design software, applications and design tools do you use the most for your projects?

Cristiano Siqueira – Primarily, I like to draw some simple sketches on a sketchbook which is always lying next to me. This is just to clarify ideas and concepts. I get on to the computer only when I have something more understandable in mind. So I draw more sketches on computer, even by using my Wireless Wacom tablet and Photoshop or Illustrator (for vectors). From start to finish, the process is drawing, painting and getting references to actually draw what I really don’t know to depict. Sometimes these references are photos, and at times are 3D renders. So, basically my tools are: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, wireless Wacom tablet, Poser, and digital camera to take high-quality reference pictures.

DesigningTips.com – Are there ever times when design changes are radical?

Cristiano Siqueira – In my designs you mean? Well, of course… either by client request, or at times by my creative self. My objective is to get a good design work to my client, and in order to get the best results, I can change or modify everything from the start. I think it’s better to change everything while you are working and are in the process rather than at the end.

DesigningTips.com – Can you tell us about your graphic design portfolio and clientele (people you have worked with & for)?

Cristiano Siqueira – Sure, I can tell you everything about my illustration portfolio since this is the field I’m good at… I had the pleasure to work for: Microsoft, Nike, Gillette, BBDO NY, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners.

I’ve been working with the major publishers here in Brazil, such as: Globo and Abril, along with companies such as MasterCard Brasil, Azaléia, etc.

You can always get to know more about my design portfolio from my website here.

DesigningTips.com – Any graphic design tips you would like to share with freshers just starting out in the design industry?

Cristiano Siqueira – Just keep studying and taking care of the excellent work. Clients come and go, but your creativity should stay. Try to make a statement with your neat and spotless graphic designs.

Creating Brands for Over 20 Years; Rudy Hurtado

Aug 16, 2011 by admin    1 Comment     Posted under: Designer Interviews, Graphic Design Tips

Rudy Hurtado was born in a family of doctors where his parents, aunts and uncles were all busy earning livelihood from their medical profession. Rudy was born in Leon Mexico, and studied Industrial/Graphic Design from Universidad La Salle before moving to Toronto. Canada.

Eagle Logo explained; being born in Mexico, Rudy Hurtado wanted to use the frontal Eagle that the very first Mexican flag (1812) had as a symbol (2 images below), along with his initials, nicely carved in it. Rudy realized that the rich Mexican culture was always present in his designs even if he wanted to stay away from it, so he embraced it instead.

In our one-on-one interview session, we break down a few of Rudy’s best design projects, and the DesigningTips.com readers get some motivating and valuable design tips from a veteran graphic designer. So why wait… let’s get on with another interview, with a great graphic artist.

DesigningTips.com – How did you end up being a graphic designer?
Rudy Hurtado – As a kid, I use to spend most of my time drawing graphics for my classmates, and my favorite Rock Band logos. I guess that’s where I fell in love with design; when I understood the combination between art and function in a logo.

DesigningTips.com – Is it necessary to go to graphic design school to learn how to be a good designer or is it enough to “attend the school of hard knocks?”
Rudy Hurtado - I guess if there was a class for TALENT most people would take it, with that I mean I don’t think you need to go to design school, but it definitely give you the ropes to start a design career. However, it is up to you thereafter to keep learning and getting inspiration from everything in the school of life.

DesigningTips.com – What are the key elements of a good design? Is good design a function of creativity … of sound experience … or both?
Rudy Hurtado - Yes, I think it’s a combination of both.

DesigningTips.com – Is there any real difference between graphic designing, room in a home or clothing for a beautiful woman?
Rudy Hurtado - No difference at all, the process is almost same. You see a problem you solve it, simple as that. If it lacks function then it’s a bad design, if the design has no function or purpose then is simply art. In the process of graphic designing you have to make decisions at every step of the way and if you take one wrong step forward, it will take you to the wrong end and the automatically design will fail.

DesigningTips.com –  How do you work on your graphic design projects? I mean, what software, applications and design tools do you use the most for your work?
Rudy Hurtado - I was trained the old way, where you have to sketch everything on a piece of paper, napkin, leaf, anything where you can put an idea down and then once you have conceptually solved the problem, go ahead and polish it. Computers, like laptops and tablets help a lot now days. I also use design applications like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, InDesign, and Quark Xpress mainly to do any and every design project. At times, I also use a 3D program.

DesigningTips.com –  Are there ever times when design changes are radical?

Rudy Hurtado - I would be lying if I said NO! At times, your research will take you in the wrong direction as the client (even with their brief description) would be thinking differently, but that’s the beauty of this relationship with clients, if they thought the same way as graphic designers, it would be boring and no creativity would come out of us. It is refreshing to meet in the middle sometimes, their point of view is so valid, and they know their company and products better than anybody.

Earlier, I used to listen to my male clients, and feedback use to come back regularly, until I realized that the reason they changed the strategy a lot because they took the design concepts back home from office for their better halves input and that would change things (design concept) quite often. However, now I tend to work directly with female clients, period! If the client is a woman, I design for her and if the client is a male, I ask for direct contact for design inputs of their wife, girlfriend, daughter etc. Trust me, gets much better results

DesigningTips.com –  Any design tips you would like to share with fresher’s just starting out in the graphic design industry?
Rudy Hurtado - I can only advice fresher’s to focus on the problem and solve it. If you listen to the problem it will give you the solution, sometimes it happens to all of us, we are set on doing something in a specific style that we forget to solve the real problem. That’s design creativity to you!

You can find more about Rudy Hurtado‘s design portfolio from his website here.

Alan Oronoz; Freelance Graphic Designer from Northern Mexico

Aug 13, 2011 by admin    No Comments    Posted under: Designer Interviews, Graphic Design Tips

With over 6+ years’ experience as a graphic designer in the design industry, Alan Oronoz decided to rediscover his passion for logo design somewhere in the year 2007, and hasn’t looked back ever since.

Alan had an opportunity to work with the likes of HostGator & Discovery Network, some of the most popular and well known companies in their niche. Who exactly is Alan and how has he managed his design business? What made him choose freelancing? Who exactly are his clients? What graphic design tips does he have for us? Alan tells us all this and more in an interview below…

DesigningTips.com – Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and how did you end up being a designer?

Alan Oronoz – My name is Alan Oronoz. I was born in a small town of the state of Chihuahua in Northern Mexico.

I am a freelance graphic designer since the year 2005, with big love for identity design, illustration and passionate about everything related to vintage advertising, cartoons, toys and books. I’m a cheerful person, with an infantile soul, and always trying to have good time with people around me.

My very first approach to this beautiful profession was in early childhood. I remember spending more time drawing sketches rather than playing with the classmates; which eventually led to my first logo design for a club that I had with my childhood friends, nearly at the age of 8. My biggest influence was my father. He was also dedicated to architecture and had the opportunity to design a logo of my high school, which certainly influenced my way up.

When I had to choose a profession, my skills as an amateur cartoonist had grown, and I already had begun selling my drawings to a couple of nearby design agencies in the town. In the year 2005, I began my career as a freelance graphic designer, and on my way, I rediscovered my passion for logo design.

I can say from bottom of my heart, that I love my job, and I hope can do it so for many years to come.

DesigningTips.com – Is it necessary to go to design school to learn how to be a good designer or is it enough to “attend the school of hard knocks?”

Alan Oronoz – I attended a design school, but to be honest, I am a self-taught person in some of the core design areas, such as logo designing. Since I hadn’t received enough information from school about what interested me the most in graphic designing.

For me the real school is out there, while working on different design projects, where you never stop learning and always discover new aspects and exciting possibilities. That is where you will find your style, your passion and your way to go about in the design industry.

I think you can be a good graphic designer with or without attending design school.

DesigningTips.com – What are the key elements of a good design? Is good design a function of creativity … of sound experience … or both?

Alan Oronoz – I would measure a good design based on its functionality.

On your own, it can be very difficult to calculate the creativity of your design, because your work will always be judged by a client, or a third party who might criticize it or like, however at the end of the day if your creativity satisfies the client requirements, it will always be counted as a good design.

The 6 years experience in the design industry helped me in discovering a lot of better solutions, to speed my design process and of course helped in improving the quality of my work, but I don’t think it’s a key element for a good design. In my opinion, great designs and ideas can come from anyone out there.

DesigningTips.com – Is there any real difference between graphic designing (brochure/pamphlet/logo), room in a home and clothing for a beautiful woman?

Alan Oronoz – Of course, every game has its own rules. Even though some areas of design have a lot in common, but it would be presumptuous to say that one possess the design skills necessary to perform any and every type of design work just because he/she is a designer.

DesigningTips.com – How do you work on your design projects? I mean, what design software, applications and design tools do you use the most for your projects?

Alan Oronoz – I always work on design projects with an ABCD process:

• Analysis: This is where I start by analyzing all the information made available by the client to identify their needs and determine the best path to follow.
• Brainstorming: During this phase, I only use a pencil, my sketch book and a cigarette (I’m working on fixing my smoking habit and advise beginners to never follow that one). I make little sketches with random thoughts and design ideas that really help in focusing on what I want to do.
• Conception: Here I try to make a selection of the strongest ideas and that’s when the polishing begins, to obtain the final drawings of the concept, of course again only on the paper.
• Develop or Design: This is the last and final stage where I start using the design software’s to vectorize graphics, do color tests, work with the proportion and land at the final design concepts. I like to use different tools; for logo design, it’s always Illustrator and Corel Draw (I keep on using this tool because it was my first design tool and at times, I am quite fast with it) for illustration purposes, Photoshop, illustrator and a Wacom Cintiq. Occasionally, I also use 3DMax and ZBrush to achieve other sort of visuals results.

DesigningTips.com – Are there ever times when design changes are radical?

Alan Oronoz – Yes, sometimes the client doesn’t have a clear idea of what they are looking for. That can be challenging, because graphic designers are not mind readers. That’s why a good brief is quite important or else changes become routine work during the design process.

DesigningTips.com – Can you tell us about your design portfolio and clientele (people you have worked with)?

Alan Oronoz – I’ve had the opportunity to work with clients from all over the world, however most of my clients were from Europe and the United States, and some of them were the size of Discovery Network and Hostgator. I worked on different kind of projects involving web design, packaging, character development, food illustration and mostly logo design.

But I believe there are no small clients, and I work hand in hand with small businesses or start-up companies and watching them grow gives me an immense satisfaction.

DesigningTips.com – Any graphic design tips you would like to share with freshers just starting out in the design industry?

Alan Oronoz – Enjoy what you do, love what you do!

You can find more about Alan Oronoz from his website here.

James Dempsey; an Experienced Graphic Designer from Phoenix, Arizona

Aug 9, 2011 by admin    No Comments    Posted under: Designer Interviews, Graphic Design Tips

Well, today we have with us an experienced graphic designer who is the owner and writer of popular site TheGraphicMac.com, dedicated to providing graphic design resources. Interestingly, James has a wide-ranging experience of about 20 years in the graphics & printing industry, including newspaper, print shop, design & PR firms, and ad agencies.

Check out this one-on-one interview session with James, his understanding of the design industry and graphic design tips below…

DesigningTips.com – Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and how did you end up being a graphic designer?

James Dempsey – I feel fortunate that the high school I attended in Phoenix, AZ offered a vocational education program. One of the courses was graphic arts, which sounded interesting to me, so I decided to select it as one of my classes. Back then the Macintosh had just hit the market and hadn’t gained a foothold in the printing industry yet, so I learned how to do paste-up, stat camera work, and table stripping of the negatives before plating the work and running jobs on small offset presses. By my junior year, it was clear to me that the Mac was the future of the graphic arts industry, and while I continue to learn the printing business, most of my time was focused on graphic design using the Mac.

After graduating high school, I attended a design school, received my AA degree and began an internship at the state’s largest newspaper. It was at that internship, I learned more about what I didn’t know than what I did. This served to drive me to continue my education. I read books and magazines, attended lectures, and got a design job at another local newspaper.

Over the course of a few years, I worked as a graphic designer in the marketing department in a casino, some larger commercial printers, and freelanced in my spare time. Eventually, I found a partnership with a woman who owned a small PR firm. We added graphic design services and grew the business. Owning a business was great, but I ultimately left because I was spending too much time dealing with employee issues, insurance, billing, client services… pretty much everything but design.

Since the late 90s, I’ve been working for ad agencies throughout Arizona and Nevada on local, regional and national accounts; the largest and most recognizable being the Las Vegas Convention & Visitor Authority on the “What Happens in Vegas, Stays in Vegas” campaign.

DesigningTips.com – Is it necessary to go to design school to learn how to be a good graphic designer or is it enough to “attend the school of hard knocks?”

James Dempsey – There’s no right or wrong answer to this, but I will say that it can only help to have a formal education in graphic design. However, it has been my experience that so many young designers come out of design school with too much theory and not enough know-how. They have big ideas of what the business should be, and have a very difficult time adjusting to what the business actually is.

The single biggest issue formally educated designers face right out of school is that they actually believe that graphic design has anything to do with artistic ability. It doesn’t. It’s about communicating with the desired target market. It’s about creative thinking. And it’s about listening to your client and their customers.

I’ve interviewed many graphic designers, most with beautiful pieces in their design portfolio. But a very few of them could actually tell me why they designed something the way they did, or who it was targeted at. This is where the school of hard knocks wins every time. Do an internship or two, pick up some real freelance work, and add some concept work to your portfolio.

DesigningTips.com – What are the key elements of a good design? Is good design a function of creativity … of sound experience … or both?

James Dempsey – I think it’s about both, with a lean toward experience. The most visually creative work can fail miserably if the graphic designer doesn’t understand the problem, and bring a solution to it in their design.

DesigningTips.com – Is there any real difference between graphic designing (logo/brochure/pamphlet), a bedroom and clothing for a beautiful woman?

James Dempsey – In theory, no! As I mentioned above, great design brings a solution to a problem. Brochure graphics must be designed to get the reader to open them and read the whole thing. Logos must be designed to be memorable. A room design must be functional. And a dress must be designed to flatter the features of the woman wearing it. All of those are problems that require a design solution. The designer’s job is to present the solution in a visually appealing way.

DesigningTips.com – How do you work on your graphic design projects? I mean, what design software, applications and design tools do you use the most for your projects?

James Dempsey – This is one of those times where you should “do as I say and not as I do.” I couldn’t draw a straight line, or a curved one for that matter, to save my life. But you should make a sketchbook your best friend, quickly doodling down your ideas as they come.

As for me, I work almost entirely on the Mac. I get one or two good ideas in my head and use Adobe InDesign, Illustrator and Photoshop to comp them up as quickly as possible. Then I stop for a while, look at the graphic designs, and begin to work at really improving them. Sometimes that means simply tweaking the message, and other times it means spending hours coming up with better images, colors and font choices.

DesigningTips.com – Are there ever times when design changes are radical?

James Dempsey – Graphic design is a business. Very few of us would do this for free. The sooner you accept that there are small budgets, tight deadlines, and seemingly random client requests to deal with, the better off you’ll be. When the client only has the budget for six hours of design time, then you need to give them four or five hours of your best design work, and save the remaining time for changes they will undoubtedly want made – including making the logo and phone number on their print ad obnoxiously large!

DesigningTips.com – Can you tell us about your graphic design portfolio and clientele (people you have worked with & for)?

James Dempsey – I’ve worked with some large clients throughout my career, including: Las Vegas Convention & Visitor Authority, Cox Communications, BlueCross BlueShield, power companies, banks, casinos, hotels, and restaurants. I’ve also worked full time and freelanced for some great ad agencies. By far the most rewarding work I’ve done though is for small businesses. I find them easier to work for, and ultimately they just seem to appreciate my work more.

Ultimately, it really shouldn’t matter who you work for, as long as you’re proud of your work and get paid a reasonable fee for it. If you spend your time chasing the ultimate client while doing work you don’t enjoy, you’re ultimately going to get burnt-out on the business.

DesigningTips.com – Any graphic design tips you would like to share with freshers just starting out in the design industry?

James Dempsey – First, find out what you don’t know and what you aren’t good at, and work toward a positive change. Don’t just know how to use your design software, be an expert at it. Take a photography class, or maybe a writing class, to expand your horizons. A better-rounded designer is more desirable graphic designer to clients.

Second and this is most important, get a hobby. I love design, but I began burning-out on it after about ten years. I started TheGraphicMac.com (shameless plug) for two reasons. I wanted to help new graphic designers by offering design tips, software reviews, and links to design resources, because I didn’t have that benefit when I was coming up in the industry. But mostly, I wanted a different creative outlet that didn’t involve clients or design.

I love computers, and I found out that I enjoyed writing – even though I’m not particularly good at it. I find it to be a great creative outlet for me. I also love digital photography. No matter what your hobby is, it’ll serve to keep you fresh for your day job!

You can find more about James Dempsey from his website here.

Interview with a Fashion Accessory Designer; Smriti Sain

Aug 6, 2011 by admin    6 Comments    Posted under: Designer Interviews, Graphic Design Tips

She is best known for creating accessory designs of the major fashion retailers in Europe. Some of the popular names are Zara, Massimo Dutti, Napapijri, Max Mara, Miss Sixty, Chevignon, Diesel, Next, All Saints and El Corte Ingles.

Smriti Sain has recently associated with Kevin Willis, an ex-NBA player.  She will be designing male-bags to showcase at New York Fashion Week later this year, for his denim label Willis & Walker.

Smriti studied at National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), India before starting out in the fashion industry. Her most appreciated association was with the Italian brand of luxury leather bags, Coccinelle S.p.A. Interviewing Smriti, I was able to get insight of an accessory designer and some helpful design tips.

DesigningTips.com – Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and how did you end up being an accessory designer in fashion industry?

Smriti Sain – I am your average product of a modern Indian nuclear family – born in Mumbai, went to school in Pune, and ever since college, sold on Delhi. I ended up being an accessory designer purely by destiny! I was an all-round student all through school, and academic achievements came easy. Possibly because a familiarity with all things science and math have been with me all through my childhood being the daughter of an IIT+IIM brilliant techie father, and a MSc+MPhil zoology enthusiast mother. I always possessed an inherent talent for all this creativity, but somehow my scholastic laurels got more recognition.

I was one confused 16 year old teenager at the time of college applications, but I’d my parents support to an absolutely any career choice possibly available. There was no profession I did not seriously consider, no major college application form I did not fill and no major entrance exam I did not give! The whole ‘keep your options open’ approach was obviously exhausting! …and came the artistic entrance for National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT) – the first of so called ‘entrance exams’ that I truly enjoyed – the experience was unbelievingly refreshing and liberating. An acceptance came in and I chose to go to fashion design school over acceptances at a medical school, one of the best engineering colleges and a law school as well! It was an instinct I can’t explain, to follow my heart into doing something I enjoyed even though I had no idea of my real potential in the field. There has been no looking back ever since.

DesigningTips.com – Is it necessary to go to design school to learn how to be a good fashion or accessory designer or is it enough to “attend the school of hard knocks?”

Smriti Sain – It is necessary to have a talent and love for whatever you do. Fashion designing is no different. No school or experience can give you talent. If you have it, love it, cherish it, and help it grow. Design schools can be very helpful, they help you hone your talent, channel it, give you technical skills, and a general introduction into the workings of the fashion industry in your country. But the correct choice of school is extremely important. I regularly counsel a lot of students for design or fashion school choices and it is key to be clear about your expectation from the course, the course structure, industry connections and the choice of country of study.

I have also been through a fashion design school at the Master’s level – Domus Academy in Milan, started by Gianfranco Ferré himself. Such schools serve as great laboratories for personal growth and experimentation, helping you, strengthen your individual personality as a fashion designer. Having an individual artistic personality is of utmost importance in the fashion world today with so many competing designers, labels and stores encroaching in on each others’ signature.

Experience is a fabulous teacher. Emphasizing how much you learn on the job is now a jaded cliché. True of course, but at the end of the day as a fashion or accessory designer you have to have an open mind to learn, grow and be exposed from just about any and every experience – school or otherwise. So whatever works for you is fine, in the end it is how committed you are to your art.

DesigningTips.com – What are the key elements of a good design? Is good accessory design a function of creativity … of sound experience … or both?

Smriti Sain – I have seen great designs in fashion industry come out of the most inexperienced people, so there is no set formula!

You do not need any set credentials for creating a good accessory design. In fact that is what I love about designing, it is so artistically unquantifiable. Critiquing design work is almost like art appreciation; there is no meaning of quantifying elements without looking at the references of time period, client, purpose, country or even trend. Experience helps you save the amount of time you need to get to a final design that works well; but that’s just about it. In general, I always appreciate designs for the newness of concept, innovative use of materials, emotional reaction induced or just the sheer courage of the creator for being able to conceive and go through with his idea.

DesigningTips.com – What inspires you, and your fashion or accessory designs?

Smriti Sain – Just about anything and everything! But mostly, people. Traveling to be inspired is one of those cliches that I completely subscribe to. I have traveled extensively through North America, Australia, South East Asia, the Middle East & Europe and it’s been quite an eye opener observing people, customs, cultures and histories. I am an obsessive photographer – clicking away at anything that vaguely interests me. My photographs form a huge database that I constantly refer back to, for ideas. Many of my photographic captures are up on my Tumblrblog – “Some Things I Love“. Fine art and architecture is a also very big passion. I am what they call, a museum geek. There is no major art museum I haven’t visited be it the Getty, Met, Louvre, Prado, D’Órsay and Uffizi. I’m keen on doing the MoMA, the next time I’m in NYC. Broadway and Opera are fabulous inspirations as well. I remember my first experiences at both – ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ at Broadway and ‘Romeo e Giullietta’ at La Scala in Milan for Opera. Both art forms are truly inspirational!

A lot of cinema inspires my work as well – many small budget French and Italian films have wonderful art direction, costumes and cinematography.

Music is a constant inspiration, which goes without saying! I remember taking a beautiful set of photographs at a live jazz performance I attended in Prague that later served as inspiration for some professional graphic work for a client.

Such exposures in general I believe are absolutely fabulous to fine-tune artistic sensibilities that can differentiate an average ‘accessory design professional’ from a brilliant ”accessory designer.’

With reference to my field off course, I devour a lot of fashion, design and art magazines, blogs, designer labels and fashion week runway shows.

There have been a number of instances where my love for a material have inspired a design – I see a skin of leather that I absolutely fall in love with and tell myself that such beauty demands a arty design!

Mostly, I’m inspired by my own passion to create beauty and I’m always excited when I meet people who think like me. Positivity is the air I breathe on.

DesigningTips.com – Is there any real difference between graphic designing, room in a home and clothing or an accessory for a beautiful woman?

Smriti Sain – The approach is always the same, no matter what you design. I firmly believe this. But yes, in this age of advanced technology, the tools that are required to eventually convert your idea into viable designs are sophisticated and evolved. Knowledge of these tools and manufacturing process is the key, or you look at collaborating with someone who can work with you to create your vision.

Bottom line: when you are defined by your passion to create, nothing can stop you.

DesigningTips.com – How do you work on your design projects? I mean, what design applications, software and design tools do you use the most for your projects?

Smriti Sain – I have no set process, but most design projects either start with a seed idea or research. Since I work in the fashion industry the most important need, no matter what the specifics of the project are, is to be relevant. But I find more and more, that I am a hand on person. Nothing makes me feel a project more that tearing up magazines, putting together materials and making artistic sketches to define my idea.

The research may be huge, but I really start ideating once I sketch and re-sketch and re-re-sketch!

I use a number of mediums like pastels, Pantone markers, Stabilo pens, pencils, and ink on textured artistic paper. I am a fan of Fabriano paper and could never ideate on regular A4 bond paper – it’s just too clinical!

Once I am fairly certain of the kind of designs I am working on, I rely on design software like Adobe Photoshop, Corel Graphic Suite, MovieMaker etc. to give finishing touches, material renderings, technical specifications or make presentations.

DesigningTips.com – Are there ever times when design changes are radical?

Smriti Sain – Design and fashion always have and always will reflect society. Any radical changes in society will show its effects. In my lifetime, I have not witnessed any radical changes but yes, evolutions have been many. But if you look at history, radical changes like wars and natural calamities have shown their effects on fashion time and again.

DesigningTips.com – Can you tell us about your fashion design portfolio and clientele (people you have worked with & for)?

Smriti Sain – As a part of my first professional association I have created designs for a lot of the major high street retailers in Europe including Zara, Massimo Dutti, Napapijri, Max Mara, Miss Sixty, Chevignon, Diesel, Next, All Saints and El Corte Ingles amongst others.

I have also worked on various design projects with Future Concept Lab; a leading trend research agency based in Milan and was briefly associated with Manas, a well-established shoe-maker of Italy. Apart from these, I have associated with well known independent fashion designers like Fabio Cammarata for experimental jewelry and interaction designer Massimo Banzi of the Arduino platform for TechFashion.

One of my most cherished associations was earlier this year with Coccinelle S.p.A, the Italian brand for luxury leather bags.

I have most recently begun an association with ex-NBA player Kevin Willis to create man-bags for his denim label Willis & Walker to showcase at New York Fashion Week later this year.

A lot of my fashion design work is available at my online portfolio.

DesigningTips.com – Any accessory design tips you would like to share with freshers just starting out in the fashion industry?

Smriti Sain – Live and work and think with passion and dedication and positivity. Simple! Nothing will or can stop you. Have loads of faith in yourself. Be ready to learn constantly and more than anything else learn to develop and follow your instinct. Hard work is an absolute given of course!

I am always available to exchange design ideas or guide enthusiasts in person through my Twitter and LinkedIn profiles.

Interview with Sarah Khan; Graphic Designer & Creative Director from Washington

Aug 4, 2011 by admin    3 Comments    Posted under: Designer Interviews, Graphic Design Tips

One of the initiatives out of many, which we have taken at DesigningTips.com, is of bringing an exclusive one-on-one interview session with leading graphic designers from around the world.

Well, today we are bringing to you an in-depth interview with Sarah Khan, the creative director of a Washington, DC based design firm; iKhan Design. Check out her deep intuitive understanding of the profession and design tips below…

DesigningTips.com – Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and how did you end up being a designer?

Sarah Khan – I was born and raised in the suburbs of Washington, DC as the only girl in the family, with three brothers. I had always been interested in art as a child and coming from an artistic family helped to grow that passion until I realized, that I wanted to be a graphic designer. Before my father immigrated to the United States in the 1970′s, he was an art director in Pakistan; needless to say I was ingrained with design sensibilities at an early age. My father owns a screen printing company, so CAD and Corel drawings were familiar to me. Eventually, I began to experiment with Adobe Photoshop as a teen. I even had one of those old school Geocities page in middle school where I used to write about my boy band crushes. In high school, I found myself skipping classes except my 8th period of Ceramics session. That’s when I realized, I loved to make things beautiful. I went on to get my B.A. in Graphic Design from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and an M.F.A. in Graphic Design from the Savannah College of Art & Design.

DesigningTips.com – Is it necessary to go to design school to learn how to be a good designer or is it enough to “attend the school of hard knocks?”

Sarah Khan – I could answer this very simply by saying no, it is not necessary to attend design school in order to be a good designer but considering I have two degrees in the field I think I need to explain a bit further.

Generally, I believe that fundamental design skill is natural and can’t necessarily be taught. People without a true love and understanding of basic design principles can’t suddenly learn them in 4 years.

Design school simply creates a safe environment in which students are able to experiment and hone their skills under the proper supervision which obviously can be very helpful – as it was for me. However, there are plenty of amazing designers who never went to a design school and are self taught, one of my favorites being Carlos Segura from Segura, Inc. I actually wrote and designed a book about Carlos.

DesigningTips.com – What are the key elements of a good design? Is good design a function of creativity … of sound experience … or both?

Sarah Khan – Good design solves client problems simply and effectively. If the solution is creative – great, but I will always favor a simple and effective design solution with sound experience that accomplishes the goal over a super creative and less effective design.

DesigningTips.com – Is there any real difference between designing a brochure/pamphlet/logo, room in a home and clothing for a beautiful woman?

Sarah Khan – Of course there are real differences between these three things, they all have different goals and needs associated with them. Designing a brochure, pamphlet or logo relies heavily on communicating an idea using text and images. These items involve marketing thinking in order to effectively promote a product or service, whereas designing a room and an outfit for a beautiful woman could potentially be that product or service.

DesigningTips.com – How do you work on your design projects? I mean, what design software, applications and design tools do you use the most for your projects?

Sarah Khan – My number one design tool is a pencil and my Moleskine notebook. I try to sketch out every idea before it leaves my brain and gets onto computer. Sketching for me is especially important when I am working on a project and I get inspired for another design project that I don’t have time to work on yet. I spend a lot of time doing research online, so staying on track and not getting distracted is sometimes hard to do. To help me stay on top of projects, I use the Behance Action Book. The action book has helped me visualize what is on my plate for that particular day and where my priorities are for that week.

When it comes to my digital work I rely heavily on Apple iMac and four Adobe products I could not live without; Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Dreamweaver.

DesigningTips.com – Are there ever times when design changes are radical?

Sarah Khan – In my relatively short career of a graphic designer, the greatest shift in design I’ve seen is on the web. As browsers are progressing swiftly with technology, designers are beginning to push the boundaries of web design forward with innovations such as web fonts and moving away from the Flash phenomenon we saw in the late 90′s. I can see this shift occurring once again as the era of “responsive web design” and “mobile-first” are sweeping the design blogo-sphere. A decade ago the internet was very new and designers were designing websites with a lot of animation, slow load times and varying browser support, simply because they could and not because it made sense for the goals of the client. Good modern web design shows much more restraint.

DesigningTips.com – Can you tell us about your design portfolio and clientele (about the people you have worked with & for)?

Sarah Khan – I currently work full-time as a senior web & graphic designer for the number one lobbying firm in the U.S. while still pursuing my freelance career as a creative director of iKhan Design’s. At my full-time job I have been able to work on a number of projects with good printing budget. Being born into a family in the printing business, paper still holds a great deal of love in my heart. Two of my projects have won GDUSA American In-House Design Awards. The “Power of Diversity” brochure was featured in GDUSA magazine in 2010 and the “One World. Infinite Possibilities.” brochure was featured in 2011. (See artwork below)

Based out of a powerful city such as Washington, DC has allowed me the opportunity to work with many political clients (see photo iali.jpg). While only one of my clients is directly involved in the political arena (IALI), my work for associations and lobbying firms are closely tied to politics. I give credit to the 2008 Obama campaign for bringing beautiful design to Washington and opening the door for young designers such as myself to help companies bring their marketing campaigns up to date with the use of creative designs. Although some of these projects may not be the best, but they do present a heightened level of design challenges which allow me to grow as a graphic designer. Many of the clients I work with have no idea what good design is, or how to effectively relay their message to their target consumer. This allows me to serve as the educator in a sense and build a trusting relationship with my clients from the ground up. Companies are very focused on their web presence at the moment and in turn my design portfolio is web design heavy.

The most recent website launch I worked on was a full redesign for the Community Financial Services Association of America (CFSA). CFSA needed an effective vehicle to battle the often negative publicity the payday lending industry was receiving (See photo cfsa.jpg). Advocating on behalf of their members was especially important to CFSA via their website since a new federal agency which directly affects its members, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, was slated to launch in mid 2011. We decided to take an aggressive approach to tackle the common misconceptions associated with the payday industry. One of the ways we did this was by incorporating “Myth vs. Reality” banners on the home page which link to more information about the payday industry.

DesigningTips.com – Any design tips you would like to share with freshers just starting out in the design industry?

Sarah Khan – I think the more experience you gain, the better. No design school can prepare you for the actual client work. Stay grounded, be prepared to encounter criticism and of course, change your design work accordingly if considered necessary…it happens more often than you’d think!

You can find more about Sarah Khan from her website here.

Interview with Nathan Jurevicius; a Freelance Illustrator & Graphic Designer

Aug 1, 2011 by admin    No Comments    Posted under: Designer Interviews, Graphic Design Tips

Since 1994, Nathan Jurevicius has worked as a professional graphic designer and freelance illustrator with many international companies and design galleries. Originally from Australia, he currently resides in Toronto, Canada.

Nathan’s most acclaimed project to-date is Scarygirl, a psychedelic, dream-like composition of heartfelt stories and reinterpreted folklore based around a cute but slightly odd little girl and her giant octopus guardian. We had a privilege to interview Nathan regarding his illustration and design work for DesigningTips.com. Check out the insight he shares below along with some design tips.

DesigningTips.com – Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and how did you end up being a designer?

Nathan Jurevicius – I grew up in Australia and studied art throughout high school – eventually ended up doing a degree in illustration and design from the University of South Australia.

During University I was fortunate enough to be given various freelance projects to complete including a children’s book series which eventually led me to editorial illustration for magazines and newspapers.

DesigningTips.com – Is it necessary to go to design school to learn how to be a good designer or is it enough to “attend the school of hard knocks?”

Nathan Jurevicius – That’s a hard question as it varies from individual to individual. I feel like there were some benefits to going to art school and having formal training though 90% of my learning happened once I was out in the real world and meeting clients, running my own design business and understanding what I really wanted to do with my work.

DesigningTips.com – What are the key elements of a good design?

Nathan Jurevicius – Perhaps an ability to tell a visually appealing story that somehow feels timeless (or holds up to the test of time).

DesigningTips.com – Is good design a function of creativity … of sound experience … or both?

Nathan Jurevicius – Good design is actually a function of both, creativity and sound experience.

DesigningTips.com – Is there any real difference between designing a brochure/pamphlet/logo, room in a home and clothing for a beautiful woman?

Nathan Jurevicius – The initial process generally begins with the same set – sketches, ideas, aesthetics, the message etc. Once that part is over, the rest is quite different from each other depending on the niche.

DesigningTips.com – How do you work on your design projects? I mean, what design software, applications and design tools do you use the most for your projects?

Nathan Jurevicius – I always start with pencil and paper – prefer to be away from the computer when beginning a project. After that if I’m intending to do something on the computer for a client it will be created in Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator. Most of my personal/commissioned art is pen/ink/watercolor.

DesigningTips.com – Are there ever times when design changes are radical?

Nathan Jurevicius – When new technologies and materials are developed it definitely changes the way things can be presented or made.

I’m not sure if that changes the ideas behind a design but it does push the possibilities further.

Some of Nathan Jurevicius’s latest design work

DesigningTips.com – Can you tell us about your design portfolio and clientele (people you have worked with & for)?

Nathan Jurevicius – The majority of my design work is character and story based – whether it is for toys, books or games.

I tend to focus a lot on my own design projects (like Scarygirl and Peleda) but have worked with a number of well known clients including: Hasbro Inc, Coca Cola, Warner Bros, ABC, Kidrobot, Scholastic and various art galleries around the world.

DesigningTips.com – Any design tips you would like to share with fresher’s just starting out in the design industry?

Nathan Jurevicius – Take time to have fun and experiment. Talk and annoy as many people as you can in the industry.

You can find more about Nathan Jurevicius from his website here.