Interview with Siah; a Logo Design Specialist from Southern Alberta

Jul 29, 2011 by admin    5 Comments    Posted under: Designer Interviews, Graphic Design Tips

Josiah Jost, better known by his nickname Siah (sigh-ah) is a unique logo designer, who has worked with clients from over 2 dozen countries. Being a specialist, he has won various awards for his logo design work and featured in multiple design books and related websites (LogoLounge.com, LogoDesignLove.com, iHeartLogos.com, LosLogos.org, etc). Josiah freelances under his business name Siah Design.

We spoke to humble Josiah and he was kind enough to answer all of the questions for our readers of DesigningTips.com. Check out the insight he shares and some of his thoughts in the interview that follow along with design tips.

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

Josiah Jost – I’m Josiah Jost and based out of Milk River, Alberta, Canada.  I try to be really down to earth and love my family to pieces. My faith in Jesus Christ has made a huge impact on my life and work motivation.

I first started in design industry back when my family (josties.com) needed design work done when I was in my mid-teens. We had a newsletter we would send out to a few hundred families and we also did music so I was nominated to do the album artwork, etc… I started very amateur but found out I really enjoyed designing. I then started freelancing in the year 2005. One of my first jobs was designing over 100 logos for a domain name selling site. I was hooked from there and started focusing on logo designs. In 2008, I went to full time logo design work and have not been out of work since then. I thoroughly enjoy my job and love it every time I get to pick up the pencil for a new project under Siah Design.

Meaning of Siah Design Logo: The Siah Design logo shows a hand with index finger showing direction with the bottom part of the hand being the pencil – in doing so, the mark also forms a monogram “S” for Siah. The icon suggests giving direction to creativity. The significance of the finger pointing up for myself though is that it is pointing up to God giving Him any credit for his design work.

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

Josiah Jost – Is it required to go to design school? Absolutely not… Is it required to learn design? Absolutely!

As long as you have diligence and drive you can be self-taught. There’s a wealth of information available to people that want to learn design. For logo design, I would recommend the books, “Designing Brand Identity” by Alina Wheeler and “Logo Design Love” by David Airey.

Personally, I am self-taught and have really enjoyed the process. We should always be learning anyways, whether in school or not. Ah… still so much to learn. One could spend his entire life just studying typography alone.

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

Josiah Jost – Good design is an engaging design. And engaging design usually comes with experience and creativity. The key to good, engaging design requires knowing what message needs to be conveyed through the design and executing it.

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

Josiah Jost – I’m sure a lot of the same core principles apply to these fields, but I’ve never designed clothing for woman so I wouldn’t know for sure. All design projects should start with pencil and paper though.

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

Josiah Jost – I use the following applications and software for my design projects:

• Adobe Illustrator software for executing designs
• Both an Apple MacBook Pro and a souped up computer to work on
• Ticerondera #2 HB pencils for sketching
• Multiple Sketch Pads all around the house
• Wireless Wacom Intuos for a digital drawing tablet
• Music to aid inspiration
• & dark chocolate…

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

Josiah Jost – It varies a lot. Sometimes the client wants to finalize the first design out of the gate – and sometimes the client wants to see the logo in 10 assorted colors and fonts. Rarely does the original design look radically different from the original though.

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

Josiah Jost – My logo design portfolio spans from work done in 2005 to present. I’ve had the privilege of working with clients from over 2 dozen different countries. At the moment, I’m working with Les Stroud (Survivorman) on a project, with a Russian consulting firm and Chinese venture capital company.

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

Josiah Jost – Keep an open mind and always be open to critiques. Share your work on design forums with professionals to get opinions. Just because your family or roommate thinks your work is “awesome” doesn’t mean it’s true. Start small and charge low so you can build up your portfolio.

Live a balanced life. It’s easy for me to get so caught up in work I miss out on life’s little joys – and it’s then that the quality of my work usually drops, too. So stay focused, eat healthy, love those close to you and enjoy whatever stage you are at in life with gratitude.

Some of Josiah’s logo design work is featured below:

You can find more about Josiah “Siah” Jost from his website here.

Interview with a Graphic Designer from upstate New York

Jul 27, 2011 by admin    No Comments    Posted under: Design Tutorials, Designer Interviews

Laura Resurreccion received her Bachelor’s of Technology from the State University of New York at Farmingdale, Long Island in the year 2006. She has majored in Graphic Design and focused on desktop publishing, package designing, logo design and carving out corporate identity.

Miss Resurreccion, as a graphic designer, is the winner of bronze award in Best of Long Island (BOLI) competition for Sustainable LI Campaign in the year 2005. We spoke to Laura about a lot of designing related stuff and she was kind enough to answer all of our questions here on DesigningTips.com. Check out the insight she shares in the interview that follow along with design tips.

DesigningTips.com – Hello Laura, Thank you for taking out time from your busy schedule to do an interview with DesigningTips.com. Please tell us a little about yourself, where are you from and how did you end up being a designer?

Laura Resurreccion – I am a lifelong New Yorker. I was born on Long Island and recently have relocated my business because of the slow economy. I currently reside in the Keuka Lake area, known as wine country for the southern tier of upstate New York.

I became a graphic designer because I can’t do anything else. I used to draw on the furniture so my parents started putting paper in front of me. They always encouraged me to draw and I received a scholarship in grade school to the Long Island Art League for an oil painting class. I mostly worked in acrylics, marker, pen and ink as a fine artist. My first real job was working for a vintage clothing store in my home town and I became fascinated with pattern and texture. I started to learn silk screening from my Dad at that point. My Dad also let me play with his manual Pentax camera circa 1960s. I still use it today, despite the advances in digital photography no new camera can touch the images I produce with the old school methods.

I got a better paying job from my mother’s friend who was an interior decorator; I was her assistant for about a year. Besides getting her lunch and dry cleaning I would occasionally learn and execute faux finishes on small pieces of furniture and molding details. In high school I realized I had to make a living and I was granted a scholarship to study a trade, I chose advertising art and received a one year certification from NYS in 2001. It prepped me for college and gave me a step up from all my other fellow design majors.

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?”

Laura Resurreccion – Yes, go to school! It’s the one thing you can never get enough of and in the long run it will pay for itself. While I was a student in my first year of college I had a hard time getting the funds for supplies and books, but I would often walk by my college counselor’s office door and she always posted applications to scholarship funds and grant programs. I received a lot of free money to get through design school because I was usually the only one who applied. Everyone has the opportunity to get a great education; you just have to know where to look for funds.

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

Laura Resurreccion – Good design is:

• An easy read, if you have to strain and it isn’t legible no one will read it.

• Spare design is good design, always allow for white space to allow the eye to rest.

• Create a hierarchy, feature the most important info or image prominently.

• Listen to your client, rules and limits often test and feed the creative process.

Also, too many designers on a project can really hurt the final outcome. I’ve had the pleasure of working with many talented designers in college but the old saying ‘too many cooks in the kitchen ruins the stock’ rings true. Thankfully, despite our busy poster design, my team managed to receive the bronze award from BOLI (The Best of Long Island competition) in 2005.

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

Laura Resurreccion – Application is an actual key to a perfect design. How the product will be experienced by the “end user” determines every aspect of designing that particular product. I refinish furniture, I design greeting cards, app icons and websites, and I can honestly say the consumer controls the final product outcome.

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?

Laura Resurreccion – I always start from scratch. Pen on paper. It’s the easiest and fastest way to convey an idea to a client. Then I execute it depending on the needs of the final product:

• For photo realistic illustrations at a set size determined by the client, I always use Adobe Photoshop

• For logos and graphics that need to be easily sized up or down, for packaging and printing I always use Adobe Illustrator.

I always design with the client in mind, so I always use industry standard software applications unless the client specifies otherwise.

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

Laura Resurreccion – Revisions are part of life. How many depends on the client. Obviously when I work one on one with a new business owner it is easier to get things done faster because there is only one person in the company making these decisions. Other clients with established brands or a large board of directors may need up to 9 revisions since they need everyone in the organization to agree or I work with a point person who needs to get approval from higher ups.

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

Laura Resurreccion – I’ve recently wrapped a new website called “We Matter”, a new place online for teens and young adults to share their stories and advice about bullying. Many of my clients over the past year have been new businesses and not for profit organizations who are filling a need for free or cheap services in the weak economy. I think this is a growing trend since the US economy is down. I definitely see new and small businesses carrying the country to a better financial place in the next 5 to 7 years.

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

Laura Resurreccion – Always freelance. Always take new clients even if they have small budgets. Always offer reduced rates for not for profit organizations. You never know who or what is going to be the next big brand, so it’s smart to get in on the ground floor.

You can find more about Laura Resurrecion from her website here.