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.

Top 10 Icon Design Photoshop Tutorials – Part 2

Sep 16, 2011 by admin    No Comments    Posted under: Design Tutorials

We hope you enjoyed reading our first part take on List of Top 10 Icon Design Photoshop Tutorials – Part 1 and continuing with the series, here we have another list you can use to learn icon designing using Adobe Photoshop. We hope you will enjoy the second part of top 10 design tutorials listed below:

• Windows XP Style Monitor Icon: This tutorial will help you in creating a simple monitor icon in the XP style.
• Design a Glossy Download Icon: This tutorial will teach you how to create an eye-catching glossy graphic of download icon.
• Apple iTunes Icon: Effectively design the iTunes icon with this tutorial that is found on all iPhones, iPads and iPod Touches.
• Draw Magnifying Glass: Learn how to design magnifying glass with this tutorial, which you can use as an icon or a button on your web-page.
• Vista Aero Thumbnail Icon: With this tutorial design a glossy border around Vista icons.
• World Icon Tutorial: This tutorial will help in creating world icon in Adobe Photoshop.
• Glossy RSS Icon: In this tutorial you are going to learn how to create a colorful RSS icon for your website.
• Glowing Orb with Dial: Trying out styles and layers to design a dial effect and cool glowing orb.
• Home Icon: Use this tutorial to learn how to design a home icon.
• How to Make a Folder Icon: Learn how to make a nice folder for your web-page or desktop.

This is a second part of Icon Design Photoshop Tutorials series and there are still 2 more parts remaining to follow. Stay tuned for some more icon design tutorials.

List of Top 10 Icon Design Photoshop Tutorials: Part 1

Sep 14, 2011 by admin    2 Comments    Posted under: Design Tutorials

Well you know you can always count on world wide web for quality icon designs for free, however most of the icons and designs have limitations such as; not the size or color you want, copyright restrictions for commercial projects and transparency or format constraint.

Due to all the above-mentioned limitations, you should consider designing your own icons that will help you brush up photoshop skills and gain important knowledge. Trust us; making designs on your own will provide immense satisfaction.

You can learn icon designing using Adobe Photoshop with the help of top 10 design tutorials listed below:

• Adobe Photoshop CS3 Icon: Learn how to make a slightly altered looking Adobe CS3 Icon swiftly.
• Angry Emoticon: Learn about special effects while converting an ordinary orb into a fantasy art piece.
• Create a Glossy Home Icon: Learn how to design your very own glossy home icon in Photoshop.
• Perfect Shine Button or Icon: Design a cool looking button or an icon to suit your need.
• Design a High-Gloss Graduation Hat Icon: Make a professional, shiny, clean graduation hat icon in Photoshop.
• Create a Jaguar Style Folder Icon: Learn how to cover an object in a Jaguar style fur texture.
• Create A Mockingly Smiley: Simple way to create a glossy mockingly smiley in Photoshop.
• Create a Shiny Lock Icon Design: Wherever you wish to place a lock icon, this tutorial will show you how to create an attractive one for you to use!
• Create Icons tutorial: Create a glossy looking icons.
• Design a Cool Yellow Helmet Icon: Learn how you can design helcom icon from a photograph.

This is a first part of Icon Design Photoshop Tutorials series and there are still 3 more parts to be published. Stay tuned for some more icon design tutorials.