Properly filed doubts and concerns

Today in chapter six of Designing a Digital Portfolio, Cynthia talked about the necessities of properly organizing your works and computer files. She admitted this to be one of her more boring chapters, and rightly so. Still it did have its points, and it did highlight a few errors on my own part for keeping my files safe. My biggest problem is that I rely almost exclusively on digital copies of my work. My laptop is getting old and should anything happen to it I’d really be in jam, so based on her advice I’m going to begin printing out my stored work, so that if worst does come to worst perhaps I can try to recreate the lost files form the printed version. Ideally I’d like to have a back up hard drive where I could store a second copy of all my digital files, but sadly funds are tight and my birthday isn’t for another year. I’m hoping that when summer starts I can save enough money to begin purchasing such necessary items. I think a new desktop computer should also be on that summer to do list, but once again that is a few months and quite a few thousands of dollars away.
Going back to organization, thankfully I am very left-brained person so organization comes easily to me. In fact I often can’t stand it if my files are not organized, I’ve often suspected that I am mildly OCD, or perhaps it’s just a side effect of growing up in a predominantly military (navy and air force) family. However, when it comes to organizing web files, I fall flat on my face. I never really got the hang of keeping my slices in order or making sure that my master folder in Dreamweaver was in the right location. Print art and 3D I can handle but the web is a scary frontier for me and I’ll admit my dread in trying to create an online portfolio from scratch. I have lots of ideas about how I want it to look, but I don’t have the technical know how to program it. My current solution is to find a web hosting that provides lots of editing tools so that I can avoid the more scripting heavy approach of using just dream weaver.
I’ve considered buying certain tech pieces, by that I mean pre-coded items such as the “turning page” effect or the “genie” effect seen in MACs today. Yet this brings up a dilemma in the sense that I am using something that does not accurately portray my abilities in web design. I’m really afraid that using such tech pieces would work too well, in the sense that an employer would take interest in my because of the novelties of my website, not the contents of it. Perhaps I am over thinking this as was the case the Arsenal clip art files, but still a lot of this in uncharted territory for me so I feel compelled to make all my doubts known.

The cake is in the fridge and the box is in the mail

Hello all, I thought that I would start off this entry with some good news: First, I don’t have food poisoning anymore and am on the road to recovery. Second, I GOT CS3 FOR MY BIRTHDAY!!! (And maybe GO Media’s arsenal pack 2, if I can scrape up the cash). ** sigh- Why don't I ever have money laying around? Oh right cause I go to QU**

This week in Designing a Digital Portfolio, by Cynthia Baron, the issue of format was brought up. I am still largely undecided on what type of format I want to use, though I am beginning to solidify the contents of my portfolio. Seeing as how the bulk of my work will be composed of print design and imagery, a gallery will be the focal point of my presentation. I am envisioning this as a menu that branches into sub-categories: Print, logo, 3D, sketches and various. I don’t want to use “various” in the final version of the portfolio because I find it to be somewhat unimaginative and as possibly lowering the value of the works contained within. It’s like saying: “here is a bunch of crap that I couldn’t relate to anything else I did”, its like having “etc” in a store sign; its just bad marketing. Possible replacement ideas I have are: T-shirt designs, stickers, and stencil cut outs. For the later I am imagining a stencil that you could hold up to a skateboard, laptop or what have you and spray paint it on the surface.

Back to the larger issue of format, in keeping with the advice of the book I am leaning towards having website and two “leave behinds” in the form a DVD and a more traditional print out folder. Two concerns immediately arise with these ideas though. For the website it’s my own lack of experience in building and maintain such sites. The quick solution to this is third party web hosting, where a company does all the grunt work, leaving me to focus on the design. However, such sites have creative restrictions in the personalization of their web pages. I don’t want my portfolio site to be reduced by a restrictive template. Hopefully I can find web hosting with flexible parameters. My next concern has to do with the DVD idea I’m tinkering with. Cynthia Baron cautions against the use of CDs because of the risk of technical issues and the fact that they largely get thrown away. This is why I wanted to do a DVD, where the portfolio could be navigated like a movie menu using a remote. Unfortunately, I have no idea on how to do this myself and don’t exactly have a lot of money readily available, so this idea may have to be shelved until I get a steady income.

Hopefully as the semester progresses I will be able to resolve these issues, or come up with some innovative solutions. Too bad optimistic views don’t provide a clear direction in which to go forward.

The cake is in the fridge and the box is in the mail

Hello all, I thought that I would start off this entry with some good news: First, I don’t have food poisoning anymore and am on the road to recovery. Second, I GOT CS3 FOR MY BIRTHDAY!!! (And maybe GO Media’s arsenal pack 2, if I can scrape up the cash). ** sigh- Why can’t I have rich parents? Oh right cause I go to QU**

This week in Designing a Digital Portfolio, by Cynthia Baron, the issue of format was brought up. I am still largely undecided on what type of format I want to use, though I am beginning to solidify the contents of my portfolio. Seeing as how the bulk of my work will be composed of print design and imagery, a gallery will be the focal point of my presentation. I am envisioning this as a menu that branches into sub-categories: Print, logo, 3D, sketches and various. I don’t want to use “various” in the final version of the portfolio because I find it to be somewhat unimaginative and as possibly lowering the value of the works contained within. It’s like saying: “here is a bunch of crap that I couldn’t relate to anything else I did”, its like having “etc” in a store sign; its just bad marketing. Possible replacement ideas I have are: T-shirt designs, stickers, and stencil cut outs. For the later I am imagining a stencil that you could hold up to a skateboard, laptop or what have you and spray paint it on the surface.

Back to the larger issue of format, in keeping with the advice of the book I am leaning towards having website and two “leave behinds” in the form a DVD and a more traditional print out folder. Two concerns immediately arise with these ideas though. For the website it’s my own lack of experience in building and maintain such sites. The quick solution to this is third party web hosting, where a company does all the grunt work, leaving me to focus on the design. However, such sites have creative restrictions in the personalization of their web pages. I don’t want my portfolio site to be reduced by a restrictive template. Hopefully I can find web hosting with flexible parameters. My next concern has to do with the DVD idea I’m tinkering with. Cynthia Baron cautions against the use of CDs because of the risk of technical issues and the fact that they largely get thrown away. This is why I wanted to do a DVD, where the portfolio could be navigated like a movie menu using a remote. Unfortunately, I have no idea on how to do this myself and don’t exactly have a lot of money readily available, so this idea may have to be shelved until I get a steady income.

Hopefully as the semester progresses I will be able to resolve these issues, or come up with some innovative solutions. Too bad optimistic views don’t provide a clear direction in which to go forward.

The cake is in the fridge and the box is in the mail

Hello all, I thought that I would start off this entry with some good news: First, I don’t have food poisoning anymore and am on the road to recovery. Second, I GOT CS3 FOR MY BIRTHDAY!!! (And maybe GO Media’s arsenal pack 2, if I can scrape up the cash). **Why can’t I have rich parents? Oh right cause I go to QU**

This week in Designing a Digital Portfolio, by Cynthia Baron, the issue of format was brought up. I am still largely undecided on what type of format I want to use, though I am beginning to solidify the contents of my portfolio. Seeing as how the bulk of my work will be composed of print design and imagery, a gallery will be the focal point of my presentation. I am envisioning this as a menu that branches into sub-categories: Print, logo, 3D, sketches and various. I don’t want to use “various” in the final version of the portfolio because I find it to be somewhat unimaginative and as possibly lowering the value of the works contained within. It’s like saying: “here is a bunch of crap that I couldn’t relate to anything else I did”, its like having “etc” in a store sign; its just bad marketing. Possible replacement ideas I have are: T-shirt designs, stickers, and stencil cut outs. For the later I am imagining a stencil that you could hold up to a skateboard, laptop or what have you and spray paint it on the surface.

Back to the larger issue of format, in keeping with the advice of the book I am leaning towards having website and two “leave behinds” in the form a DVD and a more traditional print out folder. Two concerns immediately arise with these ideas though. For the website it’s my own lack of experience in building and maintain such sites. The quick solution to this is third party web hosting, where a company does all the grunt work, leaving me to focus on the design. However, such sites have creative restrictions in the personalization of their web pages. I don’t want my portfolio site to be reduced by a restrictive template. Hopefully I can find web hosting with flexible parameters. My next concern has to do with the DVD idea I’m tinkering with. Cynthia Baron cautions against the use of CDs because of the risk of technical issues and the fact that they largely get thrown away. This is why I wanted to do a DVD, where the portfolio could be navigated like a movie menu using a remote. Unfortunately, I have no idea on how to do this myself and don’t exactly have a lot of money readily available, so this idea may have to be shelved until I get a steady income.

Hopefully as the semester progresses I will be able to resolve these issues, or come up with some innovative solutions. Too bad optimistic views don’t provide a clear direction in which to go forward.

Revelations from the ugliest design book ever, and a personal question

In addition to my IDD major here at Quinnipiac University, I have undertaken a minor is business management (BM). Originally this decision was something of a ‘fail safe’ should my abilities as a designer not develop, based on the advise of my father that “any degree in business is useful”. Fortunately my design skills have progressively matured and my BM minor has taken a permanent supplementary role to my future design career.
Recently however, I have been apprehensive with my decision to go into BM; wishing instead that I had chosen a marketing minor. My recent foray into the working world with my winter internship at Healthtrax Wellness & Fitness in Glastonbury CT had me working almost exclusively with the marketing team. In fact, in this particular corporation the design team seemed to serve as an adjunct to the marketing department. I reasoned then that possessing marketing skills would be a valuable asset in acquiring a job and working effectively within a company. Unfortunately hindsight graced with me with its clarity far too late into my academic career, and I did not have the ability to change my minor.
The reason I am posting about this personal experience is that the book “How to be a graphic designer without loosing your soul”, changed my feelings of missed opportunities to ones of encouragement again. Specifically in chapter five, the author Adrian Shaughnessy, spoke about the need of all designers to function well within a team, both as a leader and follower. Essentially Adrian was talking about the need for an understanding of team dynamics in terms of conflict, trust and high levels of emotional intelligence; the focal points of BM. The relief I felt after reading this chapter was immense as the sensation of missed opportunity left my psyche. Adding to this personal victory I so enjoyed, Adrian failed to mention anything in depth about marketing (though it would not surprise me if this came up in later chapters).
The second part of this blog has to do with a personal dilemma over a software package I discovered during an Image search on Google. Called ‘Arsenal, Professional Design Weaponry’, a series of software packages from GoMedia, this various sets contain a series of intense vector images that really relate well to the graphical style that interests me the most. Best described as a grunge in style with certain PUNK rock elements the software packages allow the user to create intense visual designs using a series of designs created by other artists.
My dilemma in this is that, by using this pre-rendered images am I lowering the authenticity of my own work? I almost feel as though it undermines the originality of my work, even if it allows me to create the designs I want in a vastly more efficient.
The counter argument to this is that I already do this in other programs, such as Photoshop, where I manipulate images taken by other photographers. Would using the pictures rendered by artists be any different? I’m certainly not a photographer, which is why I have to download images from iStockPhotos. I’m also not an artists, I can sketch and given time can recreate examples of the work contained within the Arsenal software, but it takes a great deal of time. In summary, I feel stuck between a fear of loss of the authenticity of my work versus the expedience offered by Arsenal. Any input would be greatly appreciated.

Cooling hot photos and other articles

I think the hardest part of creating a portfolio won’t be the design or feel of it, but rather the process of selecting works of similar caliber that also show off my abilities. Designing a Digital Portfolio, by Cynthia Baron, explains how less can often be more. She warns about the excessive use of work, which leaves your portfolio feeling bloated and uncoordinated. Suggesting instead that works of similar caliber (even if they are not your best) should be used because they do not draw too much attention from other areas of your portfolio. Cynthia used the example of including a phenomenal piece with others that are simply good as creating the sense that that one piece of work was a fluke and not indicative of your true abilities.

Cynthia also mentioned the need to show some level of diversity in your portfolio. Cynthia explained that presenting additional abilities in conjunction with your focus talent (for me this would mean including sketches with final Illustrator or Photoshop renders) creates a more rounded a complete picture of yourself for employers to see. Presenting more than one talent also indicated a level of adaptability and flexibility, which may give you an advantage over someone who only focuses on their central talent. In the book, Cynthia mentions Cemre Ozkurt’s online portfolio as an example of this (www.deluxepaint.net). What’s interesting about Cemre’s website is that, thought visually alluring, it doesn’t appear to be overly technical in it’s designer. Rather it’s his works that are the showcase of the site, rather than the site itself.

In addition to the article posted by Professor Belle on her blog from before and After Magazine “Design a Logo of Letters”, I would also like to talk about another interesting article of my own. Another interesting article by BAMagazine (www.bamagazine.com) is entitled “How to cool a hot photo”, which talks about using contrasting colors [blue and oranges for example] to tone down the more vivid features of an image. In the example they give, the staff is charged with taking a photograph of a Baltimore sunset and altering the colors of the photo (without editing the photo) so that people coming to visit the city won’t expect desert heat. Knowing how to take advantage of color contrast is a valuable skill in that, as was the case the Before and After staff, you can’t always directly edit the photograph that marketing team has chosen. In my own limited experience in the work field I too have faced logos and images that did not fit with overall design of my project and yet due to licensing agreements I could not edit those images directly. Had I known about the proper use of color contrast, perhaps I could have created a more professional final product for my client. Filled with visual explanations and an easy to read style, I thought that this was a particularly interesting article.