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Posts Tagged ‘Graphic Designer’

Just the other day I received a question on Twitter from Adam at Design4Love:

“Hi.. how are you? Do you have any tips for me how to get into the UK design industry (Other than sending applications to agencies). Thanks!”

Which got me thinking about how difficult it was for me and some of the fellow graphic design students I studied with to get a job in the design industry back in 1999 (yes that long ago!) straight out of design college. I snapped up a job with a Central London design agency in Soho within 2 weeks of leaving college but looking back it wasn’t really the right job for me then. Though just 13 months later I changed positions and worked for a great design agency based in London Bridge and learned a huge amount as well as working on lots of different types of projects as a designer.

Anyway competition was fierce then BUT the amount of graphic design and other design courses available in art colleges and universities up and down the college has grown hugely since then.

So here are a few tips on (like Adam asked) “how to get into the UK Design industry”

The Portfolio:

Having a great design portfolio is a must. To be honest your design portfolio is the most important thing on this list, its what you’ll mainly be judged on. It must be well presented and include at least 6 or more design projects. Think about the kind of work the agency your applying to does and try to tailor your portfolio towards that. For example if they specialise in corporate identity and branding work try to include work of this kind.

Be ready to talk about your design work, what inspired you, why you approached the project in the way you did, even choice of typeface, colours, imagery etc. Show them some of your sketchs and development work, some agencies what to see your scribbles more than the finished work as it shows your design process and how you think!

Before taking your portfolio along to job interviews, make sure you show it to a people (tutors, other design students) talk them through it, get them to ask you questions about your design work and respond with suitable answers. This will get you used to talking people through your portfolio, making you a more prepared for the interview.

Work Experience:

Offer to do some work experience with a design company who’s work you really admire (for free if you have to!), even if its just a week then spend that week wowing them, making the tea, producing great work, take an interest in everything relating to that design company. It is a good way to get your foot in the door but also don’t be too pushy or cocky, you might think your a great designer but remember there is a big difference between design college and the real world!

If the company really like you during your work experience they might offer you a full time job!

Finding Work:

Send your portfolio as a PDF etc to as many design companies (that your interested in) as possible, then after a few days give them a quick call to check they have received it.

Another alternative and one that worked for me is to approach a design recruitment agency. I contacted Major Players (there are many others!) when looking for a new graphic design position. They interviewed me and I took them through my portfolio and skills set, based on this they then contacted me when suitable jobs became available. This worked very well as they got me a new job within 2 weeks.

Dress code:

There isn’t one as such. Wear what your comfortable in but also look like you have made some sort of effort! That said I wouldn’t recommend turning up in a suit! Remember what you wear can be seen as a reflection of yourself and your design style or preferences.

Behaviour:

Be yourself, be calm and open to discussing your work and the work of the design agency. Remember to ask questions about what work they produce and what your role would be. One thing I found useful was to ask if someone could take you around the studio, afterall that is where you’ll be working if you get the job and you need to see what sort of environment you’ll be working in. It also easier to ask questions as you move around and see how they work.

Research:

Remember to do some research on the company that is interviewing you, as they are likely to ask you what made you apply for a job with them, what sort of work do they produce, what awards have they won (if any), why do you want to work for them in particular?

Keep trying:

Above all keep trying and keep looking at ways to improve your portfolio. If you go for an interview and they don’t give you a job, don’t worry, your work just might not be suitable for that particular design agency.

So hope this has helped, good luck!

Graphic designing is that branch of the IT world where designers create the most stunning designs that are to be used in your web platform, that’s your website. Over the years, the number of graphic and web designing agencies have increased at a massive pace, thanks to the growing numbers of design needs all across the world. Today, every business or organization wants to go online and for that reason has a website. And when you have a website, you need to make it visually catchy and information-rich. As far as the looks of the site is concerned, there are no better places than the professional graphic/web designing agencies where you can find a complete and satisfactory answer to your design requirements. A web graphic designer working for such a company can help you in a big manner to meet all your design based goals just too easily. He/she is a person who is creatively high and can design all the necessary design tools and stuffs so as to complement your website with the most captivating designs.

A professional web designer works on a number of design areas like logo and banner designing, intro and movie creation, animated video making and so on. For that purpose, he/she uses the most effective and intelligent design tools and platforms available through the major software development companies today. Different versions of the design programs are often used to handle different sorts of design based projects worldwide today.

Graphic and web designing is a broad segment and it encapsulates both standard and customized design services under its powerful arm. While standard web design refers to that conventional mode of design services common for almost all, customized designs are the ones that can be used only in specific design based areas. As more and more businesses are making their online presence these days, the demand for custom website designing is also gaining momentum. While custom designing can be handled by any of the graphic design facilities, a specialized custom web designer working for an independent design house can do the job more impressively for you.

Why Hire a Graphic Designer

You might think that hiring a graphic designer is one more expense that you don’t need. Here’s five reasons why that type of thinking could lead you down the wrong path.

A Designer Saves Time

You know your job and do it well. A graphic designer is a professional who knows their field. They know about things like bleed and trap, type-safety and imposition so that you don’t have to. A graphic designer can turn your ideas into reality in a short time, leaving you free to do what you do best.

Improves your image

We’ve all seen business cards prepared on a home printer using perforated paper and the impression they leave. Professionally designed graphics and materials will convey an image to your customers of expertise that they can trust.

Stand out in a crowd

Every day we’re bombarded by thousands of advertisements all vying for our attention. Your best defense against becoming a part of the noise is through great design that captures your audience’s attention. And the best way to ensure you get that eye-catching design is to hire a graphic designer.

Save Money

It makes sense that doing things yourself will save you money. Unfortunately, in the world of printing that sometimes isn’t the case. Unless your file is prepared precisely the way it needs to be for printing, you may find that it costs more to prepare the file for printing than it would to simply hire a designer to do things from the start.

Knows the Software

Some people would have you believe that with Photoshop they can do anything. And the truth is that you can do anything with Photoshop – poorly. No single program can handle all the jobs needed to create quality materials and a designer knows how to put each program to it’s best use for quality results every time.

After more than thirteen years in business, The Artstract Co. has helped thousands of individuals and business’ both small and large. Our team of designers have the knowledge and experience to make your projects a success. We pride ourselves on creating strong design solutions for all your projects in a time frame that fits your schedule. By keeping up on all the latest techniques and equipment we make sure that you always look your best.

Wimpole House Company Services’ team of graphical designers can help your business achieve the look it deserves