Posts Tagged ‘graphics design’
Wednesday, May 11th, 2011
In our 12 Questions blog series, we feature interviews with someone from the crowdSPRING community. For these interviews, we pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice.
We’re very proud to feature zaxgarner (crowdSPRING username: zaxgarner) today. He lives and works in North Carolina.
Hey cS Community!
Thanks for the opportunity to join you today.
Life has been busy, so I will drop a few brief lines for a quick read & then we can all get back to designing!
1. Please tell us about yourself.
I’m a self described simple man…. 02′ Grad Appalachian State University (the real ASU…in Boone NC) – I think this was also Kevin’s ol’ stomping ground! I majored in Graphic Design & Marketing… in an attempt to balance the business side with the creative. The design 
department was big on typography & fine art ‘which was a huge plus’. I took classes in casting, photography, clays, & metals etc… I think I could have got by with a little less art history though! The marketing courses were awesome, I enjoyed learning how design/creative work enters our marketplace & society.
Former Rowdy Kid, Construction worker, Repo-Man, & Tattoo artist…. To Graphic Designer. Also a converted Christian since 04′ attempting to operate under Col.3:17.
2. How did you become interested in design?
I started my design career with non-commissioned murals. You know; crayons on walls etc… & tracing drawing books to keep up with my older brothers. I won a few art contests in kindergarten & found out that this design thing could pay off – The hook was set!
3. What is your favorite project from the past year?
In listening to a podcast I found out Concealment Solutions – in Orem Utah was hosting an independent T-Shirt design competition for their best selling concealment holster – ‘The Black Mamba’. In working with the owner we got the Tee nailed down & the project evolved into a complete branding package for: Concealment Solution’s primary logo, Misc. Product logos, Business cards & web headers etc… I still have a great working relationship with them… with future projects on the horizon! They sent a me a bunch of gear as an added bonus!
(more…)
Tags: 12 questions, community, creative, crowdsourcing, crowdspring, design, designer, graphic design, graphics design, graphics designer, illustration, inspiration, interview, logo, logo design, logos, weekly glance of awesomeness, zaxgar.com, zaxgarner
Posted in Awesomeness, community, crowdsourcing, design, inspiration, Interviews, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Friday, April 15th, 2011
If you are a creative, you know the galleries in projects can be filled with page after page of designs, and everyone is trying to stand out from the crowd. There are several techniques you can use to display your designs that may help draw the eye of the buyer and the decision makers on their team.
First, you need to start with your brilliant design idea. Next – display your concept in a way that will capture attention. Here are a few ideas…
Versatility
For logo projects, it is important that your design is versatile enough to work wherever a company will want to use it. The design will need to work on the web, in print, and on many other types of collateral.
For true flexibility, show that the logo can work in color, on a dark background and light background, and in back and white.
(more…)
Tags: branding, community, creative, creativity, crowdsourcing, crowdspring, design, designer, graphic design, graphics design, graphics designer, inspiration, logo, logo design, logos, Strategy, weekly glance of awesomeness
Posted in Awesomeness, design, How To, inspiration, Strategy, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, March 16th, 2011
In our 12 Questions blog series, we feature interviews with someone from the crowdSPRING community. For these interviews, we pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice.
We’re very proud to feature Shawndra Renée Cox (crowdSPRING username: OOPS) today. Shawndra lives and works in Lodi, NJ.
1. Please tell us about yourself.
My name is Shawndra Renée Cox. I currently live and work in Lodi, NJ, but I was born and raised in Queens, NY. I am a single mother, a lover of all things creative and became a registered business owner at the age of 26 (technically, I was still 25 but turned 26, twenty-nine days later). I can’t say that my path to running my own business was something I knowingly set out on so much as it was a really cool, unexpected place I ended up at after taking a wrong turn somewhere. Well, maybe not a wrong turn. It was more like being forced to taking a detour due to major road construction.
As soon as I graduated from college, I applied for jobs, went on interviews and got rejected by every studio and firm I visited. Over the course of about 4 years, there were at least 30 places that I went to in person. Some places I had actual appointments with. Others, I just walked in with my portfolio and resume and tried to shake someone’s hand. Plus, you can tack on the 50+ places I sent my resume to that I just never heard from lol.
All the while, I was picking up work from random people on craigslist and friends of friends that were trying to start their own businesses. They were always quick jobs though, and with my newborn son, I was more focused on finding something steady and stable rather than searching for the next gig to maintain for the moment.
So, finally, I landed in a small photography studio in Queens. It was 17.2 miles away from the Manhattan office I had always pictured myself in and it was about 5 times smaller. Still, they liked my work and I created some really cool things there. That was until they stopped being able to keep up with their expenses and I ended up without a job. That was when I got hit with the choice (yet again) to get a job that I could somehow convince myself was still “art related” or dig in and fight to do the design work I wanted to, full time. That’s (the short version of) how my studio was born.
2. How did you become interested in design?
Drawing was always a major part of my childhood. I used to watch “Imagination Station” with Mark Kistler as the host. I would follow along and draw with him probably at the age of 5 or 6. He always had the cutest little cartoon creatures and was really big on “foreshortening” and “shading.” I learned how to incorporate both techniques into my drawings early on. Looking back, I was able to keep up with his pace and did a decent job of copying most of the characters he made up.
(more…)
Tags: 12 questions, community, creative, creativity, crowdspring, design, designer, graphic design, graphics design, graphics designer, illustration, inspiration, interview, logo, logo design, logos, OOPS, Shawndra Cox, small business, weekly glance of awesomeness
Posted in Awesomeness, business, community, crowdsourcing, design, How To, inspiration, Interviews, Uncategorized | No Comments »
Monday, March 7th, 2011
In our 12 Questions blog series, we feature interviews with someone from the crowdSPRING community. For these interviews, we pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice.
We’re very proud to feature Edward Laurin (crowdSPRING username: LOREWREN) today. Edward lives and works in suburban Toronto, Ontario.
1. Please tell us about yourself.
Husband. Father. Designer. Working Artist. Friend. Cousin to many. Canadian. No band
wagon jumping Toronto Maple Leaf hockey fan. Born on the shores of Georgian Bay in an English and French speaking small town. My french is limited to a few words and phases but I can always pull upon my drawing skills when language barriers arise. Live in the inner suburbs of Toronto, Ontario.
Started my career doing lots of freelance after graduating from college as full time jobs were few and far between at the time (Mum and Dad were wondering if I would ever get a real job). I think they honestly thought this career choice involved living in a artist loft, painting still life fruit and nudes. Freelance turned into a full time offer with my first agency and then a jump to a great client side opportunity for a 12 year stint as in-house creative director for a technology company. Joined when the company was private and experienced the transition to publicly traded company. Great learning experience and worked with some very creative folks outside the design realm – computer programmers, engineers and product managers are creative people too! If you’ve been in front of a PC and a red rectangle logo appeared upon start up then you have seen one of my logos. Now work for myself with direct clients and as a hired creative gun for boutique marketing communication firms.
(more…)
Tags: 12 questions, art, artist, community, creative, creativity, crowdspring, design, designer, Edward Laurin, graphic design, graphics design, graphics designer, illustration, inspiration, interview, logo, logo design, logos, LOREWREN, packaging design, painter, weekly glance of awesomeness
Posted in Awesomeness, community, crowdsourcing, Interviews, Uncategorized | 8 Comments »
Tuesday, February 22nd, 2011
In our 12 Questions blog series, we feature interviews with someone from the crowdSPRING community. For these interviews, we pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice.
We’re very proud to feature Mon Paningbatan (crowdSPRING username: LoopDloop) today. Mon lives and works in Manila, Philippines.
1. Please tell us about yourself.
I’m a self-confessed typhophile and iconography aficionado who’s been in the design business for more than 15 years. Surrounded by books 
and consuming extensive amount of coffee, I continuously conflict my thoughts as a creative exercise and objectively review the process afterwards.
My past stints among a few include: Illustrator for Children’s books, art director for a magazine, and design consultant at Intellectual Property Philippines. Until I decided to set-up my own shop and bite the creative freedom all designers deserve.
2. How did you become interested in design?
There is just something about symbols and typefaces that I consider very interesting. They communicate and identify differently for every individual and if you observe closely, strong symbols unify thoughts of its audience. It may also lead or repress a person’s perception. In this manner, creating a design is comparable to being a leader. You could get to shape minds and have your own Eiffel tower to show off. Narcissistic isn’t it? It is something you can control and reward you at the same time.
(more…)
Tags: 12 questions, community, creative, creativity, crowdsourcing, crowdspring, design, designer, graphic design, graphics design, graphics designer, illustration, inspiration, interview, logo, logo design, logos, LoopDloop, marketing, Mon Paningbatan, small biz, small business, weekly glance of awesomeness
Posted in Awesomeness, community, crowdsourcing, design, inspiration, Interviews | 6 Comments »
Monday, January 31st, 2011
Hello Creatives! I’ve been hanging around cS since September of ’08 – first as a creative, then as a member of the crew. I thought I’d share a little of what I’ve learned about how to find success when participating here on cS. I was a designer, but much of this information will apply to writers as well. So let’s get to it!
PICK YOUR PROJECTS CAREFULLY
As you submit in more and more projects – you will get a feel for the ones you seem to be best at. Don’t try to make yourself something you’re not. You will learn to read a brief and sense if it’s a good fit for your style.
We do have a feature where buyers can withdraw entries from the gallery so they can better focus on the entries they are more interested in. Please do your best not to take this as an insult. If they do this, at least you know where you stand. In many ways, it’s better than being ignored. You can avoid wasting your time and move on to another project.
If you want to see if a buyer is actively involved in the project, be sure to click “Project stats” at the top right of the gallery page. You will see a breakdown of star scores and if written feedback is being provided.
EXPLAIN YOUR ENTRY
This is often the most overlooked step in posting your brilliant creative work. Explain your concept, how it can be used, and why it is a good representation of their company. Sharing the reasoning behind your design or written entry will not only help draw interest to your entry, it will often help you connect with the buyer and inspire feedback.
Engage the buyer! Encourage them to provide feedback, or ask questions. If they don’t answer – they are probably not interested. If you feel strongly about your entry, see if you can make an improvement and re-submit. It’s a chance to once again ask for any comments they might have.
SAVE IT FOR ANOTHER DAY
I know what it’s like to put your time into your creation, only to have it looked over. But what doesn’t work for one buyer may be a perfect fit for another. Save everything. You may be able to update it for use in another project some day. But make sure you withdraw it from any other projects before you post it in a new one!
KEEP IT ORIGINAL
Look out for generic logo designs.
Not only are they not allowed in logo projects, they will keep you from standing out. Do your best to avoid trends. They will be dated before you know it. If you take the time to think out of the box and put in the extra effort to provide something fresh and new – it will pay off.
(more…)
Tags: community, creative, creativity, crowdspring, design, designer, graphics design, graphics designer, illustration, logo, logo design, logos, Strategy, Tips for creatives, Tips for success, writing
Posted in community, crowdsourcing, design, How To, inspiration, Strategy, writing | 2 Comments »
Friday, January 21st, 2011
In our 12 Questions blog series, we feature interviews with someone from the crowdSPRING community. For these interviews, we pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice.
We’re very proud to feature Aleksandar Macanovic (crowdSPRING username: awerest) today. Aleksandar lives and works in Novi Sad, Serbia.
1. Please tell us about yourself.
Hello, my name is Aleksandar Macanovic and this is my 12 questions interview. Got 25 years behind me, born in the city of Novi Sad and stayed there to live and work. My nickname pzwiz is an acronym from a popular cartoon Popeye the sailor, it is from the scene where Olive his girlfriend says
to Popeye to use his arm as a propeller and a word for a spinning strike here is “zviz” so its “propeller zviz” or simply pzwiz. I will try to make, this honor to present me and my work to this community, as interesting as it can be, as my country still has not reached full potential, just like me. My experience in design is short, in years I was interested more in music, I even finished music school. After that my wish was to accomplish my goals alone or with some friends. Music was the first big love, creative, next was design. Ten years ago I started working with music and organizing small events. A friend and I are running a small agency for that purpose.
2. How did you become interested in design?
Everything started not so long ago when my friend and I had an idea about ethno camp for tourists during our biggest musical festi
val ( EXIT festival ) in Novi Sad. To present the camp’s countryside and ranch better my job was to do marketing, promotions and get ideas for cultural program and some activity for campers. That was my first time with Illustrator and Photoshop, without much sleep I was clicking around for hours. Logo, poster, flyers, website header, flash banner, complete website in Joomla!, map of camp and a sea of pictures which had to be edited in, for me back then unknown formats ( remember your first time with the software? ). Then it was all new for me, today it takes me much less time, but at that time it was a lot of work. That was the very beginning, the website is down now and camp is long forgotten. Person responsible for introduction of crowd sourcing was my girlfriend, it was again all new to me. She has been actively doing spec work for some time and invited me to join the community.
(more…)
Tags: 12 questions, Aleksandar Macanovic, community, creative, creativity, crowdsourcing, crowdspring, design, designer, graphic design, graphics design, graphics designer, inspiration, interview, logo, logo design, logos, pzwiz, weekly glance of awesomeness
Posted in Awesomeness, community, crowdsourcing, design, inspiration, Interviews, Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
Friday, December 31st, 2010
In our 12 Questions blog series, we feature interviews with someone from the crowdSPRING community. For these interviews, we pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice.
We’re very proud to feature Dave Porter (crowdSPRING username: brainstorm ) today. Dave lives and works in suburban Pittsburgh PA, USA.
1. Please tell us about yourself.
My name is Dave Porter, (aka brainstorm) I live in a suburb outside of Pittsburgh PA, USA with my wife, 2 teenage sons and a pit bull…who can’t control her licker. I still live in the same community I grew up in (literally 1 mile from my parents house). Guess I didn’t stray too far from home.
2. How did you become interested in design?
I always doodled as a kid, filling up legal pads and any blank piece of paper with my crazy little cartoon characters. I loved MAD magazine and always admired the talent and loved the twisted humor. As a student I was not exactly top of my class and my sketching would drive the teachers crazy.
In my junior year of high school they were offering students the opportunity to go to a local vo-tech trade school on a 2 year program. I looked at the list of courses and noticed there was a Commercial Art program, so I signed up. This is where I initially got exposed to graphic design. My instructor had worked in the ad agency business for years (his claim to fame was working on the Nestea plunge ad campaign) and was now teaching at the school, I couldn’t get enough of the class and was now a graphics addict.
(more…)
Tags: 12 questions, brainstorm, branding, community, creative, creativity, crowdspring, Dave Porter, design, designer, graphic design, graphics design, graphics designer, illustration, inspiration, interview, logo, logo design, logos, weekly glance of awesomeness
Posted in Awesomeness, community, crowdsourcing, design, inspiration, Interviews, Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
Thursday, December 16th, 2010
A few months ago, for our “I’m in Logo Love” series, I wrote about the Big Ten logo, and how awesome it was. It used negative space in a clever way to show that the Big Ten athletic conference actually had eleven teams. I also mentioned how excited I was to see what they would come up with when the Big Ten added Nebraska to their ranks, changing the number of participating colleges to twelve. (As a graduate of a Big Ten school, I have a vested interest in this topic.) You can see the full blog post here.
Well, the wait is over. This week, the Big Ten unveiled their new logo.
(more…)
Tags: Big 10, Big Ten, Big Ten Conference, branding, design, graphic design, graphics design, logo, logo design, logos, marketing
Posted in business, design, inspiration, Reviews, Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
Wednesday, December 1st, 2010
In our 12 Questions blog series, we feature interviews with someone from the crowdSPRING community. For these interviews, we pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice.
We’re very proud to feature Dana (crowdSPRING username: decenu) today. Dana lives and works in Constanta, Romania.
1. Please tell us about yourself.
I’m Dana, living in Constanta (Romania). My nickname (“decenu”) means “whynot”; I chose it because when I found out about the crowdSPRIN
G I told myself: “Should I dare? Why not!”. I don’t have anymore a classical regular job: for the last 3 years I work at my home; I realized that I knew more interesting people and encountered more bright ideas this way than if I had a normal job. I don’t like undecided, untrustworthy. I’m franc, uncompromising and sullen (not a very social type, I’d say).
2. How did you become interested in design?
I always liked to draw (since kindergarten) all kind of things, more or less abstract. I applied this in painting and art courses.
I grew up and I stopped for a few years. When I decided to practice a job who doesn’t become exhausted by its misfit (experience already checked), I returned to drawing and transformed the hobby into a job.
(more…)
Tags: 12 questions, community, creative, creativity, crowdspring, Dana, decenu, design, designer, graphic design, graphics design, graphics designer, illustration, inspiration, interview, logo, logo design, logos, typography, weekly glance of awesomeness
Posted in Awesomeness, community, design, inspiration, Interviews, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
