Interview question : Tell me About your Design Process

Well, this isn't actually a question. However, you should have a process outlined for this one. The interviewer wants to know that you can approach a project methodically and follow the logical steps to a successful design project. Be aware that these are not optional steps. Here they are:

1. Get the design challenge and do your research: Learn all you can about the target audience and message. Find out the format and budgetary constraints. 
2. Create thumbnails: Brainstorm design solutions and sketch out several quick ideas.
3.   Develop the roughs: Flesh out 3 or 4 of the thumbs to develop further. Get feedback from the team or client on which is most successful for their needs.
4. Make up the comprehensive designs (comps): Use the successful rough to create a design that’s full sized, using the final color palette, and sans-Greeked text. This project is practically finished. Get some feedback from your team or client.
5.  Final design: Use that last round of feedback to polish up your comp into the finished product.

While this question doesn't come up much outside of the design field—although I’ve been asked this when interviewing for a nonprofit women’s health design job—it’s important to be prepared to answer it.

Free iPad Images

As a developer / designer in higher education, I've seen the climate shift toward electronic media. This means that presenting imagery of e-learning is increasingly important. I'm talking about showing engaged learners using computers, devices, and non-traditional media to get information. That said, this iPad round-up doesn't show engaged learners at all.

Instead here are some devices that you can use in your design work or portfolio. I have downloaded and worked with a few of these at different times in the past year:

Free Apple iPad Vector - this freebie was created by jameskoster,  is completely editable in Illustrator, and includes glass glare in the layers!! Plus I've used it in my new graphic design portfolio.

Vecteezy Vector iPad - created by yaquiloco

Deviantart 18 iPad Icons - created by Adidadidu

Deviantart angled iPad icon - created by chrisnoakes

No one Ever Asks How the Sausage is Made

My friend Kate just posted this fantastic vid of a graphic designer, DangerDom, creating a poster in Adobe Illustrator. This time-lapse presentation shows the poster for ALT-J from sketch to finished product. Phenomenal!!



Alt-J Poster Process Video from -DangerDom- on Vimeo.

50 Year of Pantone: Color and Branding (infographic)

Through color we express and experience emotion. Effective branding uses color to effectively reach the consumer, market and audience.