#25156
The Benefits of a Buddy for the Solo Designer
Are you a home-based studio or freelancer? The benefits are many for the solo designer, but feeling isolated can spell trouble.
Bertucci, Janet and Julianne Nardone. Design, Typography and Graphics (2004). Careers>Graphic Design>Collaboration
#20953
It's not been easy for art directors and graphic designers to maintain a career amidst rapidly changing technology and design trends.
Shinn, Nick. ShinnType (2001). Careers>TC>Typography>Graphic Design
#18833
The Challenges of Technical Illustration for Customer Documentation in the High Tech Environment 
As emerging computer technology and new graphics software packages allow for the creation of illustration and design by individuals without formal training, traditional illustrators from the “pen and pencil” era are continually challenged to compete in the industry. Choosing a career path in the technical documentation field presents a unique set of challenges for the technical illustrator and designer. This paper identijes the role of a technical illustrator and the tools and skills required for success in a high tech environment.
Moore, Donna Lynn. STC Proceedings (1997). Careers>TC>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration
#26274
Proposal are also the cause of a great deal of anxiety for many creatives--especially those new to the industry. They're usually not on the list of most creative-related classes in school. But, fear not, oh ye creative bethern. I'm going to take you step-by-step and show you how it's put it together.
Tortorella, Neil. Creative Latitude (2004). Careers>Graphic Design>Proposals
#25157
Getting a job in the design field may not be as easy as you think. Seattle designer Melissa Mason goes for yet another job interview in pursuit of a big agency design job.
Mason, Melissa. Design, Typography and Graphics (2004). Careers>Graphic Design>Regional>Puget Sound
#18359
Graphical Design in TCO: Video and Animation
This report is intended to give an overview of graphical design in the technical communication field as it pertains to the areas of video and animation. The purpose of this report is to a) establish core knowledge areas, b) provide information to both students and professionals in TCO, c) demonstrate excellence in TCO at Mercer University, and d) help students decide on what internships and jobs they wish to pursue. This report includes a summary and background of the video and animation field, the methods by which the information was obtained, an organized presentation of the collected information, and a series of recommendations for those going into this field.
Davis, Marjorie T. and William H. Harris II. Mercer University (2002). Careers>Multimedia>Graphic Design
#25892
How to Grow as a Graphic Designer
Catherine Fishel examines the philosophical foundations on which every creative business is based.
Fishel, Catherine. Graphics.com (2005). Careers>Graphic Design
#12925
Each year during May and June we get hundreds of calls, letters and emails from young graduates who would like to work for Showker Graphic Arts & Design or any of the Graphic Design Network web sites. This year, since we had a specific letter from a potential employer, we thought it would be cool to show graduates how we approach reviewing candidates for employment.
Showker, Fred. Design, Typography and Graphics (2001). Careers>Management>Graphic Design
#10300
Is This Ethical? A Survey of Opinion on Principles and Practices of Document Design 
In a national survey, 500 technical communicators and 500 technical communication teachers were asked to assess the ethics of seven document design cases. According to the 455 respondents, manipulating typography and leading to fit more or less information on a page and using persuasive coloring or spacing are ethical practices, while the manipulation of pictorial illustrations and the distortion of graphics are unethical. Opinion on using typography to decrease readability is divided. In five of the seven cases, women are consistently more lenient or men consistently more strict in their answers: common practices, specifications, reader's responsibility, writer's responsibility, writer's intentions, consequences, judgments, principles, and insufficient information. The explanation most often given was consequences, indicating a 'goal-based' philosophy of ethics.
Dragga, Sam. Technical Communication Online (1996). Careers>TC>Document Design>Graphic Design
#19883
Managing Quality Graphic Design in a Documentation Project
Supervising the design of documentation is challenging for documentation managers who have little or no educated knowledge of design. However, quality design that maintains ease of reading, accessibility, comprehension, retention, and aesthetics is vital to the usability and success of the documentation and should be carefully monitored by the documentation manager. Decisions must be made up front on four design areas -- packaging, layout, typography, and highlighting -- before the project is underway. In addition, audience analysis and a design style guide are two techniques that managers should embrace in supervising design.
Listeman, Amy J. STC Proceedings (1995). Careers>Graphic Design>Document Design>Documentation
#26243
A Path to Success: Interview with Patrick Jordan
In addition to providing clients with top quality design work, it is also important to help them think strategically. It adds a great deal of value for your clients when you help them to understand more about their users and their markets and about what the implications of this are for their designs.
Lisney, Eleanor. uiGarden (2005). Careers>Consulting>Graphic Design
#28595
Anne-Marie "HerGeekness" Concepcion wrote about 'Telling Questions' prospective design employers may ask the job applicant. Some of the questions are obvious -- others not so. So, we teamed up with Anne-Marie to find out if YOU can correctly answer these Questions for Designers.
Concepcion, Anne-Marie. Design, Typography and Graphics (2006). Careers>Interviewing>Graphic Design
#30452
Spec Work Can Damage Your Business
Speculative work, or free pitching, 'spec' for short, is considered unethical among leading graphic design associations around the world.
Airey, David. DavidAirey (2007). Careers>Freelance>Graphic Design>Contracts
#19612
A list of Frequently Asked Questions (along with answers) about technical illustration.
Foley, Richard. FAQs (1997). Careers>TC>Graphic Design>Technical Illustration
#26275
Ten Ways to Keep and Get Clients
Realistically, it will be impossible to keep every client due to any number of factors; the marketing director you've worked with for years leaves or another design firm offers a 'loss leader' project. While some scenarios are out of your control, many are not and taking a proactive stance can do wonders.
Schultz, Derald. Creative Latitude (2005). Careers>Freelance>Graphic Design
#30453
That Monster called Free Pitch
No matter what you call it, Spec Work, Free Pitch, etc the concept is the same. I'll get a handful of designers or studios to come up with a handful of concepts for my website, and the winner gets my business. Great concept? No! There are no winners here.
Burke, Miles. MilesBurke.com.au (2007). Careers>Freelance>Graphic Design>Contracts
#26273
We creative professionals tend to be a right-brained bunch, harnessing our creative talents to create practical solutions for our clients. Creating pricing structures, estimates and invoices are not high on our enjoyment list. But we can avoid some common pitfalls and potentially unhappy clients by pricing our work based on project value rather than an hourly rate.
Stuart, Valarie Martin. Creative Latitude (2004). Careers>Freelance>Graphic Design>Estimating
#29518
Although it is true that designers generally rely on clients, pleasing them is not the ultimate purpose of our work. What designers share with our clients is a public, an audience. Our clients wouldn't need us at all if we weren't helping them reach that public. Our broader responsibility is to the ultimate users of our work.
Lupton, Ellen. AIGA (2007). Careers>Graphic Design>Audience Analysis
#15231
Working with Graphic Designers
Offers suggestions to technical writers or project managers on how to successfully communicate design specifications to graphic designers. According to Petersen, an ideal design specification should include an introduction stating the purpose of the document and its audience, tender requirements, a list of elements that need designing, a list of document limitations, a list of necessary hardware and software, design suggestions, printing and distribution information, a list of people involved in the project, and design and project schedules.
Petersen, Judy H. Intercom (2000). Careers>Collaboration>Graphic Design
#32780
Common Visual Design Misconceptions
Though visual designers might face different hurdles in particular product domains and at different points in their careers, there are three common misconceptions that surface quite frequently.
Wroblewski, Luke. UXmatters (2008). Careers>Graphic Design
#35110
What to Do When You Have Nothing Better to Do
Most designers, for most of their education and careers, have been trained to think of themselves as problem solvers. True. But that doesn't mean we can't seek out the problems we want to solve too; there's no law that says that you have to be part of an organization to take on a cause you're passionate about.
Simmons, Christopher. Core77 (2009). Careers>Unemployment>Advice>Graphic Design
