5 DMV Experts Weigh In: How to Start Your Creative Career

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

On Saturday April 23rd, 2022, AIGA Baltimore held a virtual panel discussion for Ink & Pixels, “From Portfolio to Offer: The Art of Getting Hired”. The discussion featured a fantastic group of established professionals while talking about how to rethink and refine your approach to getting hired in the creative industry. There was lots of insight on the dos and don’ts of resumes, portfolios, and interviews as well as the other things to keep in mind that Google doesn’t tell you.

The panel included Nate Brubaker, Owner & Executive Producer at Rock Shore Media;  Jordan Watts, Director of Design at Fearless; Amy Quarles, Creative Director at Visit Baltimore; and Hilliary Turnipseed, Director of Recruitment & DEI at Subject Matter and Founder of Hill Street Strategies, and was moderated by Nhu Nguyen, Vice President at AIGA Baltimore and AVP, Creative Director at Fenton.

Career Values

What do you value? If you don’t know, start thinking about it. What do you value in your career? Some of our panelists noted that experience, respect, and a mission you can stand behind, is very important when looking for a career. Don’t forget to think about values in your personal life—especially a good work life balance. Workplace culture shouldn’t be stagnant. Just like the field of design is always changing, your workplace should be full of people who are also willing to change.

HR Advice

When applying for a job, be prepared and know where you are applying. We suggest having a document of when and where you applied and know about all of them. If you aren’t excited for the job application or if it doesn’t interest you, don’t apply! The interviewer will know if you don’t care or aren’t familiar with the company. Don’t hit apply if you wouldn’t be excited to get a call back.

When you graduate from college, you might not have the career experience you are looking for, but you should have some job experience. 

Think about it:

  • Have you had a job anywhere? Starbucks or anything at all?
  • Have you done any passion projects? These make you stand out from the crowd. 
  • Have you completed an internship?
  • Have you had a career shift? HR calls these nontraditional backgrounds with transferable skills. Talk about what underlying skills you have that will make you effective in this new role. 

Make sure you are being seen, heard, and valued. If an offer comes in and it seems insulting—it is insulting. Negotiate and believe in your worth.

What happens if you miss the job application deadline? If the job is still posted online (such as Indeed or LinkedIn), just apply and go for it. Be sure to look for contact information and email the person hiring to let them know you have applied to the job. 

Embrace the Change: Seize the Opportunities. 

Hillary embraced that you don’t have to explain your career gap in a global pandemic! If the employer asks about your gap, that may be a potential red flag. If you do want to explain—it’s ok to be your authentic self. Nhu noted, “feel free to be authentic. If you need to take time off for family, or for yourself, you can say this.”

Sometimes it’s okay to fake it until you make it. If you are learning something new like photography, just keep welcoming new opportunities (school project, client project, etc.). This is how you can bring your ideas to the table.

Networking

There are lots of ways to network and create connections—make connections in real life at events or online via LinkedIn, Twitter, etc.! Always be in conversation, always be there to support people. Create GENUINE connections. There might not be an immediate benefit, but it can come back around. Connect with them because you share a commonality.

Cover Letters & Resumes

When you are creating your cover letter, make it personal so you can stand out. Make sure to show yourself in your cover letter with your passions, personality, and values. Go deeper into what you have learned and how it applies to the specific company. Go through each of your resume bullet points and see how it can apply to the job. Don’t forget  to address the cover letter correctly, including the right person and the correct company. 

Each of these pieces (cover letter, resume, portfolio) are just one piece of the puzzle. Some employers will look holistically at the candidate, look at the outcomes, and look beyond their title. As Jordan explained, “The cover letter is a great place to explain your “why” and have a personal letter to your hiring manager.” 

When designing your resume, don’t overthink it or overdesign it—assigning a percentage to a certain skill or software is often not recommended (for example, 56% in Adobe Photoshop is confusing). Instead, keep it simple and add your skills/software in bullet points. We also recommend having a PDF copy as well as a simple Microsoft Word copy—sometimes the PDF won’t work on certain applications when you have to apply online. Make sure your resume can be printed, no tie dye backgrounds or lots of color in the background, keep it simple!

Portfolios

A few things to consider when deciding your portfolio platform: What is the cost? How easy will it be to update over time? For you, this might be a PowerPoint presentation, or it might be a website. 

There are lots of ways to present your work (printed portfolio, website, Behance, slide deck/PDF) but you want to showcase your work in a simple and organized way. Make sure you present in a way that is efficient, effective, and clean. When presenting, have something that is ready to go and doesn’t require WiFi. If you’re an animator, don’t have a print portfolio. If you are creating a portfolio with Google Slides/Keynote/PowerPoint, make sure to save and send as a PDF for a more professional look.

If your portfolio is on a website, make sure it’s mobile friendly (you never know what device the employer is using!). The moment a recruiter or hiring manager is faced with a difficulty (such as a website not loading or doesn’t have the PowerPoint software to open your .ppt presentation), they will more than likely move on to the next candidate. 

If it’s a team project, make sure to specify what you were responsible for. Keep in mind that most people assessing your projects are likely not to spend more than 5 minutes looking at a specific project—be sure to be prepared to talk about each project. 

You can find more information about the number of projects, and what to include (don’t forget process and sketches!), in this blog: Best Practices for Creating a Design Portfolio & Preparing for Interviews in 2022.

Interview Tips

When you are being interviewed, it’s not just the employer interviewing you—you’re also interviewing them. You want to make sure that they are a good fit for you. Always ask questions—especially questions about the company’s culture. Don’t forget to do some research on the company! Always be prepared.

What happens if you need special accommodations for your interview? For example, if you are deaf, you might prefer to meet in-person or on a video call. You can ask for accommodations in the comment section of the application or when they email you back. If you can’t find an email or if there is no place to add comments, try looking the company up on LinkedIn and see if you can message anyone. Again, it is totally reasonable to ask for the accommodations you need in order to have a productive interview—whether that is a permanent or temporary condition.

Our panelists shared their top advice for job applicants:

  • Be genuine and authentic: Don’t be afraid to show your personality. Employers want to make sure you will be a good cultural fit. 
  • Know about the company: Show that you’ve done your research on the company you’re interviewing for and show a genuine interest in what their goals are and how you can contribute to their success.
  • Your portfolio isn’t everything: Don’t just “let the work speak for itself.” Your portfolio is only half the battle. Make sure you are articulating your skills outside of your portfolio as well. How well do you work in a team? What leadership skills do you have? Are you good at managing multiple project deadlines?

5 Key Takeaways from Our Panelists

Nate Brubaker
Seize opportunities! When hiring, we’re not just looking for a degree. Looking for the person who took advantage of all the opportunities available. 

Jordan Watts
Look for whether a company is willing to change and embraces change. Recognize imposter syndrome. From his colleague Kelsey Johnston—“if you think you’re 80% qualified, you are 100% qualified.” That remaining 20% is the room for growth, and learning on-the-job is expected.

Amy Quarles
For your portfolio: Think about what you learned from each job/project. Even if the design output wasn’t completely newsworthy, your hiring manager will be looking at it in the context.

Hillary Turnipseed
Only apply for as many jobs/interviews as you can show up for 100%. The interviewer will know if you don’t care or aren’t familiar with the company. Don’t hit apply if you wouldn’t be excited to get a call back. Rejection is Redirection.

Nhu Nguyen
Fight through the fear. Don’t let imposter’s syndrome hold you back. The best opportunities come from taking risks!

 

Meet the Panelists 

Nate Brubaker

Owner & Executive Producer @ Rock Shore Media
Nate developed a passion for entrepreneurship and the creative industry at a young age. According to Nate, the most rewarding part of creating Rock Shore so far has been the ability to grow his team and see them prosper.

Jordan Watts

Director of Design @ Fearless
Jordan has spent his career working to rebuild trust in government and public institutions. As the Director of Design at Fearless he leads a multidisciplinary design practice to help people deliver and get better government services.

Amy Quarles

Creative Director @ Visit Baltimore
Amy began her career as an in-house graphic designer at a labor union in Washington, D.C., and moved to the leisure and tourism marketing space in 2007 where she has been ever since. She works with one full-time, in-house graphic designer and marketing managers in a small group of freelance creatives—photographers, illustrators, stylists, and videographers.

Hilliary Turnipseed

Director of Recruitment & DEI @ Subject Matter
Founder @ Hill Street Strategies
Hilliary is a DMV area-based talent acquisition executive, with a rich background in early-stage technology startups, media and social impact organizations. She seamlessly integrates diversity, equity, and inclusion strategies into her work, with an emphasis on advocating for underrepresented/underestimated candidates and creating two-way interviewing experiences.

About the Moderator:

Nhu Nguyen

Vice President @ AIGA Baltimore
AVP, Creative Director @ Fenton
Nhu brings over 12 years of comprehensive experience within the multimedia, interactive, and traditional design space and creative industry to develop effective and impactful campaigns. She leads the creative team at Fenton, integrating strategy, effective design, and compelling storytelling to create memorable solutions that help grow brands and leave lasting impressions. Nhu has worked in a variety of different industries and is passionate about amplifying voices that are underrepresented.

Thank you to Kristin Kosmides, Nhu Nguyen, and Frances Miller for your help on this blog.

Meet the Designers Behind the Ink & Pixels Branding 2022

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

Ink & Pixels is coming up at the end of April! Save the dates for the virtual panel, “From Portfolio to Offer: The Art of Getting Hired” on April 23rd and the in-person portfolio reviews on April 30th. This year, the branding for Ink & Pixels was designed by Jamie Wheeler of Jelly Creative Co. (@jellycreativeco) and Jess Langley of White Coffee Creative (@whitecoffeecreativeco).

Can you tell us about yourself? What’s your story?

Jamie — My go-to line is, “I’ve been getting paid to design for almost 15 years.” It started with a high school internship, a design degree from York College of PA, various design jobs, a few years teaching, and now I own Jelly Creative Co. A branding and design studio for the creatively ambitious. I also like lava lamps, Nutella, my dog Nova, reading fiction, and playing board games with my husband. When I’m working towards a deadline you’ll find 90’s hits or EDM blasting on my Spotify.

Jess — My story has been full of lessons and ups and downs. In college, I landed my first design-related job as a Store Artist at Whole Foods. I learned lettering, how to work with others, and built up my confidence. That led to my first internship turned design job after graduating with a BFA in Graphic Design from Towson University. After being laid off from there in June 2017, I decided I was done with the typical 9-5 culture and went out on my own. I started White Coffee Creative and haven’t looked back since! My services, style, branding, and who I like to work with have changed drastically since then but I’m so grateful for the journey. I started coaching creatives in 2020 and now am learning to balance the two businesses with ease. When I’m not working, you can find me sipping coffee (obviously, with extra cream and sugar), bingeing Netflix shows, hiking with my 2 pups and partner, or dreaming about having a cabin in the woods.

How did you meet and start working together?

Jess had been running her business for two years when I DM’d her on Instagram asking if we could meet for coffee and talk shop. We met up at Spoons for breakfast and just clicked! She was my first local design/business owner friend and a huge supporter as I went full-time with my company in 2019. Community is really important to us both so when I brought the idea of a group for local designers to Jess she was on board to help start the Facebook group, Baltimore Graphic Designers, which now has 300 members! We have worked on local branding projects together, drank lots of local coffee, sent countless voice messages, and continue to cheer each other on. After Ink & Pixels, we’re excited to see what design mischief we can get into next!

How did you approach this branding project and what was your design process?

We were inspired by the juxtaposition of ink (organic) and pixels (geometric). We started with basic shapes within the AIGA color palette, then using only these shapes we started creating icons that can be used in various ways. The final touch is the wavy lines that intersect with the shapes and icons to create movement and bring everything together.

Having a stark black background allows the colorful elements to be brought to life and grab your attention while scrolling on Instagram or walking by on campus.

The fonts are designed by our friend Alex of The Routine Creative, a Texas-based designer. The jackknife font just felt too perfect not to highlight!

Can you describe your inspiration and any challenges you came across them while designing the branding?

If we had been working solo, there may have been more challenges, but we were able to pass the files back and forth when one of us was feeling stuck creatively. We have worked on branding projects together so we hopped right back into a nice groove. When we say it was a fun project, we really mean it!

What’s your favorite part about designing branding?

Jamie — Like any large design project there are the peaks and valleys, I think the moments right after the valleys are my favorite. I think all designers have the thoughts of “this is never going to work, what am I doing” but it’s the “oh yeah, this is it!” that I’m always chasing.

Jess — I love pulling visual inspiration and using strategy and color psychology to tie in meaning. It’s always a fun challenge to create branding that visually captures the essence of a business while maintaining simplicity. So that beginning exciting energy and the finale of when it’s all done and ready to show the world are my favorite parts.

Was there an aha moment when you knew you wanted to be a designer?

Jamie — Why yes, yes there was. It was when I photoshopped Ashton Kutcher into my homecoming photo and posted it to my Myspace. Technically, that’s when I opened the world to design, but the moment I learned it was an actual career and a college major I knew that was the path I was taking.

Jess — Yes! In college, I dabbled in a few different majors—journalism, photography, general fine arts, and design. I vividly remember one of my college professors (shoutout to Carolyn Norton!) in an Intro to Design class telling me I was already a designer. Getting that recognition and encouragement made me feel ready to step into this direction as a designer full-heartedly, and I got accepted into the GD program at Towson that following semester!

In the long term, what do you hope to eventually accomplish as a designer? What is your biggest goal/dream as a creative?

Jamie — This question is making me realize how much I have accomplished as a designer already, which is really cool. My dream client at the moment would be to work with a performing arts company. Lately, I’ve been searching for ways to bring all my talents and interests together while also helping other designers and keepin’ it real. A huge dream of mine was to host a retreat for designers, which is happening this spring, so I’m too sure what’s next!

Jess — I’m really enjoying running my own studio. I love being a multi-faceted creative offering design, murals, AND coaching. I hope to continue to navigate balancing a variety of tasks, projects, and clients while continuing to reinvent myself and where I want to go next. My big dreamy goal right now is to speak on stage at a creative conference one day about intentionally finding that balance as a business owner while having the freedom to explore a variety of creative outlets.

Thank you to Jamie and Jess for sharing their stories! We cannot thank you both enough for creating the branding for this year’s Ink & Pixels. Make sure to follow them on their various social channels!

White Coffee Creative
Designer + Muralist
whitecoffeecreative.com | @whitecoffeecreativeco

The Colorful Jess
Mindset + Pricing Coach
thecolorfuljess.com | @thecolorfuljess

Jamie Wheeler
Owner + Creative Director
jellycreativeco.com | Instagram | Facebook

Best Practices for Creating a Design Portfolio & Preparing for Interviews in 2022

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

AIGA Baltimore is here to help you succeed in your design portfolio reviews and interviews! Here is a guide for creating a design portfolio and some tips on how to prepare for an interview.

1. Quality over quantity. Showcase your best work.

We recommend starting and ending with an awesome piece. Don’t be afraid to include self-initiated work to stand out from the crowd. ONLY show your best work in your portfolio. If you aren’t 100% happy with a particular piece, don’t include it. It’s better to have 5-7 amazing projects than 10-15 projects that aren’t so great.

2. Think about how you will present your design portfolio—whether it is a PDF or an online portfolio. 

Traditional portfolios are printed in a flipbook style. If you have mostly print pieces, the traditional route may be the way to go. A bonus of having a printed portfolio is the opportunity to showcase printed pieces and to give reviewers a takeaway. Or if you have mostly web pieces, think about creating a portfolio website.

If you create a traditional printed portfolio or just a PDF, we suggest using Adobe InDesign to create the best design layout! Use 1-2 pages for each project and make sure you have a good hierarchy in terms of typography and images. A good size is 12×18 inches. 

Don’t forget to make your projects pop by placing them in mockups. We recommend keeping your mockup files organized to avoid re-downloading huge files. Some good mockup sites are mockupworld.co, creativemarket.com, graphicburger.com, and unblast.com. If you can’t find a free mockup, sometimes it’s easier to just create your own. 

If you need more design resources, check out this *FREE* Design Resource Guide from YouTuber & Graphic Designer, Kel Lauren.

3. Create a graphic design online portfolio.

It is a good idea to have a graphic design online portfolio so you can easily share it on LinkedIn, via email. Think about using Behance (free to use), Adobe Portfolio (you need a Creative Cloud account), Dribbble (you need to be invited), or a custom website such as Squarespace, Wix, or WordPress. Keep an out on the Creative Market freebies as they sometimes offer free website templates. 

4. Seek design opportunities outside of school.

There are lots of ways to get involved in design outside of school. Join the Baltimore Graphic Designers group on Facebook. It’s a group for Baltimore area-based graphic designers to create community, ask questions, get advice, share jobs, and plan meet-ups.

One way is to get involved with AIGA Baltimore! AIGA Baltimore is gearing up for another year of learning, connecting, and growing, and we need your help! Join board leaders on 1/26 at 12PM to hear about open roles and volunteer needs and find out where you can make a difference.

5. Keep your career goals in mind.

What do you want a career in? Think about all of these categories:

  • Brand Identity Design
  • Marketing & Advertising Design
  • Packaging Design
  • Motion & Video Design
  • Web & User Interface Design
  • Print & Publication Design
  • Lettering & Type Design
  • Graphic illustration
  • Data Visualization & Infographic Design

Learn more about these specific career types on dribbble: https://dribbble.com/resources/types-of-graphic-design

6. Practice how you will present your work. 

Be ready to discuss the goal of the project and how you reached the solution. Consider bringing any process sketches with you as well since reviewers are interested in your overall process.

Make sure that the pieces you include are the ones you are proud of. Make sure you can talk confidently in your meeting, interview, or review. Practice with a professional if you can.

7. Seek expert feedback. Attend Ink & Pixels 2022!

Take the next step towards your design career! Whether you want to make a good impression in interviews, need a new perspective on your portfolio, or want fresh eyes on a current project, we’re here to help. Ink & Pixels is one of AIGA Baltimore’s largest events focused on helping designers prepare for a career or career shift. 

This year, Ink & Pixels will be a 2-part event. The first event will be a virtual panel, From Portfolio to Offer: The Art of Getting Hired on Saturday, April 23rd. The Ink & Pixels portfolio reviews returns on Saturday, April 30th at Towson University. Mark your calendars and clean up those portfolios!

Design_v2021 Panel Recap

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

Thank you to those who registered and attending our Ink & Pixels panel discussion for 2021! Our panelists from Stevenson University, JP Morgan Chase, Planit, Jones Knowles Ritchie, and Quicken/Rocket Companies had a fantastic discussion about the most important industry shifts designers need to know as they prepare to get hired in a post-COVID world. Watch the recording below to get all kinds of great insights on preparing your portfolio, being interactive on social media, and learning about all of the great tools and resources out there.

Connect with the panelists:

Lori Rubeling, Professor at Stevenson University
Raksa Yin, VP, Visual Designer at JP Morgan Chase
Nikki Bracy, PR & Social Media Account Director at Planit
Taylor Woods, Senior Designer at Jones Knowles Ritchie
Benjamin Guarino, Team Leader, UX Design at Quicken/Rocket Companies (panel moderator)

Quotes from the Chat:

Designers definitely need to be involved early on in the decision-making process for new products—makes a world of difference! Too many teams assume and don’t do the work to gather research from the end-user.
—Valerie Anderson, President, AIGA Baltimore

Keeping social media post simple and effective can be the toughest battle between you and the client. They want to advertise every CTA in one post. This has been a great reminder to not back down from what you know works and use evidence to show why it works.
—Aja McDaniels, Graphic Designer, Aja Mac Designs

Keep a student/learner mindset always, no matter your age or skill level!
—Kim Loper, Education Director, AIGA Baltimore

Watch the Recording!

Great Website Resources/Groups

Tools to Use:

Podcasts:

Free Ebooks & Short Reads:

Books & Longer Reads:

Meet the Designer: Paige Olsen | Ink & Pixels 2021

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

Have you seen the branding for this year’s Ink & Pixels on social media, our website, or the emails? The branding, patterns, and images were created by Stevenson University Alumna, Paige Olsen. We interviewed Paige recently to learn more about her process and her story.

Can you tell us about yourself? What’s your story?

I recently graduated with a degree in Visual Communication Design and am currently working as a Freelance Graphic Designer. In this role, I am designing promotional assets, visual identities, and graphic art according to client specifications.

In addition to my love for design, I have a love for fitness. I approach design similarly to how I approach fitness. Fitness requires a consistent effort to progress and a desire to persevere. I’m looking for an opportunity to take the next step in my Design career and am hoping to do so by merging both of my passions with a focus on graphic design in the fitness industry.

How did you approach this branding project and what was your design process? Can you describe your inspiration and any challenges you came across them while designing the branding?

My first step in approaching the branding project started by really understanding AIGA’s brand (goals and vision) and allowing the ideas to come to me. This general information led me to a better understanding of where the brand is vs. where they want to go. I continued my research by identifying the audience, as well as, reviewing past events/similar portfolio events in the area. Knowing what has previously been done allowed me to differentiate Ink and Pixels 2021 from what currently exists.

The number one strategy I used that inspired the brand’s identity was a Word Association list. I generated keywords associated with the main goals of the event, instead of pulling all of my inspiration from the title of the event, “Ink and Pixels”. The strategy led me to 4 main keywords that represent the event (Network, Continue (to learn), Connect, and Progress). I developed these keywords into icons to visually communicate the value of the event. By integrating these keywords directly, it is easy to understand what the event offers. The icons are also designed into an abstract pattern to reinforce this idea.

The main idea behind the visual identity is to show that even with different audiences (Students, Design Professionals, Speakers), they all have a common goal at Ink and Pixels (connecting, growing, and coming together). One challenge I faced along the way is the abstract pattern itself. The style I was attempting was new to me and needed to be designed heavily off of a grid. I overcame the obstacle by studying patterns that were also designed from a grid to understand how I can create my own.

What’s your favorite part about designing branding?

My favorite part about designing branding is turning my ideas into reality. I love the process of creating something impactful and memorable in the world that once wasn’t there.

Was there an aha moment when you knew you wanted to be a designer?

My journey as a designer is very different from what you would normally expect. I did not know anything about Graphic Design and wasn’t exposed to the idea until my senior year of High School when I enrolled in a Computer Graphics course. When growing up, I always had a love for art, but I never knew this would be the path I would take.

What led me to be a designer is that I felt as if it fit my personality. I am known for being driven and diligent. I enjoy challenging myself and in design, you need to constantly challenge yourself out of your comfort zone. Design is a challenge for me and that is what drew me to it. I have a willingness to always learn and progress. I believe consistent, disciplined action beats natural talent and that’s the approach I take in all aspects of my design work.

In the long term, what do you hope to eventually accomplish as a designer? What is your biggest goal/dream as a creative?

In the long term, I see myself further developing my skill set to create recognizable and noteworthy work at a reputable studio/company. I desire to evoke emotion and to bring the unexpected to the target audience of my designs. My end goal is to have a positive impact through the messaging of my designs while offering a high level of creativity.

Thank you, Paige Olsen, for sharing your story! We cannot thank you enough for creating the branding for this year’s Ink & Pixels. Make sure to give Paige a follow on her Behance portfolio page and on LinkedIn!

I&P Panel: Your Questions Answered!

Posted on by Krystal Carpintieri

If you missed the Ink & Pixels Designer Panel last week, we highly recommend you go back and watch the replay. “If I Knew Then What I Know Now” focused on honest, practical advice for new designers as well as those of us in a career transition, on how to navigate the job market during these uncertain times.

We had a vibrant community-led discussion with three experienced designers, who shared unique insights and tips from different perspectives across the design field. Our panelists opened up and gave us a raw and authentic view into their professional lives, as did members of our community who came together to share resources and provide emotional support.

For those who did make it, thank you for your incredible energy and engaging questions. We wish we could’ve answered them all before our brief time ran out. For those of you hungry for more, here’s the next best thing. Our three expert panelists are back to answer a few more of your most burning questions.

Emilee Beeson, Designer, and Illustrator

emileebeeson.com
Etsy | Instagram

Emilee Beeson is a graphic designer and illustrator with a broad creative skill set, contagious enthusiasm, and relentless drive for growth and learning.

What’s one non-design job you had that taught you something important? What did it teach you?
In the summers before I graduated from college I would work as much as I could to pay for my apartment and other expenses during the school year. At one point I was working three jobs. I started at 4 am at a gym smoothie stand, then had a shift at Chipotle, and in the evenings I worked at Coldstone Creamery. While it’s not a unique experience it makes me so grateful to have found a place in the design world. Having a good-paying job that aligns with your passions is such a privilege and it really helps me to find joy in my work when things get tough.

How can we use design for advocacy and social justice initiatives?
I am sure there is a bigger picture answer to this but I want to speak to the actionable side of it. Design is incredibly expensive so your skills can be a huge asset to organizations that can’t afford it. Social justice organizations and advocacy groups need logos, T-shirts, posters, print materials, websites, and social media assets just like any other group or business. A small and actionable way to use design is to volunteer your time and skills to these groups. Reach out to them and see how you can help. There are also a few events locally that you can participate in like the MICA Grassroots Design Fest and Make-A-Mark Baltimore.

As a job candidate, what is the appropriate amount of follow up, and how can you stand out and stay memorable among other applicants?
Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for the amount of follow up you should do. It’s awkward no matter what and each job situation is different. The reality is that your entire world might be hinging on that response and theirs probably isn’t. I personally think a phone call is a bad idea but a quick email doesn’t hurt if a considerable amount of time has passed.

I have found a good way to stand out is to have a leave behind for your interview. For me, that means a small package with my business card, resume, art prints, zines, and stickers. You are usually being interviewed by other designers/creatives that geek out about the same stuff you do. Giving them something physical that might hang around the office is a good way to stand out. I have also been on the receiving end of these leave-behinds and they are always a total delight. Make sure you bring extra in case someone wasn’t able to make it to your interview.

Perry Sweeper, Design Strategist

www.psweeper.com

Perry Sweeper is a 2020 doctoral candidate at the University of Baltimore, studying Information and Interaction Design.

What was your first step after graduation?
My first step after graduation was to take a comprehensive look at the classes that I completed and inventory the knowledge/skill-set that I gained during matriculation. I wanted to get a good understanding of the skills I acquired and the work that I produced. Then I could effectively communicate my experience to seek out the right next career steps. It was very important to me to be able to view my career in a multidimensional way: past, present, and then future.

What’s one non-design job you had that taught you something important? What did it teach you?
The non-design job that taught me something important was working as a shoe salesman. There was a mother that came into the store with her son who was looking for new shoes to wear to an important job interview. To help them I had to deal with many competing needs. The mother primarily sought a presentable shoe, at a good price point, that would make him look professional and would work for him later once he got the job.  But for the son, his main concern was to find shoes that were cool and that his friends would like. Because I knew the product well, I helped them find the right shoe in a sea of options and provided them with complimentary items like the right belt, socks, and shoe care. I also met my sales goals for the day and followed the company standards. When you do your job well in sales,  you increase the possibility that a customer will come back for a second, third, or fourth pair. It is also possible that their family will become lifetime customers and ambassadors for your brand. If you do enough of this, you could get even get a company bonus.

Design jobs require the uncanny ability to please multiple stakeholders, be detail-oriented, use effective communication, creativity, and sometimes serve angry customers. Much like retail and customer service jobs. Retail can be tough, especially during the holiday season. At the least, it can be a motivator to one day quit and move into that coveted design job you desire 😉

What kind of professional development should I be pursuing while in graduate school? Is it better to just focus on grad school until graduation?
In my opinion, it is important to focus on school while you are enrolled. School can require an incredible investment of time, energy, and money. It is in one’s best interest to do well. However, I believe in the value of experiential learning opportunities during academic breaks. They provide a way to apply all that one has learned during the semester in a real-life scenario. The right combination of theory and practice can lead to growth and career progression.

Alex Reynolds, Sr. Recruiter

cargocollective.com/alexanderreynolds
Instagram

Alexander is a Sr. Recruiter with Robert Half and Specializes in placing candidates that concentrate in the technology and creative fields.

What kind of professional development should I be pursuing while in graduate school? Is it better to just focus on grad school until graduation?
It entirely depends on the type of position you are looking to pursue. The easiest way to find out what kind of professional development that can assist in your job search is to look at job descriptions from industries/companies you would want to work for. They list the various software, certifications, or applications they find desirable in their candidates. – I would also seek to develop your professional network by going to Meet-Up Groups, Webinars, or Social Events. If you are more unsure about the kind of positions you are interested especially in the design/marketing space the main focuses (in a more general sense) tend to be Adobe Photoshop/Illustrator/InDesign, Social Media Management Tools, Email Management Tools, and Microsoft Office/Google Suite.

As a job candidate, what is the appropriate amount of follow up, and how can you stand out and stay memorable among other applicants?
The appropriate amount of follow up for a position you applied for is generally around 1 week if you haven’t heard any feedback – unless they have told you a specific time/date. The best way to stand out is to make sure your resume is able to speak to your skillset and experience and tie it back to a metric or result. Keep your resume to the point (bullet points tend to work best) because recruiters and hiring managers have to sort through a lot of resumes (sometimes in the hundreds) A lot of times hiring managers will just CTRL-F (Find Keywords highlighted in your resume). Make sure you are able to talk about how you have used a software, programming language, or tool and provide an example. A simple list at the bottom of the software you’ve used with no context is not enough.

How important do you feel a Masters’s degree is in the design field these days? Should I pursue it after graduation, or should I focus on looking for jobs and/or clients?
I think a Masters’s Degree tends to be more important if you are interested in teaching – or if you are looking at a specific field that requires one. Most design positions tend to look at a Bachelor’s degree or years of equivalent experience along with a solid portfolio and experience.

Finding Your Creative Communities

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

National and Local Professional Organizations

 

AIGA The Professional Association for Design logo
AIGA: The Professional Association for Design | National
AIGA Baltimore | @aigabaltimore
AIGA advances design as a professional craft, strategic advantage, and vital cultural force. As the largest community of design advocates, we bring together practitioners, enthusiasts, and patrons to amplify the voice of design and create the vision for a collective future. We define global standards and ethical practices, guide design education, enhance professional development, and make powerful tools and resources accessible to all.

AAFB: American Advertising Federation Baltimore logo
AAF: American Advertising Federation | National
AAF Baltimore | @aafbaltimore
The American Advertising Federation of Baltimore (AAFB) traces its roots back to 1918, originally established as the women’s auxiliary to the men’s Advertising Club. In 1920, the women formed their own organization, naming it the Women’s Advertising Club of Baltimore. It was affiliated with the Associated Advertising Clubs of the World, the predecessor to the modern-day American Advertising Federation.

AGI Alliance Graphique Internationale
AGI: Alliance Graphique Internationale | @agigraphic
Alliance Graphique Internationale [AGI] is, as its name suggests, a member-based association of professionals, united by working in the field of graphic design and drawn from across the globe.

AMA American Marketing Association logo
AMA: American Marketing Association | National
AMA Baltimore | @amabaltimore
The American Marketing Association Baltimore Chapter is Maryland’s leading provider of networking, educational programming, and resources for marketing professionals. AMA Baltimore provides extensive opportunities for marketers to expand their networks, grow professionally, and learn about current industry trends.

Creative Mornings logo
Creative Mornings | National
Creative Mornings Baltimore | @CreativeMorningsBaltimore
CreativeMornings/Baltimore is a FREE monthly breakfast lecture series based on the two core principles that everyone is creative and everyone is invited. CM/Bal is one of over 200 chapters around the world meeting each month. Every month, all chapters organize talks based on the same theme. CreativeMornings is fueled by an engine of generosity and is 100% volunteer-run, partnering with great local businesses and organizations. If you’re interested in volunteering, please complete this form.

Baltimore Creative Community

BOPA: Baltimore Office of Promotion & the Arts
@promoandarts
As Baltimore City’s arts council, The Baltimore Office of Promotion & The Arts provides resources and opportunities to artists and artist organizations to continue to make Baltimore a city for the arts.

BCAN
@baltimorecreates
The Baltimore Creatives Acceleration Network (BCAN) is a 10-year, city-wide initiative providing both strategic and as-needed, just-in-time entrepreneurship support for Baltimore creatives of all disciplines and backgrounds. At BCAN, we define artists, creatives, and entrepreneurs the same way: visionaries who create something new from raw and often limited resources.

Through our Programs—Founder Fellowship, Connect, Help Desk, Mobile, and Pilot (launching in 2020), we’re on a mission to foster a stronger, more equitable creative ecosystem and economy in Baltimore by empowering artists as entrepreneurs!

bfc: Baltimore Freelancers Collective
IG: @bmore_freelancers
FB: @baltimorefreelancers
Whether you own your own business, freelance on the side, work remotely for a large company, or just want to learn more about entrepreneurship—we would love for you to join us at our next event.

Elevate & Cultivate with Illiah
@elevate.cultivate
Nothing combats fear or intimidation like bravery and empathy, so reach out to your competition, ask for a chat—it could change your life! Also, pay attention to when inspiration hits you like a truck, it could be your next big thing. And finally, keep a list of competitors, not to watch, but to reach out to invite them to be your friends and join our community.

The Bmore Creatives
@thebmorecreatives
Hi, welcome to The Bmore Creatives! We are a community platform and a social media brand that celebrates the creatives, the makers, the get sh*t done-ers, the people that make Charm City charming! We promote and connect local artists, small businesses, and avid IGers throughout the city. We want to prove that everyone can be creative when they are open to being inspired by everyday life in our city.

Ladies, Wine & Design
Ladies, Wine and Design Baltimore holds monthly events which are limited to eight creative ladies. We’ll have drinks and casual conversations on a wide variety of topics relating to creativity, business, and life. If you’re a female student or creative and would like to join, please email us. It’s free and reservations are first-come, first-serve. You can follow us on Instagram and Facebook, and if you’d like to host us in your space, teach a workshop, or lead a discussion, please do get in touch.

Made With Love In Baltimore
If you want your product or organization listed, drop a “Made with ♥ in Baltimore” link on your site, and send us an email to hello@madewithloveinbaltimore.org.

Open Works
@open_works_bmore
Our mission is to make tools, technology, and the knowledge to use them accessible to all. We connect you to manufacturing equipment, space, education, and Baltimore’s largest community of maker professionals. With programs for ages eight and up, we can help you make just about anything!

Production Club of Baltimore
@ProductionClub
THE PCB PRINT, PAPER & PRODUCTION SHOW 2020 (Scheduled for October 1)
Join the Production Club of Baltimore, along with hundreds of other local creative and marketing professionals, for an evening of networking and fresh production ideas from the mid-atlantic’s very best printers, paper suppliers, image producers, and technologists. Grow your swatch book collection and samples library. Cultivate new vendor partnerships. Seed your future project timelines with new media. Dig into deeper relationships with fellow creatives by face-to-face networking. This is a time to flourish! Register now!

SoDA | Society of Design Arts
@sodabaltimore
The Society of Design Arts (SoDA) presents a monthly program in Baltimore, Maryland to further attendees’ knowledge of the history of the design arts including graphic design, illustration, architecture, book arts, and photography. Programs are free and open to anyone.

SoDA consists of a planning committee that meets quarterly to discuss future programs. Formerly known as Society for History and Graphics (SHAG), the all-volunteer group has been active since 2007 providing more than 100 programs which have explored such diverse subjects as Bauhaus methodology and practice, Patent Medicine labels, The Real Mad Men of Advertising, Science Fiction illustration, and many others.

Baltimore Cake & Whiskey
Fresh, authentic, purposeful networking events for the modern businesswoman.

Baltimore Graphic Designers
This group is for Baltimore area based graphic designers to create community, ask questions, get advice, share jobs, and plan meet-ups.

Monument Women’s Creative Alliance
@monumentwomen
Our mission is to support women creatives by cultivating a community that enables connection, inspiration, and education.

Baltimore Tech Community

Baltimore Women Techmakers
Calling all Baltimore women that use tech! Whether you are a Product Manager, Designer, Developer, or a tech hobbyist, this group welcomes you! This is the local chapter of Google’s Women Techmakers.

Baltimore Womxn in Tech
@BmoreWomenTech
Through networking, mentorship, and collaboration, we aim to empower womxn in our community. No matter your role in our ecosystem, we want you to thrive.

Baltimore UX Meetup
@BaltimoreUX
Calling all those who create excellent user experiences for sites, systems, applications, software, and hardware! From the startup to the enterprise. From user research to implementation. If you’re designing and building great experiences in the Baltimore area, please join us.

Code for Baltimore
@CodeForBaltimore
We are a community of volunteers who develop open-source projects as a Code for America Brigade by focusing on open government, open data, great design, and social good in Baltimore.

Code in the Schools
@CodeintheSchool
We empower Baltimore City youth to thrive in the 21st-century economy by expanding access to quality computer science education and building pathways from school to jobs and higher education. By focusing on youth traditionally under-represented in technology fields, we work to eliminate structural barriers and inequities in education and industry.

Hack Baltimore
@hack Baltimore
Baltimore is a unique and vibrant city, and though there are many reasons why we’re called Charm City, we tend to make the news for our flaws rather than our strengths. And hackathons are a great way to engage the broader community to explore technology as a way to help solve them.

Technical.ly Baltimore
@TechnicallyBMR
Technical.ly Baltimore is a local technology news organization dedicated to how innovation is impacting the region.

Creative Job Boards

AIGA
designjobs.aiga.org

Creative Hot List
www.creativehotlist.com

The Creative Group (TLC) | A Robert Half Company
www.roberthalf.com/employers/creativegroup

Creative Mornings
creativemornings.com/jobs

Working Not Working
workingnotworking.com/search/jobs

Behance
www.behance.net/joblist

If You Could
ifyoucouldjobs.com

Krop
www.krop.com

Talent Zoo
www.talentzoo.com

Media Bistro
www.mediabistro.com

Authentic
authenticjobs.com

Coroflot
www.coroflot.com

Smash
jobs.smashingmagazine.com/jobs

Ink & Pixels 2020: Going Virtual!

Posted on by Bryan Burke

Ink & Pixels Goes Virtual!

Take The Next Step Towards Your Design Career

Thinking about the job market during these uncertain times can be daunting for designers at all levels of experience.  Whether you want to make a good impression in interviews, need a new perspective on your portfolio, or want fresh eyes on a current project, we’re here to help. Ink & Pixels is one of AIGA Baltimore’s largest events focused on helping designers prepare for a career or career shift. Due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) and our current Stay-At-Home mandate, AIGA is transitioning our in-person event, (originally scheduled to be held at Morgan State University on April 18) online! Now more than ever, we believe in the importance of finding alternative ways to come together in the community and share the knowledge and resources we have with each other. All events are free to attend!

Virtual Ink and Pixels (VIP) is now a series of events hosted online:

1. If I Knew Then What I Knew Now – Designer Panel

Saturday, April 18, 12:30–1:30pm

Join us via Zoom for an informative virtual discussion between AIGA Baltimore’s programming chair, Vaibhav Sharma (moderator), The Creative Group (TCG), and two experienced designers representing different aspects of the design field.

Our panelists include: 

Alexander Reynolds, Senior Creative Recruiter at TCG

Perry Sweeper, Design Strategist

Emilee Beeson, Designer and Illustrator

→ Register Today

2. Roundtable Workshops

Saturday, May 2, 10am–12pm

Here’s your chance to get (virtual) face-to-face answers to those questions you’ve been Googling. Join our Zoom roundtable discussions with experts on a variety of topics such as Freelancer Finance, Finding Your Creative Community, How to Get Hired, and Building Your Social Media Following.

→ Register Today

3. Portfolio Reviews

Portfolio reviews are designed to give you advice and insight that will improve the way you present yourself and your work. AIGA Baltimore will match you with three reviewers and provide contact information so you can meet virtually on your own time for portfolio critiques. Practice your interview skills and receive honest feedback about your work and resumé through Google Chat, Zoom, or whatever online platform you choose. More details will be coming soon!

Wanna get a design job? Think like a hiring manager.

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

If my experience at Ink and Pixels taught me anything, it is that young designers continue to face the permission paradox—you can’t get a job without experience, but need a job to gain experience. Each of the five students whose portfolios I reviewed voiced this same set of concerns: Lots of applications are sent, but little-to-no feedback or opportunity exists after hitting send. Just about all students recognized that there was a glut of applications, and thus it’s hard to stand out from the crowd. And while the concerns are valid, I’ve begun to wonder if students fully understand the business side of the equation.

Hiring is a complicated and time-consuming process. To hire a new employee the business has to shell out costs, often in the form of man-hours and marketing costs. In business settings where a Human Resource Department is involved, there is time cost associated with posting, reviewing, and interviewing potential candidates. In addition, there is the time design managers and creative directors have to set aside to review and interview candidates. For a business, this time falls into an un-billable category, and thus represents lost income. A company is willing to put up with this lost income if they can identify and hire the right candidates, who are likely to stick around for a few years.

HR and the design team members eliminate candidates quickly—they have to—and they do so without prejudice. As a young designer, it is crucial to show (or tell) potential employers exactly what benefit, what problem they can solve when they are applying and interviewing. Sure, this is a gross over-simplification, and there are no absolute ways to achieve that goal. But as young designers often throw a lot of different types of work out to be reviewed (and I definitely believe this is a good thing), they should tailor their work to the needs of the potential employers. If the job is print heavy, show some print work first. If the job leans more towards a digital space, show some digital work first.

The importance of events like Ink and Pixels shouldn’t be overlooked. While not every reviewer or panelist will have jobs to hand out, talking to pro’s in this setting is a very structured form of networking. One-on-one time with a handful of design professionals can only help young designers understand the difference and challenges in each unique design environment. Talking to the attendees at Ink and Pixels was the highlight of my weekend (I mean, I live in a house with two toddlers), and I commend AIGA Baltimore for once again putting on this event.

About the Author:

RobMaguire_HeadshotRob Maguire has over 15 years’ experience providing graphic design and marketing services to businesses of all sizes. After changing gigs each time his wife switched jobs and cities, Rob decided to begin his role as an independent creative. His experience working as an agency art director, and later as an in-house senior package designer has cultivated a knack for understanding the unique needs of each client. Today, Rob works and lives in Maryland with his wife, kids, and dogs.

About Ink & Pixels:

Ink & Pixels is one of AIGA Baltimore’s largest events focused on helping designers prepare for a career or career shift. This year’s Ink & Pixels event was held on Saturday, April 13th at Stevenson University.

More about Ink & Pixels

Can You Teach Yourself How To Be A Graphic Designer?

Posted on by AIGA Baltimore

Looking to learn graphic design? You’re in the right place.

What a time to be alive! The internet is an amazing resource, the likes of which has never before existed in human history. This entire catalog of knowledge, gathered over thousands of years, can now be accessed in a matter of seconds from anywhere in the world.

Information used to be a huge barrier to entry in most professions, design included, but those walls have largely come down. Skillsets which previously could only be gained through an apprenticeship –– or years of study at certain prestigious schools –– are now available to everyone who knows where to look.

Information is cheap. In fact, it’s often free. It’s so freely available that it brings a whole new set of challenges. Just because it’s all out there, doesn’t mean it’s easy to sift through the noise and properly absorb the most important parts. You will still face a steep road ahead to reach your creative and professional goals, but it’s very doable.

Knowledge and information is a huge piece of the puzzle, but it’s not everything. Applying what you have learned consistently, practicing and failing, is the second piece that transforms information into real skills. Many people will fail here. They’ll watch hours upon hours of YouTube videos, get super excited about their newfound passion, but never enter the next phase of applying what they’ve learned.

‘Learning’ can quickly fall into the realm of ‘entertainment’, if you are not taking an active role in getting involved with the material. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Considering all the media content that we consume these days, there are certainly less enriching and educational things we can waste our time on. But if your goal is to hone your craft and move closer to your professional goals, it’s important to be honest with yourself and admit when you’re just being a passive spectator.

4 Tips for Self-Taught Designers, From a Self-Taught Designer

teaching yourself graphic design

1. Embrace your unique journey

Unlike a fully structured college syllabus, the road ahead is going to be completely up to you. The good news is that you can cut through a lot of the fluff and focus on the topics and skills that you can apply immediately. The bad news is that nobody will be holding your hand and guiding you. It’s very easy to get lost in the weeds of information overload, distraction, and “shiny object syndrome.”

First, be crystal clear with your short, medium and long-term goals. Actually spend the time to sit down and think about this and write it out. Yes, that means you. No, you can’t skip this step. If you set the right targets, you can catapult yourself up the learning curve and get ‘pretty good’ at a particular skill in a matter of weeks or months. If you have unclear goals about what you want to do in graphic design, you could wander aimlessly for years before giving up… thinking you somehow lacked the innate talent to be a success.

What is your next logical step? Should you be building a portfolio? Are you missing a skill needed at your dream job? Can you learn something new and use it to help someone in your life, for free, to build up your confidence and network of references? These are some examples of excellent targets you can aim your learning journey towards.

learn from other designers

2. Model yourself after the designers and artists that inspire you most.

Figure out who’s doing the work you wish you could do and try to recreate it yourself. No, I’m not saying to plagiarize someone else’s work and pass it off as your own to others… but purely as a learning tool, it’s perfectly ok.

Try to ‘reverse engineer’ every element of their work and understand why they made the creative decisions they did. If you want to showcase this piece in your portfolio, then you will need to put your own spin on it and not blindly copy. However, don’t worry if your work is ‘derivative’ at this stage of the game. Finding your unique creative style is something that comes later, after you’ve learned the fundamentals.

There’s a reason behind Picasso’s classic quote, “Good artists copy, great artists steal.” Don’t take it too literally, but there is a lot of truth in it. Model yourself after those who are successful to help ‘catch up’ in your skill level, before taking it to the next level on your own.

Dedicate a lot of time each week looking at design from experts. Yes, this might make you feel a little bad about your relatively amateurish creations, but it’s something you need to do. This helps you develop ‘good taste’ which is the driving force that will help you close the gap between where you’re currently at and those at the top of their game.

Depending on your specialty, there are several good sites for this. Dribbble is a good example, across the board. For motion design, Vimeo is the industry standard and as a bonus allows you to go through pieces frame-by-frame. Pinterest is another classic source of inspiration for many designers.

aiga design community

3. Join a community. Online is great, in-person is even better.

One hurdle you will run into on this path are ‘gatekeepers’. People who will say you cannot do it, or who make things seem overly difficult to discourage you from even getting started. Often, these people are insecure about their own position, fearing that more competition could cost them their livelihood.

Also, they are afraid that the spread of free information will undermine their own education and experience, rather than seeing the opportunities to enrich their own careers by using these resources to continue their own education.

Don’t be discouraged if you run into a few naysayers. The internet can bring out the worst in people. Keep this in mind, try to develop a thick skin, and keep on moving.

You will also find supportive communities that are welcoming to newcomers and more than willing to help in any way they can. AIGA is one such example. Make sure that you are willing to give back and add value to others, even if all you have to contribute is a positive attitude. Be respectful of others’ time, be humble and willing to learn, and people will point you in the right direction.

Find Your Community With AIGA Baltimore ask for feedback

4. Ask for others to critique your work.

This is a tough one. None of us want our egos bruised, especially when we already feel like imposters and amateurs. But constructive criticism is the best way to refocus your efforts and move up the ladder quickly.

Websites for learning graphic design

youtube

This is obviously everyone’s first go-to when looking for short video tutorials. Surprisingly, there is a lot of high-quality content here… it’s just a matter of sorting through all the junk to find it. Unfortunately, YouTube is full of distractions, misinformation, and worst of all… people trying to sell you something under the guise of free help.

Overall it’s an excellent resource to look up any specific knowledge when you need it. If you’re just starting out however, you may do better with a more structured and well-curated source.

Find Design Tutorials on YouTube skillshare

Skillshare has over 18,000 online classes and continues to grow every year. The classes are project-based, and there is a vibrant community of fellow students to help provide feedback and critique.

The projects are fun, highly relevant to the latest design trends, and taught by some big names that we all know and admire.

Baltimore’s own Ellen Lupton has several classes on the platform. Her typography classes are a great foundation for anyone serious about learning graphic design.

Overall, the course format is a little more bite-sized, than the more intensive format of courses on LinkedIn Learning and others. This is great to hit the ground running on a project after only a few hours of tutorial, but may lack the broad foundation needed by a total newcomer.

AIGA members can receive a free two-month trial.

Learn Design Skills on Skillshare lynda

Lynda has a smaller catalog of courses than Skillshare, but they are far more intensive. Where a Skillshare course can be 3-5 hours of learning material, Lynda might be 20-40 hours. The potential downside is the time commitment, and the possibility to lose focus and enthusiasm, especially if a large portion of the course is reviewing the basics.

However, Lynda’s deep dives can get you up and running on the latest technology and trends in your industry even if you’re coming in as a blank slate. If you dive in and treat these with the same commitment as you would a college course, you will be rewarded with a solid foundation of knowledge.

This is also a monthly paid subscription, with a free trial that allows you full access to all of the courses.

Expand Your Skillset With LinkedIn Learning adobe

If you’re serious about Graphic Design, there’s a good chance that you are already using Adobe’s suite of products. With yearly updates, the software is constantly changing. Luckily, Adobe provides a large library of free tutorials that will help you find your way around the basics in all of these programs.

These tutorials are generally pretty short, so if you want to learn about every facet and feature of the latest Photoshop, for example, the above-mentioned Lynda might be a better choice.

Explore Design Tutorials With Creative Cloud pluralsight

Like Skillshare, with a smaller library of short-format courses. I’d probably check out the others first, then consider a free trial here to see if there’s some particular topic or teacher that interest you and isn’t on the other sites.

Check it out on Pluralsight udemy

Here you will find a similar deep-dive format as Lynda, but instead of an unlimited access monthly subscription, you pay by the course. This might make sense if there is only one particular course that interests you, or if it will take you several months to complete since there is no time limit once you’ve bought the course. Unlike some of the other sites, you won’t automatically be billed monthly regardless of your progress.

Learn More on Udemy

Online Design Programs & Courses

If you feel like you’ve gotten everything you can out of all of these sources, and you want to further hone your craft with an advanced level of online education, there is another tier (price-wise) of courses that exist.

For motion design, the two most prominent examples are School of Motion and Mograph Mentor. SoM’s courses start at around $1k, and MM at about $2k. There are other similar companies for other specializations.  These big-ticket courses are a long way from the ‘free’ information on YouTube.

Are they worth it? Maybe… To be honest, most of the information itself that is presented in these courses is probably available elsewhere, but they offer a higher level of personalized attention. These are 6-10 week ‘bootcamp’ intensity courses, usually focused on one large project that can be used as a showcase portfolio piece.

If you’re already 90% of the way there, the personalized feedback and coaching through every phase on the project could take your skill level from advanced to elite. If you’re still a hopeless newbie, you’re probably not going to get that much out of it. You will not be magically transformed from someone with no knowledge to an expert just because you shelled out a lot of money for a course.

Feedback and mentorship can be had for free elsewhere if you ask nicely and respect peoples’ time. And the amount you can actually learn and absorb in 6 weeks is limited. If you have the money to spend, and you feel like putting serious cash down will motivate you to work harder, go for it.

Education is a lifelong road, not a finish line that you cross once.

Education is a lifelong road, not a finish line that you cross once. Those who stop learning risk falling behind and stalling out in their careers. This is especially relevant now as technology advances as an accelerating pace. If you’re not learning something new every year, you’re probably already behind where the industry is headed. 

The good news is that where there were once walls, there are now an endless number of ladders. You don’t have to feel stuck doing something that doesn’t excite you. Life’s too short, and you’re never too old to change directions or decide you want to try something new. You can make a lot of progress in learning something new, in a relatively short amount of time, if you know how to sort through the information overload and focus clearly on your desired destination.

Can you teach yourself to be a graphic designer? Absolutely.


About the author:

Vaibhav Sharma headshot

Vaibhav Sharma

Vaibhav is an NJ native, who has called Baltimore home since 2013. He loves motion design, cooking, cats… and most of all, being a dad. Vaibhav is an introvert but loves to make new friends. Feel free to say ‘Hi!’ on Facebook, Dribbble, or in a comment below this article.