Design: A Thankless Profession?

[gerbick]

hit up Amazon... this is part of a series... it seriously shows effective type.

My problem with type is that most people are still clinging onto the DTP (desktop publishing) era rules of multiple type... and honestly don't get the fact that you should never mix and match fonts that often. Contrasts, weights, know how to use kerning, and other type stuff... there's a lot to typography that people just plain ignore.

As far as colors... color theory is another deep area. I'd just suggest start playing with Adobe's Kuler and get used to learning how to pick better palettes that either compliment with one contrast or full complimentary color palettes that are coherent and look less like you just randomly picked out colors that just "looked good together".

For type, I tend to find the theme of the image, in a broad manner and look at it if it's delicate, I want a contrast with a good sans serif font. If it's monolithic, I can compliment with a blocky letter font, or contrast with a good serif font (Kurosawa for instance ranges quite well).

Now, a lot of my type choices are just natural, I don't really even think about it. Same with color choices. Those are good habits to have under your belt as second nature.

[ViRGo_RK]

Unfortunately I'm not at home right now but a few great books... I think one was called "Design Whys" and the other one was called simply "Designer's Color Manual". Don't have any more info on them right now, but they were really helpful. I'll post more if I have the time, leaving for college tomorrow.

[WannaBe_80z]

I'll trade you those habits for that damn curse you gave me...

[argonauta]

I noticed that a lot of your photos have comments and such. Did you just go around and add people as your conacts or how did you spread your stream around?

I am trying to get more exposure with my stream. I need #1 on explore!

Unless you post photos of babes, or you're a girl posting sensual selfportraits, you're doomed!

I think adding contacts is a bit useless. It works like myspace..you can have 20000 friends and still it's useless. For what I've seen, there are two things that can really help you get more viewers, and commenters:

1. Comment. Help and critique, and ask questions (how did you take that, where is that, etc). Most people are really friendly there, and it's amazing how most of them are willing to talk about their photography secrets.

2. Groups. Submit to as many groups as possible, but most important, look for those ones were interaction is a must. There are a lot of groups were you just put your photo and that's it, but there are some were, for example, for each photo you post, you need to leave a comment in another member's photo. I like this one a lot:
http://www.flickr.com/groups/deleteme/
It's pretty fun, and harsh, but if you can survive the coffee lounge, you can survive that one...it's very interactive.

[whispers]

searching here.. as we have ALL asked this before.. on how to improve the same things.

as for books, barnes & nobel, amazon, or borders...

I would also search google, there are plenty (hundreds) of sites & blogs where people talk about design patterns, how to best implement them..pros/cons of how to use it.. and tons of examples..

[argonauta]

visit these sites often:

http://cssvault.com/
http://www.smashingmagazine.com/
http://www.cssbeauty.com/

great resources for designers

[WannaBe_80z]

thanks for the link. Yeah and adding people as a contact doesn't mean they are yours in return. It might make them check you out and maybe add you but you are automatically mutual contacts.

[mneil]

I just bought an awesome book called designing with color. I'll get the ISBN for you when I get home. Also, playing around with kuler has helped me get a little of the basics of color. I've known about compliments and triads and hue and all that jazz for years but I didn't really have a good vocabulary to describe the processes and books and kuler helped my put words like compliment and triad to color schemes. I've got another great book on typography I haven't looked at in awhile I believe it's call the big book of typography. Lately I've been hanging out in Barnes and Noble and just perusing books on design. Really, more than anything I think talking with other people, looking at other work, understanding why things work, and having other critique my work helps me the most. More so than books or videos or tutorials or anything else.


EDIT:
As I typed this I noticed that 50 other posts were put up. I just thought it was funny how we all had something different we do but each had 1 or 2 things the same. Kinda weird but not really.

[An Artist]

I just bought an awesome book called designing with color. I'll get the ISBN for you when I get home. Also, playing around with kuler has helped me get a little of the basics of color.

Thanks. I look forward to the books ISBN. Kuler looks very cool.

I am re-designing my website. I am wondering if I should post it as I go along for feedback or just finish designing it then post it? Hmmm, I suppose I should just do it myself then get the feedback.

[WannaBe_80z]

Site check would be a good place to start.

[ViRGo_RK]

Double-post...

[ViRGo_RK]

Design Whys: Good Designs and Why They Work

[jAQUAN]

This book helped me a great deal.

Also watch this movie on netflix.

@Gerbick, only bad DTP's used multiple type faces. Today's rules of good typography have existed for hundreds of years.

[An Artist]

Hey you guys are great! Why didn't I post my stuff before!

[gerbick]

Perhaps now you'll learn how to use the community... and add to it as well.

[mneil]

as soon as he figures out the font sizing/coloring in the posts

[ViRGo_RK]

I still don't believe he's real.


Clif, is that you?

[mneil]

almost forgot

Color Design Workbook

ISBN: 978-1-59253-192-9

[An Artist]

almost forgot

Color Design Workbook

ISBN: 978-1-59253-192-9

Thanks. Actually I already have it. Great book!

[Saint Benedetta]

This is a bit off topic...

I had a meeting with a designer for this festival. And at the end, we were talking about stuff like the paper stock, folds, colour, etc. And I feel like as if I'm in a candy store when I think about it. Also told him that I went for a design job interview last year but cancelled it because I had a moment and wasn't sure if it was something that I'll do. Anyway, he has some contacts that could possibly help with work...and now I'm contemplating about pursuing it.

Now I'm wishing that I never changed my majors...

Ok, back to the topic...TBH, if you threw a tantrum and switched careers because design is a thankless profession, I think that you will most likely end up coming back to it. If you try to get into a career that's not creative, chances are you'll end up feeling unfulfilled.