Design Industry Research

From the Minds Eye: : 

From the Minds Eye: An Exploration of Careers in the Design Industry Paul Crump + GD100-OL-D3 + Project One

+ Giving yourself room + : 

+ Giving yourself room + + Knowing what options are available is vital research before making any important decision. Choosing a career is no different. + In this presentation we will examine 3 non-traditional paths within the Animation industry, speak with a experienced design professional, and review some examples of what can make a design ‘good’ or ‘bad’.

+ Storyboard Artist + : 

+ Storyboard Artist + + A storyboard artist is responsible for rendering a visual outline of a movie, TV, or video production. They provide the director, actors, and production crew with an idea for how the scene should be framed as well as indicate camera movements, scene transitions, and even character emotions. The job includes intense pre-production work and can, as a result, spill over into other areas such as set and prop design, costumes, lighting, and editing. + Education Requirements: Bachelors Degree in Fine Art, Graphic Design, or Animation. Classes in Art History, Design Theory, Film Production, and Film History are all things potential employers may look for. A high capacity for comprehension will help in translating verbal information into visual information. + I am drawn to this career through a passion for film and storytelling. Utilizing traditional skills and media along side the ever-growing world of computer animation is an exciting prospect for any artist and self-proclaimed film buff.

+ Exhibit Designer + : 

+ Exhibit Designer + + Effective exhibit design could be defined as the ability to unify a subject or message within the space it occupies to best serve the observer. It requires thorough research about the exhibit subject matter, experience across design disciplines including 3D and engineering, and a knowledge of crowd dynamics. It combines elements of math and art that take a very particular sensibility. + Education Requirements: Associates or Bachelors Degree in Exhibit Design, Graphic Design, Animation, Museum Studies, or Architecture. Concentrations in History and Psychology are also sought after by employers. + As a potential career, I am attracted to the idea of working in both 2D and 3D as I am a 3D artist naturally. I also believe in the mission of museums in our society and find a great deal of satisfaction in the idea of a career supporting those principles.

+ Design Entrepreneur + : 

+ Design Entrepreneur + + The most demanding, but arguably the most rewarding, of any of these professions is the Owner/Designer. There are intense hourly demands but there is also creative control. There are an infinite number of relationships to manage but the freedom to do so with integrity. There is little actual designing for the owner but you’ll have your choice of the best projects. There is all of the risk but also all of the reward. + Education Requirements: One or more Bachelors Degrees in Graphic Design, Illustration, Animation, Fine Arts, Multimedia, Communications, and Business. Highly developed people skills and a passion for keeping up with multiple industry trends. Strong ability to maintain a balance between personal and professional lives as well as an intuitive sense for finance and management.

An In-Depth Look: : 

An In-Depth Look: + Design Entrepreneur + + Owner/Designers can be responsible for a variety of visual outcomes. Publication print, logo design, web page design, animated advertisements, billboard layout, or business usage material such as business cards, letterhead, and t-shirts. The biggest factor affecting outcome can boil down to the client’s desire to get what the larger and more experienced firm can give them at your price tag. Providing the right bid for both parties involved can make or break a new business. + It makes it all the more important to be familiar with your industry and educated about the processes that are utilized in any given project. A strong knowledge of the print industry is a must for any designer but especially when it is you that holds the final word. Fortunately there are numerous continuing education resources available today that allow small firm owners to keep up with developing technology and software.

An In-Depth Look: : 

+ I have owned my own business and can honestly say that there is no other career experience like it. It can be the most humbling and rewarding journey for anyone of any profession. It is certainly why I am drawn primarily to owning my own creative services company. I have imagined a studio where design meets fine art, bridging the perceived gap between what makes up a logo or ad and what we hang in our galleries and hallways. At a certain point, there will be no difference. Web design, painting, Flash animation, sculpture, print, logos, ads, charcoal, photography, watercolors. They all relate and they can all serve the same end: To make us all better with art. Shepard Fairey did it when he created the HOPE poster. We forget that it’s actually an advertisement. That’s because what it’s selling means something to even the skeptics. That what starts it on it’s way to art. An In-Depth Look: + Design Entrepreneur +

Slide 8: 

+ Talking to the Experts + Profile of a Design Entrepreneur + From the HOTBED website: “Stephen has worked in the marketing and advertising industry for over 16 years. As lead creative, he has worked on numerous multi-faceted projects including fully integrated advertising and public relations campaigns and has developed and implemented many branding campaigns. He is the visionary and the President Ex-Facto of the Indianapolis Museum of Contemporary Art (iMOCA). He also served on the board of governors at the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Stephen's passion is to make a difference in our world by mentoring others to understand how creativity, expression and diversity can make good business sense.” + I recently had the opportunity to ask Stephen some questions about his experiences in design: What is your earliest memory of design? If you had to name one person who greatly influenced your design sensibility, who would it be? Would you say that there is a difference between a 'designer' and an 'artist'? What is the biggest challenge you face in creating something for a client? How do you balance being an owner/designer and the rest of your life?

+ What is your earliest memory of design? : 

+ What is your earliest memory of design? + My earliest memory goes back as far as I can remember: mimicking my father as he drew and sketched; recreating an episode of "Thunderbirds" in my mind; creating mud sculptures after a spring downpour. However, the most profound instance forcing me to confront the different way in which I, as a creative soul, would be challenged by life was in third grade. I designed a dress for a doll. I took it to Show-and-Tell. As you can imagine, as a young boy in the mid-1970s, I was ridiculed. The instant I stepped foot on the bus, I knew my world was going to be difficult if I followed my passion--design.

+ If you had to name one person who greatly influenced your design sensibility, who would it be? : 

+ If you had to name one person who greatly influenced your design sensibility, who would it be? + David Carson, hands down.

+ Would you say that there is a difference between a 'designer' and an 'artist'? : 

+ Would you say that there is a difference between a 'designer' and an 'artist'? + In my opinion, there is but one difference. As a designer, you get paid while you're still living. As an artist, pay usually comes to your heirs. All the other similarities are grey matter. And for most we are all an artisan of some type, it's culture and suppression that convince us otherwise. Mind too infrequently rules over matter.

+ What is the biggest challenge you face in creating something for a client? : 

+ What is the biggest challenge you face in creating something for a client? + The blank page. It is daunting and scary --still. Taking nothing, thoughtfully adding meaning and then creating something beautiful and good that also works--now that's a tough task every single day. One has to believe humbly in his own brilliance to survive this industry. Otherwise, it's all mediocrity.

+ How do you balance being an owner/designer and the rest of your life? : 

+ How do you balance being an owner/designer and the rest of your life? + Simply put, I don't. I've given it up. I let go of it. That's the only balanced journey that I've found results in true fulfillment.

Designer Unknown. Superthrive. North Hollywood, CA. Jan 27, 2009. <http://blogs.msdn.com/mswanson/archive/2007/05/06/bad-design-by-example.aspx.> : 

Designer Unknown. Superthrive. North Hollywood, CA. Jan 27, 2009. <http://blogs.msdn.com/mswanson/archive/2007/05/06/bad-design-by-example.aspx.> + It’s not unusual to have a lot of information to incorporate into a design. This is an example of how NOT to do it. The proximity of the text is too close, the font size is too similar, and there are too many styles that are not unified in any way. + Design Examples: BAD +

Packaging Design India. Heptico/ Recocept. Gujarat, India. Jan 27, 2009. <http://www.alibaba.com/product/crayonmedipack-100074702-11353785/Packing_Graphic_Design_Service.html.> : 

Packaging Design India. Heptico/ Recocept. Gujarat, India. Jan 27, 2009. <http://www.alibaba.com/product/crayonmedipack-100074702-11353785/Packing_Graphic_Design_Service.html.> + Here is an example that makes good use of color, balance, and typography while still incorporating a large amount of text. We can process the information clearly so we are more likely to actually read it. + Design Examples: GOOD +

Kane, Bob. Courageous Cat.1961. Trans Artist Productions. Hollywood, CA. Jan 27, 2009. <http://www.asifa-hollywood.org/2007_05_01_blogarch.html.> : 

Kane, Bob. Courageous Cat.1961. Trans Artist Productions. Hollywood, CA. Jan 27, 2009. <http://www.asifa-hollywood.org/2007_05_01_blogarch.html.> + Artwork for an animated short film. The main character bleeds off the cover which undermines any sense of power it should have, the title and border colors have a similar value making it difficult to read, and the absence of background art, although interesting for shape/space relationships, adds nothing to a sense of storytelling. + Design Examples: BAD +

Cook, Victor. Hellboy: Blood and Iron. 2007. IDT Entertainment. Hollywood, CA. Jan 27, 2009. < http://notinmybook.blogspot.com/2007/06/hellboy-blood-and-iron.html.> : 

Cook, Victor. Hellboy: Blood and Iron. 2007. IDT Entertainment. Hollywood, CA. Jan 27, 2009. < http://notinmybook.blogspot.com/2007/06/hellboy-blood-and-iron.html.> + In direct contrast to Courageous Cat, Hellboy is balanced and dominant as a hero should be. His allies are behind him supporting the primary principles and his enemies are above him creating a threat by proximity. There is also a nice dramatic voice present, telling us what might be going on. + Design Examples: GOOD +

Designer Unknown. J Crew Ad. Jan 27, 2009. <http://www.jimimoto.com/page737/files/category-art.html.> : 

Designer Unknown. J Crew Ad. Jan 27, 2009. <http://www.jimimoto.com/page737/files/category-art.html.> + This is a simple example of disorganization, lack of discipline, or sheer laziness. As is pointed out very clearly, the designer failed to remove a hand from a picture that has been altered. Once the client figured it out (after it went to print, it seems) I’m sure the owner had to take a few phone calls. + Design Examples: BAD +

Rodrigues, Malia. Mauithing.com Ad. Maui, Hawaii. Jan 27, 2009. <http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=205802400.> : 

Rodrigues, Malia. Mauithing.com Ad. Maui, Hawaii. Jan 27, 2009. <http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=205802400.> + Here we can see a clean and well proofed ad incorporating photos and illustration. There are no apparent errors and if there are, only the designer knows about them. It is unified and varied, exhibits movement, and proper hierarchy. + Design Examples: GOOD +

Designer Unknown. The Music of Milton Babbitt: Premiere Works. Jan 27, 2009. <http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0000D8I12/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music.> : 

Designer Unknown. The Music of Milton Babbitt: Premiere Works. Jan 27, 2009. <http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0000D8I12/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=5174&s=music.> + This picture of Mr. Milton Babbitt is dominant but for the wrong reasons. It is of poor resolution, it destroys any balance created by the background, and none of the colors around him are complimentary. His name should be equally, if not more dominant. And what is the title of the record? I don’t see it at all. + Design Examples: BAD +

Dickson, Dan. Southpaw. 2006. Brooklyn, NY. Jan 27, 2009. < http://www.graphic-design-blog.com/2008/07/good-at-being-dan-design-illustration.html.> : 

Dickson, Dan. Southpaw. 2006. Brooklyn, NY. Jan 27, 2009. < http://www.graphic-design-blog.com/2008/07/good-at-being-dan-design-illustration.html.> + This concert poster provides a better example of intentional dominance. The bible is centralized, the colors are supportive, the eye is drawn back to it by the repetitive lines in the bookmarks, and the bands name is not lost even though it is smaller. It is pushed forward and contrasted by the black and red around it. + Design Examples: GOOD +

mashby. My Dad went to Iraq… etal. Jan 27, 2009. < http://www.freakingnews.com/T-Shirt-Pictures--444.asp.> : 

mashby. My Dad went to Iraq… etal. Jan 27, 2009. < http://www.freakingnews.com/T-Shirt-Pictures--444.asp.> + The last two designs represent a more gray area of design evaluation. The t-shirt is certainly not a stunning design technically but it could be worse. To me, the thing that makes this bad design is a lack of intelligence, tact, or compassion. It does not side with the moral question of war one way or the other, it just mocks the dead and their families. There is certainly no empirical rule for what you can or cannot say with design but if you were to wear this shirt, eventually you would come across someone whose father did die in Iraq. How do you explain it? + Design Examples: BAD +

Banksy. American Influence. London, England. Jan 27, 2009. <http://www.minadeletras.us/2005/03/ive_got_a_felling.html.> : 

Banksy. American Influence. London, England. Jan 27, 2009. <http://www.minadeletras.us/2005/03/ive_got_a_felling.html.> + Here is an illustration that, again, is nothing special according to the principles and elements of design. It deals with the same subject matter as the t-shirt but we are presented with a message that takes a side. It asks us to evaluate what our contribution might be to the pain and suffering that war inflicts. Although it makes us uncomfortable and even angry, it ultimately deals with compassion and our responsibility to others on this planet. + Design Examples: GOOD +

+ Reflections + : 

+ Reflections + + I chose to pursue my degree in Animation at Westwood because of the flexibility it gives me. I’ll have academic experience in modeling, rendering, graphic design, web design, Flash, and even fine and liberal art disciplines. In my hopes to one day build my own creative services company, this was the golden goose, so to speak. Talking with Stephen Schaf has helped me to realize that it takes more than just what you learn in school. It takes sacrifice and strength of character. It takes confidence in your artistic sensibilities and focus to put them to good use. I believe I possess many of those traits, I just need the education and training to back it up. It’s just the beginning but I can see a lot more clearly down the road ahead of me.

+ Works Cited + : 

+ Works Cited + Documents + + "Film and Video - Storyboard Artist." Job Profiles. 2009. 28 Jan 2009 <http://www.jobprofiles.org/artfilm4.htm>. + Cooper, Joe. "Animation Jobs: The Storyboard Artist." Animation School Review. 22 May 2006. 28 Jan 2009 <http://www.animationschoolreview.com/sketches/2006/05/animation-jobs-the-storyboard-artist.html>. + Bitgood, Stephen, Donald Patterson , and Arlene Benefield . "Exhibit Design and Visitor Behavior ." Sage Journals Online 1998 474-91. 28 Jan 2009 . + "Exhibit Designers Job Description & Jobs ." CareerPlanner.com. 2009. 28 Jan 2009 <http://www.careerplanner.com/Job-Descriptions/Exhibit-Designers.cfm>. + Schaf, Stephen. “Re: Morning Stephen!”. Email to the author. 27 Jan 2009. + "Creatives." Hotbed Creative. 2009. 28 Jan 2009 <http://hotbedcreative.com/HBC_Creatives_SS.htm>. Images + + Pixar. Incredibles Storyboard. Emeryville, CA. 2003. Jan 27, 2009. <http://flickr.com/photos/93416844@N00/490508049.> + Pixar. Incredibles Wallpaper. Emeryville, CA. 2003. Jan 27, 2009. <http://movie-poster.ws/movies/wallpaper/cartoon/incredibles/incredibles.jpg> + University of Leicester. Design Masterclass 2008. Leicester, UK. Jan 27, 2009. <http://www.le.ac.uk/ms/news/masterclass%202.html> + Design East Corp. Sailing through the Gilded Age. 2006. Warren, RI. Jan 27 2009. <http://www.designeastcorp.com/3d.html> + Hotbed Creative. Indianapolis, IN. Jan 26, 2009. <http://hotbedcreative.com/> + Donwood, Stanley. OK Computer. 1997. Plymouth, England. Jan 26, 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/OK_Computer + Bass, Saul. Vertigo. 1958. Hollywood, CA. Jan 26 2009. <http://www.moviecritic.com.au/saul-bassstyle-star-wars-intro/> + Fairey, Shepard. Hope. 2008. Los Angeles, CA. Jan 25, 2009. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shepard_Fairey> + Carson, David. Do Not Be Satisfied. San Diego, CA. Jan, 26, 2009. <http://cmaloney-fa27.blogspot.com/ > + Carson, David. David Carson – A Designers Story. San Diego, CA. Jan, 26, 2009. <http://www.ilovedesign.com/us/exclusives/> + Carson, David. hello. 2007. San Diego, CA. Jan 26, 2009.<http://annalisabacklund.blogspot.com/2007/04/david-carson.html>