Looking for some Advice/Help...

[monke]

I've worked with Photoshop and Indesign for nearly three years now and Dreamweaver for about a year. I really want to expand and become a designer, but that may take a little longer than what I'd really like.

I'll be purchasing the Adobe CS3 Master Collection in about a week. With the educational discount, the difference between the Master Collection and the Design Premium was about $300.

Just a couple of questions that came to my mind recently:

1. How did you become a designer?
2. How much did you charge when you were just starting out?

That's all I really need to know for now, but if I have anything else to ask, I know where to come.

 

[shecky]

i am sure that you know this, and i am sure that its empirically obvious anyway, but its worth saying: owning software in no way, shape or form makes you a designer. period. the same way owning a gun does not make you a soldier, or owning a brain does not make you smart.

now that thats out of the way....


1. i started doing some web stuff, really horribly bad web stuff, for friends, then i helped out a guy who was doing it professionally, and eventually he and i and a few other people opened up a small firm doing digital media work. i got very bored with designing for the web and eventually figured out that what i was missing was some good formal training from a good institution. i ended up going to a high-end design school on a pretty big scholarship at the ripe old age of 31 and getting my BFA in graphic design; since then i have been doing it professionally concentrating in print, environmental, branding and some motion work. i also "consult" on web stuff but i partner with a few programmers to get it coded properly.

2. when i was starting out working on stuff as a student (print work) i would usually get $25/hour. since then that number has gone up significantly. for web work before school i was paid a salary, but if i recall correctly my time was billed to the client at $80/hour (which was in no way reflected in what i was paid )

 

[monke]

i am sure that you know this, and i am sure that its empirically obvious anyway, but its worth saying: owning software in no way, shape or form makes you a designer. period. the same way owning a gun does not make you a soldier, or owning a brain does not make you smart.

Yes, it's just slightly obvious.

I just want to start out slowly, and work my way into. Start doing stuff for friends and see where it goes from there.

Thanks!

 

[shecky]

i think thats a good plan - just do whatever work you can and you will learn a lot by doing.

i also think that a good education in design is critical.* i have always been talented, but getting an education in a good program made my work improve by many, many orders of magnitude. even if you cannot afford a fulltime program (or do not want to) it would behoove you to get friendly with other designers to get involved in some group critique. AIGA is a decent way to network with other designers in your area.


* i teach graphic design at the university level. obviously i am biassed. i am sure some people will come back with the Tibor Kalman/James Victore/David Carson argument, to which i always say that there are exceptions to every rule.