Tag: graphic design students

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Graphic Design News

Graphic Design Students Appreciate Tough Professors

Graphic design school is challenging, which is one of the many reasons a good education from an accredited college is an important step for any would-be graphic designer. Students find that registering for classes can be as stressful as the curriculum itself, but thanks to some hard-nosed teachers those students are grateful for their choices later one. Teacher Wendy Shapiro recently lifted the veil and explains why some graphic design classes are so hard and how that helps the student:

The moment before registering for classes can evoke a variety of emotions among students. Some experience excitement as they take a step closer to graduation. Others lose sleep from the fear of registering for a required course instructed by a professor known for stringent grading and high demands. Their fingers tremble with trepidation as they make the mouse click of no return. Many students, however, look back at their experiences with these instructors and realize signing up for a class was a decision they would never regret.

Graphic design professor Wendy Shapiro is known for her attention to detail and high expectations of students. While they acknowledge the difficulty of her class, Shapiro’s students agree they’re better graphic designers because of it.

Shapiro hails from Norristown, Penn., a small town outside of Philadelphia. Growing up in a family rich with a history of educators, she seemed destined to follow their footsteps. However, after taking four years of graphic design in high school, her love for the subject created a difficult decision for which career path to take. She eventually decided to switch majors from education to graphic design for her last two years of undergraduate study.

“I thought I would get tired of teaching after a period of time and my grades were so much better in graphic design,” Shapiro said.

She went on to work for the North County Times as its marketing and advertising designer. Instructional Technology Services at San Diego State also utilized her services as a graphic designer.

Read the rest of her story at The Daily Aztec.

More Reading about Graphic Design School teachers:

Teens get lessons in financial literacy

Mott Community College professor Mara Jevera Fulmer heading to Russia as a Fulbright Program specialist

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Graphic Design News

Graphic Design Exhibition Samples Artistic Style

For future students of graphic design, exhibitions offer a unique chance to peek into the world of graphic design schools and get a glimpse of the quality of work that they can obtain.

Years of hard work at a graphic design school typically culminates with a senior exhibition, which gives students a chance to showcase their work through a collection of graphic designs. Exhibitions are generally free and open to the public, where design firms and others interested in graphic design can get their first impression of the newest generation of artists.

Interested parties in McPherson Kansas can experience such a display at McPherson College through the 24th of April:

As senior studio art and graphic design students prepare for graduation from McPherson College, they have one more opportunity to demonstrate their skill and creativity. The current exhibition at the college features more than 200 pieces of work by seven seniors in a huge variety of styles and mediums.

“I can’t believe how prolific they are,” said Wayne Conyers, professor of art, “The amount of work and the quality of work they create is just phenomenal. There’s such a range here. They’ve all developed their own style, which I think is absolutely wonderful.”

The work is on display in McPherson College’s Friendship Hall through April 24, with a reception for the artists from 2 to 4 p.m. on April 22.

Bethany Schoenwetter, McPherson, Kan., works mostly in large, broadly sketched human figures in monochromatic colors. In this exhibit, her work mostly consists of charcoal drawings inspired by classical figures in paintings and sculpture, but with the faces replaced by people she knows. Also in her work are intriguing figures of dancers in India ink over yellowed sheet music.

Just across the hall, Wes Story, Little Elm, Texas, has displayed two motorcycles he designed, as well as works in a variety of mediums with a Western theme uniting them.

Read more from McPherson College here.

More Reading on graphic design schools:

Tactical Magic Design Featured in Textbook

PBL raising funds with McCook College’s history

South Tech student is over the moon about Venus’ T-shirt design

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Your Graphic Design School Portfolio

A portfolio of all of the designs you have created during your time in graphic design school is one of the most important items you will have when you graduate college. Second to a degree, the portfolio will show future employers and clients the kind of work they can expect from you and the level of your expertise in the art of graphic design.

For this reason, many graphic design schools use the student portfolio as an important part of the grading process and many consider a student’s portfolio to weigh heavily in determining the overall score that student will receive. So what goes into a student’s portfolio in graphic design school and why is it so important?

According to GraphicDesignBlog.org, there are five not-so-secret ingredients when formulating the perfect graphic design portfolio:

It’s always GDB’s top priority to bring helpful tips and resources for aspiring Graphic Designers. Therefore, before you start getting inspired with “38 Impressive Designer Portfolios” from net, I would like you all to know “5 must-have” features of an ideal portfolio.

Logo: An exclusive portfolio helps us to promote our self as a brand, therefore it is important to have a dependable logo. First thing a visitor checks on your portfolio is a logo and it should be catchy to tempt the user to check your complete portfolio.

Tagline: Your tagline should well define your services and creative abilities. It should be short, snappy and summarize about your goals. Your tagline should be catchy enough, to change an ordinary user into a potential customer.

Services: This feature of your portfolio should be detailed and well explained. This is the feature where you get to explain your area of expertise like web design, development, video, copywriting, branding, etc.

Blog: We all know blog is always a casual and successful way of sharing your creative thoughts with your visitors. It helps to promote you and prevent your website from lying static. It allows people to search you on different social networks and drop comments about your portfolio.

About Me: To cut the long story short, a portfolio is all “About Me” Share your family background, education and interests with people. The more details you give, the better a bond of trust is created between you and your users.

Apart all these listed features, just remember that an online design portfolio should be easy to use, should be clearly sectioned and simple in design to allow your design artwork to shine.

Anyways, now without squandering any more time, let’s start with the tour… 38 examples of most exclusive portfolios have been put together here for your inspiration.

You can read more about portfolios from GraphicDesignBlog.org and view 38 of their favorite portfolio designs here.

Read more about designing a portfolio from graphic design school:

Portfolio Center

Preparing Your Portfolio for College Admissions

12 Steps to a Super Graphic Design Portfolio

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Graphic Design News

Competition Now Open for Students of Graphic Design

The  Taiwan International Design Competition is now calling for submissions from students of graphic design schools and professionals.

The Taiwan International Design Competition entering its 11th consecutive year. In the 11 years of its existence, it has received tens of thousands of entries from nearly 50 countries.

International design authorities are invited each year to serve as our jurors. The jurors selected the most producible works and works possessing the characteristics of future trends as the winners. After a decade since its establishment, we have seen past winners of the competition increasingly emerge as young designers in the design industry. We are delighted to see their achievements and hope that winners in time to come will become the rising stars of the future.

Theme is “Maximinimization”:

Design is a kind of magic from the heart of the designers. Observing the subtle psyche of consumers, and giving expression to their needs in products – such is what design is! Designer brings an enormous amount of creativity with carefulness. This is just like people from the Orient who use the smallest seal to make their greatest commitment with their heart. Likewise, simple and easy steps are employed to complete a complex and difficult operation, employing minimum resources to create maximum effect.

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Product Design, Packaging Design, Visual Communication Design, Digital Multimedia Design….

More about this contest at 2012 Taiwan International Design Competition

Graphic design schools host exhibitions and showcase students’ work on a regular basis to prepare students for real-world presentations. Competitions are generally hosted by outside sources and allow students to add another element to their design portfolio. A great collection of graphic designs is critical when applying to a higher degree program at a web design school or when entering the job market.

More Graphic Design Competitions:

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Graphic Design News

Graphic Design School Hosts Conference for Teens

Graphic design students and instructors recently held a conference in Salt Lake City for teenagers who might be interested in the field of graphic design. Although high school students across the nation are becoming more and more exposed to computer systems and design principles through vocational programs in web and graphic design, many are overwhelmed at the prospect of design.

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The annual conference of the Academy of Information Technology convened on Wednesday, March 21, to host kids from five Utah school districts and reinforce the AOIT objective of offering better ways for students to learn. As a member program of the National Academy Foundation, a national network that supports the extracurricular development of professional and personal success, AOIT has branches to work with high school students all over the country.

Director of the local AOIT board Patricia Isom expressed the board’s desire to not only provide young students with education and opportunities, but to also build and maintain interest in the field, which Isom hopes will be contagious.

“We want to not only give students an idea of what’s available to them, but to wow them,” Isom said.

After the buzz of teenage chatter died down in the spacious conference hall before the keynote presentation, Jason Bangerter, adjunct instructor at UVU and owner of the nationally recognized design firm, “Struck,”explained to the students that both form and function are necessary for appealing interactions on the Internet.

As part of his presentation about design-emphasized engineering, Bangerter invited four students from his class, Special Topics in Graphic Design, to show the high school conference goers their class projects.

(Read more at UVU Review: Graphic design department offers expertise at conference)

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The conference hosted by Utah Valley University put emphasis on what is truly possible through a graphic design school and degree program.

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Two Ways to Become a High-Paid Graphic Designer

There are few self-taught graphic designers, so most people rely on a quality program at an accredited graphic design school to learn the skills of the trade. By utilizing the resources available at a college or training program near you, there are two ways to become a high-paid graphic designer: through a long-term commitment to education or through a long-term commitment to work.

In essence, students have the choice of becoming a successful and well-paid graphic designer through an advanced graduate program at a graphic design college or by completing an undergraduate program and working their way to a higher-paying job. Both methods are feasible ways to earn a great income in the field of graphic design and each carries its own set of benefits and sacrifices.

Regardless of the path a graphic design student takes, the traits of a graphic designer remain the same. Successful graphic design school students and professionals are creative individuals with artistic talent. They are able to take an idea or emotion and translate it into a visual retelling that motivates buyers, motivates a person to pick up a magazine, call a phone number, or simply click on a banner ad on the internet.

Graphic design schools, regardless of the level of the degree program, will arm students with the skills they need to work toward their personal and career goals. It is important for graphic designers to remain flexible because the industry and the standards in the profession can change rapidly. Graphic designers for print publications must be ready to take on the role of an online graphic designer. Likewise, graphic designers who specialize in online publications need to be always ready to take on a billboard or store advertising challenge.

The success of a professional graphic designer hinges on his or her ability to take a larger portion of the graphic design industries client-base. However, many graphic designers find great success by focusing on a niche within their profession, provided that there is little competition or that the designer has proven himself worthy of higher-paying jobs or contracts. Graphic design schools prepare students to face these types of challenges and decisions with confidence.

Become a Graphic Design through Long-Term Education vs. Long-Term Work

A long-term commitment to education at a graphic design school can expedite the student’s efforts to find a high-paying job immediately following graduation. By spending less time in the job market, however, the student loses work-experience opportunities. Some internships can help offset this sacrifice, however, and those with a higher degree from an accredited graphic design school often find it easier to land a higher paying job.

Long-term commitments to building a reputation as a graphic designer can help students graduating with a lesser degree earn more money over the long-run. While students who choose this route earn less money immediately following graduation from a graphic design school, they spend more time in the job market making connections and earning higher rate.

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Graphic Design News

CA Graphic Design School Student Wins Logo Contest

A student from a California school’s graphic design program designed a winning logo for an area water company this month.

Melissa Kuo, graphic design student at California Institute of Arts designed the logo that won first place in a competition held by the Santa Clarita Valley Family of Water Suppliers.

The water suppliers group asked graphic design schools and students to create a logo design that they felt would “make conservation cool”, while conveying the group’s mission and values. For her efforts, Kuo was awarded a $2,500 check by the group at the March 1st reception at the Castaic Lake Water Agency headquarters building.

There were over twenty logos entered into the contest, but Kuo’s logo design will be the new logo of the SCV Family of Water Suppliers. Her design features a teardrop shaped water droplet, with a group of three figures holding hands along the bottom rim and the brand “SCV Family of Water Suppliers above them inside the droplet. “The values of family, water and community — I broke those down into different words that I thought of, that related to those values,” she said in a press release.

In the press release about the new logo design, the Water Conservation Program Coordinator for the group said, ““We’re thrilled that Melissa submitted her logo. We were taken by how she managed to elegantly combine the idea of ‘family’ with water. We also want to emphasize the degree of local talent that was available to us at the college level. It was truly impressive.”

Kuo said that she used the skills she learned in her graphic design courses recently about using negative space and using symbolism in design aesthetics. Kuo said that she will use the prize money to help pay for her continued education at the graphic design school at California Arts Institute.

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How to Become an Advertising Graphic Designer

Graphic design schools are a great place to learn the art of advertising as it relates to graphic design. Nearly every piece of advertising we see on the internet, in the mailbox, at a retail outlet, on the television, and on billboards was created by a graphic design school graduate. It is a lucrative market that is highly competitive, but obtainable for students who complete an advanced graphic design program that specializes in advertising.

The U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics estimates that there were nearly 300,000 graphic designers working in the U.S. in 2008. This number is likely well over 300,000 by now. They also estimate that the job market will continue to grow through the rest of the decade, but that there will be keen competition among employees.

Although it is a competitive market, there are ways to make it easier to become a graphic designer that specializes in marketing; especially if he or she intends to become an online marketing graphic designer. The BLS says that those with specialized training in animation and web design have the best chances of landing a high paying job. But at minimum, hiring companies typically look for a graphic design school graduate who has earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design.

A bachelor’s degree program at a graphic design school typically incorporates print and advertising classes into the program’s curriculum. These classes are designed to teach graphic design students the principles and theories behind the graphic advertising profession and build confidence in their ability to apply what they’ve learned in a real-world market.

After completing a bachelor’s program at a graphic design school, graduates will be able to develop and clearly present graphic design solution to a client. This is a key principle in advertising, where pitching ideas is the common method of getting a contract for an advertising campaign. Research and analyzing a graphic design project for a marketing campaign is another core function of the graphic designer specializing in marketing and advertising, so many of a programs classes will be geared toward fine-tuning these skill sets.

The remaining classes in an advertising focused graphic design program will revolve around the art of graphic design; without which the other classes are unimportant. Therefore, schools include heavy art studies in the curriculum.

Art studies in a graphic design school include drawing skills that help with items such as logo development, communication of ideas, portfolio development according to the industry’s standards, typography and using type sets and fonts to influence emotion and behavior, and colors and composition classes. Colors and compositions will enable graphic design students to balance colors and designs within a graphic design concept as well as using layout and flow to influence the end user or viewer.

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Graphic Design News

Graphic Design Students Impress Judges

Students of graphic design at a Wyoming School took home some of the top honors in a recent competition targeted at showcasing up and coming graphic designers.

The annual Student Show and competition was hosted at the Rocky Mountain College of Art & Design and sponsored by the Art Director’s Club of Denver out of Colorado.

The exhibition and competition portion of the event ended at 7, but culminated with an awards ceremony called The One Show at 7 PM. The One Show is way for area schools and the Art Director’s Club of Denver to recognize companies and brands that delve into all areas of the arts, including television, print productions, and interactive advertising. The graphic design awards included a Gold, Silver, or Bronze “one show” pencil presented by Kevin Swanepoel.

Students from the University of Wyoming’s graphic design program won praise in the categories of Best Logo Design and Best Publication Design for their exemplary graphic designs during the student show. The purpose of the Art Director’s Club of Denver Student Exhibition is to show off the work of graphic design and advertising students in the areas in and around Colorado.

The students at UW’s graphic design school worked on their graphic design presentations since they first started the program at the school. According to the school’s news report, they spent plenty of long nights in the studio preparing for this one event where they could showcase their skills to the public and the Art Director’s Club of Denver. All of that work paid off according to one of the competition judges, Ryan Bramwell.

The scope of work this year was stunning, specifically in packaging and poster design categories,” Bramwell said. He went on to say that all of the graphic design schools did well in the exhibit, making it hard for judges to come to a decision on the finalists.

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Graphic Design News

Student in Graphic Design Class help Restore Ship

It is the type of project in which even college-aged graphic design students rarely get the chance to participate, but students in one high school’s graphic design class made it happen.

Graphic design students at Union High School in New Jersey are helping the S.S. United States Conservancy save and restore one the country’s valuable relics; the S.S. United States.

The Conservancy is made up of members who own the ship or are considered stewards of the ship. They are attempting to create a partnership with public and private organization to refurbish the relic.

The S.S. United States was, at one time, an ocean liner that was designed mostly for civilian luxury cruises but built with the caveat that it could move troops across the Atlantic if it was ever needed. The dilapidated ship is now sitting in a South Philadelphia dock and in need of some serious help from a few willing participants in preserving the natural history of the ship.

Students in Union High School’s graphic design class decided that they wanted to help, so they created a big sign calling people to action in the important restoration project. Their creation has (almost) as many bells and whistles as the ship itself according to reports. The sign is 60 inches tall and has a smoking smoke stack and light-up portholes to draw attention to its message that it’s “Time for Action” in preserving the relic.

The graphic design class heard about the needs of the S.S. United States through the Conservancy, who appealed to the public for help. The S.S. United States Conservancy came to the school to give a presentation about the ship’s history and current predicament. It was after the presentation that the graphic design students presented the Conservancy members with their promotional sign, which will be put to good use in the effort to get help restoring the ship.