#designtolive

[reposted from Toby Fitch via GMD alum Lauren Lis]

Written by my friend Toby Fitch. Artists, NEVER sell yourself short.

<rant> I'm saying this now to clear the air because I'm TIRED of people trying to take advantage of me and other designers. If you want a designer to do 'favors' such as design something or do something artistically related, you should do something in return via compensation, just certainly not free. We may be your friends, or be super nice, but it doesn't always mean we will 100% do it for you for free -- and when we do, you're pretty special, and I mean, really, really special, or important.

First of all, design is not something that anyone can do. It's not just learning Photoshop and calling it a day. There are plenty of programs we need to know, yes, but there are many other VERY important aspects to design that designers also need to learn. This is what clients (and those who learn PS and call themselves designers) DON'T understand.

A few examples - User Experience, Typography, Color Theory, Fundamentals of Design, Typography, Grid System, Golden Ratios (logos especially), Typography, Layout, and lastly - Typography. *note how important typography is*

When you hire a designer, you are hiring someone to research, concept, and spend multiple hours creating a piece of artwork for you. It's like building a house. You can't just start putting nails into wood and hope to build a mansion. There are steps that need to be taken.

THAT is why you PAY designers.

We may do this for a living and love what we do, but it doesn't mean we want to do design 24/7. Keep in mind we worked hard and paid for an education to get where we're at. Any time we have outside of our profession is worth its weight in gold and is extremely valuable for our well being. Personally, I rather be spending my time doing anything outdoors-related, it recharges me every time and I draw inspiration from nature.