arnolddg

Every year, a huge batch of new graphic designers come in the scene. Some of them land a decent job that helps them grow and improve, some stick with freelancing, trying to create a name all by themselves, while some are stuck in the job hunting process. And within these designers' minds are endless questions like 'how do I get my first client', 'how do I market myself', 'how much should I price a logo' and the list goes on. But these questions are just minor decision making process. In a graphic designer's career, especially those who are starting, one of the hardest decision to make is whether to be a SPECIALIST or a GENERALIST.

Then there's another question, DOES IT REALLY MATTER?

Well, in some people, it does. Firstly, I would define what is a Specialist and a Generalist. A generalist, in a graphic design perspective, is a person that provides every services possible. Logo design, brochure, flyer, billboard, website, et cetera. You name it, he can do it. he is the Jack Of All Trade of the industry. On the other hand, a Specialist is someone who devotes his time perfecting one specific craft. Be it logo design, web design, animation (even this has two more branches: 2D or 3D). He is the kind of 'Master of One' person. So where does the question came out from?Graphic Design these days is a very complex profession. Even the most irrelevant mind is not contented with an "I am a graphic designer" answer they ask about your job and they eventually follow their questions up with "what kind of graphic designer?". There are designers that learns a few skills at a time and when they reached a level that they do well in that specific skill, they tend to learn more and more skills associated with it. And there are those who learns a lot of skills at a time and settles into one specific skill for him to improve and master. But what about those designers who are just starting out? The following are some points to ponder that may help you decide.

The Pros and Cons of Being a Generalist

When you are a 'Jack of All Trade', you are: When you are a generalist, you are HIGHLY SELLABLE. When you have a wide variety of skill set, your profile is highly sellable in the market. When you go out there with a lot of hats to wear, chances are your different skills attract clients both individually as well as collectively.

Moreover, there are a lot of clients who prefers to work with a single person rather than work with a different person for a specific project.

Generalists can also easily add, remove, or update their services depending on the market. They have a broad area of knowledge, which makes them the clients' one-stop-shop. However, everything has its own Cons. When you are a generalist, there are instances that you turn down or outsource specialize works. While there are clients who prefer to work with a single person for multiple projects, there are also those who prefer to invest on a seasoned specialist.

Generalists also prove to be more stressed when it comes to project management. Since they have a lot of skills in their arsenal, chances are they also work on multiple projects at the same time. Worst, they will also outsource excess jobs.

Another bad thing about being a generalist is that they cannot charge more. Clients are smart. If they're going to pay a thousand bucks for a single project, they would rather give it to a more experienced person in the same project.

The Pros and Cons of Being a Specialist

Being a 'Master of One', you probably are:

The expert in your specialty. Since you devote your time, money, and efforts perfecting a single craft, you practically stand out among others. And because you have a deep experience, it becomes your greatest asset.

You have a more streamlined approach to your projects. Since you have been doing your job a lot of times, you develop a design process which makes it easier for you to finish new tasks.

As a specialist, you can charge more. Whenever you put the title 'specialist' in your profile, it automatically gives a positive impact on the other person. And if you tell your client that you are a specialist in that area, they will probably not argue and agree to pay you handsomely for you expertise. (Just make sure your works support your claim as being a specialist). And for the record, here are the disadvantages of being a specialist: The most basic and probably the most obvious disadvantage is that you do not have a lot of alternatives. Since you are working on a single skill set for ages, you do not have a lot to offer your client, which results to the next disadvantage.

You outsource every project that is out of your expertise. Although some may say that it is not really a disadvantage, outsourcing divides your profit. And with it, you cannot control the overall quality of the project which may affect your market reputation.

Hey there! I write this post to share one funny experience with you guys. As a designer who works both as freelance and full time in an ad agency, I'm experiencing a lot of thigs everyday. And just recently, One of our sales rep in the office introduced one client. He was a cafe owner. His cafe is already in operation and has social media accounts. So I took a look of his cafe on Facebook and it was nice. The interior design is so classy with palettes of gold and brown, and some accent of silver. So I thought this was a high class cafe, probably higher class than Starbucks or Cafe Nero or whatever.

So we came down to business, he said he wants a flyer. He actually have a design ready which, for your information, is made from Microsoft word. I knew it. It was a red flag. A restaurant owner who treats his materials as a DIY project.

As a designer, we know what a good design is, right? Yes, design is subjective. A design may look good on others and vice versa. but there are guidelines to which every designers must adhere to make a design work. One of these is, as far as I can remember, to avoid a very busy background.

Their logo is a black spiral line, mimicking a vertigo sensation, with texts arched on top and on bottom which leaves the middle area just plain spiral effect. He told me he wants the flyer to have the background similar to the spiral stuff of their logo and put the pictures from their Facebook page. So I make what he wants. I put the background and photos as requested. I lightened the background and aligned the photos to make it look more pleasing. He also told me to put some texts so I did, and arranged the text to one side. Then I showed the output to the client.

Guess what, he was not happy. He asked me why the background is like washed off. So I explained to him that we should avoid a busy background so that the more important elements would pop out. But he refused. He insisted he wants it full black. And he added that he wants the photos and texts placed randomly on the flyer. And again, I did what he wants. I tried to place the elements 'randomly' while still maintaining the order in design. Then I showed it to him once more. He was still not convinced! "Wow! I am trying my best to make your flyer look more appealing but you doesn't want it that way" That's what I thought.

So the last revision I made is to put everything everywhere randomly like a child throwing his toys nowhere. I was not happy with the output, to be honest. The flyer was chaotic! It was like a work of a 10 year old. Then I showed it to the client. And at last he was happy. He liked the 'random' design in his flyer which, to be honest, will not fall under good design.

At such a young age, some people already know what they want. But me? I had no idea that I would someday be a designer.

Let me share my journey in this ever-changing design industry. When I was a child, I remember I enjoy drawing cartoon characters and other random stuff I see at home. I even made my own short comics in an old school notebook, which I enjoyed working on with my brother. I was the kind of child that would draw anything that is on my mind whenever I get to hold a pen. My classmates would say I am their ‘Best in Drawing pal.’ But things changed when I entered high school.

In high school, I was the ‘happy-go-lucky guy,’ or sometimes, the ‘trying-to-be-cool’ guy. I’ll be honest. I skipped classes, slept when the subject is boring (Except for History. I love History!), and even stayed in the cafeteria during class hours. It’s embarrassing, but hey! I was a teenager and I was just living my life. (YOLO :))

When it was time to leave high school, I became uncertain with the college course that I wanted to take. I don’t really know what I want so I chose what my family wants for me. I took up Electronics and Communications Engineering. Freshman year was fine. The subjects were somehow similar to the ones I took in high school. My Drafting professor even told me that I have potential. Maybe I do have potential; potential as an artist/designer and not as an engineer.

Sophomore year came. Woah. The subjects are new to me, and I had no choice but to face it. I mean, this is my mother’s dream for me. Still, I pursued. Even if I am not happy and interested with my course. Unfortunately, I failed several subjects. My parents were so disappointed of me, because I know that college is like the foundation in this harsh journey called ‘life.’ Without proper education, I know I will barely survive.

Term break arrived and it was terrible. I don’t think someone would be happy if they know that they have disappointed their parents. So there I was, spending my time editing videos for my cousin’s school project using Adobe After Effects. I learned that through the video tutorials I watched online.

I got so used to the software that I found myself enjoying it. I remember the video I made with my brother, entitled: "Weekend of a Superhero" (sorry for the crappy video quality).

Since then, I knew what I wanted. I loved the feeling of hurtful eyes due to hours of editing, I loved the sense of fulfillment after I watch the final output. Then I realized something. My purpose has been with me ever since I was a child. With all those doodles and sketches at the back of my notebooks, all those orthographic drawings of different things, those monstrous sketches, I know I am an artist. I now know what I want and what I will be. A graphic designer.

I thought about it for several days and nights until I decided to write a letter for my parents. I apologized for breaking their hearts and for not fulfilling their dream for me. Most importantly, I told them what I wanted. The next day, my parents siblings and I were all gathered in our dining area. We were quietly having breakfast when my dad broke the silence and said: ‘Nabasa namin sulat mo.’ (We have read your letter). He said he and my mom talked about it. I looked into my mother’s eyes and I could see that she’s still in pain.

My father asked me if I still want to study. I told them about the short course, which my cousin also took. I preferred to take a short course because I know I wasted the money that was allocated for my college education. Also, I am too shy to demand to study in a university.

So, I enrolled and took Visual Graphic Design at the First Academy of Computer Arts (FACA) in Makati City, Philippines. I learned to operate three more design softwares, namely, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign.

I graduated in FACA and I have never been unemployed. I was able to help cover our family’s expenses. Even though I do not earn as much the engineers do, I am happy that little by little, I am returning the favor my parents gave me, while doing the thing I love the most.

But you know what, I still want to study. I still want to pursue a college degree. I would look back on my previous decisions and say ‘if I only knew what I wanted in the first place.’

One of my greatest insecurities is that I do not own a degree in Design. But, I am thankful. Not only because I have a job, but also because I have come to realize the value of education.

I am also thankful for the people who believed in me. To the company who first employed me who did not look at my educational background, instead focused on my abilities. That is where I also learned more about designs (Hello Lamar Team!). To my girlfriend Ehna (Hi Baby! :*), who never looked down on me when she learned about my past, and of course to my family, who still supported my decisions despite of breaking their hearts.

Now, with all thanks to God, I am working as a Senior Designer in an advertising agency in Abu Dhabi, UAE, handling a team that designs marketing materials for some of the country's big names, like Abu Dhabi Education Council, Etisalat, Etihad, and many more. I also do freelancing, with personal clients ranging from coffee shops to high end restaurants and building cleaning to construction companies. In my free time, I try to self study other design programs. Some of which I managed to learn already, like Adobe Muse and Adobe Flash.

A first time restaurant owner approached me and asked, “Do I really need to have a website?" This question is very common among those people who are just starting a business. However, despite all the business owners’ doubts, my answer would always be a YES. Even if you’re a one-man show, or a corporate giant, the answer would always be a yes. But, there’s one more thing. How does a website benefit a business owner? Okay. So, let’s say you will hire an employee, a human employee, to handle all your traditional marketing for your business. Basically, this will make use of advertisements on television, radio, newspapers, magazines, and other form of traditional marketing to be able to promote your business. Plus, apart from the costs of the materials, you will still have to pay your employee with a minimum amount of 1500 USD / 2000 AED / 1200 PHP, per month. 1500 USD a month is 18,000 USD per year. That’s a lot of money to be spent!

But, let’s say you’ll have your own website. Your website can do all the marketing for your shop, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. A website will just cost you roughly 8000 USD (on average) for the design and development, plus 150 USD per year for the hosting and domain name, and an optional 750 USD per month for Search Engine Optimization, which will improve your website’s visibility in search engines like Google, Yahoo, or Bing. That will cost you 8000 USD one-time payment, and 9150 USD per year.18,000 USD and 9150 USD. Now that’s a huge difference!

However, I am not totally discouraging you from hiring people and just depend on your website all along. But let me just give you the benefits that you can expect from your website with that 9150 USD per year budget.

Low Cost Advertising: It is undeniably true that a website has a wider reach than any form of advertising. Although it takes time to build up enough traffic to your website to make an impact on your business’ marketing campaign, it costs next to nothing to do so. Your website will be the center of your company's online presence. Through it, you advertise your business around the Web on social networking sites, forums and through pay-per-click advertising programs.

Visibility: A personal experience. I've heard a newly opened restaurant in town and my first move is to search for it online; to check the menu, the location, and the price. So having a website will automatically increase your visibility and it will more likely be your main platform to make a name.

Accessibility: A website is online and accessible every day of the year, making it your customers and potential customers' main source of information about new and upcoming products and services whenever, and wherever they are.

Sales: Here is the fun part. Your website can sell products at any time. Potential customers are not restricted to business hours. Instead, they can go online and purchase products whenever they want. A website with an online shop can provide a dramatic boost in sales.

Nevertheless, a website is an all in one solution to your business. A salesman, a marketer, and an advertiser, rolled into one.So, are you interested to have your own website?

On my last post, I’ve shared with you my horrible experience about this client that took the logo I made without paying even half of the agreed price. He finally answered my calls (again) few weeks after that incident and, maybe, some realization took over his mind and agreed to remove the logo from his restaurant. As I mentioned in that post, I am going to share with you some points in creating design contracts; to help my fellow freelancers and for those who are just starting as well. So here it is.

ESTIMATE TERMS: It is necessary, obviously, that we should put the estimate  terms in our contracts. Estimate terms usually contains the total investment of your client for the whole project. How can we estimate our services? This is how I make mine: I take my rate per hour and multiply it by how many hours will it take me for the project to finish.  As a freelancer in Abu Dhabi, UAE, I set my rate to 50 Dirhams per hour. So let’s say I have a simple web design project which will take me to complete 24 hours approximately. So my total estimate rate for the said project will be 50 (dirhams) x 24 (hours) which is equal to 1200 Dirhams.

In some cases, we, as creative people, are not satisfied with a “composed” image. So we need to purchase some stock photo or vectors, and sometimes premium fonts. It is undoubtedly hard to estimate the costs for this so in this case, I make it a point to put in the contract I've stated on my estimate that these costs will be added to the client's remaining balance. Of course, I'm sure to get the client's written approval first, before I incorporate these elements into the design.

CHANGES: In this section you can put your terms for project revisions. How many rounds of changes are you willing to make for free? Or do you offer free revisions for life? Personally, I offer my clients three rounds of free revisions after the final approval before additional charges apply.

TURN-AROUND TIME: Of course the contract isn’t just about you, the designer. You must also indicate the completion time and the date when you can deliver the project completely. And be sure to stick with this deadline. It will help you get a good impression to your client. However, there are some cases that we, as humans, cannot prevent, like accidents, home-office flooded, or whatever. Be sure to indicate in your contract that in such cases, you are entitled to extend the deadline to finish the project.

CLIENT APPROVAL: How do the approval process work? Do you send hard-copy of the design and have your client sign? Or does an approval through email is acceptable for you? You must be clear, precise, and direct to the point.

PROMOTIONS: We as designers love to show off our works, right? Be sure to indicate in your contract that you, as their designer, have the permission to include the project in your portfolio, printed or electronic form.

CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION: This is a no-brainer. During the course of the project, chances are you will be exposed to their private information and vise versa, In this section, both parties agree to keep these information private.

CONTRACT TERMINATION: This is what happened to me. My previous client just terminated the project and told me that he doesn’t want to work with me anymore (because of some funny reasons). In this section, our contract will save us from the nightmare that could cost us a lot of money. You can indicate here your terms in case of premature termination. Does your client need to pay the time you spent prior to termination? Does he need to pay 75% of the agreed price? It’s completely up to you.

OTHER LEGAL CONSIDERATIONS: Other items to think about may include how you and a client may handle a dispute should it arise, third-party involvement and which party would be responsible for any legal costs, should they be incurred.

SIGNATURE: After all has been written and read, simply submitting the contract doesn’t count as an agreement. Both parties must sign the contract with the date the agreement took place.

These points are not supposed to be the content of all the design contracts in the world. These are simply a guide for fellow freelancers and starters out there to keep them safe when things get rough. Just in case you are not satisfied with the contract you just drafted, a quick visit to your local attorney will help you get the job done.

We all learn from the things that we do, and the people we meet. We either learn it the easy way, but most of the time, the hard way. But let’s not forget that one way or the other, sooner or later, the experience and the learning will lead us somewhere better. Now, I would want to share my personal experience in this business. One early morning, my friend Mary, who works as a sales representative for a signboard company, came to my place to talk about her friend Joseph, who owns a restaurant. She says Joseph is looking for a designer who could help him with the rebranding of his recently acquired restaurant. Mary and I discussed further about the details of the restaurant over cups of coffee and some cookies. I am so excited to work on this project that I actually decided to meet the client.

To cut the long story short, Joseph and I met. We discussed about his restaurant, and most importantly, we talked about the specifications of the rebranding project. At the end of our meeting, we agreed on a price for the entire project.

After that meeting, I started working on the project. I gave Joseph a range of logo design options, and without further ado, he chose one logo design that appealed to his taste. Apart from the logo designs, I have also prepared wall stickers for the interiors of the restaurant. Then one day, I received a call from Mary. She says she and Joseph had a misunderstanding and that all his job orders for her got cancelled. It could probably include my business with him. Well, if Joseph wants to end his business relationship with me, it’ll be fine. I thought to myself, there are a lot of clients out there.

So I let it pass, and moved on with my daily life. But not until I saw a banner in his upcoming restaurant.The banner says ‘SOON TO OPEN. NEW LOOK. NEW TASTE.’ It looks fine, but hey! I recognized the logo I made for him, which was actually used on that banner.

Joseph used it without even paying half of the agreed price for the logo. Honestly, I got so disappointed and mad.

I know that I have never given him the vector file for the logo, although I did send him a couple of JPEG files. How did I know that? Simple. I recognized the stroke I made around the logo that he used. I actually did that stroke for him to be able to understand how the final logo will look like when used in a 2D box.Upon seeing the banner, I immediately called him up.

I reached out to him as politely as I could. I told him it is unprofessional to use the logo especially that the total cost of the design hasn’t been settled yet. He even told our common friend Mary, that he will not use any material he received from her. And so, I gave him two choices: it’s either he will remove the banner, or, pay for the logo.

Guess what? He refused.

When he refused to choose from the options, I told him that he may be committing a violation called copyright infringement. But instead of compromising, he turned to question me, asking how the situation will fall into copyright infringement if the logo is not registered under my name. I want to be technical about this. Under the Copyright Law of U.A.E, an author’s copyright in original work, is protected under the Copyright and Related Rights Law No. 7 2002 (Copyright Law). It says, copyright works CAN FURTHER be protected by registration with the UAE Ministry of Information and Culture, which is advisable as a means of proving ownership of the works. (source: http://www.smeadvisor.com/news/copycats-beware) and I can prove my ownership on this.

However, Joseph hung up on me.

And to end it, since I do not want my time to be spent entirely on court hearings, I, again, let it pass. Mantra: There are other clients out there. And take note, BETTER clients.

Hmm...so what did I really learn from this experience?

USE A CONTRACT. Even if your client is a friend, colleague, or anyone. It is important to have a contract. It will not hurt anybody, and will eventually help both parties (you and the client), to settle things if ever things get rough. It is vital that the contract includes the estimate terms for the entire project, the rights of both the client and the designer, basically, everything about the project: from the creation of the job order, to termination of contracts, if needed.

I ask, “Why is it that clients expect their logo designs to cost at a lesser value?” As a Graphic Designer by profession, I think logo design is an important aspect of one’s business. Every brush and every element in a logo matters. Let me tell you something about Graphic Design. First of all, Graphic Design is a form of communication as it creates an impact on our decisions and our daily lives. It is not merely about coming up with ‘acceptable’, ‘visually appealing’, artwork. There is definitely more to ‘what meets the eye.’

Real talk: Everyone could learn how to use Photoshop. It is easy to add texts, or effects to a certain project, but it is never easy to come up and execute creative designs in a snap of a finger.

Working on a design requires ample time to plan and execute ideas, solutions, and programs, for a Graphic Designer to be paid, with what his efforts and skills are worth.

People are clueless with the story behind the logo, and the person who worked hard for it. A project is judged based on its aesthetics, and not what it is all about. The complexity or the simplicity f the design is where it will all be based. Allow me to tell you about the Apple logo.

Here’s the thing: everyone could draw Apple’s logo in five minutes, or probably lesser than that to some. It’s simple right? An apple with a bite. But the designers who actually planned and executed it, it took them a while, before they could even do that.

Going back to the logo, the apple is a reference from the Bible story of Adam and Eve, where the apple represents the fruit of the ‘Tree of Knowledge’ with a pun on the bite. The logo has evolved in 1998, but it has not changed much. Rob Janoff, former Apple President, called the logo ‘the most expensive bloody logo ever designed.’

One of the major factors that contributed to Apple’s success is their respect for the importance of investing in design, to their products, and to their advertisements, packaging, website, and other promotional materials. Second point: As a Graphic Designer, I would have to talk about the two phases that every graphic designers go through: research and brainstorming. Because design is a ‘service’ and not just a ‘product’, everyone should be reminded that there is no such thing as ‘bargain.’

I am aware that there are some websites that sells predesigned logos and flyer/brochures at a cheaper price. Can you imagine? A client would just pick the one that he/she finds most beautiful, neglecting their company’s profile. I found these websites accountable for degrading graphic designers and ignoring the principle of graphic design.

Now, let me ask one thing. ‘Is quantity more important than quality? Or is it the other way around?’

Quantity will let you pay less, for something that is also lesser than what you deserve and need, while Quality provides you with the best service there is at a higher price, but definitely worth the money, the effort, and the patience. As a final note, I still believe that:

- Design made you choose the product over the other.

- Design draws your attention a thousand times daily.

- Design sold your products.

- Design once changed your emotion.

- Design gave you an instruction without saying a single word.

Hey there! I write this post to share one funny experience with you guys. As a designer who works both as freelance and full time in an ad agency, I'm experiencing a lot of thigs everyday. And just recently, One of our sales rep in the office introduced one client. He was a cafe owner. His cafe is already in operation and has social media accounts. So I took a look of his cafe on Facebook and it was nice. The interior design is so classy with palettes of gold and brown, and some accent of silver. So I thought this was a high class cafe, probably higher class than Starbucks or Cafe Nero or whatever.So we came down to business, he said he wants a flyer. He actually have a design ready which, for your information, is made from Microsoft word. I knew it. It was a red flag. A restaurant owner who treats his materials as a DIY project.

As a designer, we know what a good design is, right? Yes, design is subjective. A design may look good on others and vice versa. but there are guidelines to which every designers must adhere to make a design work. One of these is, as far as I can remember, to avoid a very busy background.

Their logo is a black spiral line, mimicking a vertigo sensation, with texts arched on top and on bottom which leaves the middle area just plain spiral effect. He told me he wants the flyer to have the background similar to the spiral stuff of their logo and put the pictures from their Facebook page. So I make what he wants. I put the background and photos as requested. I lightened the background and aligned the photos to make it look more pleasing. He also told me to put some texts so I did, and arranged the text to one side. Then I showed the output to the client.

Guess what, he was not happy. He asked me why the background is like washed off. So I explained to him that we should avoid a busy background so that the more important elements would pop out. But he refused. He insisted he wants it full black. And he added that he wants the photos and texts placed randomly on the flyer. And again, I did what he wants. I tried to place the elements 'randomly' while still maintaining the order in design. Then I showed it to him once more. He was still not convinced! "Wow! I am trying my best to make your flyer look more appealing but you doesn't want it that way" That's what I thought.

So the last revision I made is to put everything everywhere randomly like a child throwing his toys nowhere. I was not happy with the output, to be honest. The flyer was chaotic! It was like a work of a 10 year old. Then I showed it to the client. And at last he was happy. He liked the 'random' design in his flyer which, to be honest, will not fall under good design.

Everybody can create a logo. But not all can achieve a great, long lasting one. A logo will not determine if a business will succeed or not. However, a logo will definitely be one of the reason an entrepreneur wants to elevate his/her business. It's not easy to conjure a message in just one symbol and represent a business' vision and show their strength. Every entrepreneur has a picture in their own head of what their business stands for. But how does one put these ideas into a long lasting symbol? These guidelines will hopefully help business owners when working with their designers for their logos. Number one guideline is that it should always be unique. If you copy a logo or create something that is already existing, it will not work. people will think that your brand is just a cheap copycat. At worst, companies will sue you. It's not really a good habit to copy someone else's idea. Besides, its fun making your own. A logo should be simple and describable. A good logo is always easy to describe. Simple as that.  If you want to generate word of mouth about you, it is crucial to let your followers tell something about you.