Aviatrix Design

Freelance Graphic Design from Edmonton, Alberta

“What Graphic Design Program Should I Get?”

I read an article where a hairdresser answered a question she always got: “Any tips for cutting my own hair?” Her response was a two-parter. Part one: Don’t ever. Part two: You’ll probably try it anyway, so here are some tips for avoiding disaster as much as possible.

Creatives get asked a similar question. Sometimes resourceful people need graphic design on a budget, so they consider doing it themselves. Snarky cartoon aside, I totally get it. After looking at the professional design programs out there – usually Adobe Creative suite – they say to me, “I want to design my own stuff. Which Adobe program should I get?”

Part 1

My first and best piece of advice is that you weigh the pros and cons…and probably not make that purchase. For folks who don’t do graphic design as a career, or don’t love it as a hobby, investing in pro tools is usually a waste of time and money.

Time more than anything: the learning curve on these programs is very steep. Instead of cutting your own hair, you’ll be pulling it out. For context, design students at tech schools spend hundreds of hours learning these programs so they can be useful enough for an entry-level design job. If you’re the type who enjoys a learning challenge, then try a free, open-source design program like GIMP or Scribus and see how it goes.

As for money, pro tools are pricey! There’s a monthly subscription of $80 USD, and $600 USD for the annual plan.

Tally up the money plus the hours and days you think it will take to learn the software and create something serviceable. Unless you have nothing but time, and/or you enjoy this kind of tinkering (which some people might!) you’ll probably be way happier paying a freelancer to make you something perfect and painless. I am biased, but this isn’t a sneaky bid for your business. The job is more complicated than it looks; it’s seldom worth attempting to learn someone’s trade in a week – whether it’s welding, haircutting, or graphic design – just to save some money.

Part 2

Now for my follow-up answer: If you’re going to try it anyway…here’s some other advice.

In most cases you can’t get away with picking one program. Adobe is crafty and designed each Creative Suite program with an area of specialization. Each excels at one thing, and is bad enough at other things that you’re forced to get the other programs. Anyone looking to do their own graphic design, professionals and laypeople alike, will need The Big Three: Photoshop, InDesign, and Illustrator.

Photoshop: Photoshop is mostly meant for editing or enhancing images, such as photos or scanned drawings. Some artists use this program for digital painting, making the art from scratch right in the program. Most people import graphics they made in another medium and enhance them here. Photoshop is not meant for laying out text! Neither can it prepare layouts for printing. Please don’t use Photoshop to make business cards.

InDesign: The name does not give it away: InDesign is a layout program intended for any project that involves text plus images. Brochures, flyers, business cards, magazines, etc. Its features are for making large amounts of text look nice, helping text and pictures coexist, and preparing documents for print. It’s known for handling print projects, but is used for documents that get displayed online as well.

Illustrator: This is where you make graphics that will be part of a composition in Photoshop or layout in InDesign. It’s another place to make digital art from scratch. In this case, Illustrator shines at making “vector” graphics – a kind of graphic that can be blown up to any size and not become blurry, like a photo does. Logos are made in Illustrator, along with diagrams, clipart, and of course, illustrations. It can handle text better than Photoshop, but is still bad for layout.

It is technically possible to do an entire design project in one program. This is what my clients have tried in order to save money. It is incredibly time-consuming, because you are missing crucial features that make it easier to complete the design. Adobe doesn’t intend for any program to be a one-stop shop. They want their money!

If you really want to test drive graphic design, subscribe to all three programs for best results. But think it through before you jump in! It’s probably better and cheaper to hire a pro.

This article previously ran.

Event Promo Poster

I made some promo material for Devon, Alberta’s first ever diversity event, Out By The River! This design was inspired by the colour powder fight that’ll be taking place.

Should Graphic Designers Work for Free?

I hear a lot about creatives getting outrageous requests for free labour. To the point that someone coined the term “exposurebucks,” i.e. that magical currency I can’t seem to exchange for food and shelter. The expectation of free labour makes creatives mildly hysterical. And if you’re just starting out, you’ll get these requests a lot.

Is it all bad? When should a graphic designer, or any creative, work for free?

Short answer: When it suits them. Because once in a while, it does.

Obviously free labour is never ideal. You should be compensated for all your work all the time. But like in any industry, there are moments when donating your talent is a positive thing. Following are some checklists to see if it’s a sacrifice worth making:

Practical reasons to work for free
(this stuff has some worth!):

– to expand your portfolio with real-world projects that give you credibility and could get you more work in the future. Especially if you’re a green designer with not a lot of work under your belt; it’s a practical strategy if you’re really stuck. Also applies to seasoned designers who are trying to break in to a new industry or medium.

– access to weird and wonderful projects that are pretty rare and would be cool to experience. Whatever that is to you: artwork for a board game, a hilarious logo for an unusual business, a skateboard deck, etc.

– it gives you life. Maybe this project is just plain fun. Or supports a person or cause you believe in. Or continues the existence of something you enjoy. Be honest with yourself; if it doesn’t resonate, don’t feel obligated, even if it’s for a good cause.

– it passes the gut-check. Make sure: boundaries are not being crossed, you feel valued and respected rather than used…or disgusted. Per my favourite quote from the movie Inside Out: “This is Disgust. She basically keeps [you] from being poisoned, physically and socially.”

Bad reasons to work for free
(this stuff has hypothetical worth only, and you are being paid in optimism):

– exposure! Ironically, the people offering you exposure as payment are most often starting their business from scratch with no audience or customers. Depending on the size of your own following, showcasing the work on your socials probably helps them more than they can help you. Lol. Sigh.

– more exposure! What if they do have a large following? I argue it’s still not beneficial, at least in the graphic design industry. Most people look for graphic designers the moment they are needed. Like with plumbers. I’d love if anyone who liked my work sought me out and filed my info under “artists to hire”. But no — if I’ve done my job they should be inspired to engage with my client, not me.

As for referrals? A little better. But there’s still no guarantee the person hearing your praises actually needs you right now. Or likes your work. Or that the project goes so well that the client is happy to refer you. Referrals are a fantastic bonus! But not substantial enough on their own to count as payment. Plus, I find the most timely and genuine referrals come from people I’ve known a while.

– the promise of more work as the client’s business grows! Sadly, there’s no guarantee their business will succeed. I mean, we hope it does! And our diligent work for them would help give their business the best possible shot at success. But neither of you know when they’ll be able to afford paying you. The promise of more work should be regarded as hopes and dreams — but is not a substantial reason for you to work for free.

– you smell entitlement. The client is trying to pass off their request as a favour to you. Or they want a “free sample” so you can “prove yourself” (nope, your portfolio is the sample). Run for the hills. You’re looking for transparency, flexibility, and respect.

Working for free is not always a bad thing — sometimes it leads to great things! But always make it a calculated choice. Do it on your own terms.

Latest Print Design: Summer Program Guide

The Town of Devon let me indulge in lots of colour for their program guide this year! We wanted a bit of nostalgia but also a sporty, energetic look. Each year the message is about being active and unplugged over summer. The different popsicle shapes and flavours suggest the variety of Devon’s programming and how there’s something for everybody.

Bookmark Designs for BethanyKids

Delighted to wrap these fun bookmarks for BethanyKids, another great collaboration with Curitus.org. Aren’t these kiddos unbelievably sweet!

BethanyKids provides life-saving pediatric surgeries to children in Africa, whose families would not otherwise be able to afford them. It’s main hospital is stationed in Kijabe, Kenya. Items like these bookmarks are a way for BethanyKids to stay in touch with donors and remind them of the impact of their support.

For this design, I felt a very vibrant and colourful approach would help donors feel inspired by the cause. Colours and patterns were inspired by the logo, plus those found on the traditional garments worn by mothers in the photos I worked with. @c_loh15 visited Kenya and took lots of amazing pictures for them.

The graphics are a bit rough around the edges; the idea was for the design to have a joyful and youthful energy without specifically being “kid-themed”. As for the flower — I learned there’s a flower native to South Africa known as the gazania or “Treasure Flower”. I thought this had really nice symbolism: something vibrant, beautiful, fragile, and precious. So I drew some of these to include as an accent.

Learn more about the BethanyKids mission and see more beautiful photos by visiting bethanykids.org.

Annual Report Design for Beaumont Credit Union

Last week I was at Beaumont Credit Union’s AGM, where I got to see the printed annual report we worked on!

The design needed to be versatile — minimalist enough that it could be printed nicely at the office, but also professional looking. To achieve the latter plus a touch of glam, the printers snazzed it up with gold foil. And you can’t tell from the photo, but the paper is a heavy stock that practically feels like velvet. Details matter! And it doesn’t have to cost a fortune if planned out well.

 

Beaumont Blues Run Designs

I helped Beaumont Credit Union with their campaign for the Blues Run, and they let me make a fun illustration! It’s a cheeky take on shoes that get tossed over telephone poles. I also did a cute pair of lil’ kid shoes. We ended up making postcards, posters, and a host of digital and social media graphics.

 

Music Logo Design for Salvation Army

Another fun collaboration with Curitus.org: a music camp logo for Salvation Army!

The Salvation Army has a long history of music and marching bands, and continues to provide music training to young people. Our job was to make a logo for their day camp, Micro Music Camp.

As S.A.’s music camps are rooted in brass bands, the overall design is meant mimic a band uniform: bold contrast and crisp lines. I used a horn because it’s an attention-getting instrument; it signals/precedes an important happening, which fits the history of S.A. parading towns and drawing crowds. Navy and gold helps to suggest instruments and uniform colours, but muted to create a more modern palette.

We also made a poster; a fun little Easter egg was including a silhouette of a S.A. headquarters, which is a distinctive building.

Visit Curitus.org to see the amazing work they do with partners all over the world!

A Wintery Program Guide Design

Merry Christmas! Here’s a whimsical, wintery design to usher in the holidays. Earlier this season I designed the Town of Devon’s winter program guide.

A cool feature we’ve been including lately is a graphical list of fun and outdoorsy things to do around town. Devon provides the activities, I hand-draw the doodles, and then arrange everything into an infographic-style setup.

I’m no stranger to publication design, thanks to my time making magazines at a publishing company. It’s job that requires high attention to detail and inside-out knowledge of your layout program. If you have an annual report or book design coming up, give me a shout — my experience will make it a painless process!

Event Logo Design for Salvation Army

I teamed with Curitus International to make a logo for the Salvation Army, which runs the Time to be Holy youth event. This design is meant to remind you of pilot wings or an army division patch, but in a more modern style.

The idea was to play off the army theme and create the feel of being part of a unit or sharing a mission. A rough patina helps bring the logo down to earth; I was aiming for a vintage t-shirt look. Maybe we can convince them to make a sweet lapel pin! For now we made a promo poster and a PowerPoint template. To see what other cool projects Curitus is working on visit www.curitus.org.