I create unique content and I’m a creative consultant on advertising, branding and graphic design projects and often hired for a second opinion on agency work.
If you need a consult on a book proposal, manuscript or university graphic design or advertising academic program, please reach out.
I’d love to hear about your project or agency’s work.
Most higher-ed design faculty can look at a student’s graphic design solution and quickly measure its success in solving the design problem. As practiced designers and educators, many of us can assign a grade at first glance—we know when a solution is outstanding, meets expectations, or does not meet expectations, and so on.
Since I’ve been employing a rubric, a scoring guide used to articulate expectations and assess components of an assignment, my students have a much better understanding of my expectations and how I evaluate their work. If you’re lucky enough to have a TA, a rubric clarifies expectations for the TA, as well.
The benefits of a rubric are numerous. For students, a rubric provides a window into your method of assessment. Often, students will better understand the components of an assignment, as well. They may become more aware of their progress in building specific conceptual and creative skills. Because students become aware of how design solutions are judged for efficacy and merit, they then can use the rubric to critique their own work.
Rubrics help instructors:
· Clarify expectations and components of an assignment
· Assess assignments consistently from one student to another
· Clarify assignments and instructional goals
I include notes with the rubric evaluation to narrate what the students need to do to improve their critical thinking and design. Usually my rubrics, although somewhat tailored specifically to each assignment, have the following categories, each worth 25 points adding up to 100 points (use any scale to calculate):
Design Concept (Plus a narrative of exactly what I’m looking for here.)
Composition: Use of design principles including visual hierarchy, balance, unity (with variety), and rhythm.
Type/Image Synergy (Plus a narrative of exactly what I’m looking for here.)
Visual Communication and Impact (Plus a narrative of exactly what I’m looking for here.)
Best wishes for happy grading!
What Makes for a Good Name? That’s the question some friends with new business ventures have been asking me.
Since the brand name is the main point of reference to any product or service as well as the primary verbal and written marketing tool, naming is a critical step in the branding process. A brand name is an intangible asset, optimally adding value or distinction to a brand (think Ferrari, Apple or Google).
As designers and brand strategists know, you need a conceptual framework. Start with a creative or design brief to ensure the name creation is strategic, has longevity potential, conveys denotative and connotative meanings as intended, and will resonate with the audience. Once you’re clear on strategy, you generate concepts. Select the best ones for legal vetting.
Here are several broad categories of names:
· Founder’s name: named for the company’s founder(s), such as Ben & Jerry’s ice cream named for Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield; Levi’s named for founder Levi Strauss; and Martha Stewart for the brands created by Martha Stewart.
· Explanatory: named to best explain or describe the product or service, such as China Mobile, Burger King, American Heart Association, and The Nature Conservancy.
· Expressive or Invented: names that are constructed to have a certain flair, such as Google, Häagen-Dazs, Xerox, Roc Nation, EarthShare, and Intel.
· Symbolic: names that express their nature through an allusion to an allegory or a symbol to represent a brand, such as Nike (named for the Greek goddess of victory), Sirius (named for the sky’s brightest star), Vanguard, and Apple computers.
· Acronym: a brand name formed from the initials or other parts of several names or words; for example, GE for General Electric, BMW for Bayerische Motoren Werke, KFC for Kentucky Fried Chicken, and IBM for International Business Machines.
· Morphemes: a meaningful morphological unit of a word that cannot be further divided (e.g., “fed” for “federal” and “ex” for “express”); for example, FedEx and Acura.
· Geographical: a brand tied to the region of its origin or creator; for example, Nantucket Nectars, New York Life, and American Apparel.
Some researchers have found that sound symbolism influences the attribute perceptions of a brand. And if you’re Jeopardy fan, as my family and I are, you know that some people fancy names that exhibit alliteration (the repetition of same letter or sound at the beginning of closely connected or neighboring words); for example, Dunkin’ Donuts, Coca-Cola, PayPal, or rhyme (correspondence of sound between words or endings of related words); for example, Laffy Taffy, 7 Eleven, Mello Yello; and onomatopoeia (the form of a word and the sound associated with it, or a word that imitates a sound); for example, Ziploc, Swiffer, or Sizzler Family Restaurants.
Picture an insurance company. What comes to mind? You might think of a huge office space with people in cubicles working on computers, talking on phones, and participating in meetings. Now, let’s take it a step further—what is the difference in how you imagine five different insurance companies? On the surface, most companies seem like faceless, vast corporate entities, without much to distinguish them from one another. Without a good brand name, almost any company or organization would seem generic.
What’s a good brand worth? Plenty.
(Excerpted from Graphic Design Solutions, 6th ed.;
https://www.cengage.com/c/graphic-design-solutions-6e-landa)
The core strategy is elastic and overarching, with each ad idea circling back to the strategy.
Each individual ad unit across media channels will grab someone’s attention and hold interest.
Each media channel is used in the way it best connects with people and adds specific interest to the overall campaign.
The art direction and copy are distinctive to the brand and differentiate the brand in the audience’s mind.
The visual communication ignites a conversation between the brand and consumers.
It could run forever (almost).
It will surprise and (actively) involve people.
People will talk about it.
Other creatives wish they had thought of it!
It’s pretty scary.
For most of your life, you’ve been a student. Now you’re a college grad or nearing the end of your academic career.
Sales associate. Clerk. Server. Cashier. Intern. Maybe you’ve held part-time jobs or even career-directed internships however your life has been defined by your studies.
Now what?
Over the years, I’ve witnessed different types of reactions to the milestone of college graduation.
I’m outta here!
I never liked school.
I can’t believe I’m done.
Those remarks sound wholly negative but they’re not. Embedded is the smell of freedom—the yearning for it. So that’s good.
How will I find a job?
Who’s going to help me like you did?
How do I write a cover letter?
Alas, less hope in those remarks.
So, if you’re feeling suddenly cut loose, a bit lost and were texting while I was explaining how to find a job, here’s a quick-start guide.
1. Have a plan.
a. Join LinkedIn and use its job search
b. On Twitter and FB, follow companies, agencies and employers to watch for job announcements or new business acquisitions (that might mean they’re hiring)
c. Network at conferences and professional organizations
d. Keep working on your CV and cover letter
2. Confront being independent.
a. Own being a graduate
b. Feel accomplished about this milestone
c. Take initiative
d. Keep working on whatever it is you want to do
3. Think growth.
a. Find opportunities where you can learn
b. Realize growing and learning are more important than salary
c. Seek a (smart) mentor wherever you work—there is usually someone who enjoys the role
If you focus on being proactive, "Oh, the places you’ll go."
A portfolio is a body of creative work used to showcase your aptitudes, conceptual and creative thinking, and experience. Every graphic designer and advertising art director needs one. By looking at your portfolio, a prospective employer will be able to evaluate your ideas, typography, visualization, composition, creativity, and tech skills.
The quality of the work is paramount. After that, there are two main considerations:
An efficient and professional responsive web presentation. You also may want to have a printed portfolio or mobile app portfolio.
A well-written and designed résumé
Your portfolio content demonstrates your knowledge, skills and creativity and also lets reviewers know which areas of visual communication (graphic design, advertising, UX, mobile design, motion design, or animation) interest you most.
Knowing whether you want to present a variety of work or focus on a particular area of specialization is the first step. If you want to specialize in one area of advertising, such as social media, the work in your portfolio should reflect that area of interest.
Consider including a personal project that demonstrates what you’re passionate about.
Your portfolio presentation, your work, résumé, and any other materials you present define your own visual/written identity, your own “brand” personality. Although you are not a corporation or commercial brand, your materials should have a coherent look and tone.
Your résumé is information design (clear information hierarchy), visual identity design (your distinctive brand) as well as a promotional design project (differentiates you and promotes your capabilities).
Along with an online portfolio and résumé, you need a cover letter (formatted to the specific job). Other materials might include a business card, letterhead, and mobile portfolio app.
Write an elevator pitch. Craft a three-sentence pitch with the following objectives.
First sentence: Draw interest. Hook the listener with an attention-grabbing, active first sentence. The opening line leads to more, pointing to a fuller story.
Second sentence: Content. Engage the listener with content about yourself. Show; don’t tell.
Third sentence: What value you bring—or—the essential takeaway message. What do you want to imprint on the listener?
Write a pithy “About me” statement or bio.
Many advertising agencies, design studios, organizations and corporations list employment and internship opportunities on their websites. You can use a search engine to find company websites by name, or if you don’t know the names of the studios or agencies in your metropolitan area, you can also use a search engine to find lists. For example, type in “advertising agencies in Cincinnati” or “graphic design studios in Miami” to find the names and links to potential employers.
Keep a running list of work you admire from various studios, agencies, designers, and art directors. Visit their websites to view internship and job postings. You can see professional work in advertising periodicals and annuals, as well as on advertising magazine and professional organization websites.
Subscribe to internship and job listings online on LinkedIn, professional design ad organizations (see below), and employment agency sites.
Join professional organizations, such as the AIGA, One Club/ADC, and TDC.
Network at their events.
Check award listings for the names of creative directors, art directors, motion designers, and graphic designers. Follow them on social media channels. Follow agencies and design studios on LinkedIn.
Utilize creative recruiters who do not charge fees.
Know something about the company, especially the kind of work they do and who some of their clients are. If possible, try to get information about the person who will be conducting the interview. Be able to state the rationale for all your projects. Prepare a list of intelligent questions about their company and culture, their process, and the job position.
Read the industry news. Know what’s going on in the industry.
Be ready to honestly discuss your professional experience. Know what salary you are willing to take but don’t ask about salary on the first interview. If they make an offer, you can safely say, “May I sleep on your offer, please?”
Clearly state what value you bring, such as professional experience, internship experiences, skills, credentials, academic standing, and attractive personal qualities, like eagerness, being a self-starter, or being a quick learner.
Be ready with an example of how you contributed to a project.
Best wishes for success!