Ask a Graphic Designer anything

137 Questions

Last Answer on September 13, 2021

Would you make a sign or shirt or something that goes against your beliefs for money. Let’s say either presidential Canada the Trump or Biden who ever you dislike and you where asked to make a shirt and they where paying good money.

Asked by Don almost 5 years ago

To be honest if I was getting paid good money and the client wanted a controversial design I would ask for the full amount upfront and design it... I provide a service and do not let my beliefs get in way of the money for providing for my wife and daughter. Back in the early 90's when typesetting was done on special typesetting machines before computers I ran a design studio in a large printers in the UK and we employed a typesetter to type all text for designs that was then sent down a ISDN line to get printed out and sent back to paste onto the artwork (yes that was how it was done back in those days) ...well the typesetter was also a vicar (priest) and one of the jobs that came in was to design some flyers for a clairvoyant show ...well it went totally against his beliefs and refused to type any of it ...lol ...so we had to outsource it to get done.

264 Votes

Yes.. that exactly what I did before I reached out. Ok thank you.

Asked by rosegarza924@gmail.com about 5 years ago

To be honest, when I first started out as a graphic designer in 1981 there was no such thing as computers or internet so had to be creative with my thoughts and unable to research ...that is how you become unique in your own style ...it is great practice for you and you will be a better person for it

263 Votes

So you wanna be a Graphic Designer?

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If you where not a Graphic Designer what job could you see yourself doing?

Asked by Question to all almost 5 years ago

Well I have been a designer since leaving art college in 1981 ...so that is a long, long time so never had any other career other than that and enjoyed every moment of it. Before leaving school to go to art college to be honest I did not know what I was going to do and considered going to train and work with my dad as an aircraft fitter at the local airport. But at the last minute my art teacher convinced my mum to take me for an interview at the local art college ...she wasn't convinced it was a great career choice but took me anyway. The course was full but I impressed them enough to put me at the top of the waiting list ... a week later I got accepted ...and here I am almost 40 years later still a graphic designer. I often thought of other career paths I would have liked to take and sometimes wished I was an astronomer or worked for someone like NASA

263 Votes

Have you ever asked someone a question on here? If so do you mind saying what it was?

Asked by QUESTION TO ALL almost 5 years ago

No, never ...lol ...sorry for the short an direct answer ...lol

263 Votes

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Where would you also draw the line. Like making a nude photo or henti porn

Asked by Don almost 5 years ago

Well henti porn is something I have never been involved in and probably never will ...but generic everyday porn I do not have a problem with and is ok to design for. I used to have a client that sold sex toys and had to design all sorts of bizarre adverts for porn magazines. I have a funny story related to this ...I had a meeting with the client and she gave me a few of the magazines that the adverts were to appear in, Straight after this meeting I had another meeting with a client and he want to meet in a cafe in a busy mall. The seating was outside the cafe (although inside the mall) where it was very busy with shoppers walking past. Well, I sat down and pulled out my note pad and it accidentally caught on one of the porn magazines which slammed on the floor with a loud slap ...everyone turned round to look what happened and the magazine was laying with the back of it facing upwards which had a full page advert of a large pink vibrator. How embarrassing was that ...I grabbed it quickly and shoved it back in my bag ...luckily my client did not see it as he was on the wrong side of the table ...but plenty of others saw it ...wonder what they thought ...lol

258 Votes

What happens if and when you mess something up real bad?

Asked by Gene almost 5 years ago

We are all human and mistakes happen. At the end of the day if a mistake has been made in a design job make sure the job has been officially signed off by the client. I always make sure I check, double check and triple check and then when I send to the client I tell them in the email to check everything carefully as I will not be responsible for errors once approved and signed off. This usually gets them to proof it with a fine tooth comb as they realise that once they approve the job it is in their hands. I remember back in the 80's when I designed record sleeves, a cover was approved and went to print. When the all records got delivered the producer picked up the sleeve the correct way up and the vinyl record fell out the bottom ...lol. Luckily I was just the designer and not the artworker ...there was a difference back then when computers were not used. I was the one that designed the covers on a sketch pad with felt pens, then I went to a photoshoot with the band ...then the actual final artwork was done by an artwork department that placed everything into the cutter guides etc. A very different process than nowadays. So the artworker had mistakenly indicated the front cover to be placed the wrong way up. No one checked and it went to print. They all had to be printed again... the record company was not happy at all but l was not to blame. In todays industry us designers have to make sure everything is checked carefully. I once did a typo on an advert (a number was missed off the telephone number). I did not spot it and the client did not spot it and the advert went to print. The client noticed it once it was in the magazine and was not happy at all and was on to me by email straightaway and wanted his money back. I apologised but pointed out my email had said that "to check everything carefully as I will not be responsible for errors once approved and signed off". He apologised and admitted he did not check properly ... but I also apologised too as it was my fault I had missed the number (but actually I think it was cut and paste from his text and he was the one that missed it). But anyway I value my clients and gave him the next design job for free as compensation, even though it was not entirely my fault. This was about 7 years ago and til this day he is still my client. So at the end of the day, no matter whose fault the mistake is, always keep the client happy as it will be to your benefit in the end.

256 Votes

What is your favorite thing to design

Asked by Mr. Fernandez almost 5 years ago

UPDATE...I have now written a guide to becoming a graphic designer. It is available as Kindle or in print ...check it out here... AMAZON LINK . Well I used to love doing logos the most (still do)... then vector illustration became my favourite. But recently I have taught myself video editing, so this is new to me and slowly becoming my favourite... but I combine all my design skills in the video editing.

256 Votes