Graphic Define Magazine

Graphic Define IS Coming Back

schutzsmith — Tue, 20 May 2008 03:51:36 -0700

An update on the status of Graphic Define and where its headed.

Links for 2008-01-16 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 17 Jan 2008 00:00:00 -0600

Design Police
Bring bad design to justice with the Visual Enforcement Kit

Links for 2007-11-06 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 00:00:00 -0600

Castle-Magazine
Beautiful illustrations from some of the best and brightest artists across the world is what you'll find at the ezine Castle.
100 Web Apps for Everything You Will Possibly Need
From invoicing to marketing, these are tools that freelancers need to know about. Innovation junkies, take note: the Internet has a lot to offer.
Web Professionals portfolio and profile - Professional On The Web
A portfolio directory for web agencies and freelancers.

Links for 2007-09-25 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 26 Sep 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Get Rich In A Niche - HOW Webinar Series
learn how to develop lucrative business relationships, value and price your work so you don't lose money, and create ongoing streams of clients willing to pay you what you're worth.

Links for 2007-08-30 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 31 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

eduStyle
Inspiration for Campus Web Designers
Happy Webbies
Desktop wallpaper of your favorite all-star web designers. Right now you can download desktops from the "Godfather Series", including Zeldman, Holzschlag, Meyer, and Nielsen.
Designer//Slash//Model
Parody website and video of what it means to be a graphic designer in today's design centered culture. Hysterical, sad, and somewhat true.
How to Work the Room
With the beginning of the fall conference season beginning, now would be a good time to brush up on your networking skills and learn some different tips and methods to get the most out of a room.

Links for 2007-08-23 [del.icio.us]

Fri, 24 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Mesh : Creative Networking Portal
Mesh is an intelligent information portal built on a network of creative business professionals. We also offer our members the chance to meet at our exclusive Mesh Events.
DesignNotes
DesignNotes is a blog published by Michael Surtees who tries to see life filtered through design as opposed to placing design on a pedestal, once in a while food and music slip on in to the discussion.
Job Pile
The Job Pile aggregates the best job boards on the web for graphic designers, web designers, and web developers.
How To Initiate Conversation
Great post with some helpful tips on how to make the first move and start making conversation. We know it can be a very daunting thing to do, but trust us, you gotta take the plunge and just do it!
Design Float
Design Float is a Digg style, community driven news aggregator dedicated to the design industry. This is a really great resource for the design community!

Links for 2007-08-14 [del.icio.us]

Wed, 15 Aug 2007 00:00:00 -0500

NewWebPick: Art + Design = Lovely
We've stumbled onto the ezine New Web Pick and boy are we glad we did! This online magazine is packed with some very inspirational work and beautiful layouts that are sure to make you drool.
How to Become a Creative Genius
Lifehack provides 6 tips to help you excercise your creative muscles and keep those juices flowing - creative juices that is.
9 tips on getting paid for your work
Dan Antonelli, of DT&G, provides 9 quality tips to help you make sure you are being compensated accordingly and in a timely manner. A great article to print and keep on your desk!
Use text instead of graphics on your website
Terrific overview of why web designers shouldn't overlook the power of properly placed text. One surprising snippet for us was that "78% of viewers are first drawn to text when a page loads"

Welcome to Issue 4!

schutzsmith — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:01:20 -0700

In this issue we have a very exciting treat for Graphic Define Magazine readers. Designer, writer, and educator Debbie Millman has been kind enough to provide us with a chapter from her upcoming book 20 Interviews with the world's greatest graphic designers, set to be published in November 2007. In this excerpt, Debbie interviews the great James Victore, a self-taught graphic designer based out of New York City and whom often needs no introduction.

This month we also have several great articles on client relations and marketing/self promotion - be sure to read them through and use some of the little gems of advice that they give.

Lastly, we have teamed up with the Flash Forward Conference & Film Festival as a media sponsor and are ecstatic to show them our full support for Issue 4. For those of you who don't know, Flash Forward is the largest Adobe Flash user conference in the world. This year's conference will be held in Boston, MA from September 19-21. The conference has a great lineup of speakers (including yours truly), exhibitors, and some great opportunities to meet like minded designers, programmers, and entreprenuers. If you attend, feel free to say hello to me at the conference and show your support for GDM.

Graphic Define Online Magazine is all about encouraging professionals in the graphic, web, and interactive industries to share their tips and experiences that have helped them in their business endeavours. if you would like to contribute to the next issue of Graphic Define send an email to contribute@graphicdefine.org and let us know more about yourself and what you would like to share.

Enjoy!

Daniel Schutzsmith
Editor & Publisher

What are you selling, really?

parrish — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:19:48 -0700

Before you can hit the pavement and "sell, sell, sell", you need to understand what it is you really are selling. Business people often get caught up in the service or product they are pushing, when in fact, as David points out, we really need to understand the emotion or situation that is the underlying product.

Four Easy Lessons and a Simple Truth

bryan — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:16:41 -0700

As we've discussed before on Graphic Define, dealing with clients can be a difficult and daunting task. Consultant Pam Bryan gives some insight into the behavior of a client and what their true intentions might be in various situations.

How to Green Your Office and Stay in the Black

blais — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:12:23 -0700

As a follow up to her previous article on Going Green, Jennifer has offered some of the key ways you can take your office green right now.

Focused?

karjaluoto — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 23:01:09 -0700

As creatives, we tend to become scattered and follow wasted tangents that lead to nothing. Eric Karjaluoto points out some of the misconceptions that he's seen happen first hand to design studios as they grow their business. His words ring true with his own anecdotes and confessions that make this article both inspirational and insightful.

Catalytic Creativity: Brand Promises Can Change Lives

haridan — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:54:05 -0700

"Practice what you preach". We've all heard the saying but how often do we take it to heart. As a designer, your brand should be one of the foremost business elements always on your mind when interacting with any client. Florence shows us what brand promises can do for your business and your peace of mind.

Tool Cards

green — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:46:31 -0700

Are you handing out a plain business card to your prospects or are you handing out a tool card that your prospects can actually use, will always want handy, and will be eager to share with others? Chuck Green shares some ideas of how tool cards can help your new business efforts and the essential ingredients you should consider for putting one together.

Your Creative Collective

gordon — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:45:49 -0700

Steve Gordon explains your Creative Collective as "a real-time, living reference guide to just about everything". We think you should heed his advice and hear what he has to say because once you start helping your network succeed, it will come back to you ten fold.

What to Do When a Prospective Client Doesn't Respond to Your Proposal

benun — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:42:15 -0700

We've all been there. You meet with the client and they love you. You create a great proposal and put your heart in it. Then you play the waiting game to hear back from them. One week. Two weeks. Three weeks go by and no peep out of the prospective client. Ilise gives us some of the things she uses to help guide her through this process and also offers some advice on when you should cut your losses and move on.

Are Consultants in Your Future?

cohen — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:41:46 -0700

Running your business should be a fun and exciting experience, but when should you look for professional help to guide you through the rough spots and how can you qualify these professionals. Design Management Consultant Emily Cohen sheds some light on these answers and also offers up some of the essential things you need to know before hiring a business consultant.

How To Think Like A Great Graphic Designer

millman — Wed, 08 Aug 2007 22:26:30 -0700

We all wonder how a great designer thinks. Now is your chance to get into the mind of one of the greats. Debbie Millman graciously shares an excerpt from her book How To Think Like A Great Graphic Designer.

Links for 2007-07-25 [del.icio.us]

Thu, 26 Jul 2007 00:00:00 -0500

Achewood - Kill Comic Sans
A comic strip takes on the creator of comic sans. This is the kind of thing you get framed and hung in your office! Thanks to Ashley Nicholson from the AIGA Facebook group for the tip!
Top 50 Inspirational Websites for Designers
aiAlex puts together his list of the top 50 inspirational websites for your viewing pleasure. Truly bookmark worthy for any aspiring designer!
Free Vectors by Vecteezy!
Vecteezy is an index of Free Vectors available for download by some of the best designers around the world. The site is updated every day, so be sure to check back often.