Graphic Design Blog - An Ultimate Resource for Graphic Designers http://www.graphicdesignblog.org Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:19:29 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 en hourly 1 20 Graphic Designers most followed on Twitter http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/graphicdesignblog/~3/gTJZAjLbraM/ http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/graphic-designers-with-mass-following/#comments Fri, 12 Mar 2010 13:11:07 +0000 Charlie B. Johnson http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/?p=4516
20 Graphic Designers most followed on Twitter
 

Twitter is the hottest social media network on the blogosphere. It enables people to connect with others all over the world with ease. Twitter serves as a wonderful platform for people of the same field to meet and connect. Likewise, the Graphic Design community is also benefited through the social networking of twitter. Graphic designers from all over the globe can find their counterparts on twitter and share their graphic design expertise.

But the question is… which graphic designers are worth following? Which graphic designers are the most influential? Who has the most followers? To relieve you of all the troubles of finding graphic designers with a powerful profile on twitter, I have amassed together 20 of the most followed graphic designers on twitter who have a terrific fan following and are renowned for their graphic design.

   

1 ) Walter Apai @DesignerDepot
Webdesigner Depot is one of the most popular blogs about web design trends, tutorials and much more. It’s run by Walter Apai, a web designer from Vancouver.
Followers: 130,466 Location: Vancouver, Canada
Following: 121,894 Web: http://www.webdesignerdepot.com
Updates: 4,171  
 
   

2 ) Heilan Yvette Grimes @ yvettegr

Heilan Yvette Grimes is a Graphic-Web Designer, Writer, Photographer and Editor.
Followers: 84,168 Location: New Hampshire
Following: 88,642 Web: http://gnomesatwork.com
Updates: 31,326  
 
   

3 ) Sinisa Desic @sdesic
Sinisa Desic is a multi-talented Account Manager /Graphics designer/Amateur photographer.
Followers: 71,174 Location: Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina 
Following: 72,191 Web: http://tinyurl.com/tuzla
Updates: 9,960  
 
   

4 ) Chetan R @cheth

Chief Web / Graphic Designer; Head Designer and Founder of CS. Current Status: Creative depot / Entertainment Desk of a Leading Weekly Magazine.
Followers: 56,807 Location: Manipal, India
Following: 49,321 Web: http://www.chethstudios.net
Updates: 41,597  
 
   

5 ) Ronald Bien @naldzgraphics

A Graphic Designer. A Twitter Addict. A Blogger. NaldzGraphics.net is a design blog where you can find lots of design resources & tutorials.
Followers: 51,155 Location: Philippines
Following: 32,647 Web: http://naldzgraphics.net
Updates: 5,865  
 
   

6 ) Fabio Sasso @abduzeedo 
Graphic/web designer and blogger.
Followers: 45,797 Location: Porto Alegre, Brazil
Following: 370 Web: www.abduzeedo.com
Updates: 5,916  
 
   

7 ) Richard Darell @Minervity

Web/Graphic Designer/Developer. Founder of Minervity.com, BitRebels.com, RazorMade Mediaworks and The MonoTwins.
Followers: 40,306 Location: Stockholm, Sweden
Following: 39,621 Web: http://www.minervity.com
Updates: 102,008  
 
   

8 ) Melik Yuksel @gotmelik
Melik Yuksel is a 15-year-old Web and Graphic Designer, Software Tinkerer, and Entrepreneur.
Followers: 38,111 Location: Houston, TX
Following: 37,252 Web: http://gotmelik.com
Updates: 6,208  
 
   

9 ) Will The Printer @BluegrassPrint
MONDO Print, business owner, graphic designer, printer, creative thinker, easy goer, twitterer
Followers: 37,341 Location: Lexington, KY USA
Following: 37,873 Web: http://www.MondoPrint.com
Updates: 1,296  
 
   

10 ) Jason Duke @Newfederalists

Webmaster, Graphic Designer, Conservative activist taking America Back!! Find me on linked in as well http://tinyurl.com/akqumg
Followers: 34,607 Location: Los Angeles
Following: 36,153 Web: http://www.usaresist.com/Special_Report.htm
Updates: 19,231  
 
   

11 ) Ney Ney @iNeyNey

He is 21. Accounting Manager/ Graphic Designer. Also Raps.
Followers: 31,941 Location: Detroit
Following: 64 Web: http://www.myspace.com/neyney313
Updates: 5,936  
 
   

12 ) Calvin Lee @mayhemstudios

Calvin Lee is a self-proclaimed media Ho, Graphic Designer and Twitter Addict. In his spare time, Stunt Doubles for the Hulk and a really Nice Guy!
Followers: 44,042 Location: Los Angeles
Following: 43,885 Web: http://mayhemstudios.com/blog
Updates: 83,285  
 
   

13 ) Mr. Giải Pháp Số @giaiphapso

Graphic Designer, Online marketing, eCommercial, Social Network, Blogger, IT, Web 2.0, Social Media,
Followers: 43,159 Location: Vietnam
Following: 43,845 Web: http://wefollow.com/giaiphapso
Updates: 6,112  
 
   

14 ) Nicholas Patten @nicholaspatten

Video Editor, Graphic/Web Designer, Architecture, Tutorials, Social Media, Red Camera rental, I’m a Mac. (@Spatik) (@IRGnews - IR/PR)
Followers: 40,304 Location: New York City, NY
Following: 41,704 Web: http://blog.nicholaspatten.com
Updates: 19,807  
 
   

15 ) Veerle Pieters @ vpieters
Veerle Pieters is a Belgian graphic/web designer. Color lover for life.
Followers: 29,984 Location: Belgium
Following: 239 Web: http://veerle.duoh.com/
Updates: 2,992  
 
   

16 ) Jacob Cass @justcreative

Graphic Designer, Logo Designer, Web Designer, Blogger, Creative Thinker, Social Media Nut, Freelancer, Link Sharer. I also work at http://carrotcreative.com
Followers: 25,825 Location: Brooklyn, New York
Following: 14,680 Web: http://justcreativedesign.com
Updates: 4,389  
 
   

17 ) Rayz Designz @RayzDesignz

Rayz Designz, your optimum source for freelance graphic design. (Graphic Design, Web Design, Photo Editing, Branding & more!)

Followers: 32,449 Location: Seattle, WA
Following: 35,682 Web: www.RayzDesignz.com
Updates: 1,131  
 
   

18 ) Jason Santa Maria @jasonsantamaria

Jason Santa Maria is a designer by day, designer by night.
Followers: 32,734 Location: Brooklyn, NY
Following: 192 Web: http://jasonsantamaria.com/
Updates: 3488  
 
   

19 ) Chris Spooner @chrisspooner

A creative Designer, avid Blogger and generally crazy about pretty colors and shapes.
Followers: 24,618 Location: Sheffield, UK
Following: 7,808 Web: http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk
Updates: 4,678  
 
   

20 ) David Airey @DavidAirey

David Airey is a Graphic designer who runs davidairey.com and logodesignlove.com
Followers: 10,457 Location: Edinburgh, Scotland
Following: 77 Web: http://www.davidairey.com
Updates: 1,850  
 
 
]]> http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/graphic-designers-with-mass-following/feed/ http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/graphic-designers-with-mass-following/ Magical Street Graffiti – 35 Breathtaking Illusions!! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/graphicdesignblog/~3/ck_oc6Itdds/ http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/street-graffiti-illusions/#comments Tue, 09 Mar 2010 13:21:23 +0000 Charlie B. Johnson http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/?p=4478  
Animation is about creating the illusion of life. And you can’t create it if you don’t have one.

Brad Bird
 

Graffiti, by nature, is a very controversial subject as it represents a type of art which is mostly unauthorized and one that is in contrast to traditional forms of artwork. The ever growing street culture and graffiti are mostly provocative, appealing, bold and audacious. A concept that was originally used by gangsters to stamp their authority on a specific urban area, graffiti is now also used by graphic designers and creative artists to showcase their artwork.

Over the years, graffiti designers have introduced various forms of street graffiti such as light graffiti, subway graffiti, chalk drawing graffiti, graffiti illusions and many more. Talented graffiti designers such as Bansky, Fred Brathwaite, Dan Witz and David Choe have been employing the miracles of urban graffiti culture to portray issues on politics, humor and culture.

However, the most alluring of all is the extent of illusion that a graffiti designer can create in the artwork. Therefore, today my post focuses on Street Graffiti Illusions, one of the most remarkable forms of street graffiti that is prevalent in the world. Take a look at 35 of the most astonishing works of street graffiti that demonstrate the illusion effect.
 

Graffiti Design # 1

 

Graffiti Design # 2

 

Graffiti Design # 3

 

Graffiti Design # 4

 

Graffiti Design # 5

 

Graffiti Design # 6

 

Graffiti Design # 7

 

Graffiti Design # 8

 

Graffiti Design # 9

 

Graffiti Design # 10

 

Graffiti Design # 11

 

Graffiti Design # 12

 

Graffiti Design # 13

 

Graffiti Design # 14

 

Graffiti Design # 15

 

Graffiti Design # 16

 

Graffiti Design # 17

 

Graffiti Design # 18

 

Graffiti Design # 19

 

Graffiti Design # 20

 

Graffiti Design # 21

 

Graffiti Design # 22

 

Graffiti Design # 23

 

Graffiti Design # 24

 

Graffiti Design # 25

 

Graffiti Design # 26

 

Graffiti Design # 27

  

Graffiti Design # 28
 
 

Graffiti Design # 29

  

Graffiti Design # 30

 
 

Graffiti Design # 31

 

Graffiti Design # 32

 
 

Graffiti Design # 33

 

Graffiti Design # 34

 
 

Graffiti Design # 35

 

I am sure this fabulous artwork is going to provide a wonderful inspiration for all graphic designers. Now coming to a very controversial question, do you think that street graffiti is legal? Can designers promote their talent via street graffiti?
   
]]> http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/street-graffiti-illusions/feed/ http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/street-graffiti-illusions/ Are graphic designers valued and paid?? The bitter truths!! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/graphicdesignblog/~3/pMleZHUqbGs/ http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/graphic-designers-salary-and-payments/#comments Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:48:32 +0000 Charlie B. Johnson http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/?p=4429
After spending some years in graphic design industry, couple of questions bewildered me the most… How much a graphic designer should be paid? On what criteria should he be paid? Although I confess that I joined the design field for the sheer pleasure and obsession, but then again, a person has to make ends meet as well. Right from my first ever project, I have continuously pondered on the subject of wages for graphic designers and as to how they should be paid. After having heard numerous common statements which clients say to graphic designers in my career, it is now that I am able to answer how graphic designers should be paid. This is because I solemnly believe that apt criteria and standards should exist for graphic designers’ remuneration.

1) Size doesn’t matter:

I completely agree that a graphic designer’s worth increases with the level of experience and expertise. But many clients come up and assert that since it is just a little project it should cost very less. This is where the misconception lies. For graphic designers, no project is big or small. They confer equal and utmost importance to each of their projects irrespective of their magnitude. Clients, while selecting a graphic designer want the best work done in the lowest price possible. It is an irrational argument that a relatively small size project should cost less, while detailed and large projects can be charged more. Consider the case in point of “General Services Administration” who spent $18 million to redesign their Recovery.gov Web site. While some of us would consider the amount on this project to be absurd, it just goes to show that graphic designers’ work should never be held in low esteem.

2) Simple but creative concept:

Sometimes a design concept may appear simple, but it takes enormous creativity on the part of designers to come up with concepts. A client views the design work as simple and easy and argues that it should cost less. Taking the Nike swoosh case, although the concepts seems simple but its creative aspect cannot be measured in monetary terms. The concept that turned out to be one of the leading brands in the world was a simple yet extremely creative one. This demonstrates the weight of creativity while determining designers’ earnings.

3) Design work with less graphic details:

Many clients come up to the graphic designers and claim that since their design work contains less graphical images, it should not cost more. What they tend to forget is that it is not only the colors and graphics that is appealing, it is the ingenuity in the work that holds the value. An excellent case in point is the FedEx logo design, which is regarded as one of the most creative logo designs in the world. While there is no such graphical details in its logo design, the marvelous concept of using negative spacing to create an arrow between the “E” and “x” is what is worth the money.

4) Time is money:

Moving towards the major concern, I believe that graphic designers (freelance or permanent) should be paid based on the amount of time involved in their projects. After all, time is money. Regardless of the complexity of the design project, it involves considerable time on every assignment. Clients who want to pay less on the pretext that the project is small are risking the quality of work. When a designer will be paid less, he will not want to waste a large amount of his time on the project.
Which one of the criteria do you think deserves the most priority in determining graphic designers’ worth? Do you have any other criteria in mind that should be considered in assessing the designer’s real value?
]]> http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/graphic-designers-salary-and-payments/feed/ http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/graphic-designers-salary-and-payments/ Selecting A Graphic Designer – Choose or Lose! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/graphicdesignblog/~3/30Nl_bua9Vw/ http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/selecting-graphics-designer/#comments Mon, 01 Mar 2010 06:03:26 +0000 Charlie B. Johnson http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/?p=4411
 

Selecting the right man for the right job at the right time is an extremely difficult task. Clients, who are looking for graphic designers to do their work, often do not know how to select the appropriate graphic designer. Since the selection of a graphic designer is a very daunting and tiring process, clients tend to get frustrated and select the graphic designer they can easily locate.
There are several ways that clients go about searching for a graphic designer. Some of these include:

  1. Checking design companies and freelance graphic designers.
  2. Contacting established companies and their hired graphic designers.
  3. Asking your business associates and relatives who have previously hired a graphic designer.
  4. Posting free classified ads on online design forums.
  5. Selecting a graphic designer through an online design contest
 

Criteria for selecting the graphic designer:

While there are numerous people who are offering their services as graphic designers, they differ in the level of experience, skill and professionalism. Searching for a suitable graphic designer can be quite a cumbersome process and cause an awful confusion for clients. Therefore, look out for the basic attributes of a graphic designer before selection. I have listed some of them below

  1. A Strong and Dynamic Design Portfolio:
    A strong portfolio is the foremost attribute that you should look for while choosing a graphic designer. An experienced and talented graphic designer can be judged by their design portfolio. Graphic designers who have a weak design portfolio or simply don’t have one are signifying their low level of experience. The more dynamic the portfolio will be, the more versatile the graphic designer will be.

  2. Good Interpersonal Skills:
    A very important quality of an experienced and adroit graphic designer is the ability to interact with their clients. Good interpersonal skills include listening intently to the clients and then suggesting ideas to spell out that they understand what is required from them. Graphic designers who cannot place their ideas clearly to their clients demonstrate their lack of experience.

  3. Strong Marketing Skills:
    While it is not necessary for a graphic designer to possess a degree in Marketing, but to be able to market the clients’ products and service efficiently is important. While choosing a graphic designer, always ask for the ways in which the graphic designer will promote your products and services through his design work.

  4. Say No to Nepotism:
    One of the most common practices prevalent in corporate hiring process is the nepotism. Many a times, designers are hired on the basis of favoritism, which is bad for the corporations. Selection of graphic designers should be made purely on merit basis. Hence, when you are hiring a graphic designer, you should set aside personal issues. It doesn’t matter to which ethnic, religious or political orientation the graphic designer belongs to as long as he/she is talented and qualified.

  5. Professional Approach:
    An expert and experienced graphic designer can be identified by the way they talk, the way they walk and the way they deal with their clients. An able graphic designer will work with professionalism. They will work with contracts to safeguard the clients’ and their own interests.

  6. Impressive testimonials and referrals:
    Another factor that is crucial in determining the ability of a graphic designer is the testimonials and reviews from previous clients. If majority of his previous clients are happy and content with his design work, you can rest assure that you will also get a similar treatment.

In the end, I would recommend that no matter how you choose a graphic designer make sure that both you and the graphic designer are on the same wavelength. Choose wisely or you will lose badly!

 
What have you got to say about this?
But before you leave folks…here is another point which will immensely count for me if I go out looking for a graphic designer. Do you think a presentable personality somehow hints the talent of a designer in any way?
 

Presentable Personality:

During your search for a graphic designer, do keep an eye on the personality of the designer, as well. While one should not judge a book by its cover, sometimes minor details can warn you of major problems. For instance a well presentable graphic designer will signify that he is organized and will be able to handle your design work with responsibility. On the other hand, graphic designers with dirty shoes, untidy fingernails etc can point towards their carelessness and negligence to minor details.  

]]> http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/selecting-graphics-designer/feed/ http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/selecting-graphics-designer/ 35 Amazing “Single Letter Logos” – Power of One! http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/graphicdesignblog/~3/bMnI6vlilrA/ http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/single-letter-logos/#comments Tue, 23 Feb 2010 13:16:59 +0000 Charlie B. Johnson http://www.graphicdesignblog.org/?p=4397   Which brand comes to your mind first when you see the letter “M”? I bet “McDonalds” is what strikes your mind. Undeniably, some of the biggest brands have built their entire reputation on a single letter. That is precisely the case with top brands like McDonalds, Honda, Unilever and QuickTime. Sometimes " simplicity is the ultimate sophistication" when it comes to logo designing. Here are some examples of famous brands dominating the world with their “single-letter” logos.  

Famous “Single Letter” logos

 
 
 
 
    It is not always necessary to incorporate the entire company name in your logo design. A single letter can also do the trick. If meticulously used, a single letter can give you a memorable logo design. In order to understand how one can maneuver a single letter to make an attractive logo design, here are some logo design inspirations that cleverly use a single letter to carve out a wonderful logo design.    

Inspiring “Single Letter” logos

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
     
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