Member News!

Congratulations to Sarah Rosenbaum!

Sarah has launched a new website for her graphic design business!

Check it out at:

http://www.studioconcrete.com

Awesome job on your website, Sarah! It is really innovative and eye catching!

A partial video of the "Marketing yourself" event with Toolbox Creative

September 9, 2011

Click image or copy & paste link to view:  http://frc2.org/videos/toolbox-video_2011_09_16_01.20.37.avi

(Thank you Rory, for your help uploading this!)

Toolbox Creative
A few additional notes from the evening...



Regarding: PORTFOLIOS

• When showing your portfolio, don't tell people how you did something, instead, tell them WHY. If they want to know how, they will ask.
• Create projects outside of the class assignments, do work that you are passionate about... it will show.
• When Toolbox Creative goes through a hiring process, they hardly ever look at whether or not someone has a degree. "It's all about the portfolio" and the personal qualities that show through in your work and your presentation of it.

Regarding: MARKETING YOURSELF

• Be as persistent as you can, without being annoying.
• Do your research, be inquisitive. Check out your potential employer or client's website and work. Get to know them.
• Create a great cover letter. Something that may spark their interest. Show that you know something about THEM.
• Avoid doing spec work. Instead, do work for a non-profit agency. *see below...
• Never burn any bridges.
• Approach a potential client or employer with a solution. Determine what it is they need from you, and "solve their problem."
• Show people how you think. Show them your personality.
• "The problem is rarely ever the problem, it's how the problem is handled."
• Look at unemployment as an opportunity!

RESOURCES

Visit the Toolbox Creative website here:  http://www.toolboxcreative.com/

* A good definition of spec work (and a handy PDF file to use in case you need to inform a client as to the definition of spec work): http://www.aiga.org/position-spec-work/

A website listing several non-profit organizations in our area (be sure to click through as there are several pages): http://fortcollins.citystar.com/mall/non-profit_organization01.html

Behance - a free online portfolio website for creatives (note; if you are an AIGA member, your Behance portfolio can be utilized as your portfolio on the AIGA site too): http://www.behance.net/


YOUR TURN

Did you attend the Toolbox Creative evening? If so, tell us what piece of advice has stuck with you the most?...

Anyone want to design a website?

Jerry Sullivan is in need of someone to design and build a website for his photography business. If anyone would like to help him out, please contact Jerry Sullivan at sully204@yahoo.com

He would not be able to pay you, but you would be able to add that to your portfolio for experience.

He would greatly appreciate any help!

Thanks

Some Useful Links

Here is a list of a bunch of blogs, sites, tutorials etc that I have found very helpful. Hopefully they will be as helpful for you, too!

Websites:

Computer Arts
This is the site of a UK magazine that you can buy at Barnes and Knoble for an arm and a leg, or just go online and get lots of tutorials and articles for free!
Design Melt Down 2010
Creative Pro
Not just for graphic design; tons of useful tips, articles
Logo Pond
A great site to check out when you need inspiration for a logo
Gomediazine
A beautifully laid out site, with tutorials, articles, freebies
Logo Design Love
A site about the design of logos and brand identities
You The Designer
Articles, tutorials, freebie downloads
Wordle
A really cool and inspiring text cloud generator

Blogs:
Core77
Designers Who Blog
For graphic designers, photographers, marketers etc...


Tutorials:
Spoon Graphics
Tons of trendy tutorials, great for inspiration.
Worth 1000
Photoshop tutorials on Worth 1000, a great site not just for tutorials!
PSD Tuts
As the name implies, tutorials for Photoshop
Html Dog 
Tutorials on CSS, HTML from beginner to advanced.

Well, I think this is a decent amount to get the creative juices going!