FW5: Screen-Cast's Update!

For a while now I've been recording free instructional screen-cast's on how to do various tasks, often outside of the program, for Softpress' Freeway web software. All of them seemed to be well received with download counts and views in the thousands and I want to thank everyone for taking the time to watch them. Although I will admit a few comments here and there were unnecessary and unfounded, I kept going and what I didn't know was that what started out to be a fun hobby could turn into a business. With that said I want to make one announcement and then present my readers with a question.

The big announcement is that any new screen-cast's will now be split into free versions and paid versions. The free versions, which there will be plenty, will cover simple topics and plenty of in-program tasks. The paid versions, with a brief preview available, will often be series types and will involve a bit more advanced knowledge and understanding in HTML and CSS. I've received quite a few e-mails from people who disagree about splitting things up, but I can't afford my time being given away.

I don't do these screen-cast's to feel like a "god" or for personal self-worth issues or for any kind of respect and recognition, I do these because I enjoy simply helping people and it also helps push my name a little bit further out there as I continue looking for full-time work.

I consider my time to be just as valuable as yours and, since in reality I'm helping you out, it's only fair. As far as pricing goes that will be announced soon, but don't expect anything more than a few dollars.

Now for the question part of this post, I'd like some feedback on this topic. A while back I was approached by someone who suggested the idea of doing hands-on training services to be offered over iChat through screen-sharing. The idea would be to charge a fee and then later remotely connect with them and show them how to do basic things in Freeway. Basically an interactive screen-cast / web-inar. The idea intrigued my entrepreneurial side of trying to create a successful business but I'm not sure how the Freeway user base would feel. Well, what do you think?

Thanks for reading!

Thinking Like A Graphic Designer

Since yesterday I've started reading an eBook called "How to Think Like a Great Graphic Designer" by Debbie Millman. I've been reading it because it not only relates to my field but it also speaks more to the individual than it does to the design. Recently, as many of you know, I've been trying to land a job in the field of graphic design / web design. So I thought that reading more about a general history of my field, from people who started where I am, would somehow empower me to keep going no matter how amusing the lackluster search has been already.

The first part of the book is about how an interviewee needs to be engaged by an interviewer. This made sense in a way because I feel, if a role reversal had taken place, I'd want to engage my interviewee more than I've been engaged myself. When I've been interviewed I often get asked very generic questions by an HR person and the interview process has always lacked a certain kind of creativity from the interviewer and it often ends in a result of boredom by me the interviewee. This shouldn't simply be. Interviews must be tackled with zeal and the interviewer must control the discussion with the interviewee allowing time for the expected to turn into the unexpected.

The book continues on to walk you through the steps in the minds of various designers in different eras. Debbie starts with Michael Bierut and his transition into the design giant Pentagram. Followed by others such as Chip Kidd and Stephen Doyle. But what does this book really teach you to think about to be a great graphic designer?

So far, the first thing that it has taught me is to realize that as designers we pride ourselves in the past and that "we never forget our first" and we need to move on and let that go. What I believe is that we often pride ourselves in our old design because we want to constantly feel that genesis of being apart of something, perhaps somewhere else. I believe that we pride ourselves to the point that eventually later in our lives it has consumed us and the tragedy of it all is that we will soon find it hard to disguise the fact that the very thing that gave us pleasure for so long is now not enough for us. The book refers to this as a basic psychological reaction, "it's like rats with pellets in the maze."

The second thing I've learned so far is that you can compensate for whatever flaws and shortcomings you have as a creative person by being smart and well-read and by working really, really hard. This makes sense because the more opportunities you have to work hard the more success you'll have in your life. I admit, I work hard at what I do. I take pride in my design and I often try to shadow my flaws in my presentation.

The last thing I've learned so far is that we all find our way somehow and it very well may bring us back to where we started. For instance this week I'm working on a redesign of spiral94.com. Back in March of 2004 I designed it and had someone else put it together, but I took pride in it because it was my first big project. Now 5 years later, with nothing changed or updated since then, looking back it wasn't a big project, it was just big to me. I've learned this week that things don't always go according to plan and I think we'll find ourselves when we least expect it. Growing up I didn't know drawing goofy pictures would turn out to be a career opportunity. In fact for a while I gave up drawing and tried something else. But you keep going and that's what matters.

I'll have another post on this book after I'm done reading it. Thanks.