TIME covers, 24th October 2011

TIME covers, 05th December 2011

TIME covers, 02nd April 2007

TIME covers, 03rd November 2008

TIME covers, 08th August 2011

TIME covers, 20th September 2010

Selective variations might appear politically-driven, but what I think it comes down to is the publisher using market research in an attempt to increase sales. TIME is supposedly the world’s largest weekly news magazine. Why wouldn’t the company change cover depending on what it thinks will sell?

When you take the above examples in isolation it mightn’t look great, but you don’t need to venture far into the TIME archives to see differences that aren’t quite as noteworthy.

TIME covers, 31st October 2011

TIME covers, 17th December 2007

TIME covers, 14th January 2008

TIME covers, 14th November 2011

TIME covers, 11th February 2008

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

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Everyone is a graphic designer these days. Everyone has chosen the colour of their wallpaper, curtains, or the colour of their car. So everyone thinks they are qualified to make graphic judgements. After 10 years in advertising I found a similar thing with music — everyone smiled and nodded over the moving image, very few questions over the edit, the grading or the lighting, but everyone, almost everyone had something to say about the soundtrack.

“Have you tried Elvis?” “What about Nirvana?”

It said more about their musical taste than what was right for the ad. But they felt they could confidently contribute.

The same occurs with applications for jobs at SomeOne. We get hundreds of applicants for the few jobs that come up here. But some of them, man alive… I really wish they’d read what I’m about to write.

Your portfolio: I run a company. It’s tough. Complex. Very time consuming. I am time-poor. So your portfolio has one purpose: Dazzle me. From the first page. Show me what you got. Now is your chance to make me double-take. Make me actually stop the other thing I’m doing. I get about 20 seconds to jump through your PDF. Often on an iPhone. On the way to a meeting. So make it count. Beautifully crafted, brilliant ideas. And don’t worry, it need’t have actually been accepted by the client (although that always gets extra kudos). Show me your cut. The one that floats your boat.

And being SomeOne, we do want to see your logo work. But make sure it is applied to something, inventively, progressively, interestingly. Make a BrandWorld — not just an Illustrator vector whacked on a LiveImage Photoshop file. Show me how the work goes deep. How you use it to create a rich brand world… not another logo rubber-stamped everywhere. If I cover the logo, what else is there to tell me who’s talking? Make it all shine. Dazzle me.

Copy: Show me you can write, not just make other peoples writing look good, and you’ll get my attention. A witty, smart, appropriate CV will always add value. Never underestimate the CV. It’s old-school, but it tells me a lot. it tells me you can string a sentence together… which probably means you could speak to a client, which probably means you are confident, which probably means you are good. Probably.

Strategy: What was the big idea behind a project? We start all our credentials with a quick run through of: What the challenge was. How we approached it. What the results were. Why it worked. Where it worked. It’s a really simple construct, but if you can answer each of the sections, you get a quick and effective way of describing the creative work behind the creative work. Show me you think. And how you think. And where that thinking works.

You: If you get hired you will love what you do. You won’t quite believe you get paid to do it. You will always be amazed that you’ve managed to make a career out of doing stuff you love. In fact, You’re always going to be waiting to get found out. Everyday you get to go to a cool studio, in the coolest city in the world, to work with the coolest clients on the planet, to just do cool stuff for them, with the coolest people… then go out for drinks with them all. That isn’t a job. That is amazing.

So get excited. If you don’t want it more than the next person, the next person will probably get it. Don’t be annoying, be clever. Think — what’s going on right now? What is topical. What are they up to? How can I be useful? Then do it.

10,000 hours: You are probably young. Fresh from college even. And that’s cool. That’s how most of our designers start. But 10,000 hours is widely accepted to be how long it takes to be an expert. In anything. From playing the guitar to the way you operate on peoples brains. It’s the same with design. You need to do your time. There is no quick fix. You can’t be an overnight expert. So do your time.

The Beatles went to Hamburg to rack up their hours faster than waiting the usual 10 years (the average time it takes to get to 10,000 hours under your belt). They started playing at 8pm and got home at 8am. Every day. For Months. You are no different. To get noticed, to get hired, to keep the job, to get promoted, paid more, you need to be the first in, and the last out. Everyday. All the time.

Getting the job is tough. Keeping it is harder.

Visit the SomeOne website. Follow Simon Manchipp on Twitter.

Other parts in the series:

What employers look for #1, by Eric Karjaluoto of smashLAB
What employers look for #2, by Jim Walls of 160over90
What employers look for #3, by Rochelle Fainstein of Sterling Brands

Photography of the SomeOne workspace by Alex Edouard.

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Whenever we post a design job listing at Sterling, we always point out how important it is to us for you to possess four core values: Be brave, be productive, be collaborative, and be creative. These values are what truly connect us and keep us on a common mission to make the consumer world a more beautiful place. In addition to our values, there are a few things that will give you an edge in our hiring process in our design group:

10 things we love about you:

1. Experience in packaging is a must. Packaging is what we do. Packaging is a language; you’re either fluent or you’re not.
2. Must know the supermarket aisle like the back of your hand. Knowledge of Walmart is a PLUS.
3. Must love watching men shave… And getting involved in all sorts of consumer behavior, market research and intelligence gathering.
4. We like quirky.
5. Must not mind a good work/life balance. If you insist on working the week between Christmas and New Years, this may not be the place for you. That in mind, we do work hard the rest of the year.
6. Superior verbal and communications skills in design are critical. You must be able to present your fantastic, creative, incredible ideas.
7. Must love blogs. We recommend you do your daily reading, which should include The Dieline, DavidAirey.com, Brand New, and Design Observer; or turn us on to something new. Inspire yourself. Inspire us.
8. Pets are a plus. Our President of Design is a huge sucker for dogs. AND we get to design a lot of their food!
9. Be a self-starter. We love folks who take the initiative, so don’t wait around for us to call you. If you want to work for Sterling, go all-in!
10. Have a can-do attitude. Sounds like a propaganda poster, but we’re serious. A glass-half-full mentality has helped all of us through a hellacious week. Complainers need not apply.

—

Visit the Sterling Brands website. Follow @SterlingBrands on Twitter, as well as the team’s President of Design @debbiemillman. Debbie has worked on the redesign of global brands for Pepsi, Gillette, Colgate, Nestlé, and many more.

Other parts in the series:

What employers look for #1, by Eric Karjaluoto of smashLAB
What employers look for #2, by Jim Walls of 160over90
What employers look for #4, by Simon Manchipp of SomeOne

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Inside 160over90′s Philly studio

160over90 has been damn lucky. Steady growth over 10+ years means we’ve had at least one open design position in Philadelphia at any one time for at least the past five years. Now that we’ve opened a brand new office in Los Angeles, I’ve got positions to fill there, too. Now the bad news for aspiring designers: We receive about 100 inquiries a month, double or triple that when we actually remember to post the position on some of the job boards.

I don’t say this to brag. Any shop worth its salt is getting those same portfolios. It simply underscores how competitive the industry is. To stand-out, your portfolio needs to be nothing short of stunning. I mean literally stunning, in 15 seconds or less.

To get through all those books, I spend nights and weekends reviewing each and every submission we get. Same goes for my six creative directors. I can’t even imagine what someone like Michael Bierut has to deal with. Actually, I bet he doesn’t even review portfolios. Each spring, the best designer in the world is probably just spirited away like the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama to apprentice with him. I bet it’s pretty cool.

Inside 160over90′s Philly studio

Inside 160over90′s Philly studio

We’ve tried to make it as easy as possible for a designer to get our attention. We direct inquiries to 160over90.com/jobs. Designers fill-out a simple form with their basic info, and are asked to submit a PDF of their best samples. Why do we ask for a PDF? Speed. All submissions are converted into e-mails housed on a shared account, where we can immediately review work day and night, in the office, at home, or on the road. A PDF can be viewed directly in the body of an e-mail, or opened in Preview with a hit of a space bar. Gone are the days of having to click on a URL for a half-finished Flash portfolio with questionable navigation or needing to search through a resume for a useable link. Well, gone in theory. About a third of our submitters still fail to attach a PDF — despite a notice that “submissions without a portfolio will be discarded before they are opened.” Truth is, though, we don’t toss them. Most submitters at least still include a link somewhere. It slows things down, and it raises a red flag about a candidate’s ability to follow (or ignore) directions. But I promise you we still look at every submission.

Well, almost. Anybody who goes by a single moniker, like “Chaz,” or gives themselves a nickname like “The Conceptual Ideator” gets booted almost immediately. We just don’t have the patience.

Inside 160over90′s Philly studio

Inside 160over90′s Philly studio

Once we get those out of the way, before we read any resumes or intro letters, we go to the work. What are we looking for?

1. Chops

Do they have a solid understanding of type, color, form, balance? How well do they work with photography or illustration? Grids? Do their layouts communicate immediately? Do they know when to exercise restraint? Does the work accentuate the copy, or work against it? Can they even work with copy? Talking about the basics here. Ninety percent can be eliminated outright based on this criteria almost immediately. That’s the 15 seconds mentioned above.

2. Versatility

You’ll often hear our CDs talk about portfolios being “good, but very samey.” If we look at the work and can’t differentiate a layout between a car ad and a brochure for a retirement home, it’s an indication that the designer is only comfortable working within a particular style. Likewise if a book is mostly letterpress wedding invites or gig posters. The work can be beautiful, but if it’s all of a piece, it’s concerning.

We like to see work for a wide variety of projects, client types, and industries—in different mediums. Short copy, long copy. Logos. Magazine layouts. Motion graphics. Posters. Digital projects. The more the merrier. Our designers never face the same problem twice. You shouldn’t come off as a designer who can solve the same problem 10 different (but mostly samey) ways. I also like to see grand solutions for challenging categories. A beautiful logo for a financial services firm is twice as impressive as a similarly crafted mark for a coffee shop.

Inside 160over90′s Philly studio

Inside 160over90′s Philly studio

3. Conceptual ability

A designer who knows how to develop work around an initial concept and think in terms of broader systems, solutions, and campaigns will go very, very far in life. The one who asks questions before any work is done. The one with insight into the mindset of the target audience. You’re the one every creative director in the world is competing for. An agency of 20 of you can topple Governments.

I’m not talking about design flourish disguised as an idea. That’s just wallpaper. If you don’t know the difference, well, that’s another post, and it’s also how portfolio schools stay in business.

4. Originality

Portfolios, like fashion, tend to run in seasons. In the late 90s, everyone had at least one condom ad in their book. Ten years later, you couldn’t even call yourself a designer if you weren’t selling your Wilco posters on your personal site. If you worked for a certain youth-oriented clothing and lifestyle retailer two years ago, it was all about duotone newsprints. First with lots of vector art triangles, then about a year ago those triangles morphed into diamonds.

We hired a designer recently based mostly on the originality of the work. It just didn’t look like anything we had seen before. Everything just felt so unique and fresh. Nothing made us say “oh yeah, right, the tea packaging again.”

That reminds me of another point: If you’re going to include an identity for a cupcake shop in your portfolio, it had better be the ne plus ultra of cupcake shop identities. I’ve seen so many, I’ve developed a cynical twitch every time I get close to an actual cupcake. That ain’t right.

Inside 160over90′s LA studio

Inside 160over90′s LA studio

5. Editing

What’s that one piece you tried to bury in your book about two-thirds of the way through? The postcard for the real estate development? It sucks. Get rid of it. It makes that fantastic pro bono campaign at the opening of your work look like a one-off. Then again, it was probably your co-designer’s work anyway. What was her name again? Is she looking for work?

Best. Work. Only. Doesn’t matter if it’s your only piece that actually got printed. Here’s a good way to edit: Consider each piece individually. If you had to get hired based on the quality of that piece alone, could you do it? If the answer is no, drop it and move on.

Also, 15 pieces is enough.

Inside 160over90′s LA studio

160over90′s LA studio

General portfolio tips:
Have a PDF portfolio always at the ready. And remember you’re designing for a screen, not a printout. Vertical layouts with 4-point type don’t translate well to a 15-inch MacBook format.

Physical books? Endangered species. We maybe get four or five a year, unsolicited. Does it help you stand out? Maybe. But more often than not I’m wondering what the hell to do with the thing once I’m done looking though it. It’s gotten to the point that we don’t even really look at portfolios in the actual interviews anymore. Everything’s digital.

Interviews

Each week, I get together with the CDs and we review books we’ve liked together. We have to unanimously decide to bring someone in for interviews. If one of us isn’t into the work, they get dinged. I’d guess we call about three percent back of our total submission base.

Next step is a series of phone/Skype interviews, followed by what is typically two days of in-person interviews. This is a slow, inefficient system, but we find it’s what yields us the best candidates. What are we looking for at this stage?

• Process — Bar none, this is the most important factor besides the portfolio. How do you approach your work? What kinds of questions do you ask at the beginning phases of a project? Where do you go for inspiration? How do you know when an idea is good? Are you designing from the head or the heart? What are the steps you follow in a print project? How about digital? We’re an extremely methodical, process-driven shop. It’s not right for everyone, but the right people flourish in this system. I’ve got a Google doc full of comments about past interviewees. Most common reason for rejection: “Great work. Zero process.”
• Communication skills — How well can they present themselves? Is their work (and resume) typo-free? Two designers being equal, I’ll always choose the one that understands proper punctuation.
• Personality — How well will they fit in to our culture? What are their interests outside of design? Says a lot.
• Past history — Five different shops in three years of experience is usually a dealbreaker.

160over90′s LA studio

160over90′s LA studio

Final step? All candidates typically interview with our entire staff of designers and writers in two one-hour sessions, and you’ll likely have a meal and drinks with a few of them as well. They’ll be spending more time with you than with anyone else, so chemistry is vitally important.

This may all come off as tremendously off-putting to designers who might be considering us, but believe me: This is a two-way interview, and we know top candidates have a wide variety of choices when it comes to where they choose to hang their hats. We’re honored and humbled when people take the time to consider us. All except for Chaz.

—

Jim Walls is executive creative director at Philadelphia and Los Angeles-based branding agency 160over90. Follow the team on Twitter here: @160over90.

Other parts in the series:

What employers look for #1, by Eric Karjaluoto of smashLAB
What employers look for #3, by Rochelle Fainstein of Sterling Brands
What employers look for #4, by Simon Manchipp of SomeOne

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Inside smashLAB

Oodles… That’s the best term I can use to describe the number of aspiring designers out there. We haven’t seen less than a hundred applicants for any designer position posted at smashLAB. (Ever.) From a strict supply-and-demand standpoint, this allows employers like me to take my pick of the bunch. Here’s what I look for:

The book: Although it’s rarely a physical book any longer, the first thing I look for in a designer is a visual sensibility. While I’d like to tell you that I pour a cup of tea and gingerly peruse someone’s design samples, the opposite is the case. Typically, it takes me less than 15 seconds to determine whether a portfolio warrants further inspection. While I don’t have a bias to any particular style of work, I do look for a certain amount of professionalism and depth.

Inside smashLAB

Editing: I lied about my first point. The very first thing I look at is the resume. What may be different from what you’d expect, though, is that I consider it from a design standpoint. Yes, the credentials and work experience are important, but I’m more interested in what a designer has chosen to say about him/herself, and how appropriately they can craft this (deceptively complex) marketing tool.

Big picture and close-ups: Good designers tend to be able to step back from a situation and consider the bigger problem before getting carried away with execution. As a result, they are able to articulate their thinking behind a project in a coherent fashion; meanwhile, they know when to finesse details, run spell-checks, and sweat all the other (seemingly) small stuff. Both are equally important points to pay attention to, and it’s awfully easy to spot which designers are attuned to them and which are not.

Inside smashLAB

The person: I need to be able to work efficiently with the people I hire. While we needn’t be the best of friends, it does mean we have to be able to maintain an open and healthy dialogue. The designers who are most apt to communicate/interact in such a way tend to be thoughtful, considerate, and not overly wrapped up in ego. They are largely interested in learning and honing their craft. When we started smashLAB, I struggled with this point, sometimes hiring the wrong people, and we suffered for it. Now, I more quickly flush-out applicants who seem to be a poor fit. Doing so has resulted in an exemplary team at smashLAB, which I’m very proud to work with.

Inside smashLAB

Commitment: Design isn’t like other jobs. In order to be any good at it, you really have to put in your time. For experienced designers, the result of doing so is typically reflected in their portfolios. Young designers, however, generally haven’t had sufficient time to cultivate a solid body of work; therefore, they tend to be a bit of a gamble and are hired on a bit of a hunch. Once in the door, the real interview begins. Now, they need to prove to me that they’re worth the investment I’m making in them (many of my colleagues note feeling the same way). If you’re a new designer in your first professional role, I encourage you to be the first one in, the last to leave, and while you’re there, work your ass off. If you aren’t absolutely committed to your career, I’ll come to the conclusion that I shouldn’t be either.

—

Eric Karjaluoto works at smashLAB, blogs at ideasonideas, tweets @karj, and imparts more wisdom in his book, Speak Human: Outmarket the Big Guys by Getting Personal.

Other parts in the series:

What employers look for #2, by Jim Walls of 160over90
What employers look for #3, by Rochelle Fainstein of Sterling Brands
What employers look for #4, by Simon Manchipp of SomeOne

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The reality is there are thousands of designers available at every level of cost, from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands. It’s not simply a matter of deciding between a six-figure brand consultancy or a sub-par contest listing.

Where to look

The more effort a client puts into finding the right designer, the more likely they’ll be to receive the standard of design they deserve. I’m often approached by potential clients that need work I don’t specialise in, so I’ve collated a few resources I hope will help.

Creative Review. One of the design profession’s leading publications.
Behance. A portfolio network where designers show-off their skills.
LinkedIn. Allows designers to display their Behance portfolios on their LinkedIn profiles.
THE DRUM. News, information, jobs, a comprehensive directory, and more.
FormFiftyFive. Design inspiration from around the world.
AIGA. US-centric, but designers and clients don’t need to be in the same country.
Graphic Artists Guild. Similar to AIGA, I think, only smaller.
Twitter. You could search for a relevant term, or ask an influential “tweeter” to post a request.
Identity Designed. Brand identity case studies from designers across the globe.
Dribbble. A “show and tell for creatives.”
Forrst. Similar to Dribbble in some ways.
Coroflot. Portfolios showcasing a wide range of creative specialities.
Creativepool. Jobs, portfolios, and freelancers.
Design Week. A professional publication with news and features.
Cargo. A popular portfolio platform with a “featured sites” showcase.
Graphic BirdWatching. Promotion of female graphic designers everywhere.
Design blogs. Those are just a few of the ones I like visiting.

Additionally, it’s a good idea for clients to contact companies identified by designs that appeal. No harm in asking who created the work. Designers, too, can be a great source of referrals, even if they don’t specialise in the work that’s sought after. The designers I know are happy to recommend their competitors. We’re nice like that.

Further resources
A Client’s Guide to Design, from AIGA (PDF download).
Design Business and Ethics, from AIGA.

Thanks to everyone who offered “where to look” suggestions on Google+ and Twitter. If you’ve any other useful sources, or thoughts on those listed, feel free to comment.

Photo via Thinkstock

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Ian Devlin tweeted back with, “Depends on who’s doing the commenting! I guess there are more cons than pros though as portfolio pieces are subjective.”

To which I replied, “That’s what I’m thinking, Ian. I like the chat, but when the cons can affect the thoughts of potential clients…”

Ian responded, “Yep, then it’s not worth it. Some people will comment negatively just because they can. It’s not what you want.”

Ben Seven weighed in with, “I don’t like it on Behance — it’s too much ‘Oooo this is nice’, and to me, a portfolio is for prospective clients. You could blog ‘new work’?”

Matteo Pescarin said, “I tend to agree, although an external link with the ability for people to discuss the work could be nice.”

Publishing a short ‘New Work’ post (like this) seems to be a good way to go — with a brief description of the project and a link to the more comprehensive portfolio entry. There are three benefits:

1. Subscribers are notified of portfolio updates
2. Comments are kept off the main portfolio entries
3. There’s still a comment thread if anyone wants it

Although I’m not keen on the extra click it means for you.

I have a question. I want to show a selection of thumbnails from my portfolio at the foot of each project page. Do you know of a WordPress plugin for the job? The thumbnails would need to link to the case studies that are highlighted.

Vintage microphone photo courtesy of Gary Quinton

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I can also understand the initial client attraction. The cost of a service plays an important role in the purchase decision, and with spec work, the client spends as little as she wants. Often nothing.

But work produced ‘on spec’ isn’t just a cheaper form of design, on the whole it’s also vastly inferior, because once the volunteers producing the artwork figure-out how to win, the design process has long since disappeared. What designer puts 100% into a project when there’s a minuscule chance of getting paid? And those who do give 100% are even likelier to end-up with nothing but a sense of dejection.

Ultimately, contest holders are left to compensate for the emaciated design process by attempting to fill-in the gaps, “Change this. Add that. Combine these. Try it in blue.” They’re paying to be designer-for-a-day, when the reality is they either don’t need a designer (imagine hiring a plumber then telling him what to do), or they haven’t realised the time-sapping downsides.

Multi-million dollar investments in contest-listing websites will inevitably prompt a more aggressive marketing push, but as long as self-respecting designers continue to differentiate themselves this won’t affect client acquisition.

One more reason to set yourself apart, to tell your story.

—

Related:
Logo warehouses, crowdsourcing, and a lack of understanding, on idApostle
Responding to spec work requests, on davidairey.com

Iceberg photo composite by Ralph Clevenger

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• Start with hello, but don’t worry about adding the recipient’s name
• If pushed for time, don’t worry about the hello either
• Mention that you’ve been reading the recipient’s website, and that you think it’s great
• Don’t mention the site by name, thus allowing the same email to be used extensively
• Talk about how interested the recipient’s readers will be in your product/service
• Offer a token gesture, such as a limited-period product trial, in return for a review
• Reiterate how brilliant your product is
• Send

Delete.

Here’s the format of the 1% I actually pay attention to.

Pre-email:

• Read recipient’s website, possibly join-in the chat on a relevant comment thread

Email:

• Address the recipient personally
• Provide a link to your product and briefly state how the benefits relate to the recipient
• Invite the recipient to reply if s/he is interested/has time
• Thank the recipient for reading
• Send

Post-email:

• Avoid the temptation to follow-up after 24 hours if no reply is received

Those few changes hugely increase the chance of me replying.

Sure, it’s a little more work, but it’s better than completely wasting your time.

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What advice would you give a design graduate? Chris Arnold, founder of Creative Orchestra and former creative director at Saatchi & Saatchi, offers his pearls of wisdom.

——

It’s tough. Very tough. And there is a truth in the fact that only the toughest survive. The lazy ones fail. You need to be proactive, no-one is going to call you. You have to make your own opportunities, make your own destiny. Your success is in your hands. As is your failure. But here are a few tips. Most are based on the very basics of marketing. Many are common sense. Sometimes you just have to think like a creative director (CD) and then you’d wake up to what motivates them.

1. Never send out blanket ‘Dear Sir’ emails. Total waste of time. Personalise all communications and do your homework. Know about them and their company and work. Quality is better then quantity.
2. Do something that will get a CD (or senior) to really want to see you. They are time short so can’t see many grads. Like any good design or advertising, it’s all about impact. They are looking for the ones that stand out.
3. You are not God, yet. Never tell them how great you are, “hot talent,” you aren’t. Not yet. You are fresh but green and making claims you are great makes you look arrogant and deluded. They already have great people working there, so why will they hire you? Mainly because you are cheap, work hard, and have potential.
4. Be different. So many books are all the same. Colleges turn-out sausage factory students with the same work. Blame the bean counters in Whitehall. Bin it. Start afresh and make the work yours. It should reflect your values, approach and style, not your tutors. Be employed for who you are, not who the college wanted you to be.
5. Work hard. Really hard. You’ve been in cotton wool land for three years doing no real work with no real pressure by our standards. This is the real world. You need to work harder, faster, and all-hours. And never use Facebook at work. Friends, socialising, all comes second.
6. Forget money. If you land a job, great. Most will spend months, maybe years doing unpaid or poorly-paid placements. It’s not the money but the work that really matters. Get a job in a bar or pizza joint. You’ll need it.
7. It’s not just about the work but about people. You need to engage future employees, be nice, listen, be humble, take advice. Never argue or be arrogant (as an employee the boss’s word is king). You need them more than they need you — the pool of talent for employees is very big. Make them like you. We want nice people with potential talent. Once you’ve seen someone, try and keep the connection going, come back, build a relationship.
8. Think of yourself as a brand. You need to be remembered. What will they remember you for? What defines you? If you have it in you, do something that defines you. Invent something, develop a unique skill, get noticed for something — it creates a talking point.
9. Action. Try and get a second interview. Ask to come back when you’ve renewed your folio. Ask about work experience. Ask for honest feedback or how you could make the grade to get a job there.
10. Remember, it’s a very subjective world and some will love your folio, some will hate it. The better it is, the more polar the response. If everyone just likes it then it’s average.

Chris Arnold
Founder & CD, Creative Orchestra
(Former CD Saatchi & Saatchi, Draft, STH, Feel, Alliance…)

——

These tips were originally left on the Creative Review blog, republished here with permission.

Chris is author of Ethical Marketing and the New Consumer: Marketing in the New Ethical Economy. Available to buy here:

• Amazon.co.uk
• Amazon.com

More help for design graduates from Lee Newham with these CV tips and design interview tips.

Other past posts here that you might find of use: what graphic design schools are lacking, and self-employment advice for designers.

Image courtesy of Thinkstock

Published on David Airey, graphic designer

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