Almost done adjusting to current workload, stress management is going quite well. Currently working on two new projects with one pending. Also working on a complete re-do of my site. For everyone who weren’t notified, this site is actually a temporary placement site before I launch my official page (once it’s done, of course).
Current work:
1. Chris King Group website (www.chriskinggroup.com)
coming soon
2. Logo job, will probably end up in portfolio.
More to come. I should be free for more jobs, it never hurts to ask. Cheers~
As the title states: I’m booked out the wazoo for the remainder of this weekend and all throughout next week. More Signature Entertainment Group site updates soon though.
After a week of work, check it out. Signature Entertainment Group’s initial site. Featuring Khayree and his debut mixtape (free download).
The work was split up between design/graphical assets and coding assets. I covered the first half with additional CSS and my friend Henon C. covered the rest.
For the past few weeks I’ve been busy optimizing my work flow while handling a good handful of freelance jobs. As you can tell from the date of the last post, thing’s have been quite stressful but with some new resources things are looking up once again.
The future of CYH Designs is still fairly bright, but will probably be under the wing of a new design team where I’ll have access to a whole new set of skills and resources that will allow me to fully develop/evolve my design with no restraints.
Exciting stuff. And yes, this site’s layout is hideous, but due to the fact that I’m rather busy, this probably won’t get updated anytime soon. But always keep an eye out for updates.
Currently working on new, more functional and aesthetically pleasing layout again. What you see now is a pre-made theme provided by the WordPress.com crew, keep an eye on the site for updates.
Also currently working on several other things such as more freelance work and a study in the art of viral marketing. More on that later.
After a month and something of back-breaking work, I’m finally available for further freelance work. I will be updating the portfolio section relatively soon and I will also have xparica designs v3 up and running in these two weeks.
As for apparel and merchandise, they are still in development but won’t be available anytime before the start of September. Sorry for the delay but jobs still come first (gotta eat somehow)!
Getting back into drawing again. Here’s something that might tickle your fancy: a graphic designer who can also use traditional mediums (not that well, but I wouldn’t say I’m bad. “practice makes not suck.”). Drawing when I’m taking a break from work is an excellent way to relax. No restrictions, no re-dos, nothing to worry about whatsoever. Zen through the pencil and paper.
Anyways, here’s the rough line art:
I’ll post up the colored version when i finish later.
Like most martial arts and pretty much anything which involves practice, work flow in a graphic designer’s career is one of those things which requires constant use and refinement. The better you are at this skill set, the more money you earn since the universal law is:
time = money
Now, the amount of time put into the work can vary, which, brings us to efficiency. Perfecting the art of optimizing work flow is like saying a car converts gasoline to locomotion at a 1/1 ratio; 100% efficiency. Awesome to think about but rather impossible to achieve unless you devote your life to memorizing every single check box, hot keys, print settings, dimensions, Pantone color, and various other graphic design necessities. Ridiculous, but we all dream of being so good at what we do that we can juice one hour for money that could last for months (life goal? maybe. I’ll probably talk about that in a later post).
Anyways, to the actual topic: My Work Flow.
Since I got started in 2004 in the freelance industry, I’ve always put quality and client interest as the number one and two items on the list of priorities but I’ve always come to a hitch when it comes to putting out work that does both of the above at a very reasonable time. Most standards of the industry involves manipulation of Clients to help meet the time requirements to fit both satisfaction and quality, but as expected in the business world, this is damn hard to do and most of the time one of these two goals must be compromised (if not both).
I’ve personally worked with a good range of Clients. Anywhere from “I need this tomorrow, and here is the lackluster details at 8:00pm, have fun! And if it’s not good we’ll never call you ever again!” to “I need something terribly specific, so take as much time as you need to develop/perfect it.”
With every type of Client, I’ve developed a rough workflow to accommodate the limitations. But there’s always a certain heiarchy in which I reach the final products:
1. Wait for security deposit/first payment to guarantee my next meal
2. Organize all provided information
3. Research subject matter
4. Visualize possible solutions through thumbnails (only to the point which I’ve exhausted possible solutions and their variables, experimental thumbnails are only used to help strengthen the main solutions)
5. Drafting top 3-10 (depends on job) as rough mockups and send results to Client in a *low resolution, watermarked format only after milestone payment is received
6. Communicate with Client to receive feedback and clarify feedback in order to further pinpoint Client interest
(steps 5 and 6 cycles with every deadline)
7. Finalize the end results and digitally package the end product to send to Client in a format which they desire *only after final payment is received
–
The amount of effort and time that is devoted to each one of these processes is proportional to the amount of time given by the Client, me, or even the amount of pay which goes into the project(s). As jobs vary extensively from brochure to small photo touch-ups, the amount of time/money and steps needed will be cut down or added to accordingly.
But in terms of optimizing general work flow, here’s a few tidbits from me (which is what you’ll hear from every single graphic designer on planet earth):
A: Know what the programs are capable of and how to make those things happen. *essential in any digital work place
B: Memorize as many hot keys as humanly possible
C: Constantly follow what’s “hot” on the market (keep up with graphical trends)
D: Practice, use your own brand/identity as a platform to endlessly evolve your work: give yourself different styles as confines to help expand your vision or even merge existing styles on polar opposite ends of the spectrum to challenge yourself in terms of design; be flexible
E: Never, EVER, be inside your comfort zone. Stepping out means revolutionizing your work and forcing yourself to think not only different, but smarter.
—
Maybe I’ll write tutorials later, but I think I need several more things under my belt before the industry shows more respect, haha. Off to work some more! Cheers~
Currently I’m working on 4 active projects with 3 pending. Depends on work schedule, I still may be able to fit your job(s) in the current time frame. Feel free to drop me an email and check out my credentials in the Contact section.
Promotional apparel are still in development, but have been delayed due to the handful of active jobs. Stay tuned!
New email (cyhdesigns@gmail.com) and updated resume!
On a side note: xparica.com has now been taken offline and is now only living through site screenshots in my flickr web portflio. I will work to get it as a live portfolio piece sometime later but for now, enjoy the screenshots.
RSS - Posts
