Hot off the presses! The new edition of the Directory of Illustration 27 from Serbin Communications just arrived on my doorstep this week. It’s got some of my most recent work included, with samples of my illustration, logo design, lettering and icon design. You can find it all in full-color splendor on page 469 of the directory.
Last week, a rather spirited discussion arose after there was an announcement by Chris Brogan saying that he was looking into launching a design contest on 99designs. Well, needless to say, a handful of designers were quick to react and try and educate Mr. Brogan about their surprise and disapproval of such an idea. After much back and forth, Chris posts the question, “Designers: so besides cost, educate a business person why one beats the other. Blog your answers? I’ll link to a few in my post.” It’s interesting that he would ask this question, because it appears that this isn’t readily apparent to the average business owner. Well, I am here to help.
Recently, I’ve heard the question, does a graphic designer need to have an understanding of marketing? Well, quite simply – yes. If you don’t have an understanding of how to market, whether it’s a packaging design, a promotional message or a website, you can’t adequately direct someone to take action – or even care, from interacting with your design. Now, don’t get me wrong. I’m just like any other red-blooded creative guy, ready to run away screaming at lengthy PowerPoint decks and dozens of statistics-laden spreadsheets. But, there is definitely some use to all that drab information, and you just need to know how to process it in your own way. It’s marketing on your own terms.
