resources for designers

Earn Online Master’s Degree in Integrated Design, Business, and Technology

As designers become more influential in helping businesses create strategies related to technology and innovation, expect to see continuing innovations in design education.

Wired USCThe University of Southern California, Condé Nast and WIRED have announced a partnership to create a new online Master’s degree in Integrated Design, Business and Technology. The partnership combines the expertise of the editors, writers, and designers at WIRED with the academic rigor of USC.

USC is a leading research university known for pioneering interdisciplinary programs. For more than 20 years, WIRED has been a source of information and ideas that make sense of a world in transformation. WIRED reaches more than 30 million each month through WIRED.com, the print and digital magazine, social media and live events. The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture and business to science and design. Breakthroughs reported in WIRED lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries.

The aim of the new 18-24 month Master’s Degree in Integrated Design, Business and Technology is to educate creative thinkers and technologists to better equip them to transform the world of industry and enterprise.

The Dean of the USC Roski School of Art and Design Erica Muhl and WIRED Editor in Chief Scott Dadich announced the new online degree at WIRED By Design, a live magazine event held at Skywalker Ranch in Marin, Calif.

The new master’s degree will offer specially designed coursework from the Roski School, the USC Marshall School of Business, the USC Viterbi School of Engineering and other leading programs at the university. The program is scheduled to begin in the 2015-2016 academic year.

“The pace of technology development requires higher education to continue to respond with programs that are flexible and adaptable, and that meet the needs of future cultural and business leaders,” said Dean Muhl.

“We’ve been thinking for years about what a university curriculum with WIRED would look like, and now we have a chance to build it with a terrific partner,” said Dadich. “Taking the best from USC and WIRED, we can teach discipline and disruption, business fundamentals, and the very latest innovation models from Silicon Valley.”

USC’s online graduate education model builds upon the historic role of the traditional university while incorporating advances of the digital age. USC currently offers more than 80 programs online to approximately 8,000 graduate and executive education students.

In addition to offering a unique curriculum, the format of the new Master’s Degree program will offer distinctive opportunities to its participants, including: residencies at WIRED headquarters, exclusive audiences with WIRED leaders and conference speakers, and access to WIRED’s highly respected editors and writers, as well as leading industry icons.

Students in the program will be immersed in the culture of WIRED’s award-winning edit and design team, learning how they report, interpret and anticipate the next big breakthroughs in business, science, technology, design, and culture.

“WIRED is recognized as a source for up-to-the-minute ideas, analysis and perspective,” said Robert A. Sauerberg Jr, President of Condé Nast, which publishes WIRED. “Today we’re announcing the first of several partnerships we plan to create that will merge the knowledge and expertise of Condé Nast’s brands with distinguished academic programs to develop the next generation of talent. Given its reputation as an innovator, it makes perfect sense that WIRED is the first.”

USC’s program development and build out will be powered by higher education partners Synergis Education and Qubed Education. Synergis helps colleges and universities design and launch programs of distinction by creating unique learning environments and supporting recruitment, retention and student services. Qubed establishes new partnerships between top-tier universities and leading media organizations and brands to create high-quality innovations in world-class higher education institutions.

LINKS

USC Roski School of Art and Design

USC

WIRED: Come Learn at WIRED and USC’s New Degree Program

 

Creative Cloud Masters Conference Will be Co-Located with Graph Expo 14

The digital media training organization Future Media Concepts will be conducting the Creative Cloud Masters Conference in conjunction with the Graph Expo 14 graphic-arts conference and exhibition, September 28 through October 1 at the McCormack Place South convention center in Chicago.

The Creative Cloud Masters Conference provides advanced training for print, web and video designers in Adobe’s Creative Cloud.

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Courses are taught by Adobe-certified instructors and master trainers. The Creative Cloud Masters Conference will offer courses geared for graphic designers, prepress professionals, web designers, videographers, and artists pursuing motion graphics and video. Courses will cover such diverse topics as:

  • integrating print and online workflows
  • advanced color conversion techniques
  • HTML and CSS styles for e-publishing
  • video production for beginners
  • animation and interactive design
  • portrait retouching

The co-location of the Creative Cloud Masters Conference reflects Graph Expo’s continuing expansion into integrated media technologies. The Graph Expo 14 Conference and Show attracts thousands of attendees from a wide range of printing enterprises, including commercial printing, large-format graphics printing, photo imaging, package printing, in-plant printing, and industrial printing. Many of these businesses offer a mix of marketing and printing services.

“Adding the new Creative Masters Conference is the perfect complement, delivering huge value for attendees,” said Christopher Price, vice president of the Graphic Arts Show Company that produces Graph Expo.  All attendees of the Creative Cloud Masters Conference will receive complimentary admission to the Graph Expo exhibit hall where they can see what’s possible with state-of-the-art digital presses, wide-format inkjet printers, software and workflow solutions, and sophisticated finishing solutions..

“We’re confident agency, print shop and design professionals will find new inspiration at this year’s show,” said Price.

About Future Media Concepts

Established in 1994, Future Media Concepts (FMC) is one of the nation’s premier digital media training organizations. They provide manufacturer-authorized training in digital video and film editing, motion graphics, Web design and development, sound design, 3D animation, desktop publishing, architectural and mechanical design, Mac IT and mobile Apps development.

FMC provides in-class, on-site and online training options for IT professionals, app developers and digital media professionals engaged in the creation, management and delivery of digital entertainment and media content.

LINKS

Creative Cloud Masters Conference

Creative Cloud Masters Conference Schedule

GRAPH EXPO 14

Future Media Concepts

 

Five Tips for Creating Infographics With Mass Appeal

InfographicsforDummiesIf you are involved in design or editorial projects related to content marketing or public relations, then you are well aware that infographics have quickly become a wildly popular form of communications. According to Google, searches for infographics have increased 800 percent in the last two years. Infographics give marketers a way to increase brand recognition, create buzz, and improve SEO.

Justin Beegel, CEO of Infographic World and the author of the new book “Infographics For Dummies,” offers five tips for creating an infographic that will go viral and global.

1. Identify Ideas That Have Legs

To create an infographic campaign that has mass appeal, be timely and innovative. If there is a hot topic in the news, capitalize on it. Take it to the next step or give it a new angle. Avoid ideas that are too niche and, if possible, walk a fine line between what is controversial and what is acceptable. That will help it go viral, as controversy sells.

2. Be Able to Mobilize Quickly

Another important component is the ability to mobilize your team quickly.  A few years ago I saw a map of the U.S. that listed stereotypes of the people from that state. The infographic was called “How Europeans View America.” We saw this as an opportunity, so our team quickly put together a map of Europe and called it “How Americans View Europe.” We went country by country and made our own stereotypes. The graphic spread like wildfire, and actually crashed our server for an hour from too much web traffic. We received some angry emails from people in Europe, but the graphic served its purpose, was all in good fun, and was a living example of viral content. Another example of a successful and timely campaigns featured a look into the life of Steve Jobs shortly following his death. We also did one on the business of running for president around the 2012 presidential elections.

 3. Use the Appropriate Tone

B2B marketers should consider their industry and use the tone appropriate for the audience. We have done campaigns across the spectrum from major hospitals such as Mount Sanai to entertainment properties such as ESPN. Topics have ranged from Breast Cancer Awareness Month to the Super Bowl. For a serious topic, you may not want silly cartoon-like characters, but for the light-hearted topics you can have a little more fun.

4. Sync-up Distribution Tactics

Once the infographic is completed, coordinate promotional efforts with all stakeholders. The graphic should go live on all parties’ websites and across all their social media platforms to give it the widest possible launching pad for exposure. My company has a promotional and PR division with extensive media contacts so we can maximize coverage by distributing the infographic to relevant media.

5. Consider Going Interactive

Adults are grown children and enjoy playing with things. By making your infographic interactive, readers can click on various parts of the infographic to get more information. For example, we recently did a great interactive infographic on crime in America. If you click on each state, you can see where that state ranks in various categories such as theft, violent crimes, murder, etc. By going interactive, you are likely to get more shares and backlinks, which will drive your business.

About Justin Beegel

Justin is the 28-year-old founder of Infographic World, a leading information graphics company based in New York City. The company, which launched in 2009, is projected to make $2 million in revenue in 2014. Infographic World’s clients include Google, Intel, ESPN, P&G, Discovery, McGraw Hill, Pepsi, Intuit, and McCann.

About “Infographics for Dummies”

“Infographics For Dummies” is a comprehensive guide to creating data visualization with viral appeal. The book walks you through the different types of infographics and explains why they’re so effective and when they’re appropriate. The guide also includes step-by-step instruction for creating eye-catching graphics with programs such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.“Infographics For Dummies” is available nationwide in Barnes and Nobles, Amazon and Wiley.com in both a paperback and e-book formats. The MSRP is $29.99.

LINKS

Infographics for Dummies

Infographics World

IGW Viral

 

Web2Fabric Connects Digital Designers with Providers of Digital Textile Printing Services

DESIGNERS. Could some of your brand clients benefit from the creative use of custom-designed textiles? If so, check out the new web2fabric app and website created by DPInnovations. They established the online community to link digital designers to print-service providers around the world who are using digital textile printing equipment to print hundreds of thousands of yards of fabric.

web2fabric.com by DPInnovations
web2fabric.com by DPInnovations

DPInnovations has been supplying software solutions to the digital textile industry for more than 10 years. One of their clients, Spoonflower, has proven that a digital textile printing business can be successful by focusing on providing small amounts of fabric to a high number of individuals, using the simplest form of dyes (pigments) for an acceptable color gamut and fastness. While contributing to the revival of U.S. textile manufacturing, Spoonflower has become the heart of a community. Their service brings joy to creative people around the world.

In recent years, digital textile printing equipment technology and inks have advanced to the point where it’s now feasible to reproduce deeper, brighter colors on longer runs of fabrics with better fastness. So, more textile companies now see the opportunity to sell custom-printed textiles directly to digital designers. These companies are experts in their fields, capable of printing different products than Spoonflower.

Web2Fabric doesn’t manufacture, print, or stock fabric. But their MESH technology allows you to set up your job online, and send the print-ready file  directly to one of the digital fabric printing companies that uses software from DPInnovations.

LINKS

Web2Fabric

DPInnovations

 

New York Institute of Art and Design Offers Online Courses in Design and Writing

The variety of on online courses available to self-motivated creative professionals continues to expand.

NYInsituteofArtandDesignThe New York Institute of Art and Design has added three of their most popular courses to their online learning center: The Complete Course in Interior Design, The Complete Course in Wedding and Event Planning, and Jewelry Design: Beading and Wire Working.

Each course is available entirely online to students all over the world. The NYIAD online learning center is accessible via desktop or laptop computer, smartphone or tablet, wherever students have an internet connection. Students can now access everything they need for their online course in one place – lessons, audio clips, video training and tests.

The Interior Design Course is approved by Certified Interior Decorators (CID) International. Students learn design trends, color theory, concepts of scale and proportion, furniture styles, lighting, and fabrics. Alongside their NYIAD mentor, students complete a variety of room designs and develop a portfolio of professional- quality work. By the time they graduate, students have the artistic and the business skills needed to work as an interior designer.

The Wedding Planning Course is accredited by the Association of Bridal Consultants (ABC). Students learn how to turn their passion for weddings and events into a career. From pre-planning to execution, the course teaches students how to work with clients and vendors to plan any event. All students who complete the course have a solid foundation in the business of wedding planning; they are ready to work in the field that they love.

The Jewelry Design Course teaches students to create and sell their own unique line of jewelry. Students learn the basics of color theory and composition, patterns, beading, jump rings, spirals, right-angle weaves, and a wide array of other techniques. The course also teaches basic photography and marketing skills so that students can go on to sell their jewelry online and at trunk shows.

“The New York Institute of Art and Design’s mission has always been to provide the highest quality training to anyone interested in advancing their skills,” said NYIAD Education Director Jay Johnson. “And offering our most popular courses online means that students will have access to the best creative education anywhere they go.”

Other courses offered through the online learning center include:

Professional Blogging

Creative Writing: Fiction and Memoir Writing

 Feng Shui Interior Design

The blogging course covers everything from blog design, post length and frequency, to finding and attracting new readers, and earning money with your blog both online and off. The Fiction and Memoir Writing course is enables aspiring writers to improve their skills and get feedback from published authors. Attendees learn how to develop intriguing characters and storylines and publish their work.

About the New York Institute of Art and Design

Founded in 1985, The New York Institute of Art and Design provides online education for creative professionals all over the world. Through a unique combination of personal mentoring and online education, NYIAD students can learn how to master a skill and turn it into a career. The New York Institute of Art and Design is owned and operated by Distance Education Co., LLC, along with sister school, New York Institute of Photography.

LINKS

New York Institute of Art and Design

Survey Shows Ad Agencies and Marketers Easing Up on Hiring Freezes

TCG-LogoAccording to new research by The Creative Group, 12 percent of advertising and marketing executives interviewed said they will expand their creative teams in the second half of 2014. Nearly three-quarters (73 percent) said their organizations plan to maintain current staff levels (up 16 points from six months ago). And 12 percent said they project hiring freezes (down 10 points from the first half of 2014). Only 3 percent of executives expect to reduce the size of their staff.

The national survey was developed by The Creative Group, a specialized staffing service for interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals, and conducted by an independent research firm.

Key Findings

  • The fact that companies are lifting hiring freezes could be a sign of their growing confidence in in business prospects and an improving economy.
  • Nearly one-quarter (24 percent) of marketing and advertising executives said it’s challenging to find skilled creative professionals today.
  • Midsize agencies (50-99 employees) are expected to see the most hiring activity, with 26 percent of advertising executives reporting they plan to add staff. However, they also report the greatest difficulty finding the talent they seek, with 40 percent of respondents saying it is somewhat or very challenging.
  • Account services, brand/product management and media services are the top areas executives plan to hire for during the second half of 2014.

“Companies are investing more in marketing and advertising initiatives and are often turning to outside vendors for help. As a result, agencies are hiring full-time and project staff to keep up with expanding client needs,” said Diane Domeyer, executive director of The Creative Group. “While professionals with digital expertise continue to be in demand, agencies also are actively looking to fill traditional roles, like account directors and account managers.”

Marketing and Advertising Specialties in Demand

When executives were asked in which areas they plan to add staff in the second half of 2014, account services topped the list (24 percent), followed by brand/product management (21 percent) and media services (19 percent).

Marketing and advertising executives were asked, “In which of the following areas do you expect to hire in the second half of 2014?” Their responses:

  • Account services 24%
  • Brand/product management 21%
  • Media services 19%
  • Social media 17%
  • Mobile development 16%
  • Creative/art direction 13%
  • Web design/production 13%
  • Public relations 12%
  • Interactive media 12%
  • Copywriting 11%
  • Print design/production 10%
  • Marketing research 10%
  • Content marketing 9%

About the Survey

The national study was developed by The Creative Group and conducted by an independent research firm. It is based on more than 400 telephone interviews — approximately 200 with marketing executives randomly selected from companies with 100 or more employees and 200 with advertising executives randomly selected from agencies with 20 or more employees.

About The Creative Group

The Creative Group specializes in placing a range of highly skilled interactive, design, marketing, advertising and public relations professionals with a variety of firms on a project and full-time basis. More resources, including online job- hunting services, candidate portfolios and TCG’s blog, can be found at creativegroup.com.

LINKS

The Creative Group

Hiring and Salary Trends in the Creative and Marketing Fields

TCG_0614_Hiring-Climate

 

Adobe Releases Report on The New Creatives

TheNewCreativesLogo-pixAdobe’s report on “The New Creatives” is filled with interesting statistics about how creative professionals view their work and their future. Unveiled at the Cannes Lions festival for creative communications professionals, the report is based on a U.S. survey of more than 1,000 creative professionals and 500 students in creative disciplines. The survey included insights into the attitudes and beliefs of graphic designers, web designers, photographers, illustrators, videographers and other creatives who are employed full-time, self-employed.

First, let’s look at the key findings that Adobe highlighted in their press release. Then, let’s call attention to some other noteworthy stats in the full Slideshare presentation below.

From the press release 

Seventy-four percent of creative professionals view mobile technology as transforming the face of creativity and design, with seven in 10 reporting they create specifically for mobile devices,

An overwhelming majority (77%) of creatives believe change within the industry is happening rapidly, with two-thirds expecting their role will be significantly different within three years.

New technologies such as mobile are driving this change: A strong majority (87%) of those who create mobile content believe doing so has had a positive impact on their work.

While creatives still rely on pen and paper for ideation (28%) and brainstorming (36%), nearly half use their mobile devices to capture inspiration on- the-go and 42 percent say they use mobile to create content anywhere. Thirty percent of creatives also expressed a desire to create more on tablets, surpassing desktop computers.

Creatives identified app development and 3D modeling as the skills that will be most in-demand over the next 12 months.

“Creatives are going mobile, and this means a sea change for the creative process,” said David Wadhwani, senior vice president and general manager, Digital Media, Adobe. “The study shows that creatives are very interested in using mobile for idea generation and suggests we will see mobile use in the creation process significantly increase in the years ahead. This underscores that mobile devices can be an important part of the creative process when integrated with existing desktop workflows.”

Creatives are feeling optimistic and highly valued. Ninety-six percent of creative professionals are happy in their careers and 88 percent believe their best days are ahead of them. Eighty-eight percent believe they have a strong influence on their organizations and clients, and 46 percent say they have significantly more impact than they did two years ago. A striking 93 percent believe the value of their contributions is recognized by their companies or clients.

Despite their optimism, creatives have worries, pointing to the need to “create more, at a faster speed than ever” as their top concern.

Creatives also recognize the need to diversify their skills. Eighty percent of respondents believe they must learn new tools and techniques and three quarters say that creatives are increasingly working across multiple mediums and disciplines.

When asked what motivates them most, creatives ranked doing great work (54%) and learning new things (52%) higher than financial rewards (37%).

The survey also exposed new insight into where creatives get their sparks of inspiration. Twice as many view digital sources such as social media (36%) as well as websites and online advertising (33%) as the most influential sources of inspiration over more traditional influences such as fashion and architecture. Creatives are also turning to professional online communities, noting inspiration and collaboration and sharing as the top reasons for participating.

While still mostly trusting their gut (79%) to make decisions, creatives view the impact of technology and digital analytics positively: 75 percent note that technology gives them more control over their professional destiny, and 70 percent feel empowered by analytics.

Creative students share similar views to pros. Students majoring in creative disciplines echoed many of the same trends as professional creatives. Ninety-six percent of students have a positive outlook on their choice of a future creative career, and they recognize that new technologies (31%) and the impact of social media (23%) are some of the driving forces changing the industry. They have also embraced mobile: 79 percent of students have created mobile content. Students’ top interests in online creative communities are job prospecting (30%) and learning new skills (21%).


Other Statistics Worth Noting
Here are a few of the statistics that caught my eye as I read through the report:

  • 70% of creatives believe they need to become skilled in more than discipline.
  • 84% said being passionate about their work mattered. 53% said it was extremely important; 31% said it was very important.

More than 70% of respondents also said it was important to

  • have complete creative freedom
  • stay true to my creative vision despite pressures
  • be proficient in multiple disciplines
  • be able to create from anywhere
  • collaborate effectively with others

About The New Creatives Report

The data points referenced above come from a study commissioned by Adobe, produced by research firm Edelman Berland and conducted as an online survey among a total of 1,048 US creative professionals and 535 students of creative disciplines. Data was collected May 12-21, 2014 by Edelman Berland. The margin of error at the 95% confidence level for the Pro sample is +/- 3.1% and +/- 4.2% for the student sample.

LINKS

Adobe: The New Creatives Report

Adobe: The New Creatives Report-Student Findings