so... What do you guys DO???

[Silence04]

i figured it would be cool to find out a little bit more about everyones job and what they primarily do (design-wise)...

So, what roll do you play in this ever-so-crazy Graphic design industry?

/DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/blowingup.gif

http://www.jdcgraphics.net/banner.gif

[BigNameClient]

First yuo need to know that it's not so much crazy as it is ever changing! I personally use my Macses g5s to make unified formats for my clients( who are more often then not retarded). I get payed pretty badly and everyone doesn't understand the great work I and other GRAPHICS Deisignser do. With out the universe would impload in on itself and

[Tyger]

For me personally i only do freelance design stuff part time. I work full time for a medical company in Operations...they are my biggest client /DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/biggrin.gif . So i pretty much do mostly print work, ads, brochures, business cards, posters etc. I just recently did my first official company manual for them. what a pain in the ass! Back and forth like a Andre Agasi vs. Pete Samprass match.

So there's still many things I don't know and i'm learning as i go.

I'm pretty boring at the moment.

GDF Contributor
http://img237.exs.cx/img237/6410/sig1sy.jpg
Visit My Blog: Tyger's Den (http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/DesktopDefault.aspx?tabindex=17&tabid=211)

[Patrick Shannon]

Not much of one, Silence....I've been actually thinking about my position lately and the type of jobs I've received far more than anything else over the years, and considering most of them is just simply scanning in stuff that customers bring from 'other' shops, or simply settings several types of text on stationary, I'm just a glorified typesetter, not a designer. (Simple) business cards, envelope, letterheads, invitations, etc is all I do. Of the artsy stuff I mostly get, it's simply a tease where another design studio did it and we're simply printing it.

But I complain enough about my job as it were, and I'm tired of it myself. So I'd rather talk about something that makes me smile, would that be good enough? So what does 'Patrick Shannon' REALLY do...or would like to do? I think even though I'm down on myself at times due to my situation, I still do believe in myself being able to get a decent career in design someday. I am quite talented in laying out illustrations and drawings in Illustrator and have even added Wacom drawing skills to my arsenal lately and trying to refine that. I do a bit of cartooning on the side, but cartooning isn't my first love, nor is it my best art medium. Nor do I see any cartooning skill actually playing 'too' big of role in helping my career along, but one of these days it just might. It certainly jogs creativity.

I have become extremely strict when it comes to prepress and sending files to be outsourced. Too, too many 'designers' dump things on me and my business forces me to clean up the mess instead of kindly returning them, and that is not how I want to be viewed by my outsourcing printers and companies. I always take good care of them and familiarize myself as best I can on what they can and cannot do. While there's always the little glitch that might happen, that's a part of the business. I am quite proud to say that I have an excellent record on sending stuff out, I rarely to never hear back from the printer until they're calling to say 'We're done!'

Likewise, my clients always receive the best quality logos (well, best we have on hand) that they ask for. Because I know all too well the fustration of receiving nothing but JPEG, GIFs and Word/Excel 'logos,' and I want to be above that. It could be argued that customers could take those logos and have others do their printing, but the reality is that many clients outsource with several different companies, and we've never lost business with a client this way. Besides, it could be argued that they're so appreciative with sending out the correct format that it makes me look more impressionable in their eyes (hence they continue to do business).

I can't explain why, but things like marketing projects or P.R.....or simply getting a job that is trying to get a business established just simply excites me. On that rare, rare occasion I actually get a client at my regular job that wants me to do something 'different' for them other than bridge cards, script pads and stationary (and provided mein fuhrer actually allows reasonable time for it), I really try and think about that business and try and break down what is trying to be accomplished. 'What is the message I'm trying to send?' 'Does this serve a purpose?' 'Has this been done before?' What I don't want to get into the trap of doing is just throwing crap on a page out of experimentation, I want my stuff to have purpose.

Most of all, I want to have purpose. I want to be useful to someone. I think one of the reasons (well, among hundreds of others) I'm so fustrated with my job is because simple typesetting walk-in junk like that can be done by any idiot. Whenever I spoke on the phone or in person to another graphic artist/designer (who knew what they were doing) and we started talking 'technical graphic speak' that no one else seems to understand, even if it's under tight deadlines, even if the customer is an jackoff, I simply enjoy utilizing my knowledge and discussing with other designers the best route to take through a project. I think I feel that way because I'm serving purpose; I'm doing what I should be doing, not droning out in front of a computer and setting three lines of text. Last week, I had a dream one night where there was this really important business woman who ran a graphic studio, and I had been hired on a 'probationary period.' The dream gets kind of weird (as dreams do), but I remember sitting in on a marketing where the crew was discussing possibilities behind a marketing project, and they asked my input. And I somehow enjoyed that. The dream ends when I'm shaking her hand and thanking her for the opportunity, and I wake to my damned alarm clock ringing in yet another dreadful day at the 'copy shop.'

Graphic design isn't all peaches and cream, I know that all too well. No matter what dream job I might land, there is always going to be the nagging deadlines, idiot clients, etc. But I've long accepted that and have been realistic on that (though such situations are so much fun to gripe and laugh about), but it's everything else around it (in my current situation) that can be improved. I am a highly ambitious and passionate individual about my life and my career, and even if I'm not where I imagined and I worry that the 'bottom has fallen out,' I think I am a designer and was meant to do so. Eventually I will find that person that will see what I can bring to the table for them, and they'll lift me into the next stage of my life....allowing me to learn more about the business and become a self-sufficient adult.

That is who I am and what I do (or would like to do). Either that, or my destiny might be in porno films, never put that past me.

That went on much longer than I had intended. But if you didn't know already from my many posts, thoughts and columns on my own website, I LOOOVE to write.

Patrick Shannon

'Dear valued customer, go home and die. Signed, your friendly graphic artist.'

http://www.patrickshannon.com/mwwc_sm.gif
My War With Culture (http://www.mywarwithculture.com)
Political incorrectness reinvented.

[CtrlAltDel]

Television graphic artist. Full time, too.http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/icon_biggrin.gif


Generally, I prepare information graphics, and OTS's (those panels that appear over the presenter's shoulder), as well as informational animations in After Effects, and currently, just starting to learn VizArtist- a high end on demand graphics suite for making graphic animations 'on the fly'. (used by CNN and Sports Central for late-breaking stuff, sports scores, stats, etc.)
Cool job, really. If you don't mind your deadlines measured in minutes.

('you need this when?!?!' http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/ph34r.gif )

You're a jerk, Dent. A complete *sshole.
Wowbagger the Infinitely Prolonged.

[uncle carbunkle]

Hey! BigNameClient!

are you okay up there?

you just kind of, stopped typi...

::Don't call me Foreman, for I am your Boss::

[Invader Xan]

I work on newsprint and glossy advertising for a few local publications. Every once in a while, I get some editorial design jobs too -- which are more fun. It tends to vary from being fun and interesting to being trite and dull. There's something very satisfying about seeing full page ads you've designed come out in print though, I must say...

I would've taken over the world, but I got distracted by shiny things.

Ooo! Shiny things!

[red raw]

My Main Area is Licensed Products...

I design and have designed Posters, Greetings Cards, Calendars, Postcards, Pencil Cases, Waste Bins, Desk Mats, Framed Prints and Diaries for the following various companies:

• Disney - Winnie the Pooh, Princesses, Witch, Mickey Mouse, Toy Story, A Bugs Life, Monsters Inc, Finding Nemo, Incredibles... etc...
• 20th Century Fox - Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Simpsons... etc
• BBC - Teletubbies
• Sega - Sonic the Hedgehog
• Comedy Central - South Park
• New Line Cinema - Lord of the rings
• Dreamworks - Shrek, Shrek 2
• DC Comics - Batman Begins (forgot about that one - edit)

...and many more projects including Moomins, Hamtaro, DragonBall Z and No Rules.

I have also designed and sold over 200 Greetings Cards and Posters of my own unique designs to various companies accross Britain.

I have successfully moved into the Corporate ID area and Marketing with a few clients and I also design the occasional Celtic Tattoo for my friends.

Yet I still feel I don't do enough! LOL

The difference between a Madman and me is I'm not Mad! - Dali

Post Edited (red raw) : 3/31/2005 1:45:04 PM GMT

[Bear]

freelance print, branding and animation/screen. i have a number of my own clients as well as a number of companies that don't cater for print who i go in and work with on pitches to give them extra help with th

/DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/biggrin.gif

hand: ollie@ollielindsey.co.uk

eye: www.ollielindsey.co.uk (http://www.ollielindsey.co.uk)

mouth: 07966 160 983

[morea]

Nice topic, Silence.

I worked for 4 years at a printing company that handled business forms and stationery, and an eventual merger resulted in the addition of ad specialty products: apparel, pens, calendars, that sort of thing. It gave me a good understanding of printing processes, and the all important (to me) WHY something is done in a certain way.

I spent another year working for a small commercial printer, where I did a lot of pagination and all that jazz. We printed cut sheets, books, newsletters, catalogs, etc. Due to some criminal mis-management, that company went out of business.

I am currently the sole designer (my title is "director of marketing" :rolleyes: ) for a distributor of high end appliances. Basically, an in-house designer with a lot of hats to wear.

I handle all of our copy writing and design work (everything from flyers, ads, trade show stuff, referral cards, mailings, faxes, promotional pieces, even some vehicle lettering). I handle all of our advertising and marketing.

I coordinate everything with our print vendors from sending specs in for a quote, babysitting the job while it is in house, and finishing up by paying their invoices. A little bit of everything, I guess.

I also have to manage our company website, customer databases, and until a receptionist is hired, answer phones. I also end up doing our basic IT work, since most of my coworkers are not very computer literate.

[Bear]

.....all that AND they give you lot's of hats to wear ? do you have to have them on rotation throughout the day ? is there an order in which you have to wear them ? /DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/lol.gif

sloooooooow day.........

hand: ollie@ollielindsey.co.uk

eye: www.ollielindsey.co.uk (http://www.ollielindsey.co.uk)

mouth: 07966 160 983

[morea]

The hats I wear at work are 'figurative' hats, Bear! /DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/biggrin.gif

But I love to wear hats... especially big floppy ones.

We are one, our cause us one, and we must help each other if we are to succeed. ~ Frederick Douglass

[Bear]

yeah i noted that in the names to faces thread...that's why i thought maybe you might spend the day constantly changing hats......

hand: ollie@ollielindsey.co.uk

eye: www.ollielindsey.co.uk (http://www.ollielindsey.co.uk)

mouth: 07966 160 983

[D-Zine]

I do alot of everything...Jill of all trades.
Morea - can I bum a hat...LOL

I design for a very small company that has 2 pretty successful publications here in Savannah. Been at this place 5 years in June. YIKES!

Design-wise my work includes a buttload of ad design. We have a quick turnaround so I have to be quick. It's not the most glorifying of design jobs but I have learned alot in my time here, I will say that. I also do the layout of both publications. One is a weekly pub that's been around about 28 years now, averages 64-72 pages and we print around 13,000 weekly. The other is a Spanish publication which I can't read - talk about challenge! We have had it for 3 years now and I am trying to be more positive and look for a solution as how to improve is layout. It averages 48-56 pagesm, printing 15,000 monthly. So as far as design I do ad design here, layout and all the in house things that need to be done - including forms - yuck! haha!! I handle all the dealings with the press, and I do like that as pretty much everyone here knows how important I think it is to have a good relationship with your printer.

Other than design, I also take care of computer maintenance, if a computer goes down or the server or anything technical-like, I have to deal with it and fix it. Oh yes, that includes the copier, the fax, hell - even the adding machines! Stupid ppl..lol! I do all upgrades here myself (hardware and software) including the new XServe I ordered last summer. The perk to that is spending the bossmans money! Weeeee!!

I also get stuck with all office manager type stuff - complaining customers, some decision making, ordering supplies...blah blah!

Being in a small company, when someone else is out you do whatever you have to do to help out to ensure that you meet deadline. That's how this place has always been and will continue to be I am sure.

Now - about revamping my resume.... /DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/smilewinkgrin.gif

'No more yanky my wanky! The donga need food!!' - heh

[naileek]

Great question! I've always been curious about what everyone does and it's nice to be asked.

I spent the last five years at a publishing company working on mostly NCAA and major college sports projects. Game programs, media guides, editorial design, things like that. Some Nascar stuff, NBA Hoop-It-Up, got milk? 3v3 soccer stuff. Working with sports as subject matter was awesome because you can go so many different directions. Pay was decent, but the place was truly a sweatshop.

I recently started a new job (about a month ago) at a very successful and well-respected local advertising agency as a graphic designer. I'm not making any more money, but the change is worth it a million times over. Great people, very relaxed and fun. I now work on projects for a major financial institution (my main account), the horse racing industry, a few bourbon brands, sports for the local university, a couple of restaurant chains and a few miscellaneous projects here and there. I'm also getting to learn about video and television, which is great. Plus we have a beer tap in the office kitchen!

I also have a business at home selling a graphic design related product that is finally starting to take off (after over a freakin' year!!!!!)

[greyghost]

Well, I'm going to sound boring compared to a lot of people here.

I'm self employed, a little one-person graphic design company that (I hope) one day expands to need an actual office and an employee. I have two magazines in the Tampa Bay area that I design cover to cover (including ads). In the past I designed a full-colore newspaper (which has since gone crappy ever since my direction over it ceased - and anyone I come across who is familiar with the paper tells me so too), a few other magazines, and helped start another small paper.

The magazines have decided to come with me in my recent (like last week) move to N. Georgia, and so have a couple of my bigger advertising clients. I also have a newspaper in Brandon that wants me to do all of their new ads, since their artist isn't very good at concepts, but can make changes once the concept has been done and approved.

I can empathise with a lot of people here though - I used to be a corporate monkey for the Tampa Tribune, where I got to enjoy car ads out the yin-yang, and all other sorts of ads and once in a great while, actually got a fun project. Maybe two in two years. Before that I worked for a national but lousy magazine - since I have just called them lousy I won't name them.

I will say - I am a lot happier now I am on my own. I discovered I make about the same money as I did while employed - once you deduct the cost of gas, work appropriate clothes, lunches and snacks my 28K job was actually making me 14K. Well, before I bought myself a new laptop, scanner, digital camera, printer and external hard drive - I made 14K last year. And I never have to leave the house.

I would encourage anyone who knows they have the gumption to get a couple of good clients and quit the corporate crap. Corporations rarely appreciate us or what we do, and some of these small businesses I do work for have given me greater thanks than I ever got at the Trib.

The big drawback to being self-employed an having no other artist next to me? I don't learn many new tricks in the programs. That's what I hang around here for. But it still isn't the same as watching another talented person take a crappy bit of informatuion, and see how they design an ad, a new layout idea, etc. It gets lonely in that sense. I can look at design magazines and see a cool ad and clip it out for my cheat book ... but it isn't the same as seeing it done.

when it comes to certain clients, remind yourself:
You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make him drink.

I'm an ARTIST, not a MAGICIAN!

[UmmYeahOK]

creative director in charge of art dep. for a media company
basically we handle all of the materials to go out of our marketing dep. (and believe you me there're plenty), trade and other ad campaigns, press and media releases, online content, etc. I also get to bring in, supervise and consult outside vendors on TV/cinema event projects that are either too big or non-specific to marketing.
jack of all trades, folks!

This life is a test. It is only a test. Has this been an actual life you'd have received better instructions.

[Drorain]

My role has evolved several times as the design services group at vistaprint has changed. I started out designing on templates, then changed roles to a premium designer doing all print work ranging from stationary, logos, and direct mail...this has now evolved to me becoming a sales rep and designer as they look to find out what will make more orders go thru the door.

http://www.grivakisgraphics.com/images/img_logomark.jpg

"OH what a big man you are!...Let me buy you a pack of gum, I'll show ya how to chew it..."

~Al Pacino, Glen Gary Glenn Ross

[Wonder Woman]

This is a great idea - I often wonder about peoples' backgrounds.

I am currently Graphic Designer for the RAF. I work at RAF Boulmer www.rafboulmer.co.uk/ (http://www.rafboulmer.co.uk/) with about 1000 people, no planes are flown from here (before anyone asks). I'm responsible for producing anything from colour print-outs of Excel spreadsheets to annual reports for the entire station, for in-house purposes (station-wdie and RAF-wide), and for the public. Posters, leaflets, brochures, teaching aids, adverts, newsletters, programmes, reports. It's a great mix, unfortunately more heavy on the rubbishy jobs.

My new job (starting on Monday), will be Science Communications Coordinator, for the University of Teesside www.tees.ac.uk/ (http://www.tees.ac.uk/) I'm not really sure what I'll be doing, but it sounds like a cool title! Only kidding!! It's tough to figure out exactly what I'll be doing day to day til I get there, but the job description told me I'd be creating, organising and presenting science based activities for those in primary and secondary school. It's part of an initiative to make science more interesting and exciting, in the hope of rekindling science subjects at university level. More and more students are heading into 'softer' and social sciences. But I could just end up photocopying! I'm hoping that I'll get to do some graphic design stuff, but no promises, adn that I'll make some contacts in the university to possibly head into lecturing at some point.

Searching for creative juices

[defjoe]

Everything... people come into the office and I do what they want. From conception to the end result. all types of materials. I don't think there isn't anything I haven't played around with here.

'I will become the most powerful Jedi ever!'
'I'm the damn designer, bitches!'

Check out my indie comic book!
www.assassinsguild.net/ (http://www.assassinsguild.net/)

[PrintDriver]

I work in production as a preflighter/print manager/production tech in the graphics department of a 120,000 square foot custom fabrication shop. We build Museum exhibits, trade show booths, real theatre, corporate theatre, signage, artistic stuff for commissioned artists, themed environments (malls, restaurants, etc), you name it...we do it.

PD is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

[Silence04]

i am the senior designer/art director for a large Tanning lotion manufacture's graphic department.
we handle all of their marketing necessities, i.e. make all the borchures, catalogs, magazine ads, P.O.P. displays, Websites and inovative package design that sells.

http://www.jdcgraphics.net/banner.gif

[morea]

I like this thread. I shall make it a sticky.

[reuber1]

Director of Electronics Visual Branding for an established retail giant here in the U.S. Duties include utilization of 100% of my design talenttowardsproduction of marketing materials to ensure maximum sales, working with the most highly advanced technology available, working for some of the most adeptclients in the midwest,and have at least twenty people working underneath me who are all very competent individuals who do not need supervision. The pay is pretty good too, more than enough to make a living and pay off student loans. This is probably the best job I've ever had and I won't be leaving anytime soon.


Happy April 1st!
...couldn't resist...

"Nicotine, Valium, Vicodin, Marijuana, Ecstasy and Alcohol..."
"Nicotine, Valium, Vicodin, Marijuana, Ecstasy and Alcohol..."

[Kink]

I currently work as a Purchasing Assistant to the Purchasing Manager for Marineland of Canada. We are the only 2 in the purchasing department. We buy everything from fish and medicain for the whales to the ketchup in the restaurants.
Right now I am designing the new fry cup print for our new restaurant up on the hill.. it's called the Sky Grill.

Otherwise, my design, I have my own part time business.. called Q-Line Designs. It's going pretty good so far. Slow, but then again, it's part time. I don't want it to get too much busier.

I used to work in a print shop and did amost what defjoe does... from concept to finished product. What ever it was... I figured out how to do it. Just wish I found this site a long time ago.. when I needed to learn how to do new things... I did it the hard way.. trial and error.




http://img106.exs.cx/img106/6982/knk3yr.jpg

[o.g. peanut]

I do almost exactly what Morea does. "Marketing Director" for a Life Insurance Agency in New Mexico and West Texas. Pretty much in house designer, brochures, trade booths, flyers, presentation folders,monthly newsletter,etc. Always stuck with the same logo and same colors, kinda sucks. On the bright side, Im designing for a living. Not too bad. Also do market analysis strategic marketing, segmentation, and participate in management decisions.


used to do freelance, mainly billboards. Printed/produced em too.


One day I will paint for a living...http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/eyecrazy.gif

[Big-B]

Ain't it funny how some of our regular jobs are totally diff. from design


My schedule is pretty crazy these days, full time job is at a custom car audio shop. Yeah that whole pimp my ride thing, thats what i do. At least it keeps the creative juices flowing. A part time student, actually a returning student. My first go around i went for electrical engineering. Got a sweet internship with D.O.D. and slowly realized that i really wasn't that crazy about it to begin with, yeah i was good at it, but to do it day in and out, nooooo thank you. So, i'm going back for graphic design now, probably what i should have done to begin with. I also volunteer part time with local fire department on their dive and rescue team, which takes 2weekends a month right there. Any free time i get, i am trying to learn everything i can of this whole process.


Tip'm back!!! http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/cheers.gif

[GrfxGawd]

I work for TravelNow.com. TravelNow.com is owned by Hotels.com (formerly Hotel Reservation Network), and Hotels.com is owned by Inter Active Corp (formerly known as USA Interactive, a division of USA Networks) - Soon to be spun off as Expedia. So it will be Expedia > Hotels.com > TravleNow.com - Clear so far?

Anyhow, I design for pretty much anything that falls under our corporate umbrella. Mainly it deals with TravelNow.com and Hotels.com, and that tends to mostly be web work. I've been here 5 years.

I've been in the field of design for about 10 years, I've taught a for credit college class on design (not bad considering I only have a HS diploma), written once for Photoshop User Magazine, been quoted by Metacreations in their promotional materials for KPT X, and helped Brainbench.com with three of their Photoshop certification tests. There have been a few other things 'noteable' over the years as well, but those are most of the ones that give me warm fuzzies when I look back on them. (At least, design related)

I still teach some continuing education classes occasionally and we're working on the Photoshop CS test for Brainbench right now.

So, pretty much no-body from no-where you've likely never heard of before.

It's been good to find you all here. Nice group. :)

ALL generalizations are BAD.

[C.E.]

Cool thread!

My official title is: 'Interactive Communications Designer' and I work for the CLASS project (http://biology.wright.edu/class) and also the biology dept at wright state there (remove the /class). I basically do everything from web to print and lots of inbetween. And of course, working in the science (AND education) industry, I am up to my neck with faculty who LOVE to print large posters from PowerPoint. {gag}

In the meantime, I'm working on getting my own little freelance design gig going. Mainly specializing in the equine industry, as I have a very 'horsey' background. It's called 'Cowgirl Expressions' (http://www.cowgirlexpressions.com/) ....

Rams

[mikefanch]

Hey C.E.


That Powerpoint comment really hits home. I work for the National Institute of Standards in there Visual Arts Department and we survive on printing .ppt files for clients. Major problem...most of our clients are scientists (very smart people but designers they are not).


With that said my work here is quite gratifying. Lots of specialized design work. Report covers, brochures, large format digital printing, logo design, etc. I'm also in charge of all signage on campus here. Dimensional signs, ADA compliant signs, free standing lobby directories, engraving. Seems like it's something different every day. Keeps it fresh though.

[LSD-ZIN]

Graphics & Marketing Manager for a pooty architects (good marketing eh?) however I handed in my notice two weeks ago cause I got a fab job working for an advertising agency starting end of April. Do you know what my current employer asked me? To design a website, logo, corporate id with manual, design statment in support of planning application for a masterplan in kenya (approx 90 pages) , media packs (all to be printed in house x 200 with CDs to burn) for a press launch to be held on22 April (Bearing in mind things need to be DHLed out there which takes a week, exhibition boards, powerpoint presentation and marketing packs for potential buyers in kenya all in the space of two weeks AFTER I HANDED IN MY NOTICE. Then he said - obviously this would span after the 22nd April 2005 and would I mind working for them for a space of a month sorting out all their marketing and graphics when I start my new job!!!


I had great delight in telling him to shove it, well I actually said quietly that what he asked me was totally unprofessional on his behalf as would he go to his future employer and ask him - 'do you mind if I do loads on work on the side whilst still working for you' - then putting in hours till 4 in the morning trying to get achieve deadlines for my ex employer who by the way pays pooe and well crikey I could go on and on but doesthis not show a lack of commitment to my future employer????


Well obviously that's what I do now as my current job is a load of crap - however if they can't sort themselves out then that's their ferkin problem.


Anyway can't wait to start my new job - horrrrrhaahahahahahah!!!!!




















<EMBED pluginspage=www.macromedia.com/shockwave/download/index.cgiP1_Prod_Version=Shockwaveflash src=undefined width=undefined height=undefined type=application/x-shockwave-flash bgcolor="undefined" loop="undefined" quality="undefined">

[Vikia]

o.g. peanut said...
I do almost exactly what Morea does. 'Marketing Director' for a Life Insurance Agency in New Mexico and West Texas. Pretty much in house designer, brochures, trade booths, flyers, presentation folders, monthly newsletter, etc. Always stuck with the same logo and same colors, kinda sucks. On the bright side, Im designing for a living. Not too bad. Also do market analysis strategic marketing, segmentation, and participate in management decisions.

used to do freelance, mainly billboards. Printed/produced em too.

One day I will paint for a living... /DesktopModules/dotNetBB/emoticons/eyecrazy.gif

Yikes! don't cha hate the legal department? At the insurance company I used to work for it was near impossible to design their legalize into a plausible advertising piece.

http://www.vikiandersonsites.com/forumimages/panda.gif (http://www.vikianderson.com)
www.vikianderson.com (http://www.vikianderson.com)
Graphics & Design on Demand

[Vikia]

I love this thread!

After a 25 plus year corporate career in design and marketing at everything from a Fortune 500 Transportation company to a mid-sized offset printing company...I am finally promoted myself to CEO of my own studio.

I am an independent graphic designer here in Omaha, NE. Smack in the middle of the US. I mostly work in print design
and some Web design. I specialize in Direct Mail Advertising and Event promotions. But I have a background in corporate public relations and catalog design. I basically like all of it.

http://www.vikiandersonsites.com/forumimages/panda.gif (http://www.vikianderson.com)
www.vikianderson.com (http://www.vikianderson.com)
Graphics & Design on Demand

Post Edited (Vikia) : 4/10/2005 11:49:05 PM GMT

[TheBluePanda]

edit: Changed jobs!

[Neballer]

BLuePanda if your a rookie, lord knows what that makes me. I've been designing for money for about 3 years.


Right now I'm sort of a Jack-of-all design trades for a company that sells corporate apparel and merchandise.


I do Print design, Web desgin, Photography and sometimes design for the screen-printing and embroidery we do.




"beauty is truly in the eye of the tiger."

[petchy]

i'm a creative designer for a global manufacturer of garment trim, which basically means i design hangtags, woven labels, leather patches etc - any point of sale items that are actually ON the garment itself. i get to work on a lot of big brands (adidas, umbro, fcuk, next, ted baker... to name but a few) which is really exciting and great for my portfolio too! i am also heavily involved with in-house design of marketing materials etc, and several design collections (in line with the fashion market) each year.

i always have to be on the lookout for new materials and techniques, which keeps me on my toes! i get to be quite arty too and make actual mock ups as well as doing the artwork for items to be sampled/produced overseas.

i also freelance as a graphic designer, and have 2 logo/identity projects going at the moment. (which means a few extra quid, but no spare time!!!)

how did i end up doing this? well, i studied art&design for 3 years at college in norway, followed by a degree in design management here in the uk. not your traditional graphic design education, but it worked for me!

[Envision1]

Graphic Designer/Production Artist... depends where the majority of the work load is. Its nice to get a change of pace on some projects, with designing and production work. Have had a little photography experience in my last design job, but still a begginer in that.
We do large exhibits and displays,and designf or the company, 3d design, all the engineering for the displays, and manufacturing.

[Hendo]

This is cool to see what everyone does!!!

I work full-time as a graphic designer for a trade-show company called Skyline Displays. We are world wide. I do the creation and production art and send it to print. We design for all the major companies in the Twin Cities metro area.

I branched off to my own business almost two years ago and freelance anything you want done graphically. Dable is Photography and always trying to find more time to learn FLASH.... I like web-designing, but if it don't have flash, It's hard to get the big clients!
Anyone else in Minnesota, shoot me an e-mail, I have always too much work on my plate!!!

later all!

[chalsema]

Hi everyone,
I'm new here, so I thought this would be a good place to introduce myself. I'm a Junior at Purdue University studying Visual Communications. Right now I have an internship with Agricultural Communications doing random 4-H design work. I'd eventually like to work for a design agency or maybe as an in-house designer for a magazine company. Who knows! (If anyone is in need of a young designer in the Indianapolis area at the end of May 2006, I'm your woman. ;) )
See ya around!
Cassi

[Neballer]

....trade-show company called Skyline Displays.

My company uses skyline displays for all the trade shows we attend.
Big Ups to Minnesota!

[TomC]

I am a the only graphic designer for healthcare related insurance company in the Minneapolis area. I design annual reports, direct mail, flyers, ads, our internal and external websites and do anything else design-related. I help people with Powerpoint questions, do any corporate invitations and take any photos needed for events, etc. It is an good job with a very stable company but there is not much creative work coming up that is challenging. It may be time to dust off the old resume. I have 16+ years of experience in design and customer service.

[danedawg99]

I'm the graphic designer/production artist for an exhibit/sales environment developer. I design large booth-graphics mainly for tradeshows and showroom displays. I also work with the industrial designer to design sign graphics for mall carts/ and other portable displays. :)

[~Digital_E.V.O~]

Right now, I traffic up to 350 ads per week to newspapers... But truly am an illustrator with experience in interactive and print. Hopefully, in a few months I will be out on my own... painting, which is what originally led me to this field. Within the next year, I will be leaving NY for California.

[TooTallVal80]

It's been 7 months now working at this digital printing press full-time. I'm one of 4 graphic artists. I mainly do business cards, postcards, letterheads, envelopes and other projects; send it to pre-press and it's off to another project. Sometimes I will have to mainly prints business cards through our Color Phaser if customers ask for a special type of paper instead of using the press.

I also have been doing some freelancing on the side such photo-retouching/restoration, etc.

Man it's been a long while since I've been here!

[skinns]

Been working for the Online Gaming industry for about 6 years. Specifically Casino related games. Responsiblities include, design cardbacks, logo design, game design and casino lobby design.

Then I make second plesant living doing all the freelance stuff after work, like Business Cards, Websites, Illustrations and such.

[orangeena]

great topic!!!

I work inhouse at a realty company, doing everying from the website to brochures to the monthly magazine. I'm currently looking for a new gig, though. too much politics at the current one.

if anyone has any leads.... Have mac, will travel. hehe

[coffee]

hi yall,

at the time im getting educated to be a media designer. this education takes three years and and switches periodically between school and same company.

the company does whatever the client wants to have. We do little press advertising, we set typo, we scan and retouching, colormanagement, we order paper, we advise the client what is possible and what not, we give the printers the job........to put it in a nutshelt, we do every kinda stuff, just like the client has an idea for a book (just for instance) and we make it all till he has the book in his hands.

We make books, little brochures for several operas in berlin, event posters, books for/about museums and exhibitions, books for photo-artists from finnland, a very large spectrum. http://www.hkw.de/en/programm2005/intransit05/_intransit05/intransit05_detail.php do you see the pic? i have scaned it and retouched it and now it is hanging all around as a poster in Berlin. i know it sounds a little bit arrogant but its so cool to be at the underground waiting for the train to come and watching on the work you did. i am very proud of myself although i haven't done much.:o

after i finished the education i would like to study illustration because i am a big fan of illustration-artists just like jason brooks

[JPnyc]

I work here.

[Image]

I own a creative design company in Las Vegas. I work as a graphic designer with five others. I also employ three web designers, two full-time painters, and three full-time illustrators. We stay busy. I'm wearin' out.

My clientel is not anywhere near as impressive as some people's. I'm still a little guy tryin to conquer Las Vegas small business. However you will see my IPA logo on ESPN in about four months. Cartier International, Tiffany's of New York, and Randal Cunningham will also be marketing me (er, my company) right around that same time.


So I'm growing. Maybe someday I'll be a big dog.


Love the thread! I read every page. You all have such great stories.

[Jeff Fisher LogoMotives]

How funny! I thought i'd get caught up on reading this great thread this afternoon - and just realized I'd never responded to it myself. I thought I had last month some time...

I'm the Engineer of Creative Identity for the one-person design shop Jeff Fisher LogoMotives and I've been designing logos, creating corporate identity systems and branding organizations, businesses and products for just about 27 years. My clients have included one-person entrepreneurial companies, education institutions, nonprofit organizations, government agencies, professional sports teams and major international corporations. Since 1995 the primary focus of my business has been logo design.

Some of you may have seen examples of my work as it is now featured in over 70 books on the design of logos, the business of graphic design, and small business marketing. I also write a great deal about graphic design and articles have appeared in HOW Magazine, "Designer" - the publication of the University & College Designer Association, and "Bulletin" - the magazine of the American Society of Media Photographers. My industry-related writing has also been posted on CreativeLatitude.com, CreativePublic.com, Commpiled.com, TheCreativeForum.com, the web site of the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada and many others. Features about my business have appeared in HOW, other creative industry publications, newspapers, major magazines and webzines around the world. I serve on the HOW Magazine Editorial Advisory Board and the HOW Design Conference Advisory Council. My book "The Savvy Designer's Guide to Success: Ideas and tactics for a killer career," a somewhat irreverent look at the business of graphic design, was released by HOW Design Books in December 2004.

I'm often asked to speak about my experiences in design, and the marketing of small businesses, to Chamber of Commerce groups, Small Business Development Center educators, related industry professional organizations, high school art careers classes and college design students. Somehow I have become a regular presence at the annual HOW Design Conference and, after making a 2004 presentation in my underwear, I have actually been invited back to speak at the 2005 conference in Chicago in June.

So these days, about half my time is spent designing and the rest writing and speaking.

- J.

[Mynock]

I just graduated with a BS in Digital Design - Electronic in the Spring of 2005. I worked nine months at a small format quick printer in Rochester. I was one of three designers. Now, I am working for a large format printer who opened a branch in Rochester, MN. They have plans for small format domination/competition with my old employer. I have done just about everything in the last 5 years.

Digital Video, Interactive Cd's, web sites, Video Game Mods, 3D Animation and modeling, video editing, logo creation, small format print, large format print, prepress, and I'm sure I'm missing something.

I have not yet created my font which I have the beginnings of from Typography class.

-Out

[G-Man79]

"What wouldya say ya DO here?"

To say that my job is multifaceted is an understatement (as is the case with most folks here on GDF).

Design - I handle any and all graphic work for our clients. Logos, letterhead, promotional materials for events, glossy guidebooks, etc. I've also done a handful of websites including gd work, programming, content, hosting set-up and all that good stuff.

Research - The down and dirty part of my job. Tracking down articles, going through govt databases looking for obscure stats and then turning that info into fact sheets.

Technical Consulting - Occassionally our clients will run into hardware/software issues and I'm asked to help out however I can. It's not that often so it's no big deal. You'd be surprised how grateful clients are to have someone squash the bugs for them.

Other than that I post up on GDF and a few other forums whenever I have a free moment.

[Crimson]

I am a catalog and inhouse designer for NAPA. I love it here because I have been through enough layoffs to last a lifetime. It's a good stable place for a man with 4 kids. It is auto parts people so I get to make a lot of qawdy photoshop effects to impress them to buy steering pumps and battery chargers. It's corporate but I have a good boss.

Illustrator at heart. Rock and Roll dream to draw comics but don't practice enough and can't live the Comic illustrator life with a family. I would also love work at the Skywalker ranch. Freelance on the side what ever I can.

[rickself]

WOW! I never realized I worked for SOOOO many people. For I am your beloved PREPRESS Administrator!!

HoooHooooo (that's HuuHuu).

I deal with each and every one of you every day.

You call me each and every time you have a question pertaining to printing, particularly what file format, pc or Mac, tiff or eps, jpeg or LZW, PDF, FTP, RGB, Freehand 5, 7, 8, 9, MX, Illustrator 8, 9, 10, CS, RageMaker, InDesign 2, CS, CS2, Quark 4, 5, 6, Word, Publisher (Nooooo Not Publisher!) Photoshop, CorelDraw and Paint,...Geeeez, I'm outta breath. I gootta know the programs so I can take your files apart when they don't RIP.

Yes, you DO call, don't you? Just to make sure you have the right set-up.

And when you don't call ahead, I can explain my 16 years in this job and 49 year old silver hair!

That's what I do. Don't ask me why!!

Rick

[PrintDriver]

^LMFAO^
You forgot Excel...
LOL!

[Kool]

Heh heh, yeah and Paint & Quicken & the Hallmark greeting card maker and all the fine products from Broderbrund. :D

[PrintDriver]

Wow, Kool you've really done time in Hell!

[rickself]

& the Hallmark greeting card maker and all the fine products from Broderbrund. :D

Oh man, how could I forget the greeting card program!!! "What do you mean you don't support this program?":eek: "But it prints fine on my Lexmark at home!!":eek: "Can you print on prepackaged card stock???"

And then they act like you've really pissed em off and they vow to go to ANOTHER printer. C-YA!

[synthetic]

ok... I am game for this one

Me... well just joined because one of my favorite forums (Illustratorworld.com) shut down recently and needed my fix of interesting chat with like minded people and this place seemed like a nice spot.

Currently, I am the senior graphic artist for the advertising deparment of a mid size newspaper. Not a bad job for my area. I create mostly adverts for local businesses in town. Because we have small amount of artists, I handle many other duties too. I have created billboards, posters, flyers, graphic designs for race cars, logos, graphics for displays and developed several promotional campaigns for our newspaper. Just recently appointed person in charge of web media and just started creating some web banners and using Flash.

I also dabble in music production in my small home studio and a little animation with Flash when time allows. :cool:

[9iron]

Boy, I can't let this go. You guys and gals, except for red raw, are doing exactly what all of our economy/business mentalities dictate. Accomplishing as many tasks as possible with the fewest people. I'm not surprised at all with the mix of expertise that I see and hear everyday as well as on this Forum. I've seen wonderful work from Photoshop and CorelDraw hobbyists and of course from the real pros. I happen to like most of the work I see in print and boy is there a variety. Every day I see someone's work that inspires me to try it their way and see how I can make it better. More often than not, I can't. But I love to try. Find a way too make their companies better, even some times for free, and you’ll find a lot of fun work you didn’t know was out there. That’s my two cents. Have a great weekend.

[JPnyc]

I work here.

[Rocketpig]

For the past two years, I have worked at an aftermarket ATV performance company in Anaheim, CA. I deal with press releases, print materials, advertisements, the website, clothing, decals/stickers, product photography, and I maintain a web presence for the company on a various number of forums.

In other words, I do damned near everything.

[Shrimp123]

ok, now we know everyone jobs.. As I will be startign collage a year and a bit from now, I'd like to know, what sort of pay are we talking in these jobs. I know they can be very very wel payed, but on avarage, when you've started off. I know pay isnt everything, but still nice to know.

[PrintDriver]

^that's a tad nosey^

[chalsema]

I'm sure there are ways to get ahold of salary guides. I have one from the Creative Group that seems pretty thorough. I tried to find it on their website, but didn't see it. You could try contacting them, or just searching around online for a different one.

[JB]

I do completely free marketing for realtors and in exchange they work with my husband (a loan officer) and give him leads for loans. It all works out pretty well in the long run, since each little project probably averages out to a few grand. Much more than if I were following my regular price sheet. I really enjoy it.

:)

[sadesigner]

I run a small new media design company in Cape Town and I'm lovin' it. Our main focus is web and new media, but we're getting into the swing of things with graphic design and the whole printing game. We mainly do corporate IDs, posters, brochures, business cards and large format design for banners and exhibition stands. Basically anything that comes our way!

[logomotive]

Hi Vicki, Have not seen you around on the about forum. Hows it going?
How's the UP?

[keith1]

I'd hate to burst your bubble logomotive but http://www.jfisherlogomotives.com/

[LeftBrain Artist]

I'm a graphic designer and account manager for a small design firm: myself and 5 other designers, the boss and his wife.
On the design side, I do primarily print based stuff - catalog layout, POP materials, ads, instruction sheets and manuals, packaging and die line/fold schemes, lineart and illustrations, photo retouching, logo design, pocket folders, concept sketches/drawings for new products, a little multi-media: I know just enough about Director to make simple interfaces for CD ROMs. Haven't done anything with web design, haven't needed to. A lot of clients from the industrial/manufacturing sector, a few from service industries.

On the account management side: I quote the jobs, monitor and coordinate production, meet with the clients, organize and delegate work for large projects, invoice preparation and solve billing problems created by my boss, analyze the numbers (dont think I'm supposed to but its hard to ignore when its so easily accessible).

Pretty much the only things I don't do are sales and cashing the clients' checks.

I don't think its nosey to ask how much we make. I myself make a cool million a year - but I'm paid in fish.

[colonel5]

Like a few of you have posted I wear "many hats" I graduated With my AAS in Multimedia & WebDesign in July of 04 and got my first real gig (outside of a side job here and there) at a small company here in Eagan, MN as part-time marketing/everything Guy. The position went full time in June and I'm well in the swing of things. My responsibilities include Design of magazine ads, direct mail, sales lit., our website, and all inhouse junk (letterhead, invoice, business cards, etc) along with that we record our own on hold messages which is kind of fun (using Garage Band and a few pieces of hardware) I am very much a rookie in this game but am learning a lot very fast since I am the only person in the department, since it's a small company i report directly to the General Manager and Owner, and am left to myself to figure out how to do things, not very typical for someone in an entry level position such as myself.

I've only been around this forum for a few months but already I've learned a lot from many of you. thanx for having me here!

[morea]

glad to have you aboard, colonel, thanks for sharing :p

[Mynock]

colonel5 where did you get your degree?

[Satchel]

I am a graphic designer in casino's advertising department. if you've ever been to a casino and seen all the posters/duratrans/brochures/flyers/etc... that's what I do. A little bit of newspaper/magazine ad's, business cards/letter heads/ envelopes... but have mostly been working on themed party invites, which are pretty fun and we do about 3-5 a month, some of which are pretty extravagent because they go to our "high end" players... and then of course all the odds and ends that the other designer is too busy for. Soon I will be starting a new project doing all the animations for the LCD's and LED slot screens... should be a pretty interesting and fun project.

-Satchel-

[logomotive]

I'd hate to burst your bubble logomotive but http://www.jfisherlogomotives.com/
That's OLD news I have been around (online) since OCT. 1997 I KNow, Jeff Knows and thats that. But thanks for bring that to my attention.

[colonel5]

I got my AAS from DCTC (Dakota County Technical College) did u go to school around here (MN)?

[colonel5]

oop, i just saw you are from rochester myknock, i went to school with a few people from your town...

[Mynock]

I went to Bemidji State University.

http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=131414&postcount=55

[Eraser Nubbin]

I work for an upstart hydronics company trying to punch into the market with a bang so they have elected to go about creating a full fledged corporate identity to more or less make us seem like a big company, which is where I come in.

I handle all the design crap, manuals, websites, adds and what not.
Like many other people in here working at a small company gives me the opportunity to do a lot of other things like marketing, the dishes, industrial espionage, and a bit of the old ultra-violence from time to time.

[colonel5]

dishes! that's my favorite part about working for a small company! I had a hard time narrowing down my fav part, but that's for sure it! ;o)

[Rocketpig]

I went to Bemidji State University.

http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showpost.php?p=131414&postcount=55

Really? I lived in Bemidji for 5 years as a kid. My brother in law's family still lives there.

Now I live in Long Beach, CA.

Small world.

[jimintn]

Currently I work for an aftermarket automotive manufacturing company in Middle Tennessee. For the first 5+ years I was the distribution manager at the company's warehouse (we went from 27 company owned stores to 49 in that span of time). Because of several years experience in pre-press prior to that, I was given a new position when the company decided to bring a lot of items in house. I am currently doing all of the ads that are placed in trade publications, flyers and other promotional materials both for the corporate office and the local stores (a lot of these are simple b/w). We have just started a catalog for one division of the company which will be about 60 pages and full color throughout. At the first of the year we will start a major catalog project that will probably take two years or more to complete because of everything that will be involved. I am setting up a nationwide incentive program for end user customers to take part in with Omaha Steaks (hoping to get some samples). And after the first of the year, I get to start some modifications and updates to the company website.

I don't post very often, and when I do it has very little substance, but I have learned a ton from the members of this forum and am extremely grateful for it.

(now back to a meaningless, useless, time wasting thread)

[keith1]

Very similiar to my job jimintn.:) I work for an aftermarket automotive supplier. I started out in the warehouse for 4 years then they liked me so they moved me into the office creating purchase orders. In the meantime I was attending college to obtain a degree in graphic design and after I learned a bunch of stuff I wrote an email to the head honcho telling him that I think we should move the advertising design in-house because I know how to do all this stuff. Shortly after they bought all the software I needed and I was off and running making flyers, catalogs & ads and 100 times better than the person doing it at the printer where we used to print out stuff and they'd design it. I saved them a ton of money and also secured a job. I am the only in-house designer now and I hate my job. It is boring as hell. ( I also freelanced for a magazine for 1.5 years.) Then again I always hated working for others. I make decent money really, probably topped out where I am but I am not happy. The only reason I am topped out is because I got a nice size raise after putting in my 2 week notice after almost taking on a full-time job with the magazine I was freelancing for who was really gonna pay me shit, (I had been working there for almost 10 years {warehouse & all included}) So my goal now is to create my own biz from home making the same amount or more hopefully in the next year or so and getting my current employer as my first steady account.

the end.

[lbwd]

I am under 20 and own my web and graphic design business. The money is good when you wipe out every local competitor. The key for me is advertising in good places.

There are always the lame and boring as hell times.
There are happy times, and problem times.
There are times when you must throw your chair out the window.

:)

[sadesigner]

More like throwing my PC out the window when working on 1GB+ files...:mad:

[PersonasBinar]

I started by getting a degree as a programmer/analyst in 89. Got into DTP waaaaay back in 91 almost by accident. Started designing the usual reports, annuals, ads , etc etc. Ended up in service bureaus as a cross platform expert, getting files back and forth from PC/MAC. Started cutting my large format teeth back in 93.

More service bureaus, more freelance design incl Converse billboard, and the VIP invites to the Montreal Grand Prix for team Sun/McLaren(complete with sound chip inside of the cars)

Finsihed service bureaus in all digital/variable print place. Processing databases to create imposed 21 up phone cards, pins, bar codes etc. Super cool toys there. Indigo6colour TuboStream funfun

Now Digital Ad Tech at one of canada's biggest newspapers, still designing at home for follks. Creating PDF workflows, training supporting the production & ad building staff in all software. Testing all versions of OS-X trying to get something solid for production to use.

Who knows where it'll end. Still waiting for my implant so i may comunicate wirelessly to my machinery..lol. Horrible pack rat of all tech. My basement is testament to the power of a geek on the loose.

[The_Black_Knight]

You know, I could have sworn that I already posted in this thread. Oh well...

I currently work as a contract employee in the packaging production department of a very large pharmaceutical/consumer health care corporation. We work on the packaging and labeling for over-the-counter products such as pain medication, cough/allergy products, and nutritional supplements.

While the work itself isn't very exciting, the importance of what we do can't be underestimated. We have to get things absolutely correct the first time they go out, or it could mean product recalls, investigations by the FDA, or internal audits to figure out what went wrong (one mistake can get an employee put on probation). I am the kind of person that enjoys work that requires attention to detail, so this job really appeals to me. I've also learned a lot about printing processes other than offset and digital printing, since packaging involves printing on materials that include paperboard, plastic, and foil, so this job also appeals to my technical nature.

Before this job, I worked for a company that organized continuing medical education programs (seminars sponsored by drug companies that offer continuing medical education credit to doctors that attend). Prior to that, I worked for a small agency that specialized in advertising animal health products. Before that, I worked for the health insurance division of a giant insurance/real estate corporation.

Altogether, I've been doing the graphic design thing for ten years now.

[rachie]

Im doing a degree in Graphic Design/Web Design/Illustrator in Liverpool School of Art but I also sell My designs on T shirts/prints on the web.
I have done free lance work in the past too.
I basicaly live and breath for design - and i like doing abit of everything. At some point I would like to study annimation as well.
And my dream jobs would concist of flyer/cd design/webdesign/childrens illustration/illustration and photography (I dont want much then lol)

Rachel

[Ally]

I am on my last semester as a Graphic Design/Advertsing (Major and Minor consecutively) student.

Currently I work for a small time publication that runs about 44-50 pages and is distributed monthly. I do the layout and design the whole book from cover to end, it is mostly ad work. I also do freelance stuff, mostly flyers for shows/events, several logos, and some small webdesign stuff. I'm into fashion, I've designed several tshirt designs (mostly for women) and have been asked to sell in several boutiques here locally but am scared to take that step at this time, will do it soon I hope ;)

[distruktor]

im a senior designer working in a small but growing design agency in the Midlands in England. Ive worked in huge companies but i preffer the smaller environment where you have more control and more fun. I've been doing it since i was 17 thats 11 years!!! **gasp** that was painfull to say.

I do all sorts of work, Print wise it ranges form coffee table type stuff for clients like Alpine car stereos, to brochures for funky office develpoments and bars/resturants and then more normal stuff like corporate literature and annual reports.

We also do branding, logo generation, corporate ID, illustration, animation, web, promotional work/DM, All the normal print stuff, packaging............. blah, blah, blah

i love my job, wouldnt wanna do anything else! ever!!

[LeeIs]

I am designer at a local daily newspaper which is the second largest in Toronto as far as readership goes.

My primary design responsibility is laying out our daily Celebrity News section which takes me an hour to two hours. After that me and a collegue are a two man show (we're the only graphic designers there at night) and handle all the files, trouble shoot and make sure the paper gets out the next day, every day!! :D It could get hectic at times becuase there isn't such a thing as an unsolvable problem. Everything must be solved by either him or I or well "somebody gonna get hurt real bad!!"

It could get quite busy & stressful at times but the good thing is that time flies by. I'd much rather be busy then sitting on my ass watching the clock.

Good topic by the way. I think I like CntrlAltDel's job the best. I thought about making the jump to T.V. graphics at one point but didn't know where to start.

[TeeJaa]

First Post here guys & gals,
I was sucked into a prepress void, in a local print shop. And am now prepress manager for the last 13 years. Learning the technical aspect of print design (making many design flaws printable) with few regrets. But, now I am yearning for a more creative role, and with no avenue with my current employer, I am in the process of starting my own design business, primarily targeting non-profit orgs, new-church/ministries and small (new) business start-ups, offering obviously print design, but also web graphics/website design/management.

[morea]

welcome aboard TeeJaa. :)

[Drorain]

What do I do? I wanted to re-answer this question because my scope of work has changed quite a bit from my days working with the online printer. I have gained some insight into how various places consider/value design. I have also experienced a very different process of working from design to completion.

Before I make this long enough to become blog worthy let me simply say I used to be a graphic designer and production monkey at an online printer. Majority of the work created there was simple recreations, or small dumb ads that would simply be thrown out by the recipients. The customers don’t know this though, they don’t know the value of quality design. Most settled for template designs, I see my old companies presence on tack boards everywhere. Those business cards or postcards…all bearing the same designs, the customer successfully printed something, for that they should be proud. But these cards are also successfully ignored because they become a dime a dozen. The same template bearing a calm tree pencil sketch becomes the beckoning business card of message therapists, dog walkers, home builders, and doctors. Their card says nothing about who or what their business is. I ramble tho…anyway I made lots of these templates, and the occasional thinking customer would ask for an original design, that was the best work we made. Most of which is in my portfolio.

My job was to be off-shored at some point in the near or distant future, the custom design which always rang up higher order values, wasn’t the direction the company wanted to go. So the main focus was more templates and faster process I left before I became unemployed. My friends that are still their tell me of no work coming in, they sit their over half their day with nothing to do.

My new job…I am a ‘marketing associate’ according to my business card. Basically we’re a team of 4 creatives, my boss is marketing manager, but is also leader of the content group (of two people.) I am her other arm, I do everything from production (on the computer) to design. The list (and my experience) grows longer each day…now I’m doing trade ads…that will be featured in a national gift magazine, some days I’m doing store display pages, or signage. Most of our stuff is printed in-house, on high quality laser printers. I’m learning a lot here, more than my old job, a lot more. I find myself working on the computer and cutting out stuff in almost equal proportions, and the creative work is balanced in as well. Best of all my boss defers to me on various processes and changes. I now work in photoshop more than I’ve had to before, color correcting or changing stuff. I also show them illustrator tricks, my forte, and I’m helping lead the transition from pagemaker to indesign.

This is a dream job for any newbie like me. Over 2 years out of school, I am on the fast track to learning much that will help in running my own studio. . .down the line. I thank God for this job, and BTW I guess craigslist is good for something, I found this job on there. Although there were other interviews (many) I think I ended up where I am meant to be. People on this board don’t lose heart, the time will come for any designer that pushes themselves enough. I hope this is an inspiration and an education in steps to becoming a designer.

Yup this should have been in a blog…oh well thanks for reading

[morea]

oh, my job changes all the time too. Today I am a biscuit.

[Drorain]

hopefully not a limp buscuit

[morea]

nope, a firm biscuit.

[Jason Fraker]

I work in a copy/print environment, but it's more than the last print shop job I had. For one thing, we do all our printing off-site, so there's little prepress type stuff on my end. I leave the setup to them because I never know which press they're gonna use, the size of paper, yada yada yada. I am the sole inhabitant of the art department, so I'm pretty well left alone, but totally culpable when there's a screw up. I get to do a fair amount of actual design work, so my creativity is not stifled. We have a client who holds Cheer/Dance competitions all over the US, and we do all of their advertising, some of which appears in national publications. The company's been in business since 1987, so I feel secure in my employment even in the lean times, because 18 years in this business is like 118 in some others. They usually send me to at least one design conference a year, and I get to leave early on sometimes to pick up my son. One thing I love about small companies is the flexability they can provide.

I also have a side business, Blue Monkey Group, where I do freelance design and heirloom photo restoration, which is beginning to pick up a bit lately.

I'll shut up now.

[TheBluePanda]

I posted here a while back, but now I'm at a different company.

I'm a "new media specialist" in the art department of a fairly large event staging/media company. Theres about a dozen people in my department, which is a new thing for me. In past experiences, I was often the only designer.

I work with online training materials, flash, print, presentations, and any other digital thing that needs to be done.

[Neuro]

Congrats Dro! I think it's nice to hear how you started off with a bit of a struggle and now you are happy. It's too easy for many of us to get discouraged but the way ppl treat us designers! Just think how dull the world would be without us?

[D-Frag]

production
advertising
copywriter
large format stuff
cut vinyl
pre-production
fixer of random office equipment
in store hellion
manual labor (which doesn't happen to often)
job tracker/controller


and on occasion I get to design ;) j/k, im an all around designer/fixer/trade monkey, the good thing is they don't pay me in bananna's

[John G]

I'm a "Multimedia Programmer" even though I don't program anything (thank god). I'm a 2d/3d designer (they call me a developer) with me mainly focusing on 3d illustration/animation in Truespace and Flash for the military in their distance learning program (as a contractor).

That's a nice run-on sentance for you.

[PersonasBinar]

ooo video game designer for the army.....cool

[Seapony]

Freelance Graphic Designer.
Independent Contractor for various companies from Pre-press to Fashion.

Thanks to today's times, I'm pretty ready for a steady 9 to 5...or 8.

Thought I'd chime in.

:)

[Beck]

I'm the graphic designer for Motor City Sports Magazine. My husband and a few other people started this idea about a year ago and we just launched the first issue in October. I do everything from the layout to various ads to media kits to the website. Pretty much if it needs to be designed, I'm the (wo)man.

[Mynock]

So your work doesn't involve two turntables and a microphone?

[JaCkinbOx]

Still freelancing and learning the trade. I've had the privilege of jumpstarting my career with a few good clients that helped encourage me to commit to this wild industry. I think what may've marked my professional start was last election year when I offered my services to the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate's campaign website's webteam. They liked me work and took me on board. I worked hand-in-hand regularly with the webteam on web graphics and redesigned some of the political fliers for the campaign. It isn't some of my proudest work, I admit, but it really made me get my act together and take this job seriously as a career. I really learned a lot. It was a great experience -- time-consuming and very challenging, but a great experience.

Those glory days are over, however. I need to volunteer for them some more as I have time open up, though.

Nowadays I'm just looking for job opportunities, so I'm not too well off right now. I've got a few gigs but nothing steady. Can't get my work appreciated locally but I'm not ready to move away just yet.

[Neballer]

absolutely nothing........bwhahahahahahah! :D

[Beck]

So your work doesn't involve two turntables and a microphone?
That's my other job.

[FreedomDesign]

Work as a Sr. Web Designer for a large Healthcare system by day. At night I run my own graphic design business from home.

Started in 1986 as a paste-up artist (Old Skool!) Graphic designer, Pre-press for many years in printing companies. Fine art Gallery owner for 4 years (I also paint myself). And since 97 been doing Web design etc.

Peace

[clairabelle]

i hven't got a job in design yet *sobs and sniffs* im still a student but im gettin there! :D

[clairabelle]

p.s. the little dude in my avatar is a digital manipulation of an "alternate universe" tree i made and then took a picture of and in photosho i gave it some arms and stuff! aint he cute lol

[panzer]

damn i am so on the lower rung :(

[jlknauff]

I also paint myself
Sounds messy, does it come off in the shower? :rolleyes:

[Pete33]

Like one or two others here, I'm an odd-job man in a company with a staff total of just one: me. If there are any odd jobs going, I try and get them!

After being employed for nearly five years doing the same work, I was made redundant and decided to set up on my own. I mainly build customised for PowerPoint and Word document templates for offices, complete with VBA scripting and a custom toolbar to make them look really fancy, and do precisely what the client requires.

My other main task is setting up adverts to be published in the trade press. This involves editing, cropping and adding new material to photos, and preparing all the other images required for an advert, and then sending the final, accepted image to the magazine for inclusion in ther next issue. Often this is done with a short deadline, ie "we have a slot free and the cut-off date is tomorrow morning," but my work is pretty varied, so it's always interesting.

The only downside is that I have to do all my own accounting, public relations and marketing. While I seem to be able to handle the first, I suck at the other two!

[captain spanky]

I'm a graphic designer bloke for Thomas Cook and the pay is TERRIBLE.
most of my spare time is being spent restoring my vw campervan (or 'kombi' to you non-brits out there) and next week it will also involve a lot of sending out CVs. :)

[Crimson]

Well since GD pays so well, I picked up delivering Pizzas as a hobbie. I don't really like to hang out with my 4 kids and wife much. Driving on solid ice makes it extra fun and I love it when I don't get a tip. It reminds me of my day job.

[jlknauff]

Well since GD pays so well, I picked up delivering Pizzas as a hobbie. I don't really like to hang out with my 4 kids and wife much. Driving on solid ice makes it extra fun and I love it when I don't get a tip. It reminds me of my day job.

Heh heh heh :D Cynical much?

[panzer]

im 36 but feel out of touch with you guys most of you seem to know your stuff i work in a print shop that is run by a charity ane we are training people in all the stuff a print shop needs to do; although i am learning it myself, i am nor could ever hope to be an artist, so therefore i think i may be really wasting my timedoing this

what do you guys think can i still be a good designer even tho i suck at art and what progs apllications do you think i really should get under my belt ?

besides a spell checker :)

[Logo-Mechanix]

I work for a promotional products company as a Graphic Artist designing at for shirts, hats, medallions, plaques as well as logos. I also can run our engraving equipment which consists of 2 laser engravers 2 mechanical engravers and a cylindrical engraver. I also have experience in prepress having done that for a number of years. On the side I have my own internet based business designing logos and converting low resolution logos into high resolution vector art.

[jrlgraphix]

I am an independent insurance agent in the Minneapolis area. So if your looking for cheap insurance let me know!

[emmerse]

Graphic designer for a beer distributor for the last 3 years. While a lot of distributors run programs like PosterGenie (a "do it yourself" signage program... completely rigid and creates horrid signs) to output signage, we have complete control over what goes out into the market.

One stop shop here, concept to completion, everything from table tents to outdoor banners. Mostly though its indoor POS or event signage. I usually have brewery supplied templates I can use as backgrounds to which I add my custom info. Its a lot of open a template, add a price and package type, print it out... boring boring stuff. But there's also a lot of open the template, figure out an effective way to cram all the info they want on it for an upcoming event, and print it out... can be challenging and fun at times too.

everything in house, we have a 42" HP printer for various media including a waterproof outdoor material, static window stickers and regular old glossy paper, and we have a Roland plotter for cutting vinyl for our banners.

its a great job for the area, and has been a good entry level job but its not really going to cut it for me much more as I there's a ceiling here for how much I can earn and I'm either at it or real close.

my next move will hopefully get me into a corporate in house design department. with a family and bills to pay, I definitely need the steady income and benefits that come with the corporate world.

[Booger]

i posted a new thread earlier, but i'll quote here....

Just wanted to say hello, I'm a newbie. I've been browsing and lurking around the site for the last few days at work just gathering some tips and ideas.

I won't call myself a graphic designer, as my abilites are far from what I've seen here. I work for an Anheuser-Busch distributor in the sign/graphics department. We take Corel files that are posted online and edit them to fit requests for our accounts and print. A large majority of the time we do pricing signs in typical 2x3, 3x5 format, and tons of Tabloid Extra price cards (case cards) and window stickers. Between 3 people we cover something like 1300 accounts including bars, supermarkets, and convienience stores. In the C-Stores we do alot of cooler wraps (imagery covering the metal and walls around cooler doors) that span from ten feet to fifty feet.
For the most part we use Corel Draw for everything thats 'basic' but I'll dip into photopaint to edit some graphics to suit whenever possible. Out of the three of us I end usually cover the more "custom" signage and do the creative stuff that isn't available for use to use online. I'll try to get some pictures of some of my work posted up before too long just so you can see what I deal with, and what I have available and permitted to use. I also do *some* vinyl graphics with the very outdated and hard to use (for me) Gerber Edge and cutters. There is a Roland 40" cutter stuck in the corner because those before me had no idea how to use it after it was purchased, and it now sits collecting dust.
On a typical day we print approximately 400' of media, from regular polymatte, to waterproof paper, to adhesive backed media mounted on "coroplastic" or styrene. Printers are A-B issued Eaglejets (HP) from 42" to 60" (3 total) and OkiData laser small format printers.

Forgive me if some of my terminology isn't perfect, its what I've been suckered into using with our staff. Its a little long winded for sure, but I'm hoping to pick up on some Photoshop and Illustrator stuff here and elsewhere for my own personal benifit, and for use at work. Hopefully I can shed some light on some of the Corel uses I've come across, even though its seemed as a subpar program by most. (I do hate it, constant crashes and so forth...)

-Brandon

[emmerse]

^^^ we have the exact same job. cept, you are my sworn enemy (coors/miller distributor here). We use corel too, and yes, constant crashes are my number 1 issue with it.

I have to ask, doesn't that white, stroked dollar sign drive you nuts? I see it on every AB sign here and it always gets lost. can't believe AB's creative department lets that go as their official company look. yikes.

[rigmort]

I produce beer signs, and since I have a background in the printing industry, I do all my own design. That means I spend half my days working in Illustrator drawing everything from neon signs to backlit pieces to backbar glorifiers to barmats to blinky rings. We also do a lot of fiber-optic animated signs, so I have a system down pat for animating the thousands of points of light in Flash. The other half of my day is spent dealing with customers and vendors.

The coolest thing about my job is seeing my drawing come back from the factory as a prototype and then having the customer order 20,000 of them. I like going into a bar or liquor store and seeing one of my signs on the wall.

I make over 60k for this, which isn't a ton of cash, but hopefully it will inspire somebody who's making 30k to rise up and do something about it. I did...

[Wing1]

I'm a freelancer, been in the business since 1989, so I've pretty much done it all. I work primarily in print, everthing from newspaper to magazine, to high end 4/c.

Most notable clients are a major tire manufacturer and their retail partner, here in Canada.

Call me the Goddess of Rubber...

::waits for the snickers::

[morea]

ooh, the goddess of rubber is a cool nickname! You ought to use that for your custom user title. :D

[Wing1]

Ha! Maybe I'll do that... :D

You know you've been doing tires too long when you can identify them by tread pattern...

[morea]

I design ads for washing machines and stoves. I totally sympathize. :p

[balou]

I'm pretty new to the forum so thought I'd post here. I worked in a "do it all" small print shop for 10 years until March of 2004 when I decided to fly solo. My first job there was typing in news stories for a free newspaper. Then moved into ad design and into graphic design for the big presses. Learned everything on the job. Feel pretty lucky that I was able to do this. I was always involved with computers and art but when I went to college back in the TRS80 days (jeez I'm old!), the combination of the two did not exist. I work out of a renovated building in the back yard. Probably the only shed around here with a Direcway sat dish on the roof! No DSL yet but is coming soon. I have three steady customers and some here & there local customers. My focus is package & print design for pharmaceuticals, beauty products & my newest customer is rolling out a new line of painting tools. I also design ads & sales flyers for a chain of liquor stores and maintain their website. I'm very lucky to do what I do and all from home. I miss having cubemates to bounce ideas off of and ask questions so I appreciate this forum!

[broken mold design]

Id, real easte advertising and promo, Web, print

[Rio]

I work in a the in house marketing department of a travel company. Mainly do print/editorial design. Logo's, brochures, news ads, posters and any in house stuff that the company needs such as menus/ads for the christmas party. :)

[rockem]

Work in exhibit design, work closely with 3d desingers of exhibits, and engineers, way to many other to list, along with our marketing materials for the company. And freelancing.
Some new offers have been showing up latley, and a new job might be in the future

http://www.skyline.com/object-dsp/images/designportfolio/miller/30x40/5.jpg

[jcolvin]

I design signs and banners for a wine and liquor distributor in Atlanta.

[ArvDesign]

I'm like Dr. Hyde. During the day I'm working as a in-house graphics designer in one of the biggest NYC Real Estate company,but when the nights and weekends come I'm my own boss as I'm trying to freelance with my small business.

[Coley]

I design yardage books for the PGA and have designed cinema display sets for the premier of Harry Potter in London.

My full time job is driving a van. Very testing on the patience front as I press on to become a full time designer. The latest is that I have secured some more work with the PGA this year. The last one I did was used by Jack Nicklaus, Kevin Costner etc at the BMW cup.;)

May sound off beat but it's true. Looking at securing the UK market this year:D

Ps Van driving is soul destroying:mad: . Anyone got good contacts who might be interested???:)

[JPnyc]

You designed display sets for a premier of a major film and still have to drive a van? I would've thought that such a gig meant that one was an established designer already

[Coley]

Thats the frustrating part so far. goto www.brilliant-media.com (http://www.brilliant-media.com/) and check out the harry potter and look under the work section to check out the work i did.

Maybe I need to look at my approach to these companies. They require specific qualifications it seems and because I've never worked full time in the design industry and I'm 31 years of age they may just toss my stuff to the side.:confused:

However I know that if I got a chance somewhere I would shine big time. I would also be prepared to make the coffee to start off with.;)

The PGA and Harry Potter are two of the biggest gigs Ive scored. Basically from people who are confident in my abilities. Having said that, these guys do not specialise in the areas as mentioned. But, because they took my number when I showed them my portfolio they gave me the chance when these jobs came through to their respective companies.

I am a designer by nature, not by design, if that make sense:confused:

[JPnyc]

Nice work. I dunno if the age is the issue. I made a career change into I.T. at age 42. Before that I was a professional musician for 24 yrs which is about as different from being in I.T. as I think you can get, but here I am.

[Coley]

Thanks for the reply.:) I'm not convinced its the age thing either. Some other people that work in the industry are.:rolleyes: I'm at a junction at the moment with it being January and all. I need to find a course to head me in the right direction.:cool:

I make music aswell and have had some pretty good success with that.:)

My main concern is focusing myself on specifics in both fields. I seemed to have jumped the progress queue in terms of status recognition only to find that it adds to my "current" frustration of having to drive a van for my "regular" income.

[JPnyc]

Well with that stuff on your résumé you should have a good start. You just have to strike now while it's current. Do whatever you can think of to get your name out. Make your own site, send out CVs to everybody and their brother. Put your CV on yahoo hot jobs and whatever papers you have there that have job searching. That's how I got hired.

[Meganpru]

Wow, I finally got to the end of this thread! :) Guess I better tell you about my job...

My full-time job is a web designer for PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), which is perfect cuz I've always wanted to do design that made a difference and enjoy working in the non-profit sector. I mostly work on their youth/college age site, but do updates on others, too.

I also freelance on the side, I'm starting to get several regular clients and some that just come out of the blue. I'd really like to do more print design (my degree is in both graphic & web) but most of my freelance work tends to be web design, too.

I just graduated last May (but have several years of internships & freelance experience starting while I was still in school), so I think I'm doing pretty well so far. I'd like to work for a small design firm that specializes in green/activist/non-profit design and eventually start my own firm (or just freelance full time). My bottom line is using design for good causes, not just to sell crap. Hopefully I can stick to that in my career. :)

[reuber1]

(but have several years of internships & freelance experience starting while I was still in school)Lucky you.:p

[reuber1]

Figured an update to this one is in order.

I'm in my fourth month as a support tech for a local software developer's Point of Sale software that I'm still having difficulty understanding (accounting knowledge is required...I have zilch). Prior to that I spent 5 years working retail, and hated every minute of it. I was excited to get this job at first, but I've realized quickly after getting hired that it wasn't what I had in mind. I've been out of school for about a year and a half and am still looking for a production artist position with zero luck...I've been interviewed twice in two years for a design position, got as far as a second interview, and have been beat out by people with internship experience every time, most of whom who just graduated school. Almost all of my classmates have jobs in the field.

I've been revamping my portfolio for a long time because my school work sucks...so I've been literally "making" up work, with little success; trying to come up with fictional projects is a pain in the ass. By the end of each day, I am completely drained because I'm constantly thinking of what I can do, and my brain just wants to veg out when I get home. I post on here in between support calls, since there's no documentation on our software for training so it's not like I have anything better to do. I've been trying to come up with a logo for freelance for the better part of a light year now, and I've been wanting to tear my hair out because I can't come up with anything.

Can we tell I'm a bit jaded?

Oh yeah, apparently I'm not allowed to critique anyone's work because I have no work to show of my own.

[urstwile]

This seems like the best place to introduce myself (admins, feel free to redirect if I'm in the wrong place):

I found this site in a Google search for printer driver software, so that paints me as a geek, but DISCLAIMER COMING!!!! I'm a reluctant geek. I'm the person who's able to understand all that stuff the other people don't want to try to figure out, and I can't just sit by in ignorance, so I figure it out, because I don't have the patience to wait for someone else to answer the question for me.

Because of that, people ask me questions, and I feel compelled to find out the answer. So I'm the go-to-girl when it comes to technical questions.

I wear my geek moniker proudly. I'm firmly convinced that geek is the new punk. Plus, I'm yeah, really smart. Sorry if that's arrogant. :p

That being said, I also consider myself a graphic artist. My official title at work is as a production artist. It's a thankless, unrecognized role. Really, I'm not just saying that, it truly is considered at the level of a secretarial, "can't you just burn a CD of the )#@%*& and get it to me in time for Fedex?"

Well, no, I can't. Why? Because I haven't checked the bleed, I haven't checked that the resolution of the images is optimal quality, I haven't checked that nothing is rotated in the page layout software (adding to the RIP time).

I have almost 30 years of experience working in this industry, starting with non-WYSYWIG computer front-ends, where I coded layouts, rather than dragging boxes around a Quark layout. I had to know what my code would look like. It was a point of pride to me to know that I could program a runaround based on a tissue layout and get it dead-on the first proof out of the developer.

I care about fonts. I care about KERNING and LETTERSPACING. I rotate text boxes upside down to kern type, to better respect negative and positive space. I adjust Quark's default H&J's, if time permits, because I think the default wordspacing is way too open for upper and lower case copy (depending on the typeface, and I'll have several, depending).

I make a separate H&J for all caps copy. I care about TIFFs with a background of none (changing them to white) on the picture box that holds the picture. I make sure to check all of my colors in a document before I send it to the printer, checking whether or not they're selected as spot or process. I print PDF separations of pretty much all of the jobs I work on, where time permits, to make sure everything that should be 4/c is 4/c. I'm a geek. But...

I also enjoy the (rare) opportunities I get to design things. These happen when (1) I get a freelance job solely under my control at home or (2) my boss (the creative director at the agency where I work) is out of the office and so it falls to me to do it, or (2a) it's a project he doesn't really want to work on, so he gives me a quasi-creative-"opportunity".

This is my world at work. Apart from work, I'm a hobbyist guitar player and piano player. I also write random rants to the newspaper about things that well, just "bug" me.

Sound bitter? I am, a bit. Nevertheless, I enjoy what I do, for the most part. This forum feels good to me, I hope to learn a lot here. And I hope to pursue my own creative impulses and graphic design skills with input from all of the folks here.

Thanks for having me! And for listening to this rant! ;)

[PrintDriver]

Ah ha ha! Chalk up another one for my screen name. LOL!
Welcome to the forum!

[Vikia]

You are welcome here URSTWILE! We actually do appreciate those designers out there that care about type beyond the keystroke.

I am looking forward to getting to know you better.

[Vikia]

Ha ha - I love it PD!

[morea]

urstwile - great to have you on board!

[aseverson]

but mainly print. can't STAND web so haven't gotten into it. probably should to make myself a more dimensional designer but until somebody puts my arm behind my back don't think i will. right now am designing graphics for tradeshow booths. work with some awesome exhibit designers and we have a blast! :D

[jmdesign]

I just started my own company. After working in the industry for 10 years, I figured it was time to start my own thing. It's going well, I am learning a lot in the process. It going to be a ride.

[Zenobian Grey]

I work in production as a preflighter/print manager/production tech in the graphics department of a 120,000 square foot custom fabrication shop. We build Museum exhibits, trade show booths, real theatre, corporate theatre, signage, artistic stuff for commissioned artists, themed environments (malls, restaurants, etc), you name it...we do it.

PD is a grande format digital print dude. His advice/opinions may not apply to the 4color/offset/web world of printing

Where you guys located?

[Zenobian Grey]

I'm a registered Freelance Designer. I've had my business for almost 4 years now and it's been doing well. I do everything under the gamut of design except for heavy web coding, can't seem to wrap my head around that stuff and don't have much time to learn. I usually outsource.

I'm also a commissioned Musical Composer. Again, I write in a wide spectrum of styles. I've done work for the Indie scene and currently undertaking scoring a huge animation project called "Ginger Smudge" by author Michael Finberg. It's been a bit challenging but extremely fun.

I'm also a Dad of four beautiful little tykes. :eek:

In my spare time, I like to be husband too. ;)

I've had countless meaningless jobs in either design or far from the fact. I don't stay in a job very long if I find myself getting bored which really looks horrible on applications and resumes, so I figured it would be better to make my own way instead rely on the good intentions of employers.

Let's just say, I've definitely paid my dues.

[Malaclypse]

I do packaging design for a small company that sells computer cables and peripherals. I've only been there a few weeks and I'm not quite sure how I like it, but at least I'm getting paid to do GD and I'm getting experience.

This is my first job as a Graphic Designer, and it feels pretty good to finally be 'professional'. Some day I hope to freelance, but right now the thought of handling the business and the networking for clients is pretty intimidating.

[Ovaltine]

I am a Graphic Designer looking for work, I've done everything from conepting to prepress.

I've been given a video camera and told "Do some product videos so we can post them on-line." (that was acctually quite fun, even if it isn't my area of expertise).

I've designed Power Point sales presentations, sticker designs with intricate die lines, digital photography in a studio the size of a bedroom, and helped set up huge shots in a 15,000sq ft studio.

I've designed social expressions products to be sold, and designed the labels and POP for craft paints.

Best way to understand what I do, go to www.QuiteGraphic.com (http://www.QuiteGraphic.com) it's my portfolio website.

Also, the company I was working for has just invited me back for a month to help with thier over flow of work, so I'm feeling much encouraged.

[Spindaddydad]

I worked for the last 15-20 years in the corporate world as in-house design monkey for various companies from real estate, to medical insurance to University, to large law firm. Now I'm on my own doing my own thing.

Being in an in-house environment definitely has its advantages (steady paycheck, bennies, customers are fellow emplyees etc.) but there are disadvantages as well (stale subject matter, daily grind, etc) I am now on my own running my own design business. So far I'm doing well and staying busy, but there is always the fear that the faucet will shut off at some point. How do you get over that.

I do mostly print work for several local city governments, some radio stations, meeting planners, law firms, veterinarians, local retailers, accounting firms, software companies, local colleges and others. Brochures, corp/ident, announcements, advertisements, seminar materials etc. The best part is the new found freedom of widely varying subject matters.

Also do some web work from time to time for small companies.

[Spindaddydad]

Lots of people doing work in the beer industry. Any "special" perks?

[charlesdrex]

actually I am also a web designer ang i hope our client love the snapshot of the design the we give.... for we try to know what they like to do or what they want...

[Bond1806]

I work as art director in croatian womans monthly glossy magazine... I am in the bussines some 10 years and been working all of the time in magazines. I am responsible for almoust all visual parts of the magazine. From choosing images with my photo editor, to designing pages, going to photo shoots and so on... Sometimes it is a job full of stres, but on most ocasions it is fun. I am thinking of opening my own layout design firm, but I am not shore if the market is big enough. What I wanted to do is to be a freelancer working on redesigning magazines and newspapers with aditional layout jobs, but I dont know if thats going to work out as I planned.

[Keilow]

I work freelance primarily with web graphics, but also print. I'm self-taught, but within a year, I plan to either study Architecure & Design (with masters in Digital Design) at Aalborg University or to get an multimediagraphic (thats what they call it!?) degree and with that, start a graphics (print and web) bureau with 2 of my closest friends.

My abilities streach as far as: PhotoShop, InDesign, Corel Draw, 3DS Max, Flash, HTML, PHP, CSS and SQL. I'm currently working on PC, but will be changing to Mac a.s.a.p...

At the moment, I'm in the process of starting another company with to other friends, and make an extra buck while in school..

My clients are organisations/unions and small businesses. References can be found at keilow.com (http://www.keilow.com) (english) and redeemedia.com (http://www.redeemedia.com) (danish).

[SapphireCat]

I've just joined up here, so this is my first post! I am amazed at all the different types of jobs we all do here. Some of them sound very exciting.

When I went to college in the 80s, I decided I wanted to do computer animation. Specifically work at Pixar! Ah well, that's how dreams go.

I've been a graphic designer for 15 years at a small printshop in the midwest. I started out by helping to design ads