A Series Of Questions

CrusherVII

New Member
Okay two things one I apologise for my grammar since it isn't my strongest point and two if this is in the wrong place I am also sorry moderators.

So I'm new to world of graphic design I would like to specialise in logo design however I'm using gimp and have no idea on how to use illustrator nor can I purchase it at this point in time. So I am not capable of producing vector files which I am aware will be or is a potential problem for me.

My questions are:

- Is it better to represent myself if you will as an individual or as a company

- What would you suggest would be a suitable resolution for logos.

- Does anyone know where I could get a template copywrite form so that I can hand over logos I design.

- How would I go about gaining clients and creating a positive reputation for myself.

- What would you say is a suitable rate to charge per job or per hour as a beginner?

- How would I go about building a strong looking portfolio?

- Do you find social media has helped you get your name out and if so which platform if you will helped you most? (Facebook, twitter, etc)

- if you have any ideas or things to help a newbie I'm all ears.... well eyes cause I'm reading but you get what I mean lol.

I do intend on going to uni to study graphic design hopefully in September, until then just wanted to see what I could do and get some research done.

But I really do appreciate the help it means a lot

Kind regards
 
So I'm new to world of graphic design I would like to specialise in logo design however I'm using gimp and have no idea on how to use illustrator nor can I purchase it at this point in time. So I am not capable of producing vector files which I am aware will be or is a potential problem for me.
Honest opinion - don't start offering logo's until they can be done in vector format, simple as that really.

Also we can't really comment on other areas without seeing samples of your work.
 
A bit of what I've done so far
 

Attachments

  • AGD.jpg
    AGD.jpg
    394.7 KB · Views: 6
  • Midnight Coat Of Arms.jpg
    Midnight Coat Of Arms.jpg
    261.4 KB · Views: 6
- Is it better to represent myself if you will as an individual or as a company
Individual. You can work under a company/studio name but it's often worth specifying you're an individual or you may find yourself biting off more than you can chew. I find it easier to get clients at first by being just one person. One person in the eyes of clients = cheaper, plus it's easier to work with an individual than a whole team.

- What would you suggest would be a suitable resolution for logos.
Vector, only ever vector. You can export logos at different resolutions and in different formats from a vector, but you need that vector version to scale up and scale.

- Does anyone know where I could get a template copywrite form so that I can hand over logos I design.
Graham Smith has one for download – http://imjustcreative.com/logo-design-copyright-transfer-form-for-download/2011/03/02

- How would I go about gaining clients and creating a positive reputation for myself.
You need a network, most work will come from other contacts. You can try some sites like peopleperhour or similar, but competition is plentiful and there's often a race to the bottom mentality.

- What would you say is a suitable rate to charge per job or per hour as a beginner?
This depends entirely on your circumstances. There's no point working for less than minium wage, otherwise you may as well be tending a bar or stacking shelves to pay bills. When I was a student I was charging £10–15 per hour, that's probably a fair price, but there'll always be clients looking to pay less.

- How would I go about building a strong looking portfolio?
There's some sample briefs available, and several posts on this forum about finding places to get briefs to product portfolio work. I wouldn't recommend 'rebranding' existing companies without permission though. There was an individual on here a while back who was designing a logo for their portfolio and it caused a drop in the company's stock prices because some shareholders thought it was a real design, didn't like the 'new direction' and panicked.

- Do you find social media has helped you get your name out and if so which platform if you will helped you most? (Facebook, twitter, etc)
Not at all. Word of mouth from actual people is much better. Instagram could work as it's purely visual but it's unlikely you'll find a plentiful supply of clients on social media.
 
Thank you very much for the advise, really appreciate it. I signed up to a website called <<removed>> yesterday so will give that a go and I will check out <<removed>>. I will look around for sample brief on here as well.

In terms of proposals would you copy and paste proposals or would you tailor it to each client?

Oh and with vectors, can I create them in Photoshop or do I need to learn illustrator?
 
Last edited by a moderator:
There's a lot of people offering logos on <<removed>>. I can't speak highly of the quality I've seen, but that's what a cheap price gets you. If you can get some work and experience from it then good on you.

Proposals are tailored to each clients' needs, though I tend to start with an existing document as a basis and adapt that.

Vectors are created in Illustrator, Photoshop is raster/pixels only. There's some free/cheap alternatives to Adobe software such as Affinity Designer (£40 – Mac only, soon to be on Windows too). It's worth learning Illustrator since it's the industry standard and you'll be expected to know how to use it if you apply for design jobs in future. The monthly subscription for Adobe CC isn't too bad, and as a student you should be entitled to a discount, though it may not run too well on older systems.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Agree with what Paul said (both times) and all points.

Regarding software. If you want to design logos then the only option is vectors.
Granted, you can design a logo just as well in PS but apart from being used on screen, it'd be pretty useless for the other ways a logo is used.
Believe me, I've had to re-draw enough that were given to me in pixels and convert them to vectors.

If you're really serious about becoming a pro then Illustrator is a must really.
It's the industry standard and will be for the foreseeable future.
 
Seriously what is it with people wanting to work for peanuts on crowdsourcing sites....you'll spend over an hour on most logos and likely get paid less than the minimum wage in the UK, IF you actually get picked that is.
 
Seriously what is it with people wanting to work for peanuts on crowdsourcing sites....you'll spend over an hour on most logos and likely get paid less than the minimum wage in the UK, IF you actually get picked that is.

Well I never knew what a crowd souring site waz until now. But how would you propose a beginner could get started in the design world assuming I am decent with illustrator.
 
There's a lot of people offering logos on <<removed>>. I can't speak highly of the quality I've seen, but that's what a cheap price gets you. If you can get some work and experience from it then good on you.

Proposals are tailored to each clients' needs, though I tend to start with an existing document as a basis and adapt that.

Vectors are created in Illustrator, Photoshop is raster/pixels only. There's some free/cheap alternatives to Adobe software such as Affinity Designer (£40 – Mac only, soon to be on Windows too). It's worth learning Illustrator since it's the industry standard and you'll be expected to know how to use it if you apply for design jobs in future. The monthly subscription for Adobe CC isn't too bad, and as a student you should be entitled to a discount, though it may not run too well on older systems.

Thank you :D. Although as I am hoping to be a student they might provide me with illustrator if I'm lucky. If not, will have to invest in illustrator. In terms of specs, I'm running on windows 7 (upgrading to 10 for gaming reasons, 16GB ram and with a Radeon 200+ series so I don't think I'll encounter many problems but looking to upgrade my gpu anyway. But will definitely check out Affinity Designer.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Agree with what Paul said (both times) and all points.

Regarding software. If you want to design logos then the only option is vectors.
Granted, you can design a logo just as well in PS but apart from being used on screen, it'd be pretty useless for the other ways a logo is used.
Believe me, I've had to re-draw enough that were given to me in pixels and convert them to vectors.

If you're really serious about becoming a pro then Illustrator is a must really.
It's the industry standard and will be for the foreseeable future.

Thanks Scotty
 
Back
Top