Graphic Design Work…

[Anonymous]

Hello all,
I’ll attempt not to sound too much like a noob… Just found out this site existed! I had wondered if I was the only guy in Ireland that wanted to design games for a living. Evidently not :D Anyhow, I was just wondering if anyone could give me some advice on the skills section of the site and the likes. The most of my work is done designing the packaging and artwork for games, doing work in Photoshop and Illustrator. So does it make more sense to classify myslef in marketing or games design? Also any pointers on how to seriously pursue work. I’ve sent the CV’s, DVD’s of my work, letters all the obvious ones… Anyway thanks for reading, any info would be greatly appreciated.

Just in case, anyone looking for a graphic designer let me know :wink: :D

[Aphra K]

Hi and welcome.

We also have a sticky introductions thread in general if you want to do a proper introduction!

I would suggest you focus on current skills that you can offer for your skills profile. If you have no experience in game design you might want to put yourself into marketing and sales but the art, design category would also cover some of your skills.

If you want to get into game design you might want to join a mod team or depending on your age maybe even a Dare to be Digital team this or next year. Come along to one of the shindigs, next one is the birthday shindig on the 28th of April in Dublin, and meet some folks who are in the business or trying to get in.

Aphra.

[Anonymous]

Hello Mr Prime, we hope you’re stay here is Optimal…

Sounds like you’re not long in the working world? In which case, here’s my 2c. If you’ve already felt the sting of reality, skip.

If you want a graphics job, unfortunately you’re in a big pond. You won’t be doing anything cooler than cow medicine packaging for a while, if you can even get a job without doing freelance for a few years to build up portfolio & business contacts, etc. Contact companies individually (find ’em online) and tell them you like their design and would like to talk about it, as a newcomer looking for expert advice. No need to mention the J word. Doing this got jobs for a couple of my acquaintances.

Also, most graphics work for products is out-sourced to the 1st, 2nd, even 3rd degree. So games companies (pub or dev) won’t be hiring designers (although some of them could really do with a few interface designers). And the publishers who commission the design work will often go to different companies depending on the game. There’s not really much linking games with graphic design that would serve as a hook for you to work in both areas, except…

So Aphra’s advice about the mod scene is spot on. There are a lot of teams online, and I’d say the ratio of design-oriented artists to hackers (by which I mean non-formal coders) is quite low. Computer types always think design is something any fool with a cracked copy of Photoshop can do.

Good luck anyway

[Anonymous]

Hello Mr Prime, we hope you’re stay here is Optimal…
[/quote:01864ab048]

LOL i thought you were talking about transformers!!!

welcome mate

[Anonymous]

Hey guys,
Thanks for all your help. I’m just out of college since last July, and believe it or not I’ve been designing cow medication and the likes on a regular basis! It’s kinda driving me mad, but I appreciate that its a means to an end. Guess I’ll just keep plugging away. I’ve been in contact with a number of mod teams, and two of my friends are starting a project soon that I’m getting in on, so hopefully it’ll stand me in good stead.

Thanks again.

Oh, and Johnny Prime is Optimus’ illegitimate son… I have a rough (but amusing) back story for him that’ll be on my site soon. :wink:

[Anonymous]

Hello Mr Prime, we hope you’re stay here is Optimal…
[/quote:2c4f8ff7c0]
LOL i thought you were talking about transformers!!!
[/quote:2c4f8ff7c0]

I was, thats the joke…

What design school d’you go to? Please don’t say Limerick, or I’ll be forced to reminisce [starts up rocking chair…]

I’ve been designing cow medication and the likes on a regular basis! It’s kinda driving me mad[/quote:2c4f8ff7c0]

I think it does everyone…there’s the coders version of cow medication too, and I call it’s name “Spam Filtering!”…but you do have to do an apprenticeship, mucking out the stalls so to speak. No matter what your area…unless you’re unfeasibly smart. And then everyone hates you :D

[Author]

Posts