ART 421 Visual Communications IV

What designers must learn

Eric Madsen, The Office of Eric Madsen

My impression after interviewing students over the years is that there is generally very little awareness of the graphic design profession at the high school level. It doesn’t seem to have changed much since I was in high school, but let’s face it, there haven’t been many prime-time television shows about the adventures of a graphic designer either.

One of the most important things a prospective graphic design student can do is to discover for themselves as much as possible about the profession outside the college curriculum. Early in their college studies, students should visit design firms and talk to people successfully practicing graphic design. This will help them know what to demand of the curriculum, will put them in touch with the reality of the profession, and in turn will make them more marketable to an employer.

They should demand that outside designers be brought in for lectures, critiques or special project assignments and that studio tours be arranged. I recommend internships and believe students should show their portfolios for review after their second and third year, or even after each semester of those years. The student will learn that the subject of typography is absolutely critical, that exposure to a wide variety of design problems is essential, that the concept or idea behind the design is key, that practical knowledge of production and design skills is as important as theory, that exposure to basic business practices is helpful, and that the importance of the portfolio can’t be overemphasized. At the moment of the interview, the portfolio becomes the student.

They will also learn that the ability to write and speak effectively, even to spell correctly, is essential. The designer’s client base is the business world, and the successful designer is one who is prepared to communicate with this market. Designing is only a small part of the process. Planning, listening, writing, estimating, scheduling and supervising are all part of a designer’s role.

One last thought: Be prepared for the fact that your parents will probably never understand what you dofor a living.

Presenting your Portfolio

My own first time

By Steff Geissbuhler, Chermayeff & Geismar Inc.

So there I was, standing in the large lobby of the Marketing and Promotion Department of J.R.Geigy (now Novartis) Pharmaceutical Corporation in Basel, Switzerland, awaiting the arrival of Max Schmid, the head of the then-famous design department. The receptionist asked me to wait for Mr. Schmid who would come down by elevator to pick me up.

I was very nervous, clutching the handles of my homemade, oversized portfolio—made out of large DIN 01 boards and glued canvas spine, corners and handles, containing all my original drawings, posters, photographs, booklets and other school work. It was my first personal interview after receiving my diploma from the Basel School of Design.

The elevator doors opened, Max Schmid came towards me and I started to walk towards him when suddenly the bottom of my portfolio came unglued and everything fell to the ground, sailing slowly—for what seemed forever—in all directions along the polished surface. My large drawings and boards took off across the floor like curling stones, going and going. I turned bright red and bent down to gather everything in a hurry. But Max stopped me. He suggested that we should just walk through the work and discuss the pieces where they had landed. Letting the chips fall where they may, or the Swiss equivalent to that.

As other people arrived in the lobby, some commented on my work, while Max and I walked through my accidental exhibit. Max had turned my most embarrassing moment into a humorous and interesting display, making it clear with his spontaneous reaction that it was the work and me he was interested in, not just the packaging. As a bonus I also got the job.

I had to start somewhere, just like you. This experience also serves as an introduction to what I’m looking for in a portfolio.

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