Archive for the ‘Graphic Design’ Category

Where to Find Graphic Design Jobs

Friday, June 4th, 2010

Have you ever wondered if what you know about Graphic Design is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on Graphic Design.

Whether you are just out of school or simply feeling ready for something new, good graphic design jobs abound. We are living in a visual society; most of us spend hours on the internet perusing site after site. Every one of these sites has visuals, and those visuals were designed by someone. That someone could be you. And even if you don’t want to explore graphic design jobs centered around the web, there are so many other areas, packaging, print design, advertising, marketing and within all of these areas there are graphic design jobs that you may be able to fill.

Where do I start? Start looking on the internet. Enter “graphic design jobs” into your favorite search engine and start exploring. You’ll find many different types of sites – almost all involve job searches by type of job and location. If you want to apply for any of these jobs you will need your resume and portfolio. So be ready. Some will be standard job search sites and others will be professional organizations. Spend some time just looking through the sites and saving sites that you will want to return to. I recommend making a “graphic design jobs search” folder in the “favorites” or “bookmarks” section of your browser. Use this when you save the links you want to return to.

If you are a member of a professional organization this is a great place to go first. As a student you can join reasonably. Often there are o associate memberships that are also economical. Being a member of a professional organization also looks good and adds credibility on your resume.

Preparing for your graphic design jobs search.

It seems like new information is discovered about something every day. And the topic of Graphic Design is no exception. Keep reading to get more fresh news about Graphic Design.

You know where you want to go. Now you need to get ready. Is your resume ready? You can find sites on the internet that show you how to write resumes and give you guidelines for assessing the one you currently have. If you think you need more experience to include in your resume, volunteer to do some jobs for non-profit organizations. Make sure you do an excellent job and ask them if they will be a reference you can include on your resume.

You will also need a portfolio in your search for graphic design jobs. There are several kinds of portfolios – paper, web and DVD/CD portfolios. Again, you can learn a lot about refining your portfolio by searching the internet for information about designing a portfolio. Many of the job search sites, especially professional organizations allow you to upload your portfolio to their site, along with your resume. With others you can post your resume, but not the portfolio.

It may be worth the time and money to have your own web site so that you can put a link to your portfolio in your resume. If your search for graphic design jobs includes web design, then make sure that your web site is a reflection of the work that you can do in this area. Take time with it. Keep refining and changing it. Ask people to view it and give you comments, especially past instructors or mentors. In fact, it’s a good idea to have your present or past instructors or mentors review all your job search materials, resume, portfolio, DVD/CD, and web site.

Now, you are ready to find graphic design jobs that fit your skills and talent.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
- Are you looking to get traffic to your website? Introducing… Free Google Traffic System!!

Choosing a Jacksonville Graphic Design Firm

Thursday, June 3rd, 2010

When most people think of Graphic Design, what comes to mind is usually basic information that’s not particularly interesting or beneficial. But there’s a lot more to Graphic Design than just the basics.

So, you live in Jacksonville and you’re looking for a local Jacksonville Graphic Design firm. Right? Well, you’re lucky. There are lots to choose from. It’s a vibrant and dynamic scene. But that also poses a problem. How do you choose? Follow the steps below and you’ll have no trouble.

First, know what you are looking for. What is it that you want the designer to do for you? Do you need a logo? And where are you going to use the logo? Brochures? Business Cards? Stationery? Print Ads? Web Design? CD’s? DVD’s?

Who are your customers? Is your target market local to Jacksonville? Graphic design firms will need to know all about your target audience, so be ready to answer the “who”, “what”, “where”, “why”, and “how” questions about them.

Do you know who they are in terms of their demographics such as age range, income range, ethnicity, lifestyle, professional focus (if applicable), education, home ownership, and mobility,

What are the reasons they buy your product or services. What pains do they experience and what solutions does your product or service offer? What are the inherent benefits to the customer of buying your product or service?

How does your target audience use your product or service? How have you focused your marketing efforts on them in the past? How successful was that focus? What do you think worked and what didn’t work?

Why did your past marketing efforts work, and why not? If you don’t know, that’s okay. Bring along your past marketing materials and ask your Jacksonville graphic design firm candidates what they think. This is another way to gage whether or not you want to work with this firm.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Graphic Design, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

Where do your customers find you? If you don’t know some of the answers to these questions, you may need market research. Ask each of your Jacksonville Graphic design firm candidates whether or not they can do market research or recommend a good market research firm. This can be an important element in making your final choice. While the firm may not actually do the market research, it is important that they have a relationship with an affordable solution for you.

Knowing your product or service, your market and what it is you want is just half the equation. The other half is what you are looking for. Here are some simple questions. You can rank the candidates on each of these on a 1 to 5 scale where 1 is “not at all” and 5 is “Yes, absolutely”.

Do they have access to all the services I need?
Does the style of their work meet my taste criteria?

Do I think I’ll enjoy working with them? (This may not seem as important until you’re in the middle of a project. Then it can be critical.)

Will they give me references?
Are the references happy with the work they received?

Okay, now you are armed and ready to choose your new Jacksonville Graphic Design team. Just head to your local internet and do a search for Jacksonville Graphic Design. Remember the ones that come up first, know how to optimize their web sites and if you are working on a web site, this may be important to you. Happy choosing!

There’s no doubt that the topic of Graphic Design can be fascinating. If you still have unanswered questions about Graphic Design, you may find what you’re looking for in the next article.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
- Are you looking to get traffic to your website? Introducing… Free Google Traffic System!!

Doing Pro Bono Graphic Website Design

Monday, May 31st, 2010

There are many reasons to do pro bono work as a graphic website designer. First, beginning graphic website designers or graphic website design students can get valuable experience from doing pro bono graphic website design work for non profit organizations and low budget organizations such as Boy Scout troops, Cub Scout packs, and Churches.

Another reason to do pro bono work as a graphic website designer is tax breaks. The hours you spend working on graphic website design for free can be deducted from your taxes at the end of the year as a charitable donation. Check with your accountant or tax preparer to determine the most reasonable rate, but highest rate, that you can get away with charging per hour for your tax deductible hours so that you can claim them as a charitable donation.

The other reason to do pro bono work as a graphic website designer is experience and to build your portfolio. If you are a graphic website design student or you are just starting your graphic website design career, this can be a fantastic opportunity. Build your graphic website design resume with work that shows not only your talent but your big heart and community spirit. Build your graphic website design portfolio to increase career opportunities. And build experience and education with on the job training and experience in graphic website design.

If you find yourself confused by what you’ve read to this point, don’t despair. Everything should be crystal clear by the time you finish.

With the internet growing daily by leaps and bounds, it is no wonder that everyone wants a professional graphic website designer on their side to create an awesome website with even greater graphic design so that they can compete with larger organizations. With all of the churches, cub scout packs, boy scout troops, school activities, day cares, home businesses, small businesses, and children’s organizations out there today, the average graphic website designer should have no problem finding pro bono graphic website design work.

Once you have found pro bono graphic website design work, you need to treat it just as you would any other freelance graphic website design assignment or project. That means you have to find out what the client wants in their graphic design website. Create a creative brief so that you and the client are on the same page with where you are going with their graphic website design project. You also need to set up a work schedule and time line for the client so that an expected completion date can be given to the client for completion of the graphic design website.

Once the pro bono graphic website design project is completed, follow up with the organization to make sure that they are happy with their graphic design website. Then, keep in touch with the organization in the future. This will open up networking possibilities for graphic website design freelance projects in the future with paying clients. It will also open up possibilities for more pro bono graphic website design freelance projects for that and other charitable organizations.

Overall, doing pro bono graphic website design work is a great, fulfilling, rewarding way to gain additional experience, graphic website design samples for the beginning graphic artists portfolio, and tax breaks for the freelancing graphic website designer.

Those who only know one or two facts about Graphic Design can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
- Are you looking to get traffic to your website? Introducing… Free Google Traffic System!!

About Graphic Design Schools

Saturday, May 15th, 2010

Once you have decided that you would like to become a graphic designer, you need to get a college education. Without a Bachelor’s Degree in graphic design, you will find it extremely difficult to start a graphic design career. Finding the graphic design school that is right for you can be difficult, because there are a lot of graphic design schools to choose from.

Some graphic design schools offer certificate programs rather than degree programs. These graphic design schools can be great if you need a quick education. However, many graphic design firms look for graphic design resumes that list education from prominent graphic design schools, colleges, or universities. Therefore, these graphic design schools are not likely to be your best option.

Most colleges and universities now offer graphic design schools or graphic design programs. Community colleges will be less likely to be considered as graphic design schools. Rather than picking a college or university by location or cost, you should research graphic design schools in your area by requesting graphic design degree program information and course catalogs. These materials can then be compared so that you can choose the graphic design schools most likely to help you succeed as a graphic designer.

I trust that what you’ve read so far has been informative. The following section should go a long way toward clearing up any uncertainty that may remain.

You can also research graphic design schools in your area through professional associations, your local chamber of commerce, and the better business bureau. These resources can help you gain a better understanding of the differences between the different graphic design schools. There are also a lot of websites available online that offer free peer and alumni reviews of graphic design schools, giving you an inside look at what the various graphic design schools in your area have to offer.

Another option for those wishing to enter a career as a graphic designer is online colleges, universities, and graphic design schools. American InterContinental University Online (AIU) and Kaplan University are two of the most prominent and widely known online graphic design schools. Online graphic design schools have the advantage of flexibility in scheduling which can be great for parents or working adults. However, it is important to understand that degrees earned from online graphic design schools are often viewed as being lower quality degrees than those earned from brick and mortar graphic design schools.

Additionally, online graphic design schools are not for everyone. If you learn better by seeing, writing, reading, and doing, then online graphic design schools may be a good choice for you. However, if you are learn better by listening, hands on instruction, and over the shoulder instruction, you are better off attending brick and mortar graphic design schools. Most often, brick and mortar graphic design schools are best. But in situations where going back to school is a difficult decision, and time and scheduling are an issue, the flexibility available with online graphic design schools can be quite beneficial, and is often the only reason some people are able to go back to school at all.

Overall, the decision of graphic design schools is up to you. The best advice is to do your homework, research all options, and work with your high school guidance counselors, instructors, and your parents to help you choose the graphic design schools that will be the best fit for you and your future career as a graphic designer.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
- Do you want to make Your PDF files viral? Use This Secret Viral PDF Rebrander: Viral PDF

Relationship Building to Market Your Graphic Design Studio

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

Imagine the next time you join a discussion about Graphic Design. When you start sharing the fascinating Graphic Design facts below, your friends will be absolutely amazed.

You’ve optimized your web site, tuned up your web page so it’s stellar, and still you want more business for your graphic design studio. Where do you go? What do you do?

Go out and meet your potential clients in person! Many of your potential clients are people oriented. They want to feel that they have a relationship with the person with whom they do business. That personal connection is very important so these particular clients would never dream of doing business with someone just because their web site came up on the first page of the search engine. These are the people who want personal contact, to meet you in person, talk with you on the telephone, and get to know who you are.

It may take some time and effort to build these relationships, but once you do you’ll be very happy you did. With clients where you’ve built a personal connection, the loyalty factor is much higher. They’ll stick with you, giving you repeat business over the years.

But, you ask, “How do I meet and attract them to do business with my particular graphic design studio?”

If your Graphic Design facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don’t let important Graphic Design information slip by you.

Networking. Depending on the area of the country where you live, there are numerous ways to meet potential clients in your area. Larger cities have a lot of different networking groups. Even smaller towns and communities have clubs and organizations which can be productive networking opportunities. Below are some of the places you can find networking groups and the types of groups you may find.

Chamber of Commerce – Usually local chambers have networking events – breakfast, lunch or evening cocktail mixers. You can come as a visitor the first time and sometimes more than one time. After that they may require you to join — which is not a bad idea, if you want to build credibility for your graphic design studio. Being able to say you are a member of your local Chamber of Commerce enhances your credibility to people who find you via the web as well.

Business Networking Groups. These are groups that meet for the express purpose of giving and getting business. Some of them meet weekly and some meet monthly. Usually the ones that meet weekly are “exclusive” meaning that if you join as their graphic design studio, no one else in the group will be doing graphic design. The monthly meetings are often non-exclusive meaning that more than one graphic design studio can join.

Other Networking Opportunities. The Rotary Clubs, Lions Clubs and other humanitarian organizations provide excellent opportunities to network while contributing something back to your community. Alumni organizations, political and school organizations also are excellent fields for networking.

Remember though. Relationships are usually not built overnight. They take time. So, don’t expect to show up once and go home with immediate business for your graphic design studio. It may take several meetings for people get to know you and what you do. So while it takes some effort on the front end, the clients you’ll get, will stay with you longer, because they know you and see you on a regular basis.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, who just launched this great product..
- Do you want to make Your PDF files viral? Use This Secret Viral PDF Rebrander: Viral PDF

Graphic Design Software – The Battle for King of the Mountain

Sunday, February 21st, 2010

Long gone are the days when a graphic designer’s tools were pen, pencil, brush, exacto knife and illustration board. Today’s designer relies almost exclusively on graphic design software which is both expensive and constantly changing. At some point or other, the designer has to decide to upgrade his or her present software or change to another brand. And, then the designer must learn all the new functions of this version of software. If the program interface changes then the learning curve for the design professional can be very steep and costly. On top of that, there’s different graphic design software for desktop publishing, web design, illustration, and photography.

For much of the last decade, the desktop publishing arena was ruled by Quark Express. (Before that Adobe’s PageMaker had been King of the Mountain.) Over the past few years, Adobe has been making a serious bid to regain its preeminence in desktop publishing with In Design. If Adobe squashes Quark it will pretty much have a monopoly in graphic design software, having already swallowed up Macromedia and much of its other competition.

At the end of 2005, Adobe concluded its acquisition of Macromedia which made it the owner of Dreamweaver – usually acclaimed as one of the best (and sometimes the most difficult to use) web design software available. Dreamweaver has few challengers in the arena of professional web design. Microsoft’s Front Page still provides services for non-professionals and some professionals who are old-time PC users. Mostly though, Adobe, with the acquisition of Dreamweaver, has attained a semi-monopoly here as well.

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about Graphic Design. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

In graphic design software for photography there’s only one acknowledged leader – Adobe Photoshop. While other programs exist for the casual user, for the professional photographer Photoshop is the digital darkroom. Other companies exist by producing “plug-in’s for Photoshop, until Adobe buys them.

What about graphic design software for illustration? Again, Adobe is the leader. With Adobe Illustrator used and recognized by the most professionals it usually wins hands down against the competition. And, it’s not always which program is the easiest to use or has the most functions. It is which one is the most compatible in the most places. Corel Draw, Canadian illustration competitor to Illustrator is acknowledged by many to be easier and have more functions – but the files are hard to use anywhere but with Corel. So that limits across program functionality and thus its popularity.

One of the reasons InDesign is gaining so much ground is the ease of use with all of the other graphic design software programs in the Adobe family. You can move between them quickly and smoothly. Adobe now packages them as its Creative Suite and so it becomes one-stop shopping.

But, what will happen if Adobe becomes King of the Mountain? Without challengers, will it maintain the same quality and drive for excellence? And what will happen to the price? Will it even out or just continue upward. If you’re the only ballpark, you can charge whatever rent you want?

That’s how things stand right now. Keep in mind that any subject can change over time, so be sure you keep up with the latest news.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO to claim your $1 trial membership!

Choosing a Jacksonville Graphic Design Firm

Friday, December 11th, 2009

Have you ever wondered if what you know about Graphic Design is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on Graphic Design.

So, you live in Jacksonville and you’re looking for a local Jacksonville Graphic Design firm. Right? Well, you’re lucky. There are lots to choose from. It’s a vibrant and dynamic scene. But that also poses a problem. How do you choose? Follow the steps below and you’ll have no trouble.

First, know what you are looking for. What is it that you want the designer to do for you? Do you need a logo? And where are you going to use the logo? Brochures? Business Cards? Stationery? Print Ads? Web Design? CD’s? DVD’s?

Who are your customers? Is your target market local to Jacksonville? Graphic design firms will need to know all about your target audience, so be ready to answer the “who”, “what”, “where”, “why”, and “how” questions about them.

Do you know who they are in terms of their demographics such as age range, income range, ethnicity, lifestyle, professional focus (if applicable), education, home ownership, and mobility,

What are the reasons they buy your product or services. What pains do they experience and what solutions does your product or service offer? What are the inherent benefits to the customer of buying your product or service?

How does your target audience use your product or service? How have you focused your marketing efforts on them in the past? How successful was that focus? What do you think worked and what didn’t work?

Why did your past marketing efforts work, and why not? If you don’t know, that’s okay. Bring along your past marketing materials and ask your Jacksonville graphic design firm candidates what they think. This is another way to gage whether or not you want to work with this firm.

You can see that there’s practical value in learning more about Graphic Design. Can you think of ways to apply what’s been covered so far?

Where do your customers find you? If you don’t know some of the answers to these questions, you may need market research. Ask each of your Jacksonville Graphic design firm candidates whether or not they can do market research or recommend a good market research firm. This can be an important element in making your final choice. While the firm may not actually do the market research, it is important that they have a relationship with an affordable solution for you.

Knowing your product or service, your market and what it is you want is just half the equation. The other half is what you are looking for. Here are some simple questions. You can rank the candidates on each of these on a 1 to 5 scale where 1 is “not at all” and 5 is “Yes, absolutely”.

Do they have access to all the services I need?
Does the style of their work meet my taste criteria?

Do I think I’ll enjoy working with them? (This may not seem as important until you’re in the middle of a project. Then it can be critical.)

Will they give me references?
Are the references happy with the work they received?

Okay, now you are armed and ready to choose your new Jacksonville Graphic Design team. Just head to your local internet and do a search for Jacksonville Graphic Design. Remember the ones that come up first, know how to optimize their web sites and if you are working on a web site, this may be important to you. Happy choosing!

Those who only know one or two facts about Graphic Design can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO and make sure to claim your $1 trial membership!

Popular Graphic Design Magazines

Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

Any serious graphic design student or graphic designer should subscribe to at least one graphic design industry magazine. Graphic design magazines give graphic designers and graphic design students the ability to keep up with current graphic design trends, learn about new or coming graphic design technology, and discover new graphic design opportunities. Graphic design magazines can also give graphic design students information about graphic design scholarships and graphic design compeitions.

One of the best graphic design magazines is HOW Magazine. This graphic design magazine allows graphic designers to find information about graphic design technology, freelancing as a graphic designer, and graphic design career opportunities. Students of graphic design will find this graphic design magazine helpful in its showcases of graphic design career opportunities, graphic design schools, and graphic design events. Of interest for all graphic designers and graphic design students is the stress that this magazine puts on not just the how, but the why and the creativity of graphic design.

Graphic Design USA is another fabulous graphic design magazine. This graphic design magazine has technology information for serious graphic designers to keep up with industry news. Graphic Design USA magazine also has resources for students of graphic design, as well as contests and scholarship programs. The online version of Graphic Design USA magazine also has opportunities for free graphic design stuff, and a graphic design online newsletter that can be emailed to your inbox weekly.

Hopefully the information presented so far has been applicable. You might also want to consider the following:

Print Magazine is yet another great graphic design magazine. This graphic design magazine seems to tend more toward the creativity side of graphic design. With regional and nationwide graphic design contests, student graphic design contests, and other graphic design competitions, this graphic design magazine is a must for students of graphic design or those just starting a career in graphic design. The online version of Print Magazine offers graphic design forums, a free graphic design newsletter, and other free graphic design stuff.

DT&G, (Design, Type, and Graphics) Magazine is an online only publication for graphic designers. This graphic design online magazine offers the option to read on the web site, or on a text only email edition that is sent out around the first of every month to subscribers. Not only does this online graphic design magazine offer industry news, graphic design technology information, and other graphic design features, but it also offers reviews of graphic design software, graphic design books, and other graphic design resources. Anything graphic design related, big or small, might be included in this online graphic design magazine.

There are many other graphic design resources and graphic design magazines that can be found both on and off of the internet. Serious graphic designers and graphic design students should subscribe to at least one graphic design industry publication in order to keep up with the latest graphic design industry news. If you would like to find more graphic design magazines and resources, do an internet search for graphic design magazine and be amazed at the wealth of graphic design information available to you in this type of graphic design forum.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO and make sure to claim your $1 trial membership!

Getting Into a Graphic Design Firm

Saturday, December 5th, 2009

So, you have finished your college education or are close to getting that Bachelor’s Degree in graphic design completed, and you’re looking to get your foot in the door at a good, stable graphic design firm. But, you don’t know where to start. Getting into a graphic design firm can be difficult or easy, depending on your luck and the resources available to you.

The best way to get your foot in the door at a graphic design firm is through an internship program. Internship programs with local graphic design firms should be available through your college or university internship programs. If you are not sure if this assistance is available for graphic design firms in your area, ask your graphic design university or college department head. When all else fails, you can contact graphic design firms on your own to request interviews and information about possible internship programs.

When looking for an internship in a graphic design firm, you need to consider several things about yourself and what you are looking for in an internship at a graphic design firm. Are you willing to work without pay or with little pay? Many internship programs at graphic design firms do not pay their interns.

If your Graphic Design facts are out-of-date, how will that affect your actions and decisions? Make certain you don’t let important Graphic Design information slip by you.

If you have a hard time finding an internship program in a graphic design firm, you can always check out graphic design departments in other types of companies, such as advertising agencies.

Using an internship is not the only way to get your foot in the door of graphic design firms. You can talk to your academic advisor or career counseling center within your college or university for help and options. If you have an instructor in a graphic design course that you have impressed, you might find that he or she has contacts with designers or management at local graphic design firms. Alternatively, you may be able to get involved in a professional association based on your credentials and references from your college or university academic advisor, department head, or instructors. Contacts in these professional associations can easily help you get your foot in the door of a graphic design firm.

Once you have your foot in the door, you have to impress the decision making or hiring managers within the graphic design firm. This requires showcasing your best work. If you are doing an internship at a graphic design firm, do your best work while you are there, and you might get a job offer. If you are going to an interview that you’ve gotten through contacts at a graphic design firm, make sure you come prepared with a professional graphic design resume and a graphic design portfolio that showcases your best work.

As more and more people become interested in graphic design as a career, it will become harder and harder to get into a good graphic design firm. However, with careful planning, networking, and the help of your college or university departments, getting into a graphic design firm should become a fluid transition from education to experience.

Those who only know one or two facts about Graphic Design can be confused by misleading information. The best way to help those who are misled is to gently correct them with the truths you’re learning here.

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO and make sure to claim your $1 trial membership!

Graphic Design Software – The Battle for King of the Mountain

Thursday, November 26th, 2009

Long gone are the days when a graphic designer’s tools were pen, pencil, brush, exacto knife and illustration board. Today’s designer relies almost exclusively on graphic design software which is both expensive and constantly changing. At some point or other, the designer has to decide to upgrade his or her present software or change to another brand. And, then the designer must learn all the new functions of this version of software. If the program interface changes then the learning curve for the design professional can be very steep and costly. On top of that, there’s different graphic design software for desktop publishing, web design, illustration, and photography.

For much of the last decade, the desktop publishing arena was ruled by Quark Express. (Before that Adobe’s PageMaker had been King of the Mountain.) Over the past few years, Adobe has been making a serious bid to regain its preeminence in desktop publishing with In Design. If Adobe squashes Quark it will pretty much have a monopoly in graphic design software, having already swallowed up Macromedia and much of its other competition.

At the end of 2005, Adobe concluded its acquisition of Macromedia which made it the owner of Dreamweaver – usually acclaimed as one of the best (and sometimes the most difficult to use) web design software available. Dreamweaver has few challengers in the arena of professional web design. Microsoft’s Front Page still provides services for non-professionals and some professionals who are old-time PC users. Mostly though, Adobe, with the acquisition of Dreamweaver, has attained a semi-monopoly here as well.

Now that we’ve covered those aspects of Graphic Design, let’s turn to some of the other factors that need to be considered.

In graphic design software for photography there’s only one acknowledged leader – Adobe Photoshop. While other programs exist for the casual user, for the professional photographer Photoshop is the digital darkroom. Other companies exist by producing “plug-in’s for Photoshop, until Adobe buys them.

What about graphic design software for illustration? Again, Adobe is the leader. With Adobe Illustrator used and recognized by the most professionals it usually wins hands down against the competition. And, it’s not always which program is the easiest to use or has the most functions. It is which one is the most compatible in the most places. Corel Draw, Canadian illustration competitor to Illustrator is acknowledged by many to be easier and have more functions – but the files are hard to use anywhere but with Corel. So that limits across program functionality and thus its popularity.

One of the reasons InDesign is gaining so much ground is the ease of use with all of the other graphic design software programs in the Adobe family. You can move between them quickly and smoothly. Adobe now packages them as its Creative Suite and so it becomes one-stop shopping.

But, what will happen if Adobe becomes King of the Mountain? Without challengers, will it maintain the same quality and drive for excellence? And what will happen to the price? Will it even out or just continue upward. If you’re the only ballpark, you can charge whatever rent you want?

About the Author
By Anders Eriksson, feel free to visit my latest venture: GVO and make sure to claim your $1 trial membership!





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