This book is developed to provide students with everything they need to know to make the transition from design student to design professional. It provides step-by-step instruction for creating professional portfolios, both traditional and digital. Interviewing tips, sample resumes and cover letters, and action verb lists help students prepare for their job search. The second edition includes new sample portfolios, robust case studies, and updated information on digital portfolio trends and techniques.

Landing a job in graphic design or multimedia starts with the creation of a portfolio that showcases a student's best work. With sample portfolios, interviews with leaders in graphic design and advertising industries, and step-by-step instruction for creating professional print and digital portfolios, this book helps students successfully transition from design student to design professional. Now fully updated, it is the only guide to creating job-winning print-based and digital portfolios specifically for graphic designers.

You know you've got the talent, now let them know it-your complete guide to finding, winning, and keeping good clients Written by a graphic designer and successful marketing consultant, this book is the most complete guide available to marketing your services, with clear, practical, step-by-step instructions on every aspect of graphic design marketing, including: * Developing and implementing a marketing plan * Researching prospective clients * Creating effective marketing materials * Cold calling and follow-ups * Effective communication * Dressing for success * Resumes, cover letters, and portfolios * Proposals, bids, and contracts * Keeping good clients-account management Also included are sample business forms, contracts, proposals, letters, and checklists, along with stunning full-color examples of successful self-promotion campaigns for every budget. Throughout the book, there are fascinating and instructive interviews with clients as well as graphic designers from across the country who share what they've learned about marketing and managing graphic design services.

Here is the perfect volume for graphic designers who want real-life advice for long-term success. Renowned designer Ellen Shapiro reveals time-tested tricks of the trade-for making sure the clients you want to work with know about you, become your clients, and work with you productively. Then, in a series of one-on-one interviews, leading designers such as Milton Glaser, April Greiman, Mike Weymouth, Drew Hodges, Marc Gobé, and partners in Pentagram reveal their personal experiences and insights on how to uphold creative standards while fulfilling clients’ needs. Their advice will help you: identify what is distinct about your services; market yourself effectively; meet and court clients; learn the lingo of corporate strategy; make effective presentations; believe in the work you do and sell the work you believe in; obtain referrals from existing clients; keep clients coming back for more. CEOs and design managers from nineteen marketing- and design-savvy clients-such as Klein Bikes, The Knoll Group, Barnes & Noble, and Harvard-offer their own candid perspectives on the challenges, solutions, and triumphs of working with designers.
Whether you are courting your first clients or seeking fresh insights for achieving even greater success, you cannot afford to be without this crucial resource.

Begin your graphic design career now, with the guidance of industry experts Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer is a single source guide to the myriad of options available to those pursuing a graphic design career. With an emphasis on portfolio requirements and job opportunities, this guide helps both students and individuals interested in entering the design field prepare for successful careers. Coverage includes design inspiration, design genres, and design education, with discussion of the specific career options available in print, interactive, and motion design. Interviews with leading designers like Michael Bierut, Stefan Sagmeister, and Mirko Ilic give readers an insider's perspective on career trajectory and a glimpse into everyday operations and inspirations at a variety of companies and firms. Design has become a multi-platform activity that involves aesthetic, creative, and technical expertise. Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer shows readers that the field once known as "graphic design" is now richer and more inviting than ever before. Learn how to think like a designer and approach projects systematically Discover the varied career options available within graphic design Gain insight from some of the leading designers in their fields Compile a portfolio optimized to your speciality of choice Graphic designers' work appears in magazines, advertisements, video games, movies, exhibits, computer programs, packaging, corporate materials, and more. Aspiring designers are sure to find their place in the industry, regardless of specific interests. Becoming a Graphic and Digital Designer provides a roadmap and compass for the journey, which begins today.

As students prepare to graduate and look for a job, they need to know how to present their work to potential employers or customers. A well presented portfolio, whether physical or digital, can make the difference between getting the job or being shown the door.

Landing a job in graphic design or multimedia starts with the creation of a portfolio that showcases a student's best work. With sample portfolios, interviews with leaders in graphic design and advertising industries, and step-by-step instruction for creating professional print and digital portfolios, this book helps students successfully transition from design student to design professional. Now fully updated, it is the only guide to creating job-winning print-based and digital portfolios specifically for graphic designers.