I Wish I Were Good With Graphics

[Rohan Kohli]

One Way Letter (http://www.onewayletter.com) is running a contest: design a shirt for them (must be original work) and send a hi-res .jpg file of the design to craig@onewayletter.com. The winner will receive a shit ton of One Way Letter merch, so open up Photoshop and get going!

[ben pequeno]

shit ton?

[mylkhead]

Design contests are never really a good thing. With all due respect for the band - it's taking advantage of an oversaturated scene full of kids who want to be designers and are willing to do anything for exposure. And the idea of sending the hi-res artwork before they send you any "shit ton" of merch is scary.

[cahrishurr]

Design contests are never really a good thing. With all due respect for the band - it's taking advantage of an oversaturated scene full of kids who want to be designers and are willing to do anything for exposure. And the idea of sending the hi-res artwork before they send you any "shit ton" of merch is scary.
so getting people exposure for the skills they may have is bad? you do what you can to get exposure....so stfu
im in graphic design school and i think i may do this...why the fuck not,...i mean i decided i wanted to be a graphic designer way before i was in the "scene" or whatever

[chuckmagnum]

so getting people exposure for the skills they may have is bad? you do what you can to get exposure....so stfu
im in graphic design school and i think i may do this...why the fuck not,...i mean i decided i wanted to be a graphic designer way before i was in the "scene" or whatever

there was a great article in newsweak acouple of weeks ago ['im an artist, but not the starving kind'] about how designers let themselves get exploited, in order to get work, and how it degrades us as a group.

anyway im also in 'graphic design school.' i'll do some sketches but if nothing great comes of it i wont sweat it.

[wes_allen]

i wasnt aware that graphic design was scene..

[mylkhead]

so getting people exposure for the skills they may have is bad? you do what you can to get exposure....so stfu
im in graphic design school and i think i may do this...why the fuck not,...i mean i decided i wanted to be a graphic designer way before i was in the "scene" or whatever

Getting exposure for the skills you have is good. Some new designers are willing to prostitute themselves for that exposure. Myself included. I did all kinds of contests and got absolutely nothing for them. I spent lots of work on things, but didn't see any sort of reward other than I could say I did it and put it in my portfolio hoping that other clients would see it and ask for work.

Here is a good read on doing speculative work:

http://www.creativelatitude.com/articles/articles_logo_this.html


there was a great article in newsweak acouple of weeks ago ['im an artist, but not the starving kind'] about how designers let themselves get exploited, in order to get work, and how it degrades us as a group.

anyway im also in 'graphic design school.' i'll do some sketches but if nothing great comes of it i wont sweat it.

That's exactly my point. It does degrade us as a group. I understand we are looking for that big break. Artists get taken advantage of. I used to do contests a lot thinking if I don't win, I could add it to my portfolio. But the time I spend doing that I could be looking for paying clients or promoting myself. Doing contest work IS a degree of promotion in a way. Your name DOES get out there. You work might get stolen by the band, but hey, at least they know who to steal from next time.

And all my teachers in school said "never do work for free" - Sometimes kids think of great ideas and submit it to the band. The band then just takes those ideas and redoes it themselves and doesn't give you credit.

You are better off meeting with a band and talking to them personally about designs. Putting up some mockups and getting feedback. Build a relationship with a band. It's healthier and doesn't degrade us designers.

EDIT: after thinking about everything, it really all depends on the situation. Doing work on spec can be a good thing, as it was in Dobi's case with Thursday. And other big bands. If you have the opportunity, you should take it and not waste it. Especially if you love to do it.

I apologize for sounding like an asshole in my post, but really I have a lot to learn myself and don't really have a position to tell other artist what they can or can't do. So, take my words as just a humble opinion. I would do work for free at first if it would provide me some good exposure. Who doesn't. I can't say I am above that.

[danny1421]

where is this contest over?

[roberthuston]

i wasnt aware that graphic design was scene..
Seriously, I agree!! And it BETTER NOT. I used to openly, and I mean openly LOVED music, but then the so called effing "scene" came along, and now,.. I am open, but rethink who I talk to.

[mylkhead]

Seriously, I agree!! And it BETTER NOT. I used to openly, and I mean openly LOVED music, but then the so called effing "scene" came along, and now,.. I am open, but rethink who I talk to.

Design being "scene" - you betcha. So many kids are getting ahold of photoshop brushes and calling themselves a designer. It's bad.

[chuckmagnum]

i submitted yesterday, they said theyd contact the winner in november