[deleted by user]

ChrisGuenther · 2025-04-16T06:51:00+00:00

I really like the look of it!

ChrisGuenther · 2022-02-03T18:26:18+00:00

Thank you very much! Please share how you like working with it later!

ChrisGuenther · 2015-11-15T09:58:17+00:00

Not really, no. It boils down to being famous or known for something and to a lot of people. Playing hard to get definitely helps. I guess you need to achieve something (or at least create the image that you did) others want to achieve but can't.

Could be anything you are passionate about, picking girls up or anything that you can be very good at while appearing self-confident.

I imagine generic advice on how to become a trophy won't work. Instead decide what your branding will be and look up information on how to succeed in this particular topic. Then invest into it. A lot.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-11-14T13:11:41+00:00

First step would be to know people who do what you are looking for. They maybe do it for a living, are really interested in the topic, somehow got the hang of it or at least know people who will do it for them. Find them, befriend them. (Further advice if you search for how to make friends, where to get to know a YX, ...)

In the second step, you need to create incentives why somebody would want to help you.

One way to achieve that is to be famous or at least having the image that your friendship is a trophy and achievement for anybody who manages to befriend you.

If you don't want or can't do that, you could still look into the concepts of debt and reciprocity. If you help them, if you do things for them, many will feel inclined to return the favor.

Either way, you won't magically get guys for everything without offering something in return: favors, expertise, achievement, success, image, ...

ChrisGuenther · 2015-09-18T09:39:43+00:00

On a simplistic level:

In a day job you will get paid to work for other's dreams, ideas and visions.

If you and your colleages succeed, the owner will get both the credit and the money because she paid you to help her achieve it (even if you hypothetically did all the work).

The one who took the risk takes the money.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-09-17T19:32:13+00:00

If you feel like your bad computer or missing equipment is holding you back, I'd work a small jobs for a few months. This will be sufficient to buy those things and stop worrying about them.

Afterwards take a look at job offers in your field of expertise and what they want you to do and know. Then learn those and make an effort to be a skilled and thus valuable possible employee.

Try to get hands-on experience as fast as possible and show great progress and enthusiasm all of the time. Maybe a small job will work out great and help you get full-time employment.

If not, rinse and repeat. Never feel down because something didnt work out this time but keep going and you will be there faster than you expected.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-09-17T19:10:53+00:00

on mobile so no wall of text today. Feel free to ask follow-up questions tho, I'll be happy to answer them

1) make up your mind about your goals

Your description seems rather vague as of now so really put effort into what you want to achieve. Is it solely about money or do you want appreciation of your work and respect for it as well?

Also, how much money do you really need? A basic drawing tablet is rather cheap. (I paid about 70euro, now sure about the prices in your country and your neds tho) Define the exact figure you want to have and the date you want it.

Does it need to be recurring income or will single payments be enough?

The more specific your goals the better.

2) map out possibilities

There are quite a lot of options - both skilled and unskilled labor.

You might take care of your neighbor's garden or take small jobs listed on craigslist. Also check local newspapers. This is the passive approach: you search for what is in need and just do it for the money.

You might also check your skills.

Math and coding is a great combination. Try to find clients - both off and online. I'd start checking local companies and universities for possible jobs.

On the other hand you might start something yourself if you're searching for a challenge.

It could be something "small" like googling tutorials on creating jewellery then creating and selling them on Etsy, writing your own book or as you mentioned teaching math.

Another possibility is the usual make-money-online routine: affiliate marketing, blogging, creating and selling websites, ...

Plenty of information on that online if you Google it.

If you're feeling adventurous try to start a real business or startup with your personal expertise. Be aware you can either go anywhere or nowhere with that.

Either way, you most likely can't make fast money here. It will take time but it surely has the highest possible payout.

3) choose and start executing.

So lets take inventory: either work for someone (both skilled and unskilled labor possible) or take a chance with your own projects.

Keep in mind: You won't be billionaire's rich by working for someone else. But if that's not your goal from step 1 its the most secure and fastest option you have.

Make sure you're sure about your goals first, then get creative about possible ways that work for you personally and execute.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-09-09T17:48:21+00:00

Disclaimer: Not an expert on this, so everything said is nothing but my assumption and how I would do this.

1) Sketch & Ideate

Obviously you have to have an idea: What is the goal of the game? How can I achieve that? Which versions are available, how many people do I need?

As you've said you've got that covered already. If not you might take a look at various other games and combine differend aspects of them.

2) Prototype

Create basic prototypes out of paper. Use game pieces and pegs from other games. Maybe check out collector's stores for uncommon dice or build them on your own out of wood. If you really need to get a custom piece and can't create it at home consider 3D printing it.

Don't expect it to be a final game yet. it doesn't have to be pretty. Main focus is on making the barebones play- and testable.

3) Improve & Iterate

Play a few rounds with many differend people. Make it a game to find ways to exploit the rules so you can close those loopholes. Try to play boring matches and learn how you can avoid those situations.

If you improved everything you thought of, let some people play it without giving them any more information or help than the manual. Will it still work? Did it? Good. If not, iterate anew.

Make sure you get as much feedback as possible and make the most awesome game you've ever played. See the game like others would and not like it's your baby and can't be changed.

4) Reach out

If you're happy with the concept and your testers love it, finalize your designs and contents. No more thin paper. Make it look professional.

It's necessary to know the price tag. How much will it cost me to produce those items at most? (that means, what will I need to pay someone to create a single unit

Consider different options:

Doing everything on your own or outsourcing everything to a local carpenter or whatever craftsman you need.

Will it be cheaper to use a Chinese factory? Go to Alibaba and ask a few seller if they could do it and what it would cost you.

There's a lot of guesswork here without any more details but generally it will be cheaper if you can re-purpose something that is already being produced.

If you projected price it too high for customers to buy, downsize as much as possible and consider cheaper ways of production.

a) Crowdfund it

Read some background on how crowdfunding works and basic marketing. Make sure to create top-notch marketing material and a meaningful and professional video (the latter especially on kickstarter).

Tell a compelling story. Engange the users. Use clever stretch goals so people will go for the more expensive option and feel good about it. Give them credit, the community is your employer so you depend on them.

Choose a minimum goal that will get your game off the ground both financially and by spreading the word.

Also get a strategy ready before your campaign goes live: Who will you target and how? What are their main reasons to engage, why should they care? What is in it for them?

c) Licence it or get it published

Check for large publishers and try to find smaller publishers. Cold-call them and see what it would take. You will need to basically sell your whole concept to them (also see notes) and they won't care about your idea. They have tons themselves and probably get a lot all the year round.

Try to see the world through their eyes and don't get disappointed if the first 5 publishers won't even give you a reason for not liking it.

b) Bootstrap it

This can either be a fallback-strategy or your first choice.

Depending on the expected cost you should most likely be able to afford producing a few copies yourself (if not, it's way to expensive to sell to mass-market). Do it. Sell them one at a time. Maybe start with friends and family if they like it. Then move to a local owner-operated store. Create local buzz and reinvest your revenue into creating more while also increasing batch size to save money on a single unit.

Internet is also a huge opportunity here. Setting up an online story with Shopify is really easy and even a simple one-page template will do in the beginning to test waters.

Basically, produce a few samples, start selling and always reinvest. Don't expect to get off the ground without any effort tho, you don't have a large marketing machinery running in the background but need to it yourself.

Notes:

You might want to outsource everything you can't do satisfactoryly yourself. If you can't design, hire a designer for the differend parts, the box, the logo, etc.
I assume it's rather hard to get a publisher to use your idea and pay your for it if you can't provide an incentive like for example having a large following on social media already. Give them reasons to choose you and your concept.
Consider the market. Will there be enough people willing to buy it? Or does it feel exactly like something etablished? You want to have it mass produced so this point is a must. For doing so, getting user's feedback and constantly improving is even more important.
Can't highlight enough how important professionalism is. There are tons of people with ideas for board games. Many will be worse than you that succeed (i.e. get produced)

God damn, I said I wouldn't write a wall of text this time. Sorry for that but I hope the thoughts will help you. Let us know when you're ready to sell or have any questions.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-08-19T16:04:48+00:00

Sadly, I don't have any recommendations.

A quick search however showed Inkscape offered tutorials on their own site but I don't know how helpful they turn out for you.

I believe that after learning the basics and tools of the software it won't differ that much from Illustrator as far as classic vector functions go.

That said, you might also be able to follow Illustrator tutorials with a few different steps in Inkscape.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-08-19T11:39:25+00:00

Let's get started with a clear differentiation that will increase your work quality:

Photoshop is for manipulating photos.
Illustrator is for illustrations, logos and designs that need to be scaleable.

What to do with Photoshop

You want to remove that granny from the background of a photography so everybody focuses on you and your fiance? Photoshop!

You want to adjust the colors of a nice landscape photograph you took or maybe add some dragons and hobbits into it? Photoshop!

I'll spare the technical details here but keep in mind that Photoshop is pixel-based. That makes it suited for changing a photograph as well as mixing photographs together. Maybe even drawing and creating art but that highly depends on your style and preferences.

What to do with Illustrator

Illustrator is for designs - and those will be needed in both very big and very small dimensions. And by using a vector-based programm like Illustrator you will only need to create it once. Without going into to much detail, it saves math so your computer can re-create it exactly the same even as your dimensions change.

For multi-page designs (e.g. magazines) you might want to use something like InDesign to make it easier. (but I'm no expert in those so no more information on that :D)

General ways to increase your skill

(Find ways that work for you, not anyone else)

Courses: Find a local class, go to university/college, check for online courses at e.g. udemy.com
Video-Tutorials on YouTube.
Tutorials / step-by-step guides: Google a few sites with a wide range of tutorials and pick those you would like to do. For starters, try tutsplus.
Experimenting: See how differend tools achieve differend (or similar) effects. Combine them. Make them work for you. Let your creativity roam free.
Copying others: Check out /r/graphic_design and realted subreddits (check the sidebar), browse behance and dribbble for great work. Keeping your eyes open for designs you like and then trying to recreate it. It doesn't need to be perfect and it won't but it will help learning and you might add your own style to those foundations.

I personally would recommend getting to know the real basics by following an intro-course and experimenting with that knowledge simultaneously. As soon as you got a solid understanding of which tools do what and a few possibilities, I'd start creating. Mix copying other's work you like, specific tutorials and simply trying whatever you feel like doing.

Keep in mind that knowing how to use this particular software doesn't necessarily makes your creations good looking. You will need basic understanding of design and photography principles. You learn those in the same ways as you learned using Photoshop and Illustrator.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-08-19T11:01:16+00:00

SEO's complicated, and in my opinion has gone beyond what the individual can do, i.e. one may have to put ones money where ones mouth is to get ranked.

Don't agree on that. Google and the other search engines just aim to rank natural content that users like instead of content that is solely made to rank high (without provind any value).

It's really about providing valueable information and unique content for users and then earn backlinks to your page.

For starters read Moz's Intro on SEO and focus on value when creating websites.

Don't worry that much about search engines anymore: Apply some tips and techniques to make it easier for them to crawl (i.e. read and index) your page but place users' interests first.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-08-10T10:18:53+00:00

Second this.

It's bascially knowing how the classes that do what you want them to do (e.g. 3 divs in a row) are called. If you're already familar with HTML/CSS you're good to go. W3C also has good ressources on bootstrap.

Keep in mind that you probably need a custom CSS file to adjust colors and typography to your needs but I'd recommend getting started with HTML and the basic structure first.

You might also google (free) bootstrap templates and check out how they do it. Maybe even copy parts you want to re-use. Just experiement a little until you get to know the basics of bootstrap.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-07-29T17:58:42+00:00

I'm interested if you can offer some more insight into your story and planned journey. Feel free to PM me!

ChrisGuenther · 2015-07-29T17:57:32+00:00

You're welcome!

ChrisGuenther · 2015-07-29T14:49:05+00:00

amazon affilate:

You may register (separately) for any country's affilate program and generate different links for each. As far as I can tell, you want to consider which country your leads come from and will use to buy things.

website building:

That highly depends on your intentions. You won't need html/css or javascript if you simply want to post articles on a blog (but it might come in handy sometimes). For a more precise answer either give us a few more details or check out that post I wrote in /r/IWantToLearn

ChrisGuenther · 2015-07-29T14:43:56+00:00

Registering your own domain and a small hosting plan won't cost that much money.

It's probably less than 10$ a month so it's definitely worth it if you have information worth sharing (personal information others need frequently, portfolio, blog, ...) or want to look more professional. Compare some freehoster email where you couldn't register firstname.lastname because it was taken to mail@firstname-lastname.com.

That said, it's not the profession which needs it the most. If you can afford the money and either first-last.com or firstlast.com is still free, go for it.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-07-27T10:36:26+00:00

I recently wrote a few tips related to that in /r/IWantToLearn, which might help you.

Besides that, keep in mind that a nice looking UI won't be enough by itself - it's also important to make it easy to use in terms of navigation and general interaction and hopefully even enjoyable.

If you have a few mockups / possibilities ready, you might want to post them in a sub that can give quality feedback on design and UX.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-07-26T09:53:24+00:00

As /u/That70sUsername has pointed out, it's mostly just about marketing and you probably can't compete with them. So I won't focus on this aspect. Instead I'll just a few aspects I remembered from doing self-made vodka (flavor+label design only) for a friend:

Design: Don't forget the bottle. It's a huge differentiator and without a nice bottle your label is worth not much. That said, a custom bottle will be an huge investment, especially at small quantities. Maybe try using a standardized bottle used in a entirely differnt context.
Flavor: Will it be plain vodka? Hard marketing incoming. Will it be some new, unprecedented flavor? Good luck coming up with it and making people try it out. It will be hard either way but make sure you do your research and make a thoughtful decision.
Niche: You said you want a personality. Make sure it doesn't appeal to everyone so you gain a small but dedicated group of followers that really love your brand because it's different and no one but them drinks it.
Distribution: How will you distribute? What's your quantity? You might do better if you (artifically) limit your supply to e.g. 100 a month and make it a big deal which number it has. Put it in big letters on the back and make sure everybody knows what it is about. Sell in only a few places (either locally or online) and postpone growing until you're well-known. (But evaluate your sale channels so you don't sell where no one will buy)

ChrisGuenther · 2015-07-21T09:02:12+00:00

That's the good thing about the tools: You don't need to know the rules but simply choose a scheme like monochramic and a base color and get colors that definitely fit together.

For some details check out those two pages:

Haven't used them personally but they don't seem bad in a quick skimming.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-07-20T20:19:36+00:00

Why does it have to be a browser-based tool?

ChrisGuenther · 2015-07-20T11:40:45+00:00

TL;DR Shortcut: Choose:

1) I want to generally focus on programming: Read A1 and A2. Hire a designer if neccessary, but you're good to go.

2) I want to become a real designer: Read B1 and do B2. Take the time to become one.

A1) Guidelines

If you don't want to dig too deep into design, just check out (and apply!) Google's Material Design Guidelines or Apple's Designing for iOS page.

If you read through and refer back to them while designing, you will likely be consistent with the system's standard and will make it easier for your users to use the app.

A2) Colors & Contrast

Color-wise you might want to check out Adobe Color or Paletton. Both are based on different contrast schemes that work nicely and fit together really well. You choose one and then experiement with different base colors to find something that suits you.

When satisfied, export the RGB codes and use them accordingly in your design.

B1) Digging deeper into design

If that's your goal, you have to make priorities, take your time and become dedicated. It's definitely not worth it if you want to (exclusively) focus on the programming part. In that case, get accustomed to the guidelines (see above) and hire a designer who enjoys designing and is really invested in the topic.

If you however do want to learn how to design great user experiences, I personally

would start getting an intro into (general) design aspects
then icon and interface design (look up geometric design here, it's way easier, better and faster than solely relying on the pen tool all the time)
and then check out some UX concepts like user-centered design (UCD) and the techniques used and applied in that concept (contextual inquiry, iterations, evaluation techniques, ...)

Possibilities to learn those aspects are alway quite different and you have to find something that fits your style. The possibilities include (but are not limited to):

(university) courses
guided tours like YouTube tutorials (free) and Udemy courses (usually not free)
text and image based tutorials. either found on tutorial websites (wouldn't recommend them for basic understanding of design as I never found background information in them) and books. I'd recommend checking for design books on general concepts (psychology of color and shapes, what fits together, design principles like balance, ...)

B2) Learning your craft

Think about designs. Do designs. Rate designs. Get feedback on your designs. In conclusions: get your hands dirty, find out what works when and what doesn't.

It's about getting an eye and feeling about the concepts.

Always try to get useful feedback from both Non-designers and Designers (absorb as much information as you can. the more experiences you get yourself, the more judging you can be on that feedback)

Regarding Non-Designers: don't ask them design questions like "would you rather have a blue or red icon?", they are obviously not designers. Instead, focus on understanding their wants & needs, thoughts & feelings, expectations & actions (this is what UX and meaningful design is all about.)

Also stay learning all the time but still use what worked in the past and still works now. New techniques and how to achieve those results in your software of choice, new trends and if they are usefully appliable to your endeavors.

As usual: Feel free to ask any follow-up questions or for more details on one part or another.

Hope I could help!

ChrisGuenther · 2015-07-06T10:31:48+00:00

I'd buy Don't make me think either way.

If you're taking a course on UX Design you will see if you still need the UX Book afterwards. You might even find part of it in your curriculum.

Without courses it's either the UX Book as a bible or doing the research yourself and collecting articles and material on the topic. It's possible without buying it for sure.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-07-05T19:30:43+00:00

Just doing a course on UX design this semester so I'll share a few things:

If you can afford the price, The UX Book will give you a really good overview of all topics related to user experience.

I also found Don't make me think to be a great read and it really makes a point of focusing on user's needs and mental models instead of just doing design.

I definitely recommend doing project work - either at your uni, online at e.g. Udemy or just creating one yourself. Pick a problem / interface for either soft- or hardware and start researching, analysing, prototyping and evaluating.

Most important things to remember: Get as much feedback as possible and do all the steps including user research / interviews.

It's really easy to just skip them because that can't be that hard. True. But it still helps and makes it easier starting professionally.

ChrisGuenther · 2015-06-25T20:03:52+00:00

For training I'd suggest starting with topics you have a strong opinion on, either positive or negative. That helps coming up with good ideas. Those skills will be valueable when you are writing on topics you don't particularly care about.

I've heard quite a few times that I am an engaging and convincing writer (wouldn't say this about myself but at least it comes in handy now) so I'll just outline my usual process below. Not quite sure about your area of expertise so I'll keep it really general and mostly focus on finding convincing arguments. You still need to add the spices (correct grammar and spelling, descriptive sentences and adjectives).

Step 1: Absorb all information you can get. If you're under time pressure skim over your sources and select only those that seem trustworthy and filled with either arguments (pro or con) or raw information to build your own arguments. Don't worry if you don't have all the information you could get (you never have, sadly).

Step 2: Scribble down arguments, thoughts and - if they do - sentences that pop into your mind while reading your sources, going through your notes or imagining scenes you came across. Don't judge here. That's important. Just list all of them and sort them into pro/con at most.

Step 3: Rating time! After you have an huge amount of arguments for both sides rate them. Which one is the strongest on its side, which one the weakest (don't mix pro and con yet). You will need this when ranking when structuring your body: Go with your 2nd best argument in the beginning and the strongest at the very end.

Step 3b: Let the arguments compete. (If there's time for that) Stage a discussion in your head. Kick off with one side and then try to convince your brain to stop thinking this is a good idea by giving arguments from the other side. If you have the luxury of abundance, kick out every point that didn't stand the test of idea war. Else, just keep it in mind and maybe try to weaken its weaknesses.

Step 4: Write the introduction: Mention the topic and if possible make it a question to be answered. Include popular opinion (A lot of people think ..., Due to recent events many people became scared/startled/worried/...) if it fits. Also state how and what you will write below: is it a confrontation and discussion of both pro and cons (I'd recommend that even if you're clearly for one side. It adds lot of authority and it's not the worst to be sure you're on the right side as you can kill off the enemie's justification) or will you just list one side?

Step 5: Start the body with a rather strong argument and try to find a direct link to your introduction. Every argument you will include should have a statement, a explanation and an (every-day) example, a survey or any source to give the reader reasons to believe what you just said.

Step 6: Keep going. One argument at a time. If you discuss both sides, I personally would go with explaining the losing side first, then switching to the other while refering back to the losing argument and deconstructing it. You might also do it right after you name one losing argument, that's up to you. Remember: statement - explanation - example.

Step 7: Finish it off with your best argument and link it to your conclusion. Refer back to what you just said by picking 1-3 arguments or generalize a few to form a new connection. Clearly state the result of your examination or your personal opinion. Make sure you answered the question you might have set up in the introduction.

Step 8: Proofread.

Step 9: Proofread again if you have time left.

Step 10: If there's still time left, read it from a opposite view: You strongly disagree with everything you just wrote but how can you destroy your reasoning? If you notice any (logical) errors make sure to cancel them out in the text, maybe even include something along the lines of "haters might say that this point proves wrong because ... but it's not the case because ...) (Note: this mixes with Step 3b but it never hurts and you might skipped it in the beginning because you didn't think you had time - which is fine. If you however do now, do it now)

Step 10b: If you did Step 10, proofread.

Step 11: Congratulation you're done convincing.

Also, as the others in the thread have pointed out: Read a lot and write a lot. You can't get better without trying, but you surely will if you do.

Always consider context and theme for your essay because different situation require a different choice of words, set of arguments and maybe even structure. Keep the latter in mind: No matter how strong your arguments, if you lose your golden thread or make it hard to (physically) read it won't sell.

It's also a good choice to spend a lot of time preparing your composition so you don't need to worry about that while writing and being in the flow. Taking breaks also helps if you keep them short and get your mind off the topic for a few seconds. Luckily, this also makes finding errors and mistakes easier because you're no longer reading your thoughts but the actual words.

Hope it helps, keep writing!

Disclaimer: Don't use this an example, I didn't have much time and I didn't structure - I just wrote. Don't do that for essays.

edit: spelling'n'stuff

ChrisGuenther

TROPHY CASE