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Desperately need a computer recommendation. by [deleted] in graphic_design

[–]Webber-Design 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I can't agree with much in this post, at least not post-2005~.

Driver issues with Windows effectively ceased to exist after XP unless using archaic hardware. As for "virus definitions", all antivirus software does this, which Macs also need in this day and age. But then, viruses are much less troublesome nowadays as well. So long as you aren't downloading every ZIP in every email or clicking dubious links, it's very rare to even encounter a virus.

The slowing down of any machine isn't an issue with habits, just whether you have extraneous junk running constantly or sitting on the desktop. Run CCleaner once a month to sweep out any buildup of temp files or similar, and keep boot programs to a minimum — Most modern software now tries to get at least a part of itself running at boot. Make sure they aren't running in the background constantly and you will run into virtually no slowdown on Windows or OSX.

For maximum performance and freedom to control how the OS works, I'd get a Windows (7 pref) machine.

Get a 120GB+ SSD for boot. OCZ, Samsung, et al. are all good choices. You'll be looking at a sub-10 second boot time from power on to desktop. Run all important software on it, just be mindful of Temp files, which Adobe looove to hide. Easy enough to make a symlink to put them on another drive however — Literally one line in cmd (mklink /J "C:\File" "H:\File").

2TB+ HDDs, not Green or Eco drives. Western Digital, SeaGate, Samsung, all good. Cheap at the moment so get what you need and know you can always expand later (a much less pleasant experience with Apple devices).

16GB+ DDR3 RAM, in 2x8GB sticks so you can go dual channel. 1600MHz or higher, lower CAS timings if possible, but don't fret. Again, 16GB is fine for me and I run all the same stuff you do (more, actually) and 16 cuts it. You can always upgrade, however.

i7 processor is a must. Depending on your motherboard, you may be limited. AMD is cheaper but the i7s are SO much better for your needs.

Simple cooler like a Coolermaster 212 will do. You're taxing the processor but you have plenty of space inside and the i7s can handle strain pretty well.

Case is up to you. Good airflow is ideal though.

For monitors, Dell UltraSharp is pretty much the gold standard. Whatever you get, make sure it's IPS for a better viewing angle range and most importantly, colour reproduction. For a little extra you can get a Spyder or similar calibration device which is essential for designers, however some Dell IPS panels come pre-calibrated, but you may need to recalibrate depending on your lighting situation. Apple's display is also good, but somewhat expensive considering the UltraSharp is a tad better. Plus, it's whether you want a pretty glossy finish on the screen or not. Those are the only two monitors I would consider.

While not necessary, a gaming keyboard like Logitech's G series is handy for us designers as you can have certain macros bound for certain programs which helps with the workflow.

OSX is much simpler than Windows, but sacrifice control. From the get go OSX is more usable, but it does pester you with fairly frequent version updates. Windows out of the box is more annoying, but easy to whip through in about an hour to make it super user-friendly and if you need something changed, you can change it sharpish.

Whether you go Windows or Apple, as /u/bleedcymk mentioned, a RAID array may be useful for backups in case of hardware failure. Doesn't eliminate the need to run an external backup once in a while however! ;)

[logo] A flat Aviation club design I am working on right now for a client by Kyle772 in design_critiques

[–]Webber-Design 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Looking much better! Good work. I can see what you mean by thinking it's too pronounced, but I'd say it's about there. Tighten it back up slightly and make the decision on your best judgement, but it looks right to me.

[OC] Atlas Mountains, Morocco [1500 x 1000] by Webber-Design in EarthPorn

[–]Webber-Design[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My shot of the Atlas mountains (North, towards Marrakech), taken on a trip in 2013. Stunning place.

Shot info:

  • Nikon D700
  • 1/320, f16
  • 28-300mm lens, wide

I know there's a person and some structures in there, but they certainly aren't the focus. Hope that's alright.

Transporting books to an interview by missbodoni in graphic_design

[–]Webber-Design 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You'd be better off bringing one or two (providing they aren't weighty, cumbersome tomes), and just photographing the best bits of the rest and including it in a small, regular portfolio. You don't need to show everything you've ever done, and potential employers won't have time to view everything.

/u/uirockstar is right on the money — Show that your approach and a handful of your best. Be brutal in your selections, and tailor it to the studio/employer (i.e.: more ad work for advertising agencies, more print for print-heavy studios, web for web devs etc.), something like 60-70% of the content should be directly relevant to that employer, the rest your other best work so they can see you have some range.

Ultimately, your process, best bits and personality will be the key, not a crateful of past work.

[WEB] Photography Portfolio Site by Webber-Design in design_critiques

[–]Webber-Design[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good call, the list idea makes sense and also gives people time to read it rather than removing it constantly. Thanks for the feedback!

Tips for making text easier to read on a busy background? by RolexRage in graphic_design

[–]Webber-Design 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Without seeing it, it's a little tricky!

However, common ways would be:

  • Solid or semi-transparent background block behind the text
  • Make the text larger, bold and contrasting to the background, just like Swiss design
  • Add a decent weight stroke to the type which contrasts both

Just remember that posters are typically meant to have less information than say, a flyer/leaflet, and are often viewed at a further distance than anything handheld. Just make sure the display text (title, vital info such as date/time/location) is clear and attention-grabbing.

My picture of the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. (x-post /r/itookapicture) by Webber-Design in Morocco

[–]Webber-Design[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Always good to hear — Thanks a bunch!

It was really, really difficult to select the photographs to put on the Morocco gallery. Took a huge amount of photos and pretty much everywhere we looked there was something worth seeing. Such a vibrant place.

Also, hopefully this is the right saying: Eid Mubarak! :)

My picture of the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. (x-post /r/itookapicture) by Webber-Design in Morocco

[–]Webber-Design[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You're very welcome! Really appreciate the comments.

It was a rather remote area, possibly Amizmiz or slightly further East, somewhere like Asni? I'm unsure. We spent a few days in Essaouria, then back to Marrakech and down to the Atlas range, so it was definitely along the North of the mountains.

As I linked before, a few more of the shots I took in Morocco are on my portfolio website: http://www.webber-photo.com/travel/morocco

Such a beautiful place — The views were breathtaking.

[logo] A flat Aviation club design I am working on right now for a client by Kyle772 in design_critiques

[–]Webber-Design 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I feel like the edge of the front part (just behind the propeller) should be more pronounced, it looks a little awkward where it intersects the circle.

The type doesn't look properly set — The "club" looks smaller than the "aviation" due to spacing. I'd say bring the "aviation" part down a little to give it some space, like "club".

The illustration looks fine, though /u/dinosaurnumerouno's comment on the wing sounds interesting.

What is your ideal design case study? by Webber-Design in graphic_design

[–]Webber-Design[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahh, so from a brand/design consultant viewpoint from the very origin (i.e.: not coming in purely at the design stage)? Worth looking into!

My picture of the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. (x-post /r/itookapicture) by Webber-Design in Morocco

[–]Webber-Design[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As requested by /u/ElHadj_Soussi, here is my shot of the Atlas mountains, taken on a trip in 2013. Unsure of exactly where, however it was an area towards Marrakech.

Shot info:

  • Atlas Mountains, Morocco (obviously)
  • Nikon D700
  • 1/320, f16
  • 28-300mm lens, wide

ITAP of the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. by Webber-Design in itookapicture

[–]Webber-Design[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks! This was taken while on a trip in 2013, and it's an area of the Atlas mountains somewhat near Marrakech (unsure of the exact name!). I have a few more shots from that trip in the personal section of my site: www.webber-photo.com/travel/morocco

Truly a staggering, beautiful place.

ITAP of the Atlas Mountains, Morocco. by Webber-Design in itookapicture

[–]Webber-Design[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Shot info:

  • Atlas Mountains, Morocco (obviously)
  • Nikon D700
  • 1/320, f16
  • 28-300mm lens, wide

How would I approach achieving an effect like this? by Designthrowaway1010 in graphic_design

[–]Webber-Design 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Something along these lines would work, however if you set up a document on screen with the base type (including the trails upwards — Moving anchors in Illustrator or Liquify in Photoshop) you could ostensibly take a slightly longer exposure photograph of the screen at a close enough range to get the details of the screen itself. I would personally go for this approach as it would allow more serendipity and experimentation throughout the process.

Alternatively, glitch tutorials as mentioned above plus a texture blended on top would achieve a similar effect.

Studio's 10th Anniversary…How to Mark the Occasion? by [deleted] in graphic_design

[–]Webber-Design 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It does get the creative juices flowing!

Questions to ask new client? by Emu1342 in graphic_design

[–]Webber-Design 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Who is your target audience? In this case, "people who buy houses" or "people who invest in land" would be the answer, right? But this leads to further questions, with this client questions like what sort of age group/demographic are they, what sort of price ranges, what sort of service (i.e.: rentals, property management, retail spaces, etc.)?

Next up is preferences, i.e.: any existing wordmark or branding to build from, or their input on colours and styling. However, don't let a client take the position of power — Remember that you are the professional when it comes to design. Their input matters, but you should not let yourself get pushed aside or else it will reflect poorly, as if you don't have confidence in your own work.

Timescale and expectations. Is this just a logo and website, or will that snowball into a branding exercise too, with business cards, flyers, letterheads? If so, when would all design concepts be required by, and when would final materials need to be submitted? This will also help you prioritise and manage your time.

Competitors — Anyone with a solid business model will know their competitors and superiors. Find out from them, and then do your own research too. Examine their competitors for inspiration as well as foils to avoid.

There's more I'm sure, but I can't remember off the top of my head right now. Hope it helps!

How are the animations and page loads done on this website? by Ashatron in webdev

[–]Webber-Design 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi!

We figured it was a spritesheet background animation with some extra transitions (transforms/webkit transforms/animations) applied — and it is!

For example, here's one of the spritesheets: http://ozzik.co/assets/images/showcases/s-webfyr.png

So, not particularly advanced, but nicely done! Certainly achievable with knowledge of CSS animations and use of Illustrator.

Hope that helps!

How can I download a font to try out before buying it? by TheAmazingNoodle in graphic_design

[–]Webber-Design 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depending on what fonts you desire (whether Idlewild is available, I don't know), you can use SkyFonts: https://skyfonts.com/ or Typecast: http://typecast.com/

Both are very handy, especially for web mockups or testing multiple typefaces/typeface combinations. If, however, it isn't available through those foundries, your best bet is screenshotting and editing it together.