The problem with project bidding sites is that it forces designers to bid and compete on projects where the end result is usually one where the cheapest offer will win. This undermines the design industry and promotes the false assumption that cheap design is ‘just as good’ or that it isn’t really worth paying good money for.
I’d argue that design is just as worthy, if not more so, than anything else a company or client may pay for during a project. It is becoming increasingly more important; consumers are more design conscious than ever before and a good design will stand out and communicate effectively to their target audience. It can make or break a product, depending on the quality, which is why it is perplexing to see some people seriously underestimate its power (and thus, its worthiness).
Design is the blending of art and science, creating an aesthetic end-result that works and attracts attention; it is a marketing tool as much as it is a public relations tool, it is the persona of the project or company and ultimately it shapes how customers perceive that project/company. If someone is offering absurdly cheap design services then there is probably a reason for that and I seriously doubt it is because they are a successful designer (though it doesn’t always mean they’re not a good one).
The moral isn’t that the bidding sites are a flawed idea, but some of the people using them to find designers aren’t really clued in to how important design is. The thing to learn is that cost isn’t (or at least, shouldn’t be) the only factor to consider.
P.S. I do not regard competition sites to be bidding sites (because they’re not).
I downloaded David Jones’ Beautipedia extension for Safari (which turns Wikipedia into a more readable and attractive site). However I found it a bit ‘clunky’ so I edited the style-sheet and cleaned it up, making it lighter and more subtle as well as introducing line spacing and more.
Update: After speaking with David Jones, he gave me permission to publish ‘Beautipedia (Modified)’, you can download it below (and it will update when a new version comes out, since I intend to keep it updated).
A collection of superb London Underground posters from around 1959, discovered this year at Notting Hill Gate Tube Station. These posters are not accessible to the public. You can see them on the Flickr.
I started to write these tips on how to run a healthy business for my friend and I, but decided that there may be something in it for others to. The aim was to collect knowledge from our experiences and from others and keep a simple plan/guide at hand.
Feel free to contribute ideas and your experiences too. It’s a tough world and it is good to share knowledge and expand on each others ideas.
Note: As a designer, the article does assume the business to be a design based business and that you are a sole-trader or freelancer, but much of the information does apply to other types of businesses too.
Planetfall is a wonderfully aesthetic scrolling space shooter (shmup) game that my friend (Phil Whittle) and I have been working on for a very long time. It all started in 2007, but now I’m going to reveal some of the development and design processes and explain a little more about the project.
The game wasn’t ever meant to be complicated, but it was meant to be beautiful with a vast array of complicated particle-based effects and wonderful patterns. The main game was supposed to feel both modern but with a retro feel, so we decided anti-aliasing was a no-go area, pixelated minimalist graphics were given the nod.
We announced and started developing in October 2007, with a beta release in November, we expected it to be complete by December. So here we are in October 2009 and we still have no firm release. One could describe it as vapourware, and until we release it, that would be a partly accurate description. We originally picked up a little bit of hype in the local and small forum communities, though this has died down a lot since then.
Why has the project taken so long? Well 2008 was spent with at least 2 engine rewrites, a break whilst working on other important projects and a makeover. Then 2009 came and we made the final engine rewrite and the final design makeover. In addition to that, I use a Mac and the game is developed on Windows at the moment, so I’m limited to how much I can do.
Basically, all there is to do now is to create the actual game, though arcade mode functions very well and it’s possible that we could release arcade mode on its own, rather than a story filled mode.
You may have noticed the minimal ship designs in the newer builds (see first screenshot in this post). The designs were not always minimal, however, here is what the player ship used to look like (see below).
Note: Press ‘F1′ in-game for controls.
Download (Updated):
Download removed.
*Working on a Mac version, beta only available for Windows, annoying I know, especially for me since I use a Mac.
The long-awaited game for the iPhone/iPod Touch, Ramp Champ, has been released to the masses and naturally, I rushed onto the App Store to go get it this morning.
As a fan of seaside arcade games and the whole atmosphere of the cheap and chirpy British (or indeed any seaside) atmosphere, full of piers, mediocre beaches, slightly above average attractions and the wonderfully diverse array of people and culture, I thought this game would be for me.
I have played Skee-ball before but was rather skeptical about whether a game on a small device could replicate the feel of a popular seaside game. Amazingly, it did. The sound track and the sound effects, combined with the game play and absolutely stunning graphics contributed to the making of one of the best games you can get on the iPhone.
The other day, I created some mockups for the perfect Mac OS X web browser (at least from my perspective) and I’d thought I’d share my interesting, though slightly shaky results.
Design is far from perfect and it all needs cleaning up if it were to ever become ‘real’, but as this is just an idea at present, there are no worries.
Typography is the art of fonts and text. It is by no means a new thing, but awareness of the importance of typography has been increasing in terms of design in recent years.
