Toluu

Coroflot's Creative Seeds Blog

A blog dedicated to creative work: How-to's on finding design work and creative recruiting, advice on what leading designers are looking for, and showcases of great work from Coroflot portfolios.

What Do You Look For in a Designer? : Alexander Romer / Collectif EXYZTSeptember 25

1. What do you look for when hiring a designer?
I've mostly worked in and with collectives, so any designer hired would need to be comfortable in this kind of work group--which sometimes means making a lot of fuss about nothing, and sometimes a big mess. Nonetheless, I think the only way to keep a collective working and healthy in the long term is for each designer to be quite individual and autonomous, and have her own opinion. The result is more a kind of synergy of individuals who share their ideas, rather than just some honey made by a bunch of mindless worker bees.

Whoever I hire would need to make space for others; interpret and advance an initial idea, and also, of course, take pleasure in developing projects with others. But probably the most important trait would have to be patience: a collective decision is often followed by the disappearance of some of the members...

2. Is there a particular "tell" that signals a good or bad fit?
A job interview is probably the most unnatural behavioral moment ever: people either find it in them to be very good actors, or they come across as anxious poodles. So I don't think a particular "tell" really helps. Things get clearer once you start working together, and hopefully both sides feel free to point out of a work arrangement is leading to a big nothing. My own expe

FLOTspotting :Caspar SchmitzSeptember 25

From the Coroflot portfolio of : Caspar Schmitz
(Cologne, Germany)

Featured Project : umbrella table

How to Get an Entry Level Job or Internship, v2.0September 18

We've had a ten-point "how to" for internship-seekers posted over at Core77 for a while now, but have lately realized that with all of the changes in the creative professions and the communications landscape--online in particular--many of the best avenues for finding work today weren't even conceived of five or six years ago. To that end, I've been tasked with re-writing our "How to Get an Entry Level Job or Internship" article, with a special focus on utilizing online resources and digital media. If you, like many readers, are a recent entrant into the land of creative employment, read through this one and tell us what you think. If you've recently completed such a search, read through and tell us how you did it.

Nearly or recently graduated and looking for your first big break? The right internship or junior level job can be the gateway you need into the thrilling world of design! Follow our simple ten step program, and you'll be well on your way.

Research

1. Make some decisions about what you're looking for.

If you've been staying current in your particular branch of design during your studies, then this should be the easiest step. Start by thinking about firms and/or cities where you're interested in working, paying special attention to recent work that's been produced there. Magazines, websites, book

Playing it Safe: Contract Basics for Freelance DesignersSeptember 3

Do I need a contract?

It's a reasonable question for freelancing creative professionals, especially those of us just starting out, or doing a little work on the side. The ordeal of tracking down and retaining clients, after all, is complicated and time-consuming enough, and The Law a confusing and foreign construct. While many small consultancies (and most of the larger ones) will have clear sets of legal guidelines for entering into any kind of work agreement, lone freelancers frequently sidestep the whole issue, trusting in their personal client relationship to derail any potential disputes.

To the uninitiated, it may be unclear why a contract is such a big deal in the first place. To help answer that, I sought the advice of Joe Makuch, a patent attorney at Marger, Johnson & McCollom, a Portland law firm that's been handling Intellectual Property (IP) and patent law since the 80s, for companies like Samsung, Pixelworks and recumbent bike builder BigHa Cycles.

The most immediately useful aspect of a contract, it turns out, is the degree to which it dispels uncertainty. A chat and a handshake are comforting, but it's remarkable how many slight differences in understanding can emerge once you start writing them down.

FLOTspotting :Joshua LongoAugust 28

From the Coroflot portfolio of : Joshua Longo
(Brooklyn, NY)

Featured Project : monster skin chair