Thursday, April 7, 2011
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Design Discussion Resources
Design Career Should you be a Designer?
Consider a career in design if your have the personality type that will flourish in this type of atmosphere. Here are a few things that you may want to consider before choosing a design major: - You must work well in groups. Creative collaboration is key to becoming any type of designer.
- Take constructive criticism well. Instructors and others may not see your work the same way you do which is a good, sometimes it not easy to improve upon an idea that is your own.
- Realize that technology and design trends are forever changing. You will need to learn how to reorganize and keep up to date in both areas often.
- A lot of the work you will do is based on deadlines. Some schools will drop you if turn in late projects.
- Every project is a process, first a creative strategy, then brain storming, then sketching, refine, refine refine, then revise, revise and then revise some more. Patience with this process is needed always.
- Be able to express your ideas in a non confrontational way. Learn how to do this and it will make your life much easier.
- Know that there is always some form of compromise with almost every project.
- A lot of times you will have to create your own structure. Be organized it will save you time trust me.
Department Responsibilities What We Do
We produce four separate catalogs per year mailing a approximately 700,000 pieces to schools and coach's across the United States. Below is the logo redesign as well as few spreads from our CheerZone 2010 Team Catalog.
Logo Design
Cover Design
Cover Design
Sample Spreads
Product Development
The Marketing & Design Department is responsible for all product development. The image below illustrate how we create uniform sketches to be made into prototypes. We then take the samples to be photographed at each years photo shoot.
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Behind the Scenes: 2009 Photo Shoot
Every photo shoot is carefully scheduled, organized, and directed by my design team and I. Every pose, every garment, every hair style is planned in advance to get the most out of each day.
Images are automatically displayed on the monitor for our review. We always love working with our commercial photographer Jason Ruth.
Website Admistration
In addition to print projects the department must handle all aspects of our online store. From the initial design to order management to search engine optimization everything involved with
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AIGA Design Salary Survey What We Make
AIGA Design Salary Survey What We Make
Click the link below to go to the online survey publication. This publication gives you an overview of design salaries as of 2010.
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Design Schools Where To Go
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Scholarships Tips & Resources
Written by Joe Mellett, Ward Allebach, and Adam Burton for ArtSchools.com.
There's good news! Hundreds and hundreds of art and design scholarships are available to students, and you're probably eligible for more than a few of them. Now, the bad news. None of them are going to jump up and grab you. So, where can you find these scholarships? More importantly, how can you win them?
This article offers a practical game plan for those of you who are trying to track down and win Art Scholarships that will help you on the path to a career in the visual arts. Get ready, though, because there's a lot to do before you can even think about filling out applications and putting together a portfolio.
PART 1: WHERE TO LOOK FOR ART SCHOLARSHIPS
Start a list...it could get big! Here's a sample of groups and organizations that often offer art and design scholarships:
- School, College and University Art Departments
- Community and Civic Groups
- Professional Organizations
- Your Employer, Local Businesses and National Chains
- Charitable Foundations
- Arts Festivals and Competitions
The first step for you will be to identify as many of these possibilities as you can. I'd suggest starting with the phone book to really hone in on the local ones; you'll want to search the Internet, too, of course - but (believe it or not) an awful lot of the local groups that offer your best chances of winning still aren't on the Web.
Next - start a table, a chart or a spreadsheet with columns like "Sponsor," "Scholarship Name," "Contact Name," "Phone number," "Amount," "Requirements," and (very importantly) "Deadline."
Of course, you only want to put your valuable time into applying for the scholarships which best suit your ambitions... or the ones you can make out to fit your ambitions (we'll get to that in the section below on "Winning Art Scholarships"). For now, though, put down everything you come across that's even close, and once you've finished your list, you'll be able to take a good, hard look at which options are most worth your efforts.
Hopefully, the ideas in the next section will get you going with a good list of choices.
Excellent Starting Points
Your High School
Talk to your high school Guidance Counselor to see what kinds of scholarships and awards are available. Many of them consider it part of their job to help you find scholarship opportunities, so they keep a file of them or a bulletin board with recent flyers they've received. This could prove to be a treasure trove of opportunities for Art Scholarships!
Check in with your high school Art Teacher, too. Many of them also keep half an eye on this sort of information, or they may also be members of professional organizations that have scholarship opportunities for art students (see the section below on Professional Organizations).
Very often, the high schools themselves offer monetary rewards for the best students in the arts, or the most dedicated from clubs and activities, which could include an art-oriented club. If your high school doesn't offer a scholarship or award of its own, then at the very least, either your Counselor or your Art Teacher should be able to steer you toward other sources because they hear about stuff like that all of the time.
Your University
Most Art Departments offer scholarships to students attending their schools, either directly through the school or through business, benefactors and foundations that support the school. Many schools also offer them to prospective students.
If you're attending or planning to attend a university, BE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN to contact your Program Advisor to ask what scholarships may be available through the school or department (if you're already attending, definitely check in with your Art Instructors, too!). Don't forget to look for scholarship opportunities on the university department's web site or on a bulletin board near the Art Department office on-campus, where they also are often posted. Here are some typical departmental scholarship listings:
- Baum School of Art
- Birmingham Southern College
- Cranbrook Academy of Art
- Goshen College
- Hendrix College
- St. Lawrence University
Most universities do offer scholarships to students attending their schools. That's because they really, really want to keep you there. These kinds of scholarships are the easiest to find out about, but somehow overlooked by many students who could benefit greatly from the funding...and from the prestige of winning!
Just to reinforce this idea of funding from your university or college, the Department of Education reports that at public universities, scholarship and fellowship expenditures have risen consistently from 1980 through 1995.
This may be an indication that there are opportunities waiting for you. Again, at the very least, you should ask your Advisor about other sources if there are none available at your university for your circumstance.
Your Employer (or Your Parent's Employer)
Many, many businesses offer some kind of funding program for their employees and their employee's children, as part of the benefits package. This might be in the form of "reimbursable tuition," "continuing education" or even internal grants, scholarships or awards. Even if you're only working part-time, you still might be eligible.
Somehow, this is another fabulous financial outlet for academic funding that is overlooked year after year by many students. All you have to do is ask!
Community and Civic Groups
Chances are, there are some local community groups that are involved in the arts, whether it's a "friends" organization to support a local gallery or museum, or a group of people who get together every other week to paint and share stories. Very often, members of these groups pay dues, hold art shows and auctions, organize fund-raisers, and then…. Guess what? They offer scholarships to local people like you who want to pursue an education in the arts!
These kinds of groups may not be easy to find because they generally keep to themselves, but you might try the following:
- Check your local yellow pages for art organizations
- Check in with your City Hall and ask about what community groups involved in the arts are registered or where you can find out
- Look in the local newspaper's calendar section for art-related events, and mark down the sponsoring groups...or, better yet, call the arts editor or reporter and ask them what they know
- Scan the web with a search for towns in your area or your county and your area of interest in the arts
But these aren't the only groups to try in your community! There are many other local groups that may not appear to be directly involved with the arts, but have a definite interest - or maybe they simply want to support artistic endeavors.
Very often, civic groups offer scholarships for everything imaginable, including the arts, so look them up and ask. Here are a few possibilities that we've seen, which you might want to check out:
- 4-H, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts
- PTA
- Rotary Clubs, Lion's Club, Jaycees, Kiwanis
- Your church
Professional Organizations
By definition, professional organizations are designed to promote their profession. In large part, that entails the development of future professionals, and scholarships are a great way for them to promote that.
There are many professional organizations for every discipline imaginable in the arts, dealing with painting, sculpting, graphic arts and more on a local, regional, national and international basis.
In your search, keep in mind that many national groups have local affiliates. And remember how much better your chances are when you start locally! So, when you find an international or national organization, be sure to look a little more closely (or give a quick call) to see if there is a local chapter in your state or region.
Meanwhile, for your "scholarship ideas list," here's a small taste of the professional groups that we know offer art scholarships:
- American Architectural Foundation
- American Society of Interior Designers
- International Furnishings and Design Association
- National Sculpture Society
- Printing and Imaging Association of MidAmerica
- Printing Industries of Wisconsin
- Southwestern Association for Indian Arts
- Stained Glass Association of America
National Businesses
One creed that successful businesses adhere to is that you must keep your customers happy. A great way to do that is to show how much you care about them and their community once in a while. And guess what? For some of them, offering Art Scholarships or awards is a great way to do that. Here are a few that we've found so far:
More often than not, though, these kinds of scholarships are given through a school, where the corporation designates a dollar amount to the school and the school administers the scholarship for incoming or current students.
Charitable Foundations
The competition to receive funding from charitable foundations is pretty stiff, even from the local ones. That's because they do a very good job of soliciting applicants, and the awards are often larger than the smaller groups. Nevertheless, there are hundreds of these organizations giving away millions of dollars every year. If you know of any locally, you should inquire. Or, you can take a glance at these, too:
National Foundations
- Andy Warhol Foundation
- Donna Reed Foundation for the Performing Arts
- Jackie Robinson Foundation
- Two Ten Footwear Foundation
- Walmart Foundation
Art Festivals and Competitions
Once again, the competition to win these kinds of scholarships is stiff, whether they're held locally, statewide or nationally. Naturally, your best chance is with the local ones, but in either case, if you're going to bank on this as your main meal ticket of financing, then you'd better be prepared to spend a lot of time. Here are just a few opportunities that we have found:
- American Bar Association - Images of Freedom Student Photography Contest
- American Society of Portrait Artists
- Anacortes Arts Festival
- Delaware Arts Festival Association
- Edmonds Arts Festival Foundation
- Ladies Auxiliary VFW - Young American Patriotic Art
- Quill and Scroll Society
- Scholastic Art and Writing Awards
- Verizon HBCU Student Art Competition
- World of Expression - Bertelsmann's Scholarship Program
Other Sources You Might Not Have Thought About
There are certainly many other types of organizations that frequently offer funding for art students in the form of grants, fellowships and scholarships. That includes government agencies, education associations, museums, fraternities and sororities, and who knows what else. Here are a few ideas to get you started thinking about where to look:- Asheville Area Art Council
- National Art Education Association
- Ohio Arts Council
- Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
- US Department of Education
Of course, Check the Web, too
The web has some great free resources for finding specific scholarships, including those focused on the arts. It's worth it to take the time to fill out some of the long forms in order to find a few more outlets to add to your list. They're also great for information on other sources of financial aid, like student loans and state, federal and local grants. Here are a few great lists and search engines for art scholarships that we've found:
Here are a few of the other sites with scholarship searches that you'll have to narrow down to art:
PART 2: WINNING ART SCHOLARSHIPS
Trust me, as stated and demonstrated above, there are many, many scholarships for art students - only a small smattering is currently found here on ArtSchools.com, although you can expect the number to grow. The following section includes a few important keys to landing one.
It's not "Where to Look"... It's "WHEN"
Start looking for scholarships early!
And, I don't mean just a few months before the semester begins, or even six months. I mean EARLY, as in at least a year in advance... and you'll be even better off if you scout out the possibilities, starting your investigation two or more years before applying.
For example, maybe you read in the newspaper about a local scholarship recipient - newspapers love that kind of stuff. Take note! Find out who won it and what they did to win it. Contact the sponsoring organization and find out the details for next year.
Same goes for scholarships you may come across on the web which have already been awarded, or when you see one for which the deadline has already passed. The vast majority of the time, these scholarships will be available again in a year.
Next: Think Locally
Now, before you get any more specific, realize this: Your best chance of winning an Art Scholarship is to focus on local organizations.
Sure, you can chase after the really big bucks that are widely publicized. But, your odds are far greater in your own local area with a local group because you may only be going up against a few other local students versus the entire student population of the country.
Usually, these local awards aren't as lucrative as the bigger, national and international scholarships. They usually come in the range of $250 to $1,000, and you might think that the monetary reward doesn't justify your effort.
But remember that the effort might not be all that much, and it sure won't hurt to put your award-winning performance on your application for colleges, or on your resume when applying for jobs.
Position Yourself
When you give yourself plenty of time, you can "position" yourself much better to qualify.
In other words, if there are requirements that you may not have met or excelled in, now you have a year to do it and really impress the judges! Take a hard look at what past winners did to win, and learn from what they did right. Maybe even track them down to see what they did and how they did it.
If you start late, then it's less likely that you'll have done exactly what the judges are looking for, and you may have to stretch things to make it appear that you did. That isn't the best position to be in.
If possible (and it's not always possible), do what you can to talk to some of the people granting the scholarships and find out specifically what they're looking for. Often, organizations will have summaries of winning applications for you to review - definitely inquire about that!
There may be more to the application than you'll find in the instructions.
Apply EARLY!
Most people turn their stuff in at the last minute, so don't you dare be in with that crowd! When the application deadline approaches, you must get your stuff in early to stand out from the crowd.
First impressions last! If your application is strong, and you get it in the hands of the judges early, then there's a much better chance that they will remember you. You need to show that you're different from the rest, more deserving than the rest. An important way to do that it to get it done before the rest - one to two weeks in advance should be plenty.
Start early, think ahead. Your chances will be much better.
REALITY CHECKS
Reality Check #1: Be wary of folks on the web, in the mail or on the phone who tell say you must pay them in order to get a scholarship. The offers may sound enticing, but it also may be a marketing trick.
The Federal Trade Commission warns scholarship seekers about Scholarship Scams and you'll see similar warnings on almost all of the scholarship search web sites, so please take a look at what they have to say, for your own good.
Reality Check #2: You won't find too many Art Scholarships that will provide a free ride the entire way through the college experience. Yes, there are some. But the competition is fierce, with thousands of students applying, and you'd better not bet your house that you'll get one - no matter how good you are.
The most abundant scholarships are in the $250 to $2,000 range, and that's mostly what you'll find here on our site and referenced in this article. Before you scoff, remember that every little bit helps, and even the smallest scholarship will buy some pretty expensive books for a semester or two.
CONCLUSION
The Possibilities are Endless
As you can see, there are a lot of possibilities for finding Art Scholarships.
That doesn't necessarily mean that you will find a dozen, or even a half-dozen, local opportunities just waiting for you to step up and cash the check. But you might! And without making a list as we've discussed in this article, your chances of finding any at all become much smaller.
You can see that there's a lot of work involved just to find these opportunities...but that's nothing compared to the work you'll need to put in to win them.
Bottom line: There's plenty of scholarship money available in the arts. You just need to show that you're worth the investment. And, if you are dedicated to pursuing a career in the arts, you may even enjoy the work it takes to stand out from the crowd anyway.
Sunday, March 21, 2010
This Years Catalog
I am so excited about this years catalog. Even though I've been designing for Coach's Corner now for almost eight years, I would have to say that this is the catalog that I am most proud of. I had the chance to retake almost every photo in the catalog which allowed me to have complete creative freedom over the design. We shot at my High School which was really cool because it was the first time I was able to get some outdoor shots. They turned out amazing! Here are a few of my favorite spreads.
Sample Spreads
Logo DesignCover Design
Cover DesignSample Spreads
Sunday, March 14, 2010
Friday, November 13, 2009
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