VDIS10022 Advanced Graphics Studio - Lecture 2 - Studio Roles

VDIS10022 ADVANCED GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDIO Lecturer: Rachel Hawkins
LECTURE 2: STUDIO ROLES
VIRTU DESIGN INSTITUTE

VIRTU DESIGN INSTITUTE: ADVANCED GRAPHIC DESIGN STUDIO - VDIS10022 2
Design
Studio
Roles
Wikipedia - Graphic design occupations
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graphic_design_occupations
GRAPHIC ART MANAGERS
The following are positions
or responsibilities and usually
titles, held by experienced
graphic designers in Studio
management roles:
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
A Creative Directors range of
experience can be broad and
encompass a number of disciplines;
visual design; copy-writing, art
direction, advertising account
director, film/video director.
A Creative Directors job is to
initiate the creative concept of
a project and drive the direction
of the project. The role of a
Creative Director is to formulate
creative concepts, whether it is
an advertising campaign, brand
identity, TV commercial, marketing
campaign. A Creative Director was
often referred to the ‘Ideas Guy’
and works with a team of ‘creatives’
- art director, graphic designer,
copywriter, film director to produce
the concept and final production.
ART DIRECTOR
Art directors make sure that
illustrators and production artists
produce and complete their
work on time and to the creative
director or client’s satisfaction. Art
directors also play a major role
in the development of a project
by making decisions on the visual
elements of the project, and by
giving the final say on the selection
of models, art, props, colors, and
other elements. Art directors need
advanced training in graphic design
as they often do artwork and
designing themselves. However,
an art director’s time may be
consumed doing supervisory and
administrative work.
ART PRODUCTION MANAGER
Art production managers or traffic
managers oversee the production
aspect of art to improve efficiency
and cost effectiveness. Art
production managers supervise
artists or advise the supervisors
of artists. Creative directors and
art directors often assume the
role of art production managers,
especially when production cost
is not a critical enough concern
to designate a manager for the
specific role.
HANDS-ON GRAPHIC
DESIGNERS
The following are positions
or responsibilities, held by
graphic designers in the
Studio. A graphic designer
is often expected to be able
to fulfill multiple of these
responsibilities:
BRAND IDENTITY DEVELOPER
Brand identity design is concerned
with the visual aspects of a
company or organization’s brand or
identity. A brand identity design is
the visual element that represents
how a company wants to be seen;
it is the company’s visual identity,
and is how a company illustrates
its ‘image.’ A company’s brand
identity can be represented in
terms of design through a unique
logo, or signage, and is then often
integrated throughout all the
elements of a company’s materials
such as business cards, stationery,
packaging, media advertising,
promotions, and more. Brand
identity may include logo design.
Brand identity development is
usually a collaborative effort
between creative directors, art
directors, copywriters, account
managers and the client.

BROADCAST DESIGNERS
A broadcast designer is a
person involved with creating
graphic designs and electronic
media incorporated in television
productions that are used by
character generator (CG) operators.
A broadcast designer may have a
degree in digital media (or a similar
degree), or is self-taught in the
software needed to create such
content.
LOGO DESIGNER
The job of a logo designer is to
provide a new and innovative way
to express the key points of a
company through an image. Logo
designers take the information
given to them by the client and
work, using their own creativity
along with marketing strategy to
find an appropriate image that
their client can use to represent
what they are trying to encourage,
sell, or what they are. It is not likely
that a company will specialize in
logo design or have a position for
a designated logo designer. Art
directors and graphic designers
usually perform logo designs.
ILLUSTRATOR
Illustrators conceptualize and
create illustrations that represent
an idea or a story through two-dimensional
or three-dimensional
images. Illustrators may do
drawings for printed materials
such as books, magazines,
and other publications, or for
commercial products such as
textiles, packaging, wrapping
paper, greeting cards, calendars,
stationery, and more.
Illustrators use many different
media, from pencil and paint to
digital formatting, to prepare
and create their illustrations. An
illustrator consults with clients
in order to determine what
illustrations will best meet the
story they are trying to tell, or
what message they are trying to
communicate.
Illustrating may be a secondary
skill requirement of graphic design
or a specialty skill of a freelance
artist, usually known for a unique
style of illustrating. Illustration
may be published separately as
in fine art. However, illustrations
are usually inserted into page
layouts for communication design
in the context of graphic design
professions.
VISUAL IMAGE DEVELOPER
Similar to illustration are other
methods of developing images
such as photography, 3D modeling,
and image editing. Creative
professionals in these positions
are not usually called illustrators,
but are utilized the same way.
Photographers are likely to
freelance. 3D modelers are likely
to be employed for long-term
projects. Image editing is usually
a secondary skill to either of the
above, but may also be a specialty
to aid web development, software
development, or multimedia
development in a job title known
as multimedia specialist. Although
these skills may require technical
knowledge, graphic design skills
may be applied as well.
MULTIMEDIA DEVELOPER
Multimedia developers may come
from a graphic design or illustration
background and apply those talents
to motion, sound, or interactivity.
Motion designers are graphic
designers for motion. Animators
are illustrators for motion.
Videographers are photographers
for motion. Multimedia developers
may also image edit, sound edit,
program, or compose multimedia
just as multimedia specialists.
CONTENT DEVELOPER
Content developer is a generic
term used for describing
illustrators, visual image
developers, and multimedia
developers in software and web
development. The term has a
broader scope that includes non-graphical
content as well. A generic
name for content that is used in
a digital composition are digital
assets.
VISUAL JOURNALIST
Visual Journalists, also known
as Info-graphic Artists create
information graphics or Info-graphics;
visual representations of
information, data or knowledge.
These graphics are used anywhere
where information needs to be
explained quickly or simply, such
as in signs, maps, journalism,
technical writing, and education.
They are also used extensively
as tools by computer scientists,
mathematicians, and statisticians
to ease the process of developing
and communicating conceptual
information. They are applied in all
aspects of scientific visualization.
LAYOUT ARTIST
A layout artist deals with the
structure and layout of images

and text in a pleasing format.
This can include magazine work,
brochures, flyers, books, CD
booklets, posters, and similar
formats. For magazines and similar
productions, color, typeface, text
formatting, graphic layout and
more must be considered. Is the
chosen typeface good for long
term reading, or will the eyes get
tired? Does that title typeface fit
the feel of the rest of the article?
Are the photos arranged in such a
way that is pleasing to the eye, and
directs the reader in the right flow
or direction? These are just some
of the questions that layout artists
must ask themselves. Page layouts
are usually done by art directors,
graphic designers, production
artists or a combination of those
positions.
Entry level layout work is often
known as paste up art. Entry level
layout graphic designers are often
known as production artists. In an
in-house art department, layout
artists are sometimes known as
DTP artists or DTP associates.
INTERFACE DESIGNER
Interface designers are graphical
user interface (GUI) layout artists.
They are employed by multimedia,
software, and web development
companies. Because graphical
control elements are interactive,
interface design often overlaps
interaction design. Because
interfaces are not usually composed
as single computer files, interface
design may require technical
understanding, including graphical
integration with code. Because
interfaces may require hundreds
of assets, knowledge of how to
automate graphic production may
be required. An interface designer
may hold the job title of web
designer in a web development
company.
WEB DESIGNER
A web designer’s work could be
viewed by thousands of people
every day. Web designers create
the pages, layout, and graphics
for web pages, and play a key
role in the development of a
website. Web designers have
the task of creating the look and
feel of a website by choosing the
style, and by designing attractive
graphics, images, and other visual
elements, and adapting them
for the website’s pages. Web
designers also design and develop
the navigation tools of a site. Web
designers may make decisions
regarding what content is included
on a web page, where things are
placed, and how the aesthetic
and continuity is maintained from
one screen to the next. All of
this involves skill and training in
computer graphics, graphic design,
and in the latest in computer and
web technology.
Depending on the scope of the
project, web design may involve
collaboration between software
engineers and graphic designers.
The graphic design of a website
may be as simple as a page
layout sketch or handling just
the graphics in an HTML editor,
while the advance coding is done
separately by programmers. In
other cases, graphic designers may
be challenged to become both
graphic designer and programmer
in the process of web design in
positions often known as web
masters.
PACKAGE DESIGNER
A package designer or packaging
technician may utilize technical
skills aside from graphic design.
Knowledge of cuts, crease,
folding, nature and behavior of
the packaging material such as
paper, corrugated sheet, synthetic
or other type of materials may
also be required. A customer may
see the top/outside of a package
at first, but may also be drawn to
other package design features. A
packaging design may require 3D
layout skills in addition to visual
communication to consider how
well a design works at multiple
angles. CAD software applications
specifically for packaging design
may be utilized.

10
Types of
Thinking
You’ll Find
in a Digital
Agency
AUTHOR: Brian Chiger
April 29th, 2010
http://anidea.com/etc/ten-types-of-thinking-youll-
find-in-a-digital-agency/
What do your ideas look like?
The next time you have an idea,
grab a piece of paper and sketch it
out. Now take a look. How did you
translate it from your brain to the
page? Did you write a paragraph?
Draw a picture? Make a diagram?
Now ask a coworker to sketch the
same idea – chances are, their page
will look very different from yours.
There are many different kinds of
thinkers. More often than not, we
wind up working with people who
understand the world in vastly
different ways from ourselves. It’s
what we mean when we say, “great
ideas can come from anywhere.”
Sometimes, what’s obvious in one
mode of thinking is remarkably
complex in another. By putting
different kinds of thinkers on
a problem, we can compose a
greater range of creative solutions.
I’ve compiled a list of the ten
most prevalent types of thinking
you’re likely to encounter in a
digital agency. I don’t mean to say
that every individual falls into one
category or another. Most people
can think across several modes,
depending on the situation, but
everyone tends to have a few styles
they’re most comfortable in… no
one is equally adept at them all.
Great agencies build diverse teams
that can approach a problem from
several angles.
It’s good to take note of the
different kinds of thinkers around
you. Pay attention to how
your coworkers diagram their
thoughts and keep it in mind
when assigning tasks to teams of
individuals. Instead of pushing
like-minded individuals together
(i.e. a brainstorm of programmers)
try deliberately forming differently
minded teams.
Interesting things happen when
you pair two or three very
different types of minds together.
Sometimes, all greatness needs is a
little perspective.
Without further ado, the ten
types of thinking you’re likely to
encounter at a digital agency.
1. Storytellers
Storytellers like to think in
narratives. Ideas are usually linear
and have distinct beginnings,
middles and ends. Most traditional
creative copywriters tend to think
this way, excellent for narrative
media like TV but can be a bit of
a struggle in less narrative-based
digital media.
2. Visually Minded
Visual thinkers are adept at
conveying a larger idea through
carefully chosen visuals. It’s no
surprise they make great art
directors and designers.
3. System Oriented
System thinkers fuss over the
relationships between things.
Instead of developing a big narrative,
they try to map out and understand
how all the moving parts fit together.
They love flowcharts and diagrams.
This type of thinking is readily
apparent in the platform strategies
of digital brands like Apple, Adobe
and Google. The true value of
each company is predicated not
just on their individual products,
but how all their products work
together seamlessly. Planning and
understanding that connection is
where system thinker’s shine.

10
Types of
Thinking
You’ll Find
in a Digital
Agency
4. Associative
Associative thinkers look at the
patterns between things. They
have a tendency to express
themselves through metaphor and
proxy. They often lay out ideas in
a chaotic fashion and are extremely
prone to digressions.
5. Logical
Logical thinkers break problems
down into a series of choices. They
focus heavily on the structure of
decision-making, often establishing
rubrics, filters and other tools
that can not only institutionalize
knowledge, but be used to teach
computers how to automate
tasks. Not only are they great
programmers, but they also make
some mean spreadsheets.
6. Organisers
Have you ever met someone who
had a knack for simplifying complex
lists into simple categories? They
probably fall here. Organizers
are excellent and grouping and
bucketing ideas, personnel, files…
you name it. They have a habit of
breaking things down by function,
which makes them excellent
programmers, but also excellent
project and account managers as
well.
They tend to have the most
amazing file cabinets and binders,
which make me unspeakably
jealous.
7. Architects
This mode of thinking is very
similar to that of the organizers,
but instead of grouping by
function, they arrange in terms
of hierarchy. Traditionally, this is
called Information Architecture and
produces the kind of tree layout
shown above.
8. Intuitives
Like a sculptor, intuitives often start
with a rough idea of what they’re
trying to create. As they gradually
mould their creation, it begins to
take form, often in unexpected
(and wonderful) ways. They know
they’re done when it “feels right.”
They are known to cause panic
attacks in more structured thinkers
who prefer to have a concrete
sense of where they’re going.
9. Leaders
Leaders are goal-oriented
individuals. They lay out the
objectives and the timeline and
lead the troops into the breach.
They may not have charted a
course, but they have a clear-eyed
understanding of where the team is
now and where it needs to go.
In films, montage-time helps bridge
the gap between the inspirational
speech and ultimate success. In
the real world, they rely on the
dedication of their team to get to
the finish.
10. Visionaries
Similar to leaders, but far less
grounded, visionaries imagine how
things could be without regard for
feasibility. Often, their ideas inspire
more grounded thinkers to take
bold, innovative steps.

Differentiating Roles People Assume in Groups
Groups are social systems that evolve informally through commonalities
or formally through organizational goals. Groups may accomplish a
number of different types of tasks. When the group’s performance is
dependent on the sum of the individuals’ performance, the group can
become a team. Successful teams exhibit open communication, clear
mutual goals and member responsibilities, acceptance of diversity, ability
to handle conflict constructively, trust, and commitment.
To facilitate team development, its members assume a combination of
task (functional) and/or nurturing (socio-emotional) roles. Task roles keep
the group focused on the purpose of the group, while nurturing roles
assist the growth and maintenance of the group. Note that all participants
in a group or team meeting/activity have roles in its success; it is not the
responsibility of the leader only. Task, nurturing, and dysfunctional roles
as described by Bales (1958) are summarized below:
TASK ROLES
Initiator-contributor
Redefines problems and offers solutions, clarifies objectives,
suggests agenda items, and maintains time limits.
Information
seeker
Pursues descriptive bases for the group’s work
Information
giver
Expands information given by sharing experiences and making
inferences
Opinion seeker
Explores viewpoints that clarify or reflect the values of other
members’ suggestions
Opinion giver Conveys to group what their pertinent values should be
Elaborator
Predicts outcomes, provides illustrations, or expands suggestions,
clarifying how they could work
Coordinator Links ideas or suggestions offered by others
Orienter Summarizes the group’s discussions and actions
Evaluator-critic
Appraises the quality and quantity of the group’s accomplishments
against set standards
Energizer
Motivates the group to qualitatively and quantitatively accomplish
its goals
Procedural
technician
Supports group activity by arranging the environment (e.g.,
scheduling meeting room) and providing necessary tools (e.g.,
ordering audiovisual equipment)
Recorder Documents the group’s actions and achievements
NURTURING ROLES
Encourager
Compliments members for their opinions and contributions to the
group
Harmonizer Relieves tension and conflict
Compromiser Deemphasizes own position to maintain group harmony
Gatekeeper Encourages all group members to communicate and participate
Group
observer
Takes notes of group process and dynamics and informs group of
them
Follower
Passively attends meetings, listens to discussion, and accepts
group’s decisions
DYSFUNCTIONAL ROLES
Aggressor Attacks and criticizes others in an attempt to meet own needs
Blocker Inhibits group progress by being resistant, negative, or disagreeable
Dominator Attempts to usurp leadership of the group
Help seeker Solicits sympathy from the group through expressions of insecurity,
confusion, and ineptness
Monopolizer Dominates the conversation, prohibiting others from speaking
Playboy/
playgirl
Belittles seriousness of group work and is nonchalant; plays around,
jokes, makes irrelevant and silly comments
Recognition
seeker
Draws attention to self through boasts and acting-out behaviors
Self-confessor Uses group for expression of personal feeling
Special-interest
pleader
Presents and supports issues relevant to a particular group
Zipper-mouth Does not accept or participate in group process; may sulk
http://wps.prenhall.com/chet_sullivan_effective_6/21/5491/1405868.cw/content/index.html

The 6
Types of
Thinkers
to Seek
for Your
Team
Katya Andresen | Oct 20 2013
CEO at Cricket Media/ePals
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/
article/20131020181102-6200057-6-types-of-thinkers-
to-seek-for-your-team
For me, one of the worst
feelings to have at the office is
cerebral loneliness. I need the
companionship of strong thinkers
to spark my own mind. Brilliant
ideas are rarely born in isolation,
and successful projects stem from a
strong, collective team.
In other words, to do great work,
you must surround yourself with
great people.
It’s an interesting exercise to define
what this means for the type of
thinkers you want on your team.
I find that my best work comes
from interaction with people who
think differently than I do - and
differently from each other. A
diversity of mental profiles yields
the richest results. Here are six
types I always seek. (Sometimes
one person can bridge several
different modes of this thinking, so
six types doesn’t always mean six
people.) What would you add?
1. THE DREAMER: This person
never ceases imagining what’s not,
what’s next and what’s possible.
They think big and hopefully,
stretching the bounds of what is
considered achievable. They never
stop asking, “what if?’ and supply
your team with an electric and
optimistic creative energy.
2. THE DEBATER: Debaters
question your assumptions, call out
your leap of faith logic and point
out the flaws in the plan. They see
problems long before others, and
they keep everyone grounded and
prepared. Their questioning nature
forces you to strengthen the rigor
of your arguments.
3. THE DISRUPTOR: The disruptor
challenges the status quo and
breaks others out of their mental
ruts and insular perspective by
bringing fresh and far-ranging
perspective. My favorite disruptors
are intellectually curious, lateral
thinkers who are first to spot
latent competitors and untapped
opportunities in the market.
4. THE DRIVER: Drivers are natural
leaders, bringing a crusading,
concentrated vision to all work
and supplying forward momentum
when everyone else is losing steam
or motivation. They are positively
relentless in pursuing an idea,
galvanizing political support for
it and keeping it on track. They
can be fantastic advocates for
the customer, keeping the team
focused on the problem you’re
here to solve.
5. THE DETAILER: This type
digs into every facet of a project.
Detailers focus on practicalities
and save everyone else from silly
mistakes and fatal design flaws
because they think through all
the angles and implications. They
identify what’s missing in even the
best-laid plans and can diagnose
the precise point when something
could break or be improved.
6. THE DOER: The doer is the
wonderfully resourceful team
member who gets stuff done, no
matter what. Doers roll up their
sleeves and find the solution. They
are great colleagues to those who
devise the grand strategy because
they get it delivered on time, all the
time.

The Harvard
Business Review
published a really
fascinating article
by Tim Brown,
CEO of IDEO on
Design Thinking.
Brown describes
the personality of
a Design Thinker,
and it is a very
coherent joining
of creativity
and emotional
intelligence.
Here are Brown’s
characteristics to
look for:
A Design Thinkers
Personality Profile.
Empathy. They can imagine the
world from multiple perspectives—
those of colleagues, clients, end
users, and customers (current and
prospective). By taking a “people
first” approach, design thinkers
can imagine solutions that are
inherently desirable and meet
explicit or latent needs. Great
design thinkers observe the world
in minute detail. They notice things
that others do not and use their
insights to inspire innovation.
Integrative thinking. They not only
rely on analytical processes (those
that produce either/or choices)
but also exhibit the ability to see
all of the salient—and sometimes
contradictory— aspects of a
confounding problem and create
novel solutions that go beyond and
dramatically improve on existing
alternatives.
Optimism. They assume that
no matter how challenging the
constraints of a given problem,
at least one potential solution
is better than the existing
alternatives.
Experimentalism. Significant
innovations don’t come from
incremental tweaks. Design thinkers
pose questions and explore
constraints in creative ways that
proceed in entirely new directions.
Collaboration. The increasing
complexity of products, services,
and experiences has replaced the
myth of the lone creative genius
with the reality of the enthusiastic
interdisciplinary collaborator.
The best design thinkers don’t
simply work alongside other
disciplines; many of them have
significant experience in more
than one. At IDEO we employ
people who are engineers and
marketers, anthropologists and
industrial designers, architects and
psychologists.
Read the full article: PDF located
in the Resources Tab.

When
you can’t
do it all!
Commission
a copywriter,
proof reader
photographer,
illustrator, web
developer etc.
Many clients expect miracles
from their Graphic Designers.
They expect you to be able to
give them the ‘world’. Often
clients may expect you to also
be a copywriter, proofreader,
photographer, illustrator
and/or web developer as
well as performing all you
other brilliant graphic design
focused tasks.
Well, if the scope of the job
extends beyond the scope
of your expertise, it’s OK to
suggest the use of a specialist
copywriter, proofreader,
photographer, illustrator and/
or web developer.
It is common for freelance
graphic designers and design
studios to outsource certain
work to other industry
specialists. The following
pages outlines some of
the related issues with
commissioning work and the
related Copyright rules and
some tips to make the process
and experience go smoothly.
WHERE TO START?
Are you looking for realistic figures
or cartoons? Are you looking
for children’s book illustrations.
Maybe you need a product range
photographed or a model draped
in new fashion goods. Do you need
a 50 page booklet proofread or the
copy for a website written based on
the 50 page booklet?
Think about what your project
requires specifically and the style
you are after.
DO YOU HAVE A BUDGET?
Always set you project before
sourcing quotes and be clear with
your contractor what you are after.
COPYRIGHT.
Copyright always remains with the
original creator of the work, as does
ownership of the original finished
artwork(s). If you or your client wish
to own the copyright, make sure
you tell the contractor before any
work commences to best handle the
negotiations.
WHERE TO SOURCE YOUR
CREATIVE SPECIALIST?
Sourcing a copywriter, proofreader,
photographer, illustrator and/or web
developer can be daunting. How
do you know you are going to get a
finished product you are happy with
in the time-frame you need it.
There are several Illustrator and
Creative agencies that facilitate the
commissioning of artwork. There
are also online agencies that host
portfolios for the creative talent for
you to choose from.
Another less structured option is
Crowd Sourcing. Crowd-sourcing
creative work is an open call to the
crowd for novel and useful solutions.
Crowd-sourcing may be appropriate
when experts are in scarce supply,
multiple diverse ideas and/or
contextual insights are needed or
there is a tight budget.
How crowd-sourcing works;
1.You post a brief describing your
project, and translate your
vision into a short guideline for
designers.
2. Creatives around the world send
you their design ideas. Enjoy
browsing the many creative
solutions sent right to your email
inbox.
3. Select your favourite solutions
and give feedback to revise the
design. It is low risk, with lots of
choice.
4. Choose the best outcome, pay
and download the files.

Want to
commission
an Illustrator?
From Illustrators Australia
http://www.illustratorsaustralia.com/tips_for_commissioning_an_illustrator
Illustrators Australia encourages clients
and members alike to follow a broad
set of guidelines when commencing
a new project using illustration. These
guidelines intend to produce a mutually
beneficial outcome for both parties,
and ensure that everyone has a basic
understanding of Standard Industry
Practice. For example, a lot of clients
new to the industry do not realise that
commissioning an illustration does
not automatically mean they own the
artwork, and that the illustration cannot
be used for any other purpose other
than what was agreed upon with the
illustrator. Copyright / ownership always
remains with the illustrator unless you
have specific permission from the
illustrator in writing (such as a contract)
for buying the copyright in full and have
provided agreed payment for such.
Most illustrators would be reluctant to
sign over their full copyright, but may
offer licensing instead.
For first time authors seeking to
approach a publisher, please note
that it is NOT a requirement for you
to find an illustrator, or commission
one, for your manuscript proposal –
most publishers prefer to source the
illustrator themselves and will enter
into their own contractual agreements
with them. For authors who wish
to self publish, it would be wise to
develop a budget and business plan
before approaching an illustrator.
Illustrators get many proposals for
“no budget” spec work, and most will
not be interested, or able, to work in
lieu of future earnings unless you have
credible credentials.
There is also a tendency for many
of the smaller publishers to expect
illustrators to work for free with the
promise of “exposure” for their work.
Illustrators Australia does not endorse
or encourage this practice.
Illustrators’ work as individuals in
most cases and they will set their own
Pricing/Quotes and Contracts, you
should discuss the topics below for
your project and you should always
use a contract wherever possible,
illustrators will usually have one of their
own or you may have one, and both
parties must discuss and agree upon
one. This should cover most of the
topics mentioned here.
SO WHERE DO YOU START?
Look through the portfolios on the IA
website for styles you require
(you can contact the illustrator directly,
though in some cases they may refer
you to their agent).
Things that should be discussed with
the illustrator at the beginning of
your project are:
Timeline/Deadline - Are they available
in this time-frame
Style - It’s very important that you
select the right illustrator for the right
job. Before you pick up the phone take
some time to look at few illustrators
portfolios and take note of their style.
Do they use realistic figures or cartoon-like
figures? Do they incorporate
painterly texture or flat digital images?
Do they lean towards bright vibrant
colours or do they only have subdued
colours in their samples? Do they
do come with conceptual ideas or
does their area of expertise lie with
rendering someone else’s idea.
Have a think about what your brief
requires in these terms and take
them into consideration when you’re
selecting your illustrator. Hiring an
illustrator who has a particular style and
trying to make them work in another
form is a good way to get off to a
bad start. Always point out particular
samples in the illustrators portfolio that
might be relevant to your job. This will
be very helpful to your illustrator when
the job begins.
Specifications - print size, print run,
color, etc
Do you have a Budget? Always ask
for a quote but if you have a budget
set in concrete you may want to let the
illustrator know this first.
Usage - Is it for one use or multiple i.e.
Where will the finished illustration/s end

up? On a website, a poster, brochure,
greeting card, book cover or all of
these? Illustrators may work out their
fees per usage.
Area of use - Australia only, globally,
Europe etc
Cancellation/Kill fees - If a client
cancels a work in progress or rejects a
finished artwork for reasons unrelated
to the artist’s performance, the artist
has a right to compensation. The
amount is based on the stage at
which the project is canceled. To be
determined at contract stage.
Period of Use - How long do you want
to use the illustration? Illustrators can
offer different licenses for use, e.g. 12
months, 2 years
Licensing – the illustrator may license
the work to you for a period of time
and purpose for a fee (the ownership
remains with the illustrator), it is a
legally bound agreement, once expired
the rights revert back to the illustrator
and they may re-license for further use
should they wish to.
• Exclusive - Is exclusive to you (one
party) to use the illustration for the
ways set out in the original agreement
(the copyright/ownership still remains
with the illustrator
• Non exclusive - The illustrator can
license out to others as well as you
plus use the image themselves (the
copyright/ownership still remains with
the illustrator)
Reviewing sketches - Depending on
how the artist works, it is usually best to
ask for rough sketches to begin with, to
ensure that the assignment progresses
to your requirements. It is a good idea
to discuss how many rounds of sketches
are included in the quote before you
begin – most illustrators are happy to
provide one or two alterations, but it
is reasonable that the illustrator will
charge extra fees for changes (in some
cases) if it is beyond the original brief.
Make sure you have left enough time
for the illustrator to make any changes
well before your deadline.
Try not to ask for an unrealistic
deadline, you will not have sufficient
time to review the progression of
roughs before the finished work is
begun
The original finished artwork always
belongs to the illustrator!
A WORD ON COPYRIGHT
Copyright and Moral rights lasts for 70
years after the death of the illustrator/
artist.
Note: Moral rights are personal rights
relating to the illustrators reputation,
they cannot be sold, these rights include:
• The right to be identified as the
author (right of attribution)
• The right not to have the work falsely
identified as someone else’s (right
against false attribution)
• The right not to have the work used in
a derogatory way that is detrimental
the reputation of author (right of
integrity)
For more info on Copyright you can
also check out the following links:
www.ag.gov.au/www/agd/agd.nsf/Page/Copyright
www.copyright.org.au

Sourcing
Photography
for Graphic
Design
Nat Coalson - http://www.graphicdesign.com/
article/sourcing-photography-for-graphic-design/
Finding good photographic imagery
to use in your designs for print, web
and video projects is one of the most
common and important tasks for
graphic designers and art directors. It
can also be challenging and sometimes
frustrating. There are several things
to consider when you’re sourcing
photography, including where to get
the photos, image file quality and
specifications, licensing and usage
terms, and cost.
Starting out, you have two basic
options: buy pre-existing images
(referred to as “stock” photography) or
hire a photographer to shoot custom
work just for you. In this article we’ll
look at both scenarios.
ONLINE STOCK SOURCES
Using the Web is by far the most
common way to find and purchase
photography. When you’re looking for
the perfect image for your new design,
start with the online stock agencies.
Even if you later decide to contract
a photographer to shoot assignment
work (discussed below), reviewing a
wide selection of images can really get
your creative juices flowing. With this
in mind, I recommend that you don’t
skimp on the time you spend doing
photo research for a project. Knowing
all your options is key to channeling
your creative energy in the right
direction.
When looking for photos online, you
have a couple of choices. First are
the stock agencies, who contract with
photographers to market and license
their images for a commission. Usually,
photos you find with most agencies are
exclusive, meaning they aren’t available
from other sources.
A Google search for the phrase “stock
photography” yields over 312 million
results. So where should you start?
When looking for stock sites, start with
the big ones. Getty Images and Corbis
are two of the largest stock agencies
offering high quality images you can
license and download immediately, but
they’re not the least expensive options.
Smaller stock agencies like Trunk and
Glasshouse can have very unique
images and may offer higher quality
than the larger agencies but also come
with higher prices.
On the other end of the spectrum,
iStockphoto has one of the largest
libraries of microstock (low cost)
photography on the Web, and with its
powerful search capabilities, finding
lots of affordable images is very easy.
Thinkstock aggregates content from
multiple stock agencies including Getty,
Jupiter Images and iStockphoto.
TIP: Searching and Lightboxes – All
good stock sites provide powerful
search capabilities to help you find
images quickly. Another very useful
feature is that you can save images
to a “lightbox” (a place to store your
favorites). Make lightboxes for different
clients, projects and subject matter. You
can then purchase and download the
final files directly from the lightboxes.
PHOTO SHARING SITES
Your next options for sourcing photos
online are photo sharing/photo hosting
sites like Flickr and Photobucket.
These sites are user-driven — all
the photos have been uploaded by
members of the site. If you find an
image you want to use on one of
these sites, you need to contact the
photographer and negotiate directly.
This can often work to your advantage,
as most photographers welcome the
opportunity to be paid anything for the
use of their images.
Photoshelter offers a unique, hybrid
model that offers both stock agency
services and photo hosting for
photographers. When you perform
a search on Photoshelter, the results
come from all the photographer’s
galleries who have publicly searchable
images. One of the best features of
Photoshelter is the e-commerce pricing
engine, based on the widely-used
fotoQuote software. The galleries
on my web site NatCoalson.com are
powered by Photoshelter.
TIP: Ask your colleagues for
suggestions! Don’t try to re-invent
the wheel: you can benefit from the
collective knowledge of your peers.
Actively participate in design forums
and blogs, and when it’s time for you
to find some new images, ask for
suggestions. You’ll save loads of time
by first checking out what other people
have found to be successful.
HIRING A PHOTOGRAPHER
If you can’t find stock to meet your
needs, you can hire a photographer
to produce the images for you. Local
search pages can be a good place to
start, but again, your best bet is to
ask for referrals and references from
your friends and business associates.
You shouldn’t do business with people
you can’t trust, and that goes for
photographers, too, especially since
many “professional” photographers
simply bought their first DSLR and
hung out their shingle. For obvious
reasons you should avoid working with
a photographer who lacks experience
and credentials.
Negotiate with photographers using
the same methods and ethics you follow
for your contract design work. Always
make sure the scope of work is clearly
defined, the timetable and deadlines
agreed upon and the costs and
payment terms thoroughly understood.
And make sure everything is in writing!
Don’t take any shortcuts evaluating
proposals and putting together an
agreement with your photographer.
TIP: Photography trade organizations

are great for finding reliable,
professional photographers. Check
the Web sites for the Professional
Photographers of America (PPA)
and the American Society of Media
Photographers (ASMP) for directories
of well-respected professional
photographers.
DIY? NOT
Some graphic designers choose to
shoot their own photography for their
designs, but this is rarely an ideal
solution unless you’re a skilled and
experienced photographer. It’s like
a typical business owner deciding
they can build their own Web site, or
design their own logo! Just as you
want your customers to leave the
professional graphic design to you, so
should you leave the photography to a
professional.
FILE SPECIFICATIONS AND QUALITY
All image files are not created equal.
You’ll find a vast range of quality
coming from stock agencies, photo
hosting services and even working
photographers. It’s outside the scope
of this article — and I will cover it in a
future post — but you really need to
brush up on your technical knowledge
of image file formats and quality
considerations. Here are the main
points when evaluating image files:
File format: most often you’ll be
dealing with TIFF and/or JPEG. In all
cases, if you have the choice, get a TIFF
file, which is either uncompressed or
compressed with no loss of quality. If
JPEG is your only option, try to ensure
that the file was saved at the highest
quality level.
Resolution: one of the most
misunderstood aspects of digital imaging,
resolution quite simply refers to the
number of pixels contained in the image.
A high-resolution file has lots of detail; a
low-res file has comparatively less detail. If
you need to reproduce the image as large
sizes or in very high quality, make sure
to get the largest file available. You can
always downsample (reduce resolution)
if you need to, but there are significant
limitations on how much you can enlarge a
low-resolution file.
Noise, blemishes and other artifacts:
low quality imagery (especially cheap
microstock) can be plagued with a
host of technical defects. Digital noise
manifests itself as grainy speckles or
colored blobs in a photo. Lots of photos
made with digital SLRs have dust spots.
Cleaning up lousy photos can waste
your time and eat into your profits.
Try to purchase images that are clean,
spot-free and processed to professional
standards.
This is only the tip of the iceberg when
it comes to image quality; stay tuned
to this site for lots more information on
digital imaging and file specifications.
Also, there’s a great online resource
for current best practices in digital
photography/imaging and preparation
of electronic files at DPbestflow.
LICENSING OPTIONS
When you’re ready to purchase
stock images, or when establishing
specifications for commissioned
photography, you need to thoroughly
understand and agree to the specifics of
the licensing terms.
When a photographer makes a
photograph, under U.S. law they
own the copyright to that photo
automatically and immediately. A photo
(or any other creative work) does not
have to be registered with the copyright
office to be under copyright! Some
photographs and other visual media are
in the Public Domain, which means that
anyone can freely use them, but this is
not the case with stock or assignment
photography. You should always assume
that the photographer retains all
copyrights to the images, unless those
rights have been specifically and legally
transferred to another entity.
In order for you to use someone
else’s photo in your graphic designs,
you must license the rights. Image
licensing comes in many flavors, but
for graphic designers using stock and
commissioned photography, there are
two main types of licenses:
Rights-managed: this type of license
authorizes the buyer to use the imagery
at a specific size, for a specific purpose,
in a specific market and for a specific
period of time. It is the most expensive
kind of licensing, but the highest quality
photographs are almost always offered
under a rights-managed license.
Royalty-free: with this kind of license,
once you’ve paid the fee you can use
the photo however you like, as many
times as you want.
TIP: Be sure you know the type of
license you have purchased and never
go beyond that agreement — it’s a
recipe for a lawsuit. And NEVER use
someone else’s photograph or other
artwork without explicit permission!
COST
The cost of licensing photography
and fees for commissioned work can
vary dramatically and is based on a
wide range of variables. Microstock
licensing can be $1 or less, while a
rights-managed license for a high-visibility
reproduction can run several
thousand dollars. But on average, a
range of $50 to several hundred dollars
is probably reasonable for good quality
imagery. Custom-commissioned work
will be based on the photographer’s
day rate, plus expenses, and applicable
licensing fees for the final deliverables.
Make sure to budget for licensing or
photographer’s fees when preparing
project proposals and client estimates!
ONE PROJECT AT A TIME
Finding and acquiring the rights to eye-catching,
high-quality photography can
be time consuming and challenging,
especially for graphic designers
doing work on projects with unique
requirements. For each project that
needs photography, spend some time
researching the available options online,
and if you don’t find the images you
need, consider hiring a professional
photographer. The care you take in
sourcing photography for your designs
will go a long way toward the success of
the project. In future articles we’ll look
in-depth at all aspects related to finding
and using photography in your graphic
design.

VDIS10022 Advanced Graphics Studio - Lecture 2 - Studio Roles

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