I was recently given a copy of a new ebook called 10 Steps to Powerful Online Self Promotion for Creatives written by Alex Mathers. I have to admit I was a bit sceptical about this, as a year or two ago I was given another book on the same subject which was very basic and declined to review it. Fortunately though this book is excellent and exceeded my expectations.

I have been doing a lot of reading up on social networking (I have pile of books) and to be honest I could have thrown them away and just read this one. What is good about this book is it is targeted directly at a creative person and so tells you the things you really need to know.

The book walks you through many different ways to sell your design services online – including creating online graphic design portfolios, setting up your designer’s twitter step by step (I need to do this myself), creating your designer’s facebook and fan page. The book however does go far beyond this with methods you may not have even considered and should have ideas for both the novice and more experienced designer.

There are so many ideas in this book you could gradually implement an idea or two a week and soon build up both your credibility and list of potential graphic and web design clients.

The book will be released on 10th March, but Alex is currently also given away some free tips on self promotion if you join his mailing list.

I actually had a go at creating a little Youtube video animation for the book, to try out Photoshop CS3 animation timeline its my first attempt and I had a few problems with quality but here it is…

1. Express Your Creativity

Probably the most important benefit of being a graphic artist is the ability to express your creativity, while still earning a great living. Many artists are moving towards graphic design because it’s easier to make a living as a graphic designer than it is in areas such as fine art.

More Graphic Artist Benefits

If fine art is your passion than you should pursue your passion, but being a graphic artist is very rewarding and you can still work in fine art and other areas. I loved both computers and art so graphic art seemed to be a good combination of the two for me, but I still dabble in fine art such as painting in my free time.

2. Web or Print Flexibility

The cool thing about being a graphic artist is that you have different mediums just like in fine art. The two big ones being print and web. Web is obviously more recent and still relatively new. If you get into web design and you can pick up programming skills such as html, css and php you will open up an entire new world of job opportunities for yourself.

Being a graphic artist will allow you to branch off into other skill sets easily that can dramatically increase your freelance or business grow potential.

3. Huge Client Base

Some businesses have a limited client base, but every business needs a graphic artist. If a business is going to do marketing than some one is going to need to design those marketing materials. As long as businesses keep growing and new ones keep appearing, then graphic artists will always have plenty of work. Because of this, the competition is getting rougher every day, so you will need to work much harder to stand out from the crowd.

4. Freelance

My favorite part about the graphic art career is the ability to easily do freelance work online. There are tons of places to find freelance work on the Internet and you can make some incredible money from the comfort of your own home in your free time.

5. Run Your Own Studio

If you have ever dreamed of having your own studio or office than you could turn your freelance business into a larger operation and begin running your own studio. This is a great option if you want to play the role of manager or art director and gain a lot more exposure by doing graphic artwork for very large brands, not to mention making more money!

6. Work In-House

If you are not ready to freelance or run your own studio you can always work full-time for some one else. Working In-House can give you the stability you need for peace of mind. Some designers worry about their creativity being limited in-house and this can happen, but you need to take a look at the benefits and disadvantages to make the right choice.

There are plenty of other ways to lets your creative energy run wild while not working in-house so don’t get too caught up about having more limits on what you can and can’t do. Its just part of doing business!

7. Easy to Get Into

If you have a decent computer and a few Adobe programs you are pretty much ready to rumble! After that it’s all about creativity, hard work, self growth and networking to name a few things. Compared to other careers being a graphic artist could be seen a pretty low cost career to get into as opposed to say starting a landscaping business where you would need a truck and tons of expensive equipment and other materials.

8. You can Learn on Your Own

While I do recommend going to school for graphic design, many amazing graphic artists learned on their own. If you practice enough at home, study other art, practice tutorials, read books and really have a passion for design you can learn on your own. The big benefit of going to school is having teachers to guide you and critique your work, so if you learn yourself you need to be able to gauge what your current skill level is and understand what areas you need improvement in.

9. Few Expenses

Another great thing about being a freelance graphic artist is that there are few business expenses. If you have a computer and software already than there isn’t much else you need to spend money on. If you are going to handle printing for clients you would work this into the total project quote and the same goes for stuff like buying stock images or hiring an illustrator for a project.

You might have some web expenses such as website hosting and maybe a marketing budget, but overall costs should be pretty low if your a freelancing, which means more profits for you!

10. Easy Online Marketing

The design community is incredibly rich online. I have never seen so many different useful and unique sites for an online niche before. The design community is full of great forums, blogs, gallery sites, organizations, tutorials sites and much more. There are so many ways to market your skills online its not even funny. It just takes a little a bit of time and energy to make the most of the web.

Getting into the world of graphic arts can be an exciting venture where you not only get to express your creative talent, but also earn a great living doing what you love to do. It is a very flexible career choice with many paths to go down and combinations to master. For example you could start off being a graphic designer working for a company, then learn web design in addition to graphic design and start your own design business from the comfort of your home or you could just earn extra money on the side being a freelance graphic artist if you already have another job you want to keep.

1. Start With the Basics

Even though graphic design is mainly associated with computers nowadays, its roots are in fine art. Many graphic art pieces years ago were all done by hand using tools and materials and not by fancy computers and software. This is why its great to have a foundation in drawing, painting and other fine art skills. If you attend design school, many of them will require you to take basic art classes before you are even allowed to touch programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator.

2. Design School

If you can afford it nothing beats going to a 4 year design school. The experience and guidance you will get is well worth the money and by the time you are done you should have a solid portfolio and resume ready with maybe even a few contacts. Many schools have career departments that can even hlep you find a job after school and the 4 year degree looks great and resumes and can mean an instant higher yearly salary for you.

3. Mastering the Software

The Adobe software suite is what most graphic artists use, so you will need to master these programs and the only way to do that is to spend many hours using each one. Read books, practice tutorials and take classes so the programs become second nature to you.

4. Creating a Portfolio

A portfolio is a must-have for any graphic artist. Some places don’t even care about your resume, they just want to know you can produce amazing work and when you are looking for clients online people go straight to the portfolio before anything else. So make sure you have a nice custom website portfolio up and be sure to update it on a regular basis.

5. Creating Your Resume

Most companies who are hiring will want to see your resume and some freelance clients will request it as well. You should have a copy of your resume ready to go in case some one requests it and you should have a few nicely printed versions ready to hand out with a disposable portfolio, which you would leave after an interview.

6. Networking

Networking is an essential aspect of any business and graphic design is no exception. The more designers and players in the design community you know the better your chances will be when it comes to finding a job of new freelance clients. Keep in contact with your network, take them to lunch, call them once in a while or send an email. This way you are actually making friends and not just abusing people when you need something. Be nice to others and they will often return the favor.

7. Join the Offline Community

If you want to make the most of your career you should get as involved as you can in the offline design community. Try going to museums, lectures, shows and anything else you can. If you love design you may even find yourself doing things like saving business cards from stores you go into just so you can look at them later for inspiration!

8. Join the Online Community

The online design community is one of the richest on the web. It is filled with great blogs, tutorial sites, forums, books, free resources, interviews and much more. Staying involved in the online community will help you keep up to date with the design community on topics such as design trends, hot new studios, marketing tips, business advice and much more.

Not everyone wants to be “Famous”, but being a more well-known designer DOES have its benefits. Not only will your work get more exposure, but you will make more money! Becoming a famous designer does not happen over night, but there are things you can do to quicken the process and if you are lucky you should be able to gain a lot of recognition if the things you do turn out well. So I wanted to do a 3 part series just going over some cool things designers could do if they want to not only become more apart of the design community, but also gain a little recognition and help others at the same time.

Become a Famous Graphic Designer

1. Do Online Interviews

There are plenty of design blogs, sites and magazines looking for potential people to interview. Why wait for them to come to you? There are tens of thousands of designers and if you want those interview spots, you better start contacting sites! The key to a successful interview is to be honest and think about how you can help other designers with each question. The more interview you do the more recognition you will get and sometimes when one site interviews you, others will follow, meaning it can become viral and spiral into even more press for you.

2. Get Featured in Magazines

Being featured in magazines is a bit harder, but there is no reason you can’t pitch yourself to magazines as well. For magazines you may need to try and come up with an interesting pitch, such as having a cool new design style or an interesting background story. Getting yourself in magazines is one of the best things you can do because people tend to take things in print more seriously and the few design magazines out there are read by a large part of the design community and by this I mean designers of all skill levels.

3. Write an eBook

Graphic Designers are always on the prowl for helpful tips, so why not share your experience in the form of a free eBook? Free eBooks can go viral very quickly and if your name is attached to it it can help your personal branding efforts a lot. Make sure you create an opt-in email list using software such as MailChimp to give away the free download so you can build up a large email list.

Then when you release other stuff or new news such as an interview you just did you can send a newsletter out to all your subscribers. Just try not to abuse the list and keep your emails to a minimum, maybe one or two a month max.

4. Publish a Design Book

Publishing a book is going to be more difficult than getting an eBook out, but if your book becomes popular it can work wonders. Your book could be on a lot of topics such as a collection of your work or studio’s work, design theory, design resources, tutorials and so on. Getting published by a large publishing company might be difficult, but Self Publishing is always an option.

5. Create a Design Related Website

New design blogs, galleries and other types of sites are being created every week. If you can create a new popular design site you will be able to gain massive exposure. A simple about page that talks about who you are on a popular site can skyrocket you in the online design community.

When creating a new design site try to think of something that has never been done, but also be sure to factor in the price and time it will cost you to create and market such a site. If you are lucky you should even be able to make a profit from your online investment!

Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3, which will feature even more great tips on how to become a design super star!

Even if you haven’t heard of Firebrain, there is no doubt that you have seen their work with clients like Motown, Geffen Music, Dreamworks, Vans, Metallica, Toyo Tires and the list goes on! Because Firebrain often works with UPrinting for printing services, we were able to score a great interview with the company’s founder, Giulio Costanzo.


You the Designer: Tell us about Firebrain Inc. What services do you offer?

Giulio (Firebrain Inc): We are a full service design agency. We recently partnered with a marketing agency in Pasadena, California. So, we do print and web design, as well as traditional and internet marketing. We specialize in the music, movie, and automotive aftermarket.

You the Designer: What is the history behind your company?

Giulio (Firebrain Inc): I have a degree in painting, and went to work For Motown Records out of College.

I then went to work in the Records Industry until 1998. My claim to fame was designing Eazy-E’s last album, as well as all the Bone Thugs-N-Harmony albums, Social Distortion, Chaka Khan, among others. I founded Firebrain in 2000 or so, but we didn’t finally incorporate until three years ago. We have always kept on top of developing technologies and new opportunities for our clients. So we pride ourselves in being up to date.

You the Designer: Do you have a corporate vision that you might care to share with our readers?

Giulio (Firebrain Inc): Our vision in the future is to become a full-service Ad Agency for the Los Angeles area. Clients expect more than just design; they want ideas, designs and proven strategies.

You the Designer: As someone who studied painting and ended up going into graphic design and advertising, you have a unique perspective to share. What kind of advice can you give to our readers who are just finding themselves as artistic professionals?

Giulio (Firebrain Inc): Be patient. It is a long career; you have to pay your dues. I learned Photoshop 2.0 and Quark 1.0. I had it easy. Nowadays between print, web, animation, traditional marketing, advertising, social networking, creative suite, web software, after effects, not to mention a basic knowledge of programming, there are so many things. You can’t be a professional in all of them, but you need to have a basic understanding.

You the Designer: As the head of your agency, what do you look for in hiring a new designer?

Giulio (Firebrain Inc): First off I look for young people. They have all the ideas, even if they don’t know it. I look for excitement, and attention to detail. Talent is secondary. I can teach someone only if they want to learn. It isn’t fun to work with people who aren’t excited to create or make a product successful. Clients don’t want to interact with a grump, someone who isn’t part of the team. .

Life should be enjoyable, as a lot of our life is our work. Young people need to learn to be a part of a team, to make friends and network. Many designers treat their friends and family with such love (hopefully), but treat co-workers horribly and clients like they are a big pain. Yet designers spend more time at work than anywhere else, and our clients make our lives possible. I love my clients. They bought the house I live in. I admire my clients for starting businesses, taking chances, and letting me be a part of their innovation. I have clients who are completely self-made and it’s exciting to be a part of that.

You the Designer: That’s amazing! I think it’s quite admirable that you take such a helpful and supportive approach towards your clients.

Giulio (Firebrain Inc): Thanks! That’s our company approach – to be part of our client’s team and be the solution for their success.

You the Designer: In closing, would mind sharing with our readers your favorite Firebrain project thus far.

Giulio (Firebrain Inc): There’s so many but I would have to say the art campaign and show preparation / marketing for a Metallica benefit concert.

Looking to learn more about viral marketing and videos? Then you should definitely look into the work of David Murdico’s creative agency Supercool Creative. With clients like IBM, FIFA and HateFiring.com, you may have seen some of their contagiously hilarious videos on youtube. We contacted David for a quick interview about his agency and to discuss the field of viral marketing.

Tell us about SuperCool Creative. How would you describe your services in a nutshell?

Supercool Creative is a creative agency specializing in online video creative and production, viral marketing and integrated social media campaigns for companies and organizations that want to improve brand awareness, increase traffic, sales and all that good stuff. We also own Spotzero, a company that is doing the same thing but with a focus on small and local businesses with local targeting and reach.
Our approach is to use video as the spearhead for each social media campaign, creating a focal point for discussion on blogs, forums, social networks and bookmarking sites.

How did you come to be the executive creative director?

I started the company, so when I got here. I pretty much had my pick of titles. It’s kind of like when you’re the kid who brings the baseball you get to be the pitcher.
Actually, after graduating from USC in the early 90’s I wanted to be a creative at an ad agency somewhere but they told me a needed something called a book. So instead of putting together a book, I went into commercial and TV production because they didn’t require a book to fetch coffee and do errands for long hours and very little pay. I became the annoying PA that asked everyone a million questions, learned a lot and eventually I worked up to becoming an art director on commercials and TV shows, then a TV comedy writer and then a commercial director. As the web started picking up, I started making funny commercial parodies and then we decided to make them for companies. So, as we started Supercool Creative, my job description added up to Executive Creative Director and it stuck.

It looks like your portfolio includes a lot of comedy based viral work. What was your personal favorite project?

I think Hatefiring was my favorite project because it’s a series and we really got to develop an attitude and personality for the online video spots as well as for the characters. I have always leaned toward the irreverent but whenever you can mix insanity and smart you really have something. The “Asteroid” video for IBM was also a lot of fun. They were great to work with and really allowed us to get a little crazy.


Our readership includes many people in the creative fields of graphic design and 3d animation. Do you find that your company works with these types of professionals often? What do you look for when working with designers?

Since most of the work we have done is live action, we haven’t worked with a ton of graphic designers and 3d animators but that is something we plan on doing much more of. In fact, we have been talking to a couple of shops on the East Coast that do animation and interactive, like animated banners, video banners and micro sites where you can play around with different characters. We are working on partnering with them to offer our clients more in the way of design and animation while at the same time, they can offer their clients more in the way of live action video, comedy and marketing. That said, the thing I look for most in anyone I work with, designers included, is a likeness of attitude and work ethic. You can find creativity and skill all over the place but I think the thing that really separates the few is a special attitude toward their work, their clients and a respect for the creative process. Paint me a perfectionist but I liken what we all do to that medieval blacksmith who takes pride in the glowing hot thing he’s pounding and sweating over, whether it’s a sword for a valiant knight or a horse shoe… and I’ll bet he had to debate form vs function on a daily basis as well.

As a successful creative director, do you have any words of wisdom for our readers at YouTheDesigner.com

Yes, open your mind up to all sorts of possibilities, never get stuck on the first idea that pops into your head until you’ve considered a bunch more and never shoot down any ideas until you have to. I am a big believer in collaboration on creative projects. Everything we, as individuals, create is limited by our own life perspective because that’s the lens we each look through and it’s all we each have. When you can combine different perspectives, you really start opening up new possibilities. The down side of that is the risk of homogenizing the work by making everyone happy at each turn. My process toward creating, as well as directing on set, is to listen to the people I have surrounded myself with and try a rewrite, a scene or an edit out a few different ways and then run everything back again through my lens. Most often, the final script, take or edit is something better than what I had imagined.