How to critique your design portfolio without being too critical. Find out what I am looking at improving to make sure I get my next dream job.
Design Leadership
6 things that are important qualities of a great design leader.
Freelancing
How to get freelance work as a designer. I’ll also share my number one tip that helped me get freelance work time after time. Useful stuff to help you dance the freelance.
Hit me up if you need some freelance work done, I’m available!
Be a kind Designer
How to be a kind designer, not just a good designer. Taking my cue from an inspirational conversation between Chris Do and Kathryn Dyer, I discuss being gentle and kind as a designer.
What is an ECD?
Have you ever wondered what it is that I do as an Executive Creative Director? I discuss my role and responsibilities. I also share the mystery around my black T-shirts.
Do you need talent?
Do you need to have talent to be a designer, or is design something you can learn? Often people ask me this question when trying to decide whether a career in design would be good for them. You can learn to be a designer, but that does not mean you are a talented designer.
Pantone’s Color of the Year
Classic Blue Is Pantone’s 2020 Color of the Year
The hue is described as calming and timeless. The hex value is #0F4C81 for all you web folk.
Working Remotely
A lot is said lately of working remotely. 2020 is the year for remote work. Remote is the new black. Working remotely this and remote that.
It all sounds very exciting. Almost romantic. Sell up. Pack everything you own into 2 suitcases. Get a one-way ticket to Bali. Join the nomadic movement. Work when you want, from anywhere in the world.
As someone who has done this, I can tell you it’s pretty great. It’s how I supported myself early on in my career and how I got to work on international brands.
When I went on my own again towards the end of 2018, remote life seemed like my dream too. Especially after a short trip to Bali. Being on workation has been a dream of mine for the past 5 years.
I was super enthusiastic about working remotely, but I have been plagued with two consistent themes no matter who I approached.
Firstly, most remote opportunities still require you to be in the US (I have not found too many opportunities in other countries) as they don’t want to go through the payment and taxation issues with foreigners, despite cheaper rates, flexible work schedules, and an evident strong work ethic.
Secondly, how do you lead a team of designers remotely, when you’re not at the agency?
The first problem, is literally impossible to overcome, over a year later and no one has been willing to extend their remote work internationally, even after hundreds of applications.
The second problem, I am yet to figure out as there are so many complex layers leading from afar. Sure you could fly to meetings, I’d be up for that. But I’m not alone in my reservations. No one seems to even want to entertain it.
I have even been willing to work remotely as purely a designer. Taking a huge step back in my career, in favour of lifestyle. But no one has been willing to bite.
If you have success working remotely, as a designer or a leader, serving the American market, please do get in touch. But despite all the hype, so far I know of very few people who are surfing before heading to their local coffee shop on an island in Indonesia earning top dollar, benefiting from the rise of working remotely.
Design Books
I share some of the design books and I have been reading over the past year which I recommend. Books I mention in my video
This Is Service Design Doing https://www.thisisservicedesigndoing.com
Burn Your Portfolio https://www.amazon.com/Burn-Your-Port…
Do Cool Sh*t https://www.amazon.com/Do-Cool-Sh-Bus…
Design the Life You Love https://www.amazon.com/Design-Life-Lo…
Manifest Now https://www.amazon.com/Manifest-Now-I…
Atomic Habits https://www.amazon.com/Atomic-Habits-…
Made to stick https://www.amazon.com/Made-Stick-Ide…
Solving Product Design Exercises https://www.amazon.com/Solving-Produc…
Meeting Design https://www.amazon.com/Meeting-Design…
Form Design Patterns https://www.amazon.com/Form-Design-Pa…
Expressive Design Systems https://abookapart.com/products/expre…
Design Systems https://www.amazon.com/Design-Systems…
Web Design https://www.amazon.com/Design-Evoluti…
I need your questions
I’m considering switching from weekly videos to almost daily videos/vlogs, and I need some help creating content.
I could just write a list of topics I feel I could discuss, which is what I currently do.
However, in an attempt to be more relevant and connect with my audience, I’d like to answer your design questions and help you solve your design problems.
Please feel free to email me hello@craigjamieson.com and ask away.
Thanks