![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/08\/imjustcreativelogo-300x64.jpg\" "\\"imjustcreativelogo\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\nMy own “ImJustCreative” logo is text only in black and orange. The logo on my website header is a more lively version, integrated into the photograph. Creating your own logo can be such a headache, especially when you are creative, and you call yourself ‘ImJustCreative’! Some people may have expectations of a truly unique logo, maybe some people see it as ironic \u2013 in fact I know they do. For me that\u2019s good as it’s got people thinking about ‘ImJustCreative”. Nothing earth shattering as all they get is a text only logo. But actually, I really like it: it’s subtle in meaning, but bold and confident at the same time. I still like it many months on from creating it. My only change maybe would be a font update as that’s one thing that really appeals to me.<\/p>\n
One logo I love for its simplicity and uniqueness is the London Tate gallery. The viewing figures for the Tate shot up the Tates\u2019 viewing just down to this logo and it’s rebranding. I love it.<\/p>\n
I think the simpler the logo, the better really. I love experimenting with type, trying to encourage a client to go ‘wild’ with some creative typography, rather than the same old mundane logo that we see time and time again. Hey, let\u2019s use a logo where one of the words is upside down, or spelled incorrectly, or something imaginative like that. Styles like this, incomplete characters, missing letters, irony, humour in logos is so seldom used, yet it\u2019s a perfect way to create a truly memorable logo. Otherwise they just generally follow the same format and blend in with all the other non-descript logos.<\/p>\n
Yes, I do like to be different.<\/p>\n
7. When designing a logo, what do you think are the biggest mistakes a designer can make?<\/strong><\/p>\nThe main one is not reading the brief and, in the case of crowdSPRING, not reading any\/all of the comments previously left by the client. Obviously if the client is saying ‘free range, give me what you\u2019ve got’ then fair enough, but you still have to read previous comments to know specifically what is not and what is liked.<\/p>\n
Also, taking too much on, too many projects and spreading yourself too thin. It is a balancing act for sure, but it’s hard to be truly 100% focused on say 5 projects, especially if they end roughly at the same time. At the end of the day, I ask myself if it is worth entering a project if I know I may not be able to stay the course and evolve the ideas already submitted especially act on the comments left by the client.<\/p>\n
Typically, once the project is over, there is also the time needed to tweak it and wrap it up, so this can encroach on some new projects you just started and before you know it, you have just a few to many things to do. I still weigh up whether some projects are just beyond me, if I don’t have the skills or software, or the right fonts. So I will wait until I find a project that I feel I can contribute as much as I can.<\/p>\n
Obviously some client projects offer only a minimal pay-off, or may not have provided a decent brief and\/or don’t comment on any submissions. If this is the case then, arguably, it\u2019s fair enough to submit basic work. I think the phrase, ‘you get what you pay for’ is somewhat applicable. Designers though are a unique breed, and typically always give more than we get! Clients can’t always expect people to really bust a gut when they themselves don’t seem to have placed much importance on it themselves.<\/p>\n
8. How has technology affected your work?<\/strong><\/p>\nJust after I finished my 3 year apprenticeship in manual paste-up and platemaking at a commercial printers I was made redundant. Apple Macs were just starting to make an appearance in commercial printers, replacing traditional typesetting machines. So this was the start of the end of the manual, not technological part, of the printing and design industry.<\/p>\n
With my small redundancy, and a determination not to give up, I purchased myself a second hand Mac LC and started my 6 month self- training mission to learn Quark, Illustrator, Photoshop and anything else useful. The first Macintosh Bible I read cover to cover in a few days, and then spent day after day sitting in my bedroom reading book after book on the wonders of DTP, EPS files, Mac OS etc.<\/p>\n
Technology, despite being massively more powerful and sophisticated than in my early days, has not in reality changed how I work or design a logo, or work in Quark as the basics are the same really. I still sit at my Mac as I did with my C64, Atari and Amiga and Mac LC and work away. You still need to learn, research and study. You still have to think and create. What has changed, however, is the speed, performance, features and accessories so some things are made easier or quicker, but that just means you end up taking more on and so on and so on.<\/p>\n
The greatest technological advance for me is the laptop, which has made the biggest difference to my life. It has given me the ability to be considerably more fluid in terms of where I can and cannot work. You could argue it makes me a slave (see the illustration I had done of me for my business) as I can’t really get away from it, but working from home allows me to just get on or tor take the laptop to a coffee shop and write this interview. That’s one technological advance that I would say has changed that’s made the biggest difference… portability.<\/p>\n
I have always used Mac’s but also use PC’s, having worked in IT for design agencies with Mac’s and PC’s, so am used to the interactivity between the two. Currently, I have a 24″ Intel iMac and 17″ MacBook Pro plus some old PC laptops.<\/p>\n
Software is a real nightmare for any freelancer as it’s just so insanely expensive which just encourages people to copy it and be pirated. It’s not right, but neither are the price tags they put on some products.<\/p>\n
A lot of creative talent is with the youngsters, fresh from College and they could really power this software, but how can they afford close to \u00a3800 for Quark? Then the Adobe bundle? Then the utilities, the fonts and so on.<\/p>\n
I use QuarkXpress and always have done since the first version but InDesign is taking over for me.<\/p>\n
Photoshop and Illustrator are my mainstays although I always preferred Freehand when that was around; I was insanely upset when they abandoned Freehand as I thought it was so much more intuitive than Illustrator.<\/p>\n
9. When working online, how do you decide whether to participate in a project?<\/strong><\/p>\nThis entirely depends on what work I\u2019ve got on at the time. Often I want to enter a project, but am too committed to more than I can handle already, which is frustrating. It’s rare for me to just submit a last minute logo, but I can see that late submission has merits on some projects. The 86 Mosquitioes was one such example; I only submitted a couple of logos on the last day, yet this was a positive move and ended up with the project in hand.<\/p>\n
Other projects simply just don\u2019t interest me. It maybe that the subject is just a big turn off, which means I can’t get motivated. This is the best thing with crowdSPRING and self employment – I can pick and choose, instead of having to work on designing a logo when I just don\u2019t like the subject of the logo.<\/p>\n
One thing will really put me off entering a project \u2013 no client feedback. If I see an interesting project with some good entries but no client feedback then I usually leave it alone despite the fact that there may be a good award. I may re-visit it after a few days to see how the project is progressing. When I see that, despite some fantastic entries, there has still been no client feedback then I will walk away \u2013 it\u2019s too risky. You can spend a great deal of time, energy and creativity on a project but, without that vital feedback, it can be time wasted.<\/p>\n
I will walk away from an interesting project if, after several days. I think I can’t add anything of value. For example, if the other designers seem to have it wrapped up, maybe a sprinkling of 5 stars and a really keen client with established communication, then I will not enter. If I have a great last minute idea then maybe, but generally it takes me a while to get going, so I simply leave the project alone and think ‘good luck’ to the designers who have been contributing hard.<\/p>\n
I don’t like to spread myself too thinly; I would rather concentrate on some interesting projects, ones that I have a good feeling about, than taking on more than 2 or 3 projects at a time. I find that I get reliable gut instincts about some projects and clients, so often go with my instinct. go with this often.<\/p>\n
I usually like to get in earlier than later with a project, for various reasons. There are risks to this approach, especially if you are submitting many ideas. One thing I sometimes do is just swamp a project with ideas and variations, which has probably been noticed. It’s just me thinking out loud. The more designs I submit, the greater the chance that one of them will hit the right mark. Although this is not always the case, if you feel the client is pretty open then it can be a useful strategy. It demonstrates that you are keen and interested. It takes more energy and time and I often don\u2019t get financially rewarded in equal measure to my efforts but sometimes I just like the client, I like the project and I like the idea of the logo in my portfolio. So I will often follow this strategy, not for the money, but just because.<\/p>\n
“UrbanMelt” was a classic example of this strategy paying off.<\/p>\n
The “TenTwenty” project was a classic example of this strategy NOT paying off!<\/p>\n
The \u201cTen Twenty\u201d project attracted a crazy 80 plus submissions, but each one was liked, disliked or positively encouraged by the client. This of course encouraged me to continue submitting ideas but someone came into the latter stages of the project and just totally derailed me. That’s the risk. Just about got over that one.<\/p>\n
If another designer seems to be on obvious ‘good terms’ with the client and has already established him\/herself with some great designs, that’s another cue for me to maybe walk away. I look at the odds and think, ‘really, why take that risk and spend all that time’ so generally I don’t.<\/p>\n
Obviously the bigger ‘pay-outs’ naturally attract more attention, but I still like doing the smaller ones. From my perspective, however, it\u2019s better for me to spend more time researching a more profitable project that meets the above criteria than entering a project that isn\u2019t going to be profitable for me. Graphic design is my living and, as such it’s not a side thing or a hobby.<\/p>\n
My strategy has to be one which works financially as well as involving creative satisfaction but may change over time as I continue learning and trying out different methods<\/p>\n
10. What are the most challenging and rewarding parts of being a graphic designer?<\/strong><\/p>\nChallenging<\/em><\/p>\n1. Finding work.<\/p>\n
2. Keeping clients happy.<\/p>\n
3. Cash flow.<\/p>\n
4. Lack of creativity.<\/p>\n
5. The competition.<\/p>\n
6. Insane cost of equipment and software.<\/p>\n
Rewarding<\/em><\/p>\n1. Seeing my creation in print, on the shelves etc.<\/p>\n
2. A client loving what I have done.<\/p>\n
3. A client loving what I have done over someone else\u2019s work. Nice.<\/p>\n
4. In my case, working for myself, finally after 20 odd years of working for other people.<\/p>\n
5. Relative freedom to work my own hours, when I want, sometimes where I want and for whom I want.<\/p>\n
6. Just knowing that I am actually leaving my mark on things, in the same way that painters, architects and writers do.<\/p>\n
Being a designer allows me to have some sense of longevity and an enduring creation. This may not be for as long as a classic painting or a building, but a logo maybe around for years, a brand just as long and a brochure possibly several years or longer if someone collects. It\u2019s just nice to know that you have made a visible mark on peoples\u2019 lives, big or small.<\/p>\n
11. What advice would you give a young designer just starting out?<\/strong><\/p>\nI can only emphasize research and reading. It’s not just about creating nice images, it’s about the reasons ‘why’ you are creating these images, and these reasons are not to do with you but someone else. So knowing about how minds work, seeing things from different peoples\u2019 perspective, trying to better understand that our ideas are only a fraction of what is possible. Delve into some psychology – it all helps, it really does.<\/p>\n
Design, art, etc., are all subjective. You need to understand why this is the case in order to be more flexible with your own designs and not to limit yourself to what you personally like: this includes allowing yourself to appreciate the positives in someone else’s view of creative excellence when you find it dog ugly.<\/p>\n
At heart you are trying to interpret someone else’s’ ‘dream’ or ‘idea’, something that will be very important to them either emotionally as in a personal logo or brand, or professional as in a product or large company.<\/p>\n
If you struggle to see other peoples\u2019 views, then it will be harder for you to interpret or understand why someone else does not like your work.<\/p>\n
The worst thing you can do, which I have seen here on crowdSPRING a few times, is to get, how shall we say, ‘annoyed’ with the client because they don’t like your work or you feel you are being singled out and reacting negatively to this by leaving curt messages. This is something best avoided as it’s not something you bring to a professional environment. If you feel the client has been rude then just leave the project or complain to crowdSPRING, but don’t take the bait and bite back.<\/p>\n
We are all pitching for a job here, so treat it with utmost respect. crowdSPRING has made it easier for us all to get work, to explore our creative needs, the work comes to us. We can pick or choose, stay or walk away. This is something that is just so amazing. We don’t now need to go out, make phone calls, write letters, try to get that foot in a door just so we can get turned down.<\/p>\n
12. What do you do with your free time?<\/strong><\/p>\nPardon? Hmmm.<\/p>\n
At the moment I really don’t allow myself much ‘free’ time as such. I love what I do, and my personal circumstances are such that I have to focus more on my life than I have had to at any other point. Because of the time difference of different countries with crowdSPRING projects, the variety of project end times means that often I am focusing on work rather than my free time out of the house. I like to see the end of a project through, especially if the client has been asking for tweaks.<\/p>\n
But I run and regularly mountain bike and I love reading. I do enjoy the odd drink in town at the weekends.<\/p>\n
I enjoy reading and drinking coffee in Starbucks or somewhere similar whilst people- watching when my head is too fuzzy to concentrate.<\/p>\n
Mostly I enjoy walking the dog along the seafront or along the hills and in the forest. My dog is brilliant and makes me get out when otherwise I would probably stay in and continue working.<\/p>\n
Thank you, Graham!<\/p>\n
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<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"This is the fourth in a regular series in our blog where we’ll feature interviews with someone (a creative and\/or a buyer) from the crowdSPRING community. We’ll pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice. Really. We’re very proud to feature Graham Smith (crowdSPRING username: imjustcreative) today. Graham lives and works in the United Kingdom. 1. Please tell us about yourself. The start of anything like this makes me feel I am being interviewed for a dating show or something, not that I have ever been on TV, but something about talking about myself unnerves me a little. But I have been asked so here I am. For better or worse. My name is Graham Smith (aka \u201cImjustcreative\u201d). I live in a small town on the south coast of England. I\u2019m 36 and have lived here all my life (something about that unnerves me as well, but I’m not the only one still here). I stay partly because of the location which is by the sea, with a nice beach, huge white cliffs, a long river, plenty of hills and a big forest to the back. All of this is a maximum of 5 minutes from my house. I live with my insane Lurcher dog, Dylan, and my wonderfully supportive girlfriend Anna, who has 3 young children of her own, which I seem to be inheriting. Not a surprise in itself, but what it brings is. She is a consultant lawyer, specialising in flexible working issues, representing women who get fired from high-end jobs because they are pregnant, and advising companies and individuals about working from home etc. My studio has a view of the South Downs and the sea, so I regard myself quite fortunate in this respect; I have worked in some dire hell holes in my life, so am more than qualified to say what makes a great working environment and a not so great one. Being self employed and working from home, poses problems but is far preferable to the problems created in an unhappy workplace. My profile on crowdSPRING really lists my professional life, but very simply, my whole career from 18 until now has been in Commercial Print, Design, Marketing Advertising and High End Drum Scanning & Repro (Pre-Press) Graphics. I have risen from lowly apprentice paste-up artist, through design agency, through Repro House, through another firm of designers, to a large Commercial Printer, where I worked for 8 years, starting as a designer in a studio of 20. I worked my way up to Technical Manager, responsible for overseeing Apple Mac users, software, staff retraining and solving the myriad of technical problems associated with a busy pre-press (bureau), customer supplied files and the like. I was tempted not to include this next part but it has been so..<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":23284,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3158],"tags":[3183],"class_list":["post-234","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other","tag-interviews"],"yoast_head":"\n
12 Questions: Meet Graham Smith (United Kingdom) - crowdspring Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"noindex, follow\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"12 Questions: Meet Graham Smith (United Kingdom) - crowdspring Blog\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"This is the fourth in a regular series in our blog where we’ll feature interviews with someone (a creative and\/or a buyer) from the crowdSPRING community. We’ll pick people who add value to our community – in the blog, in the forums, in the projects. Plainly – activities that make crowdSPRING a better community. Be professional, treat others with respect, help us build something very special, and we’ll take notice. Really. We’re very proud to feature Graham Smith (crowdSPRING username: imjustcreative) today. Graham lives and works in the United Kingdom. 1. Please tell us about yourself. The start of anything like this makes me feel I am being interviewed for a dating show or something, not that I have ever been on TV, but something about talking about myself unnerves me a little. But I have been asked so here I am. For better or worse. My name is Graham Smith (aka \u201cImjustcreative\u201d). I live in a small town on the south coast of England. I\u2019m 36 and have lived here all my life (something about that unnerves me as well, but I’m not the only one still here). I stay partly because of the location which is by the sea, with a nice beach, huge white cliffs, a long river, plenty of hills and a big forest to the back. All of this is a maximum of 5 minutes from my house. I live with my insane Lurcher dog, Dylan, and my wonderfully supportive girlfriend Anna, who has 3 young children of her own, which I seem to be inheriting. Not a surprise in itself, but what it brings is. She is a consultant lawyer, specialising in flexible working issues, representing women who get fired from high-end jobs because they are pregnant, and advising companies and individuals about working from home etc. My studio has a view of the South Downs and the sea, so I regard myself quite fortunate in this respect; I have worked in some dire hell holes in my life, so am more than qualified to say what makes a great working environment and a not so great one. Being self employed and working from home, poses problems but is far preferable to the problems created in an unhappy workplace. My profile on crowdSPRING really lists my professional life, but very simply, my whole career from 18 until now has been in Commercial Print, Design, Marketing Advertising and High End Drum Scanning & Repro (Pre-Press) Graphics. I have risen from lowly apprentice paste-up artist, through design agency, through Repro House, through another firm of designers, to a large Commercial Printer, where I worked for 8 years, starting as a designer in a studio of 20. I worked my way up to Technical Manager, responsible for overseeing Apple Mac users, software, staff retraining and solving the myriad of technical problems associated with a busy pre-press (bureau), customer supplied files and the like. 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He is the CEO and Founder of crowdspring, a leading platform for custom design and creative services. He's mentored 2,000+ entrepreneurs and business owners, has raised or helped raise $10+ million in funding, and founded a startup studio where he developed, incubated, and launched innovative new businesses. Ross is passionate about helping entrepreneurs and small business owners thrive. He's the author of Stand Out, a guide for anyone looking to start and grow a successful business. He is a regular speaker at events and a contributor to Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Inc. Magazine. His achievements in technology, business, and law have earned him a spot on Techweek100\u2032s list of top leaders and other awards. 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We’re very proud to feature Graham Smith (crowdSPRING username: imjustcreative) today. Graham lives and works in the United Kingdom. 1. Please tell us about yourself. The start of anything like this makes me feel I am being interviewed for a dating show or something, not that I have ever been on TV, but something about talking about myself unnerves me a little. But I have been asked so here I am. For better or worse. My name is Graham Smith (aka \u201cImjustcreative\u201d). I live in a small town on the south coast of England. I\u2019m 36 and have lived here all my life (something about that unnerves me as well, but I’m not the only one still here). I stay partly because of the location which is by the sea, with a nice beach, huge white cliffs, a long river, plenty of hills and a big forest to the back. All of this is a maximum of 5 minutes from my house. I live with my insane Lurcher dog, Dylan, and my wonderfully supportive girlfriend Anna, who has 3 young children of her own, which I seem to be inheriting. Not a surprise in itself, but what it brings is. She is a consultant lawyer, specialising in flexible working issues, representing women who get fired from high-end jobs because they are pregnant, and advising companies and individuals about working from home etc. My studio has a view of the South Downs and the sea, so I regard myself quite fortunate in this respect; I have worked in some dire hell holes in my life, so am more than qualified to say what makes a great working environment and a not so great one. Being self employed and working from home, poses problems but is far preferable to the problems created in an unhappy workplace. My profile on crowdSPRING really lists my professional life, but very simply, my whole career from 18 until now has been in Commercial Print, Design, Marketing Advertising and High End Drum Scanning & Repro (Pre-Press) Graphics. I have risen from lowly apprentice paste-up artist, through design agency, through Repro House, through another firm of designers, to a large Commercial Printer, where I worked for 8 years, starting as a designer in a studio of 20. I worked my way up to Technical Manager, responsible for overseeing Apple Mac users, software, staff retraining and solving the myriad of technical problems associated with a busy pre-press (bureau), customer supplied files and the like. 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![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/08\/graham-299x220.png\" "\\"Graham")
<\/a>1. Please tell us about yourself.<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.crowdspring.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2008\/08\/eastvalley-300x76.png\" "\\"eastvalley\\"")
<\/a><\/p>\n