Independent blog - Sheridan College Web Design

The second half of this semester of school has been wreaked with havoc by flu bugs. So for our 4th blog of the second half of this semester we have to write an independent blog. I figure this is a good chance to give views a fell for the Sheridan Web Design program.

Thus far we have done a wide variety of projects on many different digital mediums. As the program name describes much of it is web based. Working from creating site maps through to creating fully operational front end coded web pages.

We have also had a number of group projects where communication is key. Our first typography project was to come up with a slogan and create web banners for them. My partner Joel and I quickly learn the value of communication not just between us but with our teacher. This Communication really aloud our design to evolve throughout the project.

Typography continued to be a challenge of design and team work as we moved into creating wine labels and winery interactive pdf sites. Typography wasn't only class we were doing group work in though. In Design for Interactive Media we were analyzing real sites and redesigning the framework. From the site maps and wireframes we created with our group members we then renamed the company and redesigned the site.

So far the program as given us an opportunity to learn the ins and outs of web design while further challenging us on our designs. There has been lost sleep over projects and technical issues over come and this is only the beginning. Next semester the true challenge arises of completing an in-depth independent project that will be display to many in the design community in the GTA area.

With all that said hopefully next semester and year bring better health for all and we can meet many more interesting people.

Ecentricarts - Keith Durrant & Jen Michie

www.ecentricarts.com

Keith Durrant - President & Co-Founder of Ecentricarts

• Business background
• 20 years new media experience
• In 200 started Ecentricarts and was focused on arts and culture

Jen Michie - Sr. UX Designer

• Design Background
• 15 years new media background
• took a bachelor of fine arts then took web design at Sheridan
• First full time UX designer at Ecentricarts

Ecentricarts

• Well recognized - many awards & nominations
• 33 full-time staff + network of freelancers
• Technology veterans
• Boutique studio - strategy execution
• 97.5% online, 2.5% branding/print/other
• Implementation partner for 2 leading CMS solutions
• Completed 800+ projects for 200_ clients
• Good projects/good people

What they do

• Consultation and strategy
• Branding and design
• Web development
• Web app development
• Custom app development and integration
• Content management solutions
• Mobile web and mobile app
• Social media strategy and app development
• Web analytic and search engine opt
• Website hosting

Clients

• Canada's National History Society (200)
• Scotiabank (2004)
• Textile Museum of Canada (2004)
• College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (2007)
• Osler, Hiskin & Harcount LLP (2008)
• Munk Debates (2008)
• College of Family Physicians of Canada (2009)
• Work in Culture (2008)
• Bennet Jones LLP (2010)
• Law Society of Upper Canada (2010)
• Powerplant Contemporary Art Gallery (2011)
• Bell Media (2011)
• Shred-it (2011)
• E one Entertainment (2011)
• Canadian Physiotherapy Association (2011)
• Canadian Red Cross (2012)
• Canadian Bar Association (2012)
• Princes Charities (2012)

Process

• Discovery/requirements gathering
• Branding
• IA/site structure and wireframe
• Design mock ups (start with mood boards to home page design)
• Final specifications (functional specification and technical specification)
• Development
• QA testing

Process: Key tools

• Basecamp
• YourTrack
• Continuous integration server
• Source control: SVN, Mercurial
• QA: TestRail test case management software

Job opportunities

• Strategiest
• Business Analyst
• Designer
• UX Designer
• Front End Developer
• Java Script Developer
• Back End Developer
• Content Strategist
• SEO Strategist
• Social Media Strategist

Job Hunting

• Making a good first impression (resume's matter)
• Online portfolio
• Attention to detail
• Non web creative is relevant
• Communication skills
• Be focused
• Research the company

Work Sample:

Maclaren McCann - John Alabaszowski

john.alabaszowski@maclaren.com
www.maclaren.com/

Our guest speaker was John Alabaszowski. He kept his "speech" short because John is one of our advisors for our independent project next semester. John is V.P. Group Creative Director at Maclaren McCann and has been there for 7 years.

As a graduate from Ryerson University. Before working at Maclaren McCann he worked in some small shops, medium shops, and freelances.

Maclaren McCan is the largest ad agency in Canada and is considered an integrated agency. They did the GM.ca website, which is the larges car site in Canada. Since then they have revamped the site every year when new car models come out. The web view, mobile view and dealer view all have the same content they just cut stuff in and out.

John also quickly covered the process of trying to find work after school.

Portfolio:

• Keep it in multiple formats
• Keep it up to date
• Flexible
• Keep it with you on usb or w/e

Interview

• Bring something with you to the interview (hard copy of portfolio or digital display)
• keep it organized
• think of it as a presentation
• point out what you did on projects
• ask for feedback

John left us with a little point that once you have the job, as a junior designer you are helping other people so ask for more.

With that we spent sometime asking questions and discussing design before meeting with John, Sibulle, Anne Marie and Sheila about our independent projects. 

Work Sample:

Studio Vitamin C - Genco and Jon Cebecioglu

genco@studiovitaminc.com

www.studiovitaminc.com

Genco and Jon Cebecioglu are brothers who after graduating from college and working in the design industry decided to start there own company. They started Studio Vitamin C about 3 years ago. Studio Vitamin C is a digital experience company.

Currently their biggest clients are start up companies and other design agencies. Recently Studio Vitamin C did contract work on E One's new site for Ecentricarts.

After giving us a short overview of Studio Vitamin C Jon took us through their working process. Starting with a proposal helps explain how things will happen since most people aren't as savvy when if comes to web. This covers things like browser support and tools that will be used. Wireframes and sample layouts also happen during the proposal stage. They include a timeline even thought it never really works out that way.

Once you finish a project you would say they are resposible for the site but clients will often ask about problems they are having. They will also ask for templates for adding content. Clients also often add and change things during the process.

With smaller companies you have to give more then what you get paid for so you can grow to the larger clients.

They then moved into what we will do when we are done school.

School's Done!
Now What?
Big Agency
Boutique Studio
Management
Entrepreneurship

Big Agency
Jobs: Front-end dev, UI Designer, Interaction Designer, Overall UX Designer, Flash Guru, Art Director, Creative Director.
Larger agencies have more job security when you move up, Big Brands, Room for Advancement, Big bucks when you advance, Global Opportunities. With the good comes the bad though until you get your foot in the door and start moving up there is little to no recognition or creative freedom.

Boutique Studio
Jobs: Basically they have same positions though sometimes they are all in one
Boutique Studios have less job security, less known brands, less room for advancement, pay scale is variable.

They also offer more recognition and creative freedom, more responsibility from get go, opportunity to be part of the company and shape its footprint (even become a partner if you are able to get in at the ground floor).

Management
Project Manager, Social Media & Publishing Content Manager, Online Marketing Manager, Account Manager.
These roles are more leadership/ client interaction/ less abstraction. They are less creative and more business & marketing related, problem solving, strategy and organizational tasks.

There is always the option of Entrepreneurship
Freelance, Design Studio, Technology Startup.
Right now there are lots of opportunities for new technology startups.

Work Samples:

Nicole DiFilippo - Athletic Therapist

As designers who will spend much of our careers sitting in front of computers working there are many common health issues that we could face. Prolonged sitting and lack of movement can cause mobility issues and pain throughout the body as we age.

Common Injuries

• Almost all are due to overuse and poor posture
• very easily treated with early intervention
• Therapist Assisted Stretching/Strengthening & Mobilization along with Self Strtching

Carpel Tunnel

• Compression of the nerves passing through your wrist
• Burning, tingling, itching or numbness in palm of the hand and the fingers. May find weakness and feeling swollen.

Thoracic Outlet

• Compression of the vessles passing under your collar bone/over your 1st rib and down the arm
• Numbness of the entire arm and hand. Pain often changes posture. Deep ache/pain in the shoulder and arm. Decreased circulation.

Eye Strain

• Eyes can become strained after staring at a computer screen for a long time, particularly if working in bad light
• Can be cause by improper eye wear
• Burning, tightness, sharp pain, dull pain, watering eyes, blurring, double vision, headaches

Sciatic Nerve Irritation

• Compression of the sciatic nerve generally due to the piriformis muscle
• Deep, sever pain starting low on one side of the back and shooting down the buttock and the leg. Pain increases with prolonged sitting.

Some Self Help Tips:

Computer work involves every little change in body position. Lack of movement and prolonged work in the wrong position leads to disfunction. You should take a 5-10 min break every hour

Wrist exercises

Neck and shoulder exercises

Back exercises

Device assistance exercises

Most importantly remember to move!

Jason Bouwman - Compass Creative

www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbouwman

jason@compasscreative.ca

www.compasscreative.ca

Jason Bouwman is an alumni of the Sheridan Technical Illustration program. Before coming to Sheridan Jason took Industrial Design at Fanshawe College.

Jason's family emigrated from Holland. His father was a hard working man and passed a traditional "work for what you want" mentality on to Jason. While at Sheridan, Jason worked on some personal self-promotion projects to get his name out there.

After graduating Jason got a job at Howard. When applying for the position Jason was asked if he knew Quark Express. Though Jason had no experience with the software he told the owner he know it, Figuring with his sharp mind he could quickly learn. After quitting Howard Jason started focusing on his freelance work.

Working out of his basement Jason had much bigger ideas then just being a freelance designer. With house payments and a family to provide for Jason decided he needed to take the next step. He told his wife the next few years would be tough with many long nights. Thus Jason started Compass Creative.

Jason has a very humble and modest view on life. Though he has worked hard to build his company and build contacts, he views each opportunity and step in his life as a gift. It is also important to find that balance between work and family.

Jason read a book called "First Things First" By Steve Coney. It was about time management and focusing on what is important to you. The message he took away from it was, "Discover and know what is important to you. Dedicate time to what is important. Identify what is important. Live your life as a compass with direction not by the ticking of a clock." This is his philosophy on life and the meaning behind the name of his company.

Businesses don't want websites. Businesses want sales,  donations and results. A website is a means to an end. a website is a way for businesses to sell something. But remeber customers don't owe the business. To succeed in this industry you need 4 key assets passion, skill, market, and integrity. Only with all of these will you have true success.

A few Compass Creative work samples:

Catherine Baird - Dashboard

catherinegracebaird@gmail.com
www.catherinebaird.com
www.linkedin.cim/in/bathrinebaird

Cathrine graduated form the Sheridan Web Design Program 11 years ago. This was during the ".com" crash. In the last 10 years Cathrine has worked for Ecenticarts as a designer, Henderson Bas as an Art Director, Semegaushe in Paris France as a senior Art Director, Draft FCB, and is currently at Dashboard as ACD.

 Ecentricarts was a great first step. Cathrine has a passion for fine arts. She had creative freedom as a junior designer and great opportunities.

Moving on after 5 years she had no real experience in advertising. She went to Henderson Bas, one of the companies she really wanted to work for. She Adcanced from senior designer very quickly(3 years).

After Henderson Bas she moved on to Paris, taking a sabbatical from Bas. She targeted companies she wanted to work for but found it hard to work in another language.

After returning from Paris she got a call from an associate from Bas to work for Draft. She is now currently working at Dashboard and freelancing.

Cathrine developed winefox a wine site for readers of the Toronto Star at Dashboard. They Created the name, logo, and character just to make a website. They wanted it to be different from other wine sites.

ING Direct is probably the company Cathrine has done the most work for. She worked on simplified animated videos for ING to be uploaded for YouTube videos. She had to storyboard and learn basic flash animations because it was what she was asked to do.

  The Design industry is always growing and changing:

• There was a lot more free range back when Cathrine started because clients didn't know about design and didn't watch as close.
• Its a very different job to be the one doing the work then being the one managing projects.
• It's an ever evolving environment. You have to keep learning.
• To win awards now agencies need to create videos and submit their assets. 

Big, Medium, Small agencies or Freelance?

Working in a big agency there are benefits. You can learn slowly and lots of people around you. Big agencies have good reputations and look good on a resume. You also work with big name clients. Money just kindof shows up you dont have to worry about money for projects.
Down side. Your portfolio my only get a small amount of work because you may not do as much design as doing production. You could end up getting lost a little bit and you could end up stuck in production. There tends to be some segregation. You don't see what's going on in the traditional side and interactive isn't integrated well. Interactive can take a back seat and may not get used to its fullest.
Ex. Taxi, Sid Lee, Tribal.

Medium Agencies (under 100 people) you kind of get the best of both world. You get to work on some big companies. You also do some small names though. the benefit is culture, you start to feel like a family. Your boss feels like a friend. Not as structured or corporate. It can be chaotic. Doesn't have the same budget as the big agencies.

Small studios are a very close community. Some small companies can make great names for them self. As a junior designer you get a lot more opportunities but it means you have to be really good at your job because you my not have a senior Art Director to help you. You could have your own customers right off the bat. You really have to preform.

Freelance is really about your personality. How important is the security of a pay check? You may work for 2 weeks then not work for a month. also you have to manage your money. Business end of financials can be hard to keep up with. If you don't track stuff like HST you could end up owing money to taxes. It can be complicated or simple if you know what your doing. Can also be a very rewarding opportunity. You can also do contract work for big and small companies and charge big bucks. You get recognition for your work without the politics of the office.

A few last tips to success:

1. Be a really, really good designer 
2. Understand and love technology
3. Learn video, flash animation, and more...
4. Understand ux (user experience) and ia (information architecture)
5. Know what you're worth

A few Dashboard design samples

 

Victor Ramirez and Dwayne Grench - Momentum

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Victor

http://www.linkedin.com/in/victorhenry

victor.ramirez@momentum.com

http://www.momentum.com

Dwayne

info@sultanofbeard.com

Dwayne.grech@momentum.com

www.sultanofbeard.com

Momentum is hybrid digital media shop. They do network, hosting, as well as web and creative design. Awarded one of Canada's 50 Best Managed Companies

Who is Victor?

Victor is a designer at Momentum advanced solutions. He as worked at Momentum Advanced Solutions, Henderson Bas, Maritz Canada Inc., Montana Steele Adgertising.

A few highlights form his career:

·       Built on-line learning system for RIM

·       Built the Cadillac SRX website for MacLaren

·       Built a brand for 1 bloor that raised prices by 300%

·       Built on-line dating and social media site before the flood

·       Helped re-build chrysler from the crash.

A few quirky facts:

·       backpacked Ecuador

·       Speaks Spanish people call him taco though he is not Mexican

·       Loves crossfit

·       Likes to dance

Who is Dwayne?

Dwayne has been a designer at Momentum Advanced Solutions for 2 years and is the lead creative for the Chrysler account. Dwayne is also a graduate of Sheridan College.

A few facts:

·       DAOR for Chrysler Canada

·       Owner of sultanofbeard.com

·       Went to Aitas School of Japanese in 2009

·       Graduated from Seneca College for graphic design in 2004

·       Graduated from Sheridan College for web design in 2008

·       Went to Sheridan back in high school for classic animation. He wanted to be a Disney animator. He was they Youngest student but got tired of it.

Places he worked:

·       Momentum Advanced Solutions

·       Sirius satellite radio

·       Young & Rubicon (flash designer on Ford brand Ford Flex)

·       Organic Inc. (Chrysler USA flash designer)

Quirky Facts

·       Lived in Australia & Japan

·       Speaks Japanese

·       Coldwater Surfer

·       Frequent mud racer: Spartan Race, Mud Hero, Met Con Blue, ect.

·       Tattoo clad

What they do:

·       DAOR for Chrysler/Jeep/Dodge/RAM/Fiat

·       Online support for Mercede-Benz, Forresters...

·       Online loyalty support for AMEX

A few tips on what to expect going into this industry:

·       It won't be easy

·       Lack of sleep

·       Ultra competitive market

·       Small industry

·       Crazy office politics

·       Toronto has heaps of agency choices

·       Heaps of industry parties - good way to network

·       Specify what you're applying for

·       "We are in demand"

·       Enjoy where your work

·       Remember and make personal relations

What are your options"

·       Small design house vs international agency

·       Contract work vs permanent work

·       designer vs project manager vs account manager

·       Add 30% for project management when doing freelance (look up contracts online to make sure your getting paid)

·       Canada vs abroad

A few life lessons from Victor and Dwayne

·       Burning bridges in this industry is employment suicide

·       Networking events are your easiest way into an interview

·       You are never too old to sop learning

·       theFWA.com is the bible

·       sometimes you'll have to sacrifice a weekend or six

·       red bull doesn't give you wings, but sure does make you the savior of the "last minute all-nighter" request

·       pay it forward

·       if you're not enjoying the what and where, then it's time for a change

·       social media

A few Momentum work samples: