Can I rant?
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- 23 Responses
- Terisa
Ok, so I think I am officially a dinosaur. I'm a senior AD with a really solid skillset and and am talented at concepting. I have spent the last 5-6 years doing broadcast art direction, NOT web/interactive. So I find myself in this Catch 22 situation: I need to learn IA to get a job, but the best way to learn is on the job. Period. Learning without a project is slow going. I am freelancing now and would like to find a job now, not in 6 months or however long IA courses would be. Does anyone else feel like this? I want to sing "Take a chance on me" by ABBA every time a recruiter calls and then says I am not marketable. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr.
- madirish0
there are IA courses???
- Terisa0
Places like Art Institute and the like I guess. Most people have learned on the job from what I have heard. How hard could designing a front page be? It's all Photoshop and Illustrator for the most part? JESUS!
- FAIL. not in the slightest is this true, Terisa. :)madirish
- Agreed. Photoshop + Illustrator does NOT equal web design.decisionman
- yupJaline
- with that said, you are still allowed to rant. :)madirish
- IA != webdesign. I guess that's the first lesson.flashbender
- depends on the site, yes it can be photoshop only. doesn't mean its quality workMeeklo
- Photoshop + Illustratror AND dreamweaver = web design.********
- Yeah, I need to learn dreamweaver.Terisa
- Many jobs don't make you do the dev partukit
- My job does. Actually, I'm better at the development compared to the designing. You could use a few programs...or a lot.Jaline
- good to know the development part, so you know how to actually achieve your idea... or have a really talented deve who can do just about anything.monNom
- ...developer who can do just about anything.monNom
- madirish0
while i am serious about the above question, are these issues you are finding locally to Dallas, only?
more to the point however; i honestly feel great IA is truly devised from a distinc User Experience position and experience messign it up, and working through them.
- decisionman0
Ha if you're a senior and I'm but a lowly junior ... at the age of 24 ... oh well, I guess I'll try some advice:
School time! Even though you said no ...
http://www.portfoliocenter.com/a…
I've always wondered about these guys ... they have media architecture in there, I'm not sure if it's IA / usability per se ...
Does online schooling count as schooling? If not in your books ... give it a try! Or, do some freelancing and hire an eager junior web designer for a project ... suck some knowledge out of there. Or, make a catapult out of paperclips. I don't think that would solve your problem, but it would be A) fun and B) entertaining.
- Terisa0
I guess it is confined to Dallas because I am finding that no one wants to relocate people any more. I'd be happy to move.
Portfolio center is $$$$. And for some reason those folks come out thinking their shit don't stink.
I took online HTML and will try to do more when I can afford it, but like madirish said -- it's best to learn on the job.
I have to convince someone to hire me and train me. Or find a new career.
- Llyod0
why the hell would you want to go interactive? it's totally ghetto
- madirish0
1. companies ARE relocating people. i know many who have- this year alone.
2. no ill-lood to PC, but i would not ever consider going there for IA guidance.
3. i think defining the career you want, rather than finding a new one, is the most healthy goal one can have, professionally.
- Terisa0
Are there jobs making LOLcats all day?
- Meeklo0
I think you can have 12 years in the industry but if your work is not that impressive then the new kids with an amazing portfolio, design experience for various mediums and more important humble and hungry to learn new things will take your job in a second.
It rough, but its a reality.
On the other hand, its great to have an experience senior AD here, I think most of us are under 35 so could be a good thing to pick our brains. Welcome to NT! (sorry qbn)
- ukit0
Agree with Meeklo, we had a woman apply for a job who wouldn't stop talking up her seniority...i've got fifteen years experience blah blah blah...then we saw her site...it was the most craptactular thing ever. Not saying that's the case here but if you wanna switch careers you should expect to start where everyone else does...i.e., design or build stuff for friends or create self-initiated work to start. At least your experience in one kind of design gives you an advantage, you'll learn faster than us young punks.
- Terisa0
Thanks for letting me vent, guys. I'm not one to rant about my seniority or say, "Well back in my day you young whippersnappers!" My work isn't shit, either. It's not edgy, but it's solid and my reel is very solid. I guess I need to just keep looking and be patient. I'm having one of those days, meh.
- Meeklo0
I think there is a transition channel between broadcast and web that you could take in order to complete the move. You could still do AD for web projects, with technology moving fast video and animation are being used on high end sites. but then you may just not want to do motion anymore huh?
- elee0
Interactive and Broadcast are going to be pretty much one and the same soon enough. Start with the basics (HTML and CSS), pull apart the source on sites that you like to see how it's done, and work from there. There's tons of free tutorials online, and remember that sites don't have to be crazy flash stuff to be good.
Never too late to learn
- IA and "doing HTML/CSS" are two different ball gamesdropclique
- I agree, IA is not even a design job is it?Meeklo
- I've always imagined it requires a lab coat and clipboard.monNom
- Terisa0
Dreeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeamweaver, I believe I can make it though the niiiiight. And Flash. Tutorials here I come.
Thanks for the feedback, everyone. I need to hang here instead of my time waster forum I mod on, ha.
- BonSeff0
i'm in dallas too, and feel your pain.
i've spent the last couple weeks redesigning my online book in flash, and i'm nowhere close to done.
man there is so much to know when working with that app..
and it seems like dreamweaver doesnt cut it anymore. everyone wants it to be all CSS with tricked out ajax and a fully functional cms.. its crazy. i'd much rather be doing print, but new media pays the bills these days..if you have a background in broadcast, a transition from after effects to flash shouldnt be too tricky
- I do know After Effects and I'm usually pretty adept at learning software. Not sure what my mental block is.Terisa
- dropclique0
I think you're really confusing IA with a more production-web role. If you're senior level no one is going to be asking you to make a roll over in Flash. I think you want to do more reading on actual user interfaces and behavior rather than hitting up Kirupa.com.
- Yeah, I'm not even sure what the hell they want me to know, ha.Terisa
- BonSeff0
that's true, i hand my psd's off to a programmer, but having knowledge of production / process keeps things running smooth.
especially if a client wants a million bells and whistles on a 15k budget