Professional Practice and Engagement Week 7

What does sustainability mean in the context of graphic design? 

Sustainability in graphic design refers to the ethical practices of producing work without making negative impacts on the environment. Graphic Designers should always endeavor to find creative design solutions that are also eco-friendly. 

Sometimes this can mean using more natural and bio-degradable materials to create products and packaging. In some cases it means removing the packaging completely and following the current trend of 'naked products'.

Review the site 'Design Can Change - AIGA' and answer the following questions: 

What is 'cradle to cradle' design and how can you see this applied in the Graphic Design industry? 

Cradle to cradle design uses biomimicry in its processes of engineering to create systems and products that are environmentally friendly. It does this by using strictly, non-toxic synthetic products combined with natural, bio-degradable products, In doing so, it prevents waste and the spread of harmful, toxic materials throughout our environment.

Cradle to cradle design can be applied to graphic design in a few different ways. One obvious solution is to find more opportunities to keep design digital to avoid the waste of paper from printing. If you must print a design, it's possible to find more eco-friendly inks made from natural resources such as vegetables. It's also excellent if you can find design solutions that use fewer resources to decrease the amount of waste you produce.
In the 'Creative Gallery on Sustainable Communications '- what ad has the most impact for you and why? 

I like this ad for its highly visual nature. I believe that a really good advertisement doesn't need a lot of text to tell the audience a story. The use of negative space makes the image much more eye catching and intriguing, causing the viewer to wonder what the ad is about until they take a step closer. 

So because the image draws you in and makes you want to know more, it makes the ad highly effective. I also like the tagline because its eloquent and simple. Overall I think it gets the message across quickly and is visually pleasing.


List five things that a Graphic Designer can do in their practice to decrease their impact on the environment

Graphic designers should always work toward creating waste free and eco-friendly design solutions including the following:

1. Use natural, bio-degradable products such as vegetable based inks for printing.

2. Encourage digital solutions to design problems to decrease waste.

3. Create re-usable products rather than disposable ones to reduce waste.

4. Consider using production methods that require less transport so as to contribute less to pollution.

5. Discuss with clients openly the sustainable design options to spread awareness.

Professional Practice and Engagement Week 6

What is "free pitching" and how does it effect the industry as a whole? 

Free Pitching is a method some potential employers use to get free graphic design work. It consists of a company asking a graphic designer to pitch an idea to them without payment or contracts and the risk is that they may walk away and use your work without paying you. AGDA recommends that to avoid this, graphic designers ask employers to agree that all design work shown to them is confidential and owned by the graphic designer until a deal is struck. The agreement must be in written form to make it legally viable, a simple email will suffice.

Why is it important to have a code of ethics in the Graphic Design industry? 

It's important because it protects both the client and designer and nurtures an honest, fair avenue of work and communication between the two entities. It's also informative for both parties in proper business etiquette and the intricacies of fairness when dealing with clients or professionals.

What is the difference between a copyright and a trademark or patent? 

The three categories cover protection for different types of creative work.

Copyright is used as protection of authorship for creators of works including, but not limited to, literary, dramatic and artistic works published or not. 

Trademark is for words, names, symbols and to indicate the source of the products and differentiate them from others.

Patents are for new inventions and it is a grant of invention to the creator.

What measures do you need to take as a freelance designer to protect your creative output?

The main ways to protect your IP as a designer is through trademark, design registration and copyright. Trademarking, as stated before is important for designers when they are designing things like logos because it prevents other companies from creating symbols similar to yours, thus confusing the consumer. Design registration is important in circumstances where a designer creates a visual look for a tangible product, thus ensuring that your product is visually unique and can't be copied. Copyright is highly important, especially for 2D designers, as it provides cover for an authours expression of ideas, whether it be a concept for an album cover or a design for a flag. It's important to take these measures to make sure that all your hard work is protected.

Professional Practice and Engagement Week 5

Below is an estimate of the median annual income for an entry-level graphic designer in Canberra according to Pay Scale.

So the average annual pay is $45,615 which would translate to an weekly pay of ,$877 presuming I'm a full-time employee. 

Below is a time sheet showing the full-time hours I would have been in the office doing admin and other work with specific hours relating to two clients.