ESSENTIAL LINKS FOR ANY DESIGNER (Ballarat Edition)
Just before I list these, I wont to point out how much I hate the current design of this blog. Believe me, it is high on my list of things to fix. So apologies.
Here are the site that I think you all should be on talking about your passion and representing your personal brand (with links).
1. Facebook Pages
A massive must. A bunch of you have ‘liked’ my page in the last 24 hours which is unreal! Thank you. I would get one rocking for your own studio/personal page. Tell your friends and class mates about it and post all relevant links and work etc. Treat it like a blog.
http://www.facebook.com/pages/browser.php
2. Twitter
To be honest, this is probably the most important one right now, simply because you can start connecting with BIG industry professional and studios strait away. If you have an iPhone it is well worth downloading an app (free) called TweetDeck, and while you are at it, download it for your desktop too. It will allow you to ‘search’ terms (like you would in Google). So you might search ‘graphic design’ (as I do) and you will get all the tweets in the world that mention ‘graphic design’. Follow me (@nhallam) and all the other people in the Australian and Melbourne design world and start chatting. It WILL pay off.
3. Tumblr or Wordpress or Your own site
Do you have a blog? No? Why not? Go and get one right now. All your future employees will want to look at your work and follow your progress and a blog is a very good way to allow them to do this. Plus, its free.
I use Tumblr, but I am considering changing to Wordpress. Post everything and anything that appeals to you…music, links, photos, whatever, as long as it is something that you like its all good. Do it, make it now. Go!
http://www.tumblr.com/
http://wordpress.com
4. Behance & Flikr
I have to admit that I have never actually used Behance, but I know a lot of creative’s do. From what I know, Behance is free and it allows you to display your portfolio of work online in a pretty damn nice way. Flikr is more you photo nerd. Get the one that is most appropriate to you, both if you are a super ninja. Send me the link so I can send it to others!
Final Notes
There are two MASSIVE tips that I would give you before doing all of this.
1. Be consistent with your brand. Same bio, same profile picture etc. Make it easy for me to find you later on. If I recogneise your personal logo on Twitter, I should be able to find you on FB.
2. If people comment or ‘like’ your work, WRITE BACK to all of them. Be grateful! This is really important. It’s hard to show love online, so if someone goes to the effort of writing to you, write back!
– NickHallam
7 Tips for Young Creatives (Ballarat Presentation)
The 7 points I presented to the ninja students at Ballarat Uni.
1. Follow your heart, live your passion and NEVER compromise
This is by far the most important one. If you are not loving what you’re doing, get out. Do what makes you happy and then worry about the money later.
A good way that I have found to help me figure out what I am passionate about it to ask yourself the following question:
Q: Everyday for the next year you get up and go to work to find a room full of people waiting to ask you a question. They all ask you the same question and you smile each time because you are pumped to answer it. In fact, you love answering it. What is that question?
A: Your passion could be found in your answer to this question.
For me the question was: “Nick, how can I use design to help serve my community better?” Oh and also: “Nick, I have this thing I LOVE doing, but I’m not sure if I can do it for a living. Can you help?”
My answers to both of these are now my passions.
1. Helping brands serve their users better
2. One-on-one ninja life sessions
2. WE ARE IN A SERVICE INDUSTRY. SERVER PEOPLE BETTER.
Its true, we are in a service industry, and the people who server their customer better than the next will win. No exceptions at all. Think about a buzzing cafe you go to. Do they know your name and what you normally get? I bet you love that, and you will go back. This is good service.
3. KNOW YOUR SPACE BETTER THAN THE OTHERS
There are probably lots and lots of people trying to do what you want to do, so you need to make sure you know what your talking about. Research and read and research and read. Know what happening so you can stay in front.
4. GET YOUR PERSONAL BRAND ONLINE. NOW!
This is not an option it is a must. Once you are sure what you love, get online and kill it. Facebook Pages, Twitter, blogs sites etc. do it, do it now and do it often. I want to know who you are and what you think. We all do.
5. PRODUCE GOOD CONTENT / DON’T WORK FOR FREE (MAYBE FREMIUM)
A hero of mine, Gary Vaynerchuk, famously says, “content is king”. I agree, you must be putting out good info, good designs. If you are just starting off, that’s fine, let me know so I can follow your progress with interest.
Don’t work for free. Please stop doing it. I don’t care if its only $1. Ask for something. Its a good habit to get into and it will make your client appreciate your work even more.
6. NETWORK THE SHIT OUT OF LIFE / PRINT YOUR FOLIO / USE A PHONE
I could have called this point, “How to get a job”
1. Network - join ADGA, go to Beer’o’clock. Comment on site, GET INTO TWITTER.
2. Don’t send pdf.s print your folio.
3. Call the studios you want to work for first - email later.
7. MAKE SURE YOU’RE HAPPY, BE GRATEFUL & HAVE FUN
This is really important. We are so super lucky to have a lot of the opportunities that we have and I think sometimes people can forget that. So be mega grateful to have the chance to chase your passion and be grateful to all the people that hep you along the way. Oh and have fun!
EPISODE 6: My advice to HFB and Trevor re: FB & TWTR numbers
EPISODE 6: Why you don’t need to worry about FB & TWTR numbers from Nick Hallam on Vimeo.
You defiantly don’t need to worry about the number of people who follow your page or twitter profile.
This was my advice to Hope for Burke and Trevor.
EPISODE 5: HOW NOT TO USE DM ON TWITTER
EPISODE 5: HOW NOT TO USE DM ON TWITTER from Nick Hallam on Vimeo.
- The link I would naturally click on once the relationship has been established. No need to force down our faces.
EPISODE 4: People, Culture & Attitudes
EPISODE 4: PEOPLE, CULTURE & ATTITUDES from Nick Hallam on Vimeo.
The people who represent your brand are so bloody important it’s not funny. Let your staff know the culture/attitude that you want to express. Don’t let one person ruin the experience for your users.
The work shop that we were not allowed to enter.
A finished Qee by Peter Alexander.
EPISODE 3: AIGA ANNOUNCES DESIGN FOR GOOD
EPISODE 2: PP TV - AIGA ANNOUNCES ‘DESIGN FOR GOOD’ from Nick Hallam on Vimeo.
I filmed this for the PP site earlier this morning. Just a couple of days ago I was chatting with Nathan saying that I thought that institutions like the AIGA and AGDA would start to officially and formally introduce ideas like “Design for Good”. There is no doubt in my mind more and more designers are going to start to turn their skills to assisting people and projects that need help.
AIGA Website http://www.aiga.org/
FastCompany.com http://www.fastcompany.com/1739397/design-for-social-good-aiga-executive-director-ric-grefe?partner=rss&utm_source=hootsuite&utm_medium=twitter
EPISODE 2: SOCIAL MEDIA IS A TOOL
EPISODE 2: SOCIAL MEDIA IS A TOOL. THAT’S IT. from Nick Hallam on Vimeo.
I think that far too many businesses and people are jumping on board the social media train because they think that it is going to help grow their business with out understanding the basics. And the basics are oldschool. Actually giving a fuck and caring about what you do and the people that engage with your business needs to be understood before you hop on board the train. If you get that, then go ahead and use the tools to your advantage, because they will help you punch life in the face.
Worth watching.
gary:
I had the great privilege of being on MSNBC’s Morning Joe this morning, Watch. What do you think?
This is an incredible video with on 40,000 hits of a company turning $160 million in brazil that has developed an incredible organic working culture.
All other companies in the world. Please take note!
EPISODE 1: USER EXPERIENCE – MAP
EPISODE 1: USER EXPERIENCE from Nick Hallam on Vimeo.
I got the to PP studio this morning and asked my self one question, how can I increase the quality of the PP user experience? I’m still working through it, but check out the image below and you will get an idea of what I’m talking about.
1. Define Touch Points
2. Map out how/when they will be used
3. Define a tone and approach for your brand
SOCIAL MEDIA AND CEREAL
SOCIAL MEDIA AND CEREAL from Nick Hallam on Vimeo.
Having my breakfast this morning found a Twitter, Youtube and Facebook logo printed on the side of my cereal box. (Photo to come). This excites me beyond belief and I’m not sure people understand the significance of it.
Where is the oddest place you have found social media logos?
On my way back from the city I saw this installation at a bus shelter. I don’t know what it’s selling but I love it. Why? Because it’s FUN. I think we underestimate how much people love fun. Apple is a fun company. We love them. Virgin takes fun to another level and look at them.
This is probably a onshore this for this brand so it won’t have much impact, but if the whole brand was this fun, I would want to get involved.
Two things:
1. Take some time out of each week/month to think about where you are headed and what business development skills you are going to need in the future. This could be tomorrow, next week or next month.
2. Keep an eye out. If you meet people who might be able to help you smash the bus-dev stuff, keep in touch. They will be invaluable.
