Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with design

Where can I find a high-quality jumbo t-shirt printer?

wmeredith — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 12:48:34 -0800

Where can I find a high-quality jumbo t-shirt printer? Preferably one that will seem rip the tags out of the blanks to be printed on. Example 1 (Scroll all the way down.)

Example 2

Why haven't I been hired?

Richard Daly — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 14:14:50 -0800

I have been applying for entry-level graphic design jobs from Philadelphia craigslist for two months and haven't received even the slightest nibble of interest. What am I doing wrong? First off, my work is online at my site

My ego would like to pretend that it's just a hard market, and that all entry level work is difficult to catch, but if I face facts, I suspect it's my portfolio or resume.

Three months ago, I graduated from a small New England school where I was a big fish in a very small pond. My professors loved my work, but the final portfolio class was a boondoggle and now I question their evaluations. I'm afraid I need a bitter dose of hard truth, and I know of no better place to get it than metafilter.

What needs work, what has to go, what should I build from scratch, and what errors have I made that are keeping me from landing an interview?

Please help me find some old logos that incorporated some kind of a globe!

stackhaus23 — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 03:42:39 -0800

Please help me find some old logos that incorporated some kind of a globe! I've been trying to do some research into some old logos that use either a globe as the main logomark like this or an extended variant like this.

Can you think of any similar logos?! Airline companies, travel companies, television or cinema companies?

Thanks in advance!

How do I learn to use a Wacom tablet to make digital art?

deeman — Sat, 19 Jul 2008 18:21:43 -0800

So I bought a Wacom tablet. How can I learn to do THIS http://www.5min.com/Video/SPIDERMAN---photoshop-speed-painting-by-Missfeldt-29124285

What do I need to know to my high end retail sales site off the ground?

JJ Jenkins — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:46:32 -0800

What are the best books/sites for learning the necessary web design and dev tools for an e-commerce site? I have a decent graphic and web design background, but I haven't used it in nine years or so, which means I never quite grasped CSS.

What books/sites/languages can you recommend so that I can design and build a website for direct sales? I will be selling very few (3-5) products that come in several colors. I want to be able to add to them, but I will hire a firm once the number gets too high, so right now it doesn't need to have a complicated database to accommodate high volume of inventory. This is a fashion product so I want the design to be cute and stylish, but easy for customers to navigate and buy products.

My thoughts are to use something like Dreamweaver for design and then program in the e-commerce parts myself. (Do people still even use the term e-commerce?)

I basically need it to look very high end and have a shopping cart with multiple payment and shipping options. I'm confident I can do this myself and have been thoroughly unimpressed with the web pros I've tried to work with. I think I can figure it out on my own for less money and time. However, I don't want to pore through textbooks and do tutorials on things that are unnecessary to get this site off the ground.

Also, I'd like to design and program regular emailings to alert my customer base of new products and availability.

I hope this is specific enough to make sense. Thanks!

Help me pimp my new guest house!

miss lynnster — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 20:52:19 -0800

Inspire me! Where are your absolute favorite places to find incredible, unique interior and outdoor decorating treasures and bargains in Los Angeles (or online)? I'm looking for cool stuff to fill/cover walls, floors, windows, garden, patio, home office... you name it! I LOVE finding bargains so the Rose Bowl and PCC swap meets are already on the list, as are other places... but I'd like to hear where you find YOUR inspirations! I'm dumping most of my old furnishings and will be designing my new living space *almost* from scratch. I tend to be drawn to things that are cool vintage or have slightly ethnic (asian, european, middle eastern) influences. When I'm done, without going broke I want this new place to feel like a really comfortable sanctuary where people love hanging out. :)

Best web audio/video players

avocet — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 13:24:38 -0800

What are the best embedded open source/free audio/video players? I'm looking at finding a flexible media player for an arts related site I'm working on. Although I'm looking for something that will handle an audio playlist (i.e. like the ubiquitous myspace player) bonus if it can also handle flash video as well. I really like Flowplayer but it is $75 for a license and while that is a fair price, I'd rather find something free and open source with an active community around it. I'm looking for something to manage .flv and .mp3 files and would appreciate some more options. Thanks!

How can I fix my weirdly rendering navigation tabs?

goodnewsfortheinsane — Thu, 10 Jul 2008 18:30:19 -0800

What's wrong with my CSS that makes top the nav render like this or this on some browsers, and how can I fix it? This is an example of a desired rendering, and here's is the CSS. Thanks in advance, guys & gals!

How could I forget to mention the bicycle is a good invention

optovox — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 14:20:43 -0800

I'm building a two-wheeled cargo trailer for my bicycle, and I'm mounting standard caliper brakes on each wheel of the trailer. I want to control both brakes with one handle i.e. I squeeze the handle, and both calipers close. How can I set this up? My first idea was to use motorcycle cable housing and run both brake cables inside that, but I nixed that idea because I'd have to figure out a way to attach both cables at the handle.

I'd prefer to buy an off-the-shelf "two-caliper-one-handle" setup, but I can fabricate parts and build a setup if someone has an engineering solution or design idea. Anyone?

Free Vector Graphics/Borders for a Wedding Invitation

snap_dragon — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 13:42:27 -0800

I am looking for the best sights for vector border graphics as I am designing my wedding invitations. Anyone recommend some decent sights? When I googled I did not get many sights with much. Thanks for your time and consideration!

Creating a website. Help!

cameradv — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 09:54:04 -0800

A friend recently purchased her own domain. She's a graphic designer, familiar with print design and article layout, who wants to create a website that might be used for self-promotion, learning web design, etc. She needs advice on hosting, and tools, and resources. I know this is a big, wide open subject, but the Hivemind is good at this sort of thing. Though facile with Indesign and Photoshop, she has no web design expertise. She does have Dreamweaver, but is a little overwhelmed.

She's a Mac user, if that matters.

web design term project ideas?

tamarack — Sun, 29 Jun 2008 23:09:35 -0800

Idea Filter: I need to create a six-page website for a term project in web design at uni (intro level). What to do it on? I have been given the go-ahead to choose a topic of my liking for my term project in web design. I find I just keep making the same site layout time and time again and I am in need of some new ideas, vague or specific suggestions, or links to other people's favourite small websites. Any creative inspiration is much appreciated :)

Which font format?

amtho — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 11:19:11 -0800

Which font format should I buy? MyFonts.com's FAQ suggests that OpenType is the wave of the future and the first truly cross-platform format. But I want to be sure that what I get will work with all my older software, older Mac OS (as well as my main Win XP machine), and wherever I get things printed. I'm about to purchase one font, but I buy fonts occasionally and would like a general rule of thumb. Different formats are available for the same price, but I must choose one and only one format for this font (the lovely "Sky Serif"). I also wonder if the format used affects embedding in PDF.

software: I've got good old Photoshop 5.5 (running on Win XP), an older Mac we have (OSX 10.early), and Kinko's should I send something there. I also use a Windows program called "PDF995" to print to PDF sometimes.

I also use a freeware program called "FontLister" which I *know* won't support OpenType, but I'm thinking of replacing that anyway. Still, it's another nudge toward buying TTF instead of OpenType.

The Mac compatibility isn't that crucial, since we're probably getting a new Mac soon.

Maybe I'm worried over nothing; do all these Windows programs jsut use font "services" provided by the OS? I just wonder whether Photoshop loads the fonts itself -- I know it will do so if fonts are in its own directory.

TTF is attractive as a fallback, but apparently there are sometimes "extra features" in OpenType fonts -- and TTF may not be truly cross-platform.

I know I can convert fonts to different formats -- I just Googled and found several options -- but I've done this before and it's not always smooth/easy. And it's a pain anyway.

Mainly I'm wondering if anyone has had problems using an OpenType font in a specific situation. Any reason not to get OpenType?

Recommend some great fonts

Foci for Analysis — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 18:02:15 -0800

Which high quality fonts - mainly serifs/sans-serifs - can you recommend that should be in every designer's toolkit? I'm thinking about gorgeous and versatile fonts such as Helvetica, Futura, Frutiger, Franklin Gothic, Myriad, Garamond, Palatino, etc. Go on, get that list underneath your pillow because I really want to know!

Looking for the Japanese watch of my dreams

symbebekos — Wed, 25 Jun 2008 13:57:20 -0800

I'm looking for this watch, designed by Naoto Fukazawa. It is NOT part of his collection for Issey Miyake, nor was it designed for ±0. I can't find any details about it beyond what's on the IDEO page, and I'm guessing my inability to google in Japanese might be the problem. Help!

Help me get our developers excited about mobile devices.

genial — Fri, 20 Jun 2008 06:59:58 -0800

How to create iPhone demonstration videos (and what software works best)? I'm interested in creating some short interface demonstrations for how my work (higher education IT) could utilize the iPhone and develop for it. I'm a former graphic design and studio art grad but I've never attempted anything like this. Can anyone recommend specific programs? I have Flash CS3 if that is doable. Probably don't have a budget for more expensive timeline type stuff like Premier, but I'm interested.

Also is there a place to download the interface elements that are used in order to create the mockup? Any guides or resources that talk about putting it all together?

Getting started on my own

Bunglegirl — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 19:12:53 -0800

How do I best set up space to work as a solo graphic designer (furniture, computer equipment, etc.)? I am in a position where I might be able to work as a freelance graphic designer (or my own, single person company) instead of looking for a full time position at a studio. If I go this route I definitely want to upgrade my work environment (new table & chair, mouse, computer & monitor). I am mainly a print designer, mostly working in InDesign & Illustrator with the occasional retouching in Photoshop. I don't often need to work on photos with 100+ layers and am not interested much in motion work. Think Corporate Identity work, logos, books etc.

My experience includes 6 years at a tiny design studio with everything (including Herman Miller chairs) already set up. We used G4 towers, regular mouses and Apple displays. I've been freelancing on and off for a few years, making do with the equipment I have. I'll be renting a new apartment with, hopefully, an extra room to use as a work space.

Computer:
I am currently on a Mac G4 tower, but am in the market for a new machine (and all the $oftware) this summer. I loved my 12" iBook and would like to have a laptop again. I was planning on getting a new MacBook or MacBook Pro, a good, large monitor and mouse. My tower is okay but I don't think it could run CS3. I feel that a laptop would be enough to run the programs and files I would need. I prefer not to buy a tower and laptop for financial reasons, although the portability is mostly for personal use. It may be handy to take my computer to a client every once in a while.

Mouse:
My current mouse is a small old Fellowes mouse that was free. Although my hands are really small, even for a woman, it's uncomfortable to use and my wrist and outside hand have been getting more sore/numb/clicking.

Do I really need a wireless mouse? What about tablets? They look cool but I think it would definitely take some getting used to. I might benefit from a mouse that keeps my hand in a more natural position (thumb up) might help my current wrist problems. I've never really liked those mouses with the huge ball. I recently used a new Mac mouse for the first time but it seems I've become accustomed to my trackwheel and extra buttons (without hitting a key to use them).

Keyboard:
I have a new extended Mac (wired) keyboard so I'm not worried about that.

Monitor:
My current monitor is way too small for all my pallets and is slowing me down. I think it's around 17" so I imagine I need at least a 22" monitor. I usually leave color correction up to printers so I wouldn't think color would be terribly important, but I probably couldn't get the cheapest model out there. I've looked around at reviews of LaCie monitors, but I'm not sure if it's worth it or if it's better than Mac displays. I always felt that Mac displays were overpriced, but I'm not sure.

Backup:
I plan on getting some sort of external hard drive. Everyone has bad luck with every brand so I'll probably just go with Western Digital or something. I was thinking 500Mb, if I need more space I could buy another 500Mb drive.

Printer:
I definitely need at the very least a black and white laser printer. A color printer would be nice, but I'd like one that doesn't make me replace color cartridges to print black. One of those printer/scanner/faxes would be nice, but I remember spending so much time dealing with printer issues at my studio that anything cheap seems too good to be true. I have a fax machine I could use separately already, if I need it. I do scan things sometimes, but not often. I probably wouldn't scan anything for print myself, I can't afford something of that high quality.

Furniture
Table: I'm currently using an old desk and chair which don't fit together well. The chair is too high for the desk and the table too shallow for my monitor. I have an old library table that I'd like to fix up, but it has the legs cut down. I was planning on replacing the legs so it was about waist height when I stand. I loved the tables in high school art class and would like something similar that's sturdy and has lots of space so I can work around all sides of it, spread projects out and use it for other projects (painting, sewing, bookbinding or whatever) too. I was planning on putting wheels on the table with 2-4 locking wheels. I usually see tables have only 2 locking wheels but I want to make sure it stays put when I need it to.

Chair: I like being "high up" and am excited about working in a stool with foot rest. But I also have a bad back and posture problems. I need a good stool. If I could afford a stool Aero chair I would. The used chairs I've seen are still $300+ and I'm going to be putting down a lot of cash at once.

What else? I suppose I need some file cabinets. I have book shelves. Am I missing anything?

I'm currently small but as I take on more projects my paper system of recording hours, invoices etc. is starting to seem silly. I will probably use some sort of program to do this and have looked at a few. I'm putting this in computers/internet instead of work because it's so computer heavy. Any insight would be appreciated.

I'll write a tipsy letter to a real good friend of mine

numinous — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 15:39:13 -0800

Darling-Letter-Filter: Where can I purchase attractive, design-inspired paper goods online? I am planning on hand-writing some letters in order to re-connect with people in my life (and to update them on my current whereabouts/endeavors, etc.). Thus, I am looking specifically for sheets of paper + envelopes for letter-writing. I really enjoy the design sensibility of current independent designers, so I'd like something that reflects this.

I'm well-acquainted with designers on Etsy, but I'm not finding what I'm after. Most of my other leads are from places like Creature Comforts and Oh Joy! (taking a look at those, you'll get a good feel for what I'm looking for). However, as with Etsy, most of the suggested designers are primarily invested in creating folded note-cards, and not singular sheets for letter-writing.

Can you suggest somewhere online where I might be able to find such stationary? I want links! Lot of links!

If there is a designer or online storefront that doesn't offer such stationary, but you feel shouldn't be missed, please feel free to post those links, too! I might find use for those later on. :)

What are some well designed, very secure interior door manufacturers?

serial_consign — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 12:05:23 -0800

What manufacturers should I be looking at in searching out a very secure (i.e. 3 point lock) but stylish interior door to act as the entrance into a condo unit? I'm searching for very well designed doors for a client who has been burgled twice. Security is extremely important but the door should look and feel (i.e. quality mechanisms/moving parts) very stylish. I need the door system equivalent of a Swiss watch! This system needs to have North American distribution, or even better yet... is available in Toronto. Suggestions and hyperlinks appreciated!

Dealing with blank slates

Anonymous — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 12:53:18 -0800

I consider myself creative in some areas. But I have problems with the "blank slate". But I'm great at improving things once they start to take shape. Am I weird or are there others like me? My job is in a field that demands creativity. I've been at it for many years now. Here's my problem: when it comes to starting completely from scratch and coming up with a new concept, I find it hard to tackle the blank slate. It takes me a long time to get off and start off with a skeleton that I can build something off.

However... I am pretty darn good at improving or fixing concepts that are just starting to take shape. For instance, if somebody shows me a basic web page design, I can instantly think of a hundred ways to improve it. If somebody asks me how I would fix a mediocre dish, I can come up with many ideas on how to improve the recipe. If somebody asks me what I think of a particular marketing campaign, I can probably think of numerous ways to refine it.

I am a refiner of ideas, IMHO. I try to take "good" and turn it into "great". What I seemingly am not is the guy who provides the initial spark. I sometimes find myself completely blank in my head when asked to build anew.

Have you people experienced this behaviour in yourself or others before? If so, what are possible remedies? Or what are professions where this might be an asset?

I see red, I see red, I see red!

ClanvidHorse — Fri, 13 Jun 2008 02:08:01 -0800

Where can I find really cool RED kitchen equipment? I am looking for something really cool for a kitchen. There is only one thing that it must be: bright, vibrant and red in colour.

It could be a kettle, toaster, salad bowl, cutlery, crockery or anything else as long as it's red. I have a budget of £50-70 and it would need to be something that I could get in the UK or delivered here. Although, normally a fan of vintage gear, I am not sure how appealing this would be as a gift when it relates to kitchen equipment, however, I am open to all suggestions.

Bonus points for things that are well-designed and very cool looking.

Ta.

I'll give you the shirt off my back, if you'll help me put a Half-Life lambda on it first.

jbickers — Thu, 12 Jun 2008 18:41:03 -0800

What stuff do I need to make fun, cool homemade t-shirts? I'd like to get into making t-shirts, both one-of-a-kinds and designs that more than one person might want. I know there are iron-on transfers that can be fed through an ink-jet printer ... but is there anything better, at the intersection of reasonable price and great quality? How long do the designs on such shirts last? What's the state-of-the-art of printing your own t-shirts at home, short of buying full-on screen printing equipment?

Buildings? Design? What's it called?

mulkey — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 17:28:54 -0800

I can't remember the name of a phase of the building/design process. Help! I know there is a phase in designing and constructing a building where key individuals (architects, contractors, subs, engineers) sit down at a table and talk over the project and it's budget. Typically this is the time when everyone decides what they can live without and the building is pared down to meet the budget.

From what I understand this meeting can be contentious - and sometimes there are building attributes that architects will put in knowing they will be __(this meeting-ed)___ out.

What is this meeting called?

I can't remember the name. Of course google is no help if I don't even know what it's called!

Anyone? I'm hopeful that this'll be on the tip of someone else's tongue.

Schematic drawing How-to?

ohdeanna — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 07:45:19 -0800

Designers and design contest judges: I am not a trained product designer but I would like to submit a design to a contest. Contest rules state that submissions should include a schematic drawing and a written description as attachments.

Where can I find examples of excellent/ winning schematic drawings submitted to product design challenges? I am a complete beginner- not sure if I should send a scanned hand drawing or a computer rendering or both- if there should be different perspectives included... etc... I just have no idea what a schematic drawing is in real terms and what standards I should follow, what it should include, what media I should use, what the final product should look like, how to present it, etc...

(I can draw and I have PhotoShop, Illustrator, and CAD)

(oh, and I have a good idea, too.)

Renaissance Communications Man Seeks Advice.

producerpod — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 20:24:44 -0800

Am I a marketer? Am I a flack? Am I lost? Yep. I'm currently the marcomm director at a non-profit agency - the only person in my department. I am a true renaissance man, handling marketing, PR, internal communications, the website (I've hand-coded an entire site), all our graphic design and some video production.

I do it all, and that's kind of the problem. I'm looking to leave for the for-profit world, and I don't know which way to go. Marketing seems to be the best solid profession to get into (I am a family man as well, so pay is a big consideration) but I'm not sure I know what a for-profit marketer would do. Most marketing positions I see seem to be industry-specific as well. The more job descriptions I read, and the more resumes I read of people who are in marketing, the more I realize I may not have any idea how to do that at all - and it's rather depressing.

In my former life, I was a TV news producer in a top ten market, which gives me a lot of solid, basic skills that translate into any industry: team leading, writing, ability to grasp complex topics quickly and translate them into common language, working under HIGH PRESSURE under daily deadlines. When I do the PR part of my current job, it's this background I use, and I have a very easy time dealing with the media. I have no problem speaking on camera, or to large groups of people. I see people making PR mistakes ALL THE TIME. Sometimes I think I should go into for-profit PR based on my journalism background, but I dread working for an agency, calling reporters and producers with forced story ideas from a lame client.

My true passions, though, are graphic design and web design. I love CSS, Flash, XHTML, all things Adobe. I'm told I have a talent for it, but referencing a previous point (I'm a family man, entering my mid-thirties) I'm not sure I can create a new career from it.

Bottom line: How do I leave the non-profit world, and which path do I pursue?