Dear Ben & Frank
How do you make yourself stand out in an interview?
Question Submitted by Anonymous
Ben SaysHave a portfolio full of badass work, be articulate, and be interested.
Frank SaysDo stand-out work, and be yourself.
Ben SaysBlack and white. Maximum contrast.
Frank SaysI like blues and greens. They go so well together, almost like they were made out of one another.
Ben SaysMicrosoft Entourage, iPhone, and a healthy dose of Post-It notes. I tend to think that if I’m not working on a design problem I’m not really working, as a result I often have to remind myself that answering emails and prioritizing lists is actually extremely helpful.
Frank SaysI write things down. I keep a to-do
list. I file things in folders. I keep a calendar. No special secrets here, but what I’ve found is that if you don’t over-extend yourself, it’s much easier to stay organized.
Dear Ben & Frank
What is the first step you take to get started on a project?
Question Submitted by Anonymous
Ben SaysRESEARCH. RESEARCH. RESEARCH. This comes in many forms but always includes one or more of the following: talking to the client directly whenever possible and asking lots of questions, doing lots of Google searches, and going to a actual library in real life! I can’t stress the importance of this last one enough. Libraries are huge amazing resources far to many designers neglect out of laziness.
Frank SaysIf it’s an illustration job, I’ll read the article if I can, and make some notes. Do I have any personal experience or connection to the story that I can hang my idea off of? After that, there’s typically a lot of questions I have that need to be answered. That’s either done by my own research, or through directly asking the client.