How can you tell the difference between a good designer and an amateur?

[tsmith]

It's important to keep in mind there's a large split of logo aficionados here and web design junkies, and some who stay neutral. Logo people will stress typography or spacing and web devs will say things like usability or good structure and fluid code, etc.

No one is really wrong, just keep in mind these are all personal opinions from individuals who are not all from the same design arena.

[LogicalSanity]

the most common mistake amature designers make is overuse of photoshop filters. They take those "cool" effects for design

That is exactly how I notice the amateurs. And it's sickening to know that they actually think their designs will get chosen.

[remoteworkmate]

amateurs tend to overdo it...

[tsmith]

amateurs tend to overdo it...

Don't get too hasty. Things can be way over the top yet still professional. Some people prefer clean, minimalistic designs (me) and some love big, in-your-face graphic-heavy designs.

[Vilela]

you can't discuss that, i've seen amateur designers do better work than pro designers, and in the end it's all about good taste.

[Spot2]

I just took part at the EU organic Logo competition. I was shoked that even design students do very amateur like work.

personally, I think a pro designer does work that is timeless (when it comes to logo design)...

[sharie]

Hi everybody Hope all is well with everyone!

Everyone has a bad day or design that just don't seem to fall into place for some reason. But..you should still be able to see the Consistency and confidence in the work.

As far as the technical aspects like stretched out, over pixilated and so on...they have to learn, we all have to learn. Everyone plays with thos dang filters and styles kinda like a kid in a candy store. The old timers of design work(saying that in a very respectable way) have to learn how to use these programs like illustrator and corel. Anyone that uses illustrator knows you do not learn it over night and the program can be VERY overwhelming. So a person that is very much a pro may produce something that doesn't look or isn't pro at all when it is placed on the Internet. It has to be very frustrating for some. It is still frustrating for me sometimes...I have wanted to take a hammer to my monitor a few times. Thank goodness we have the old timers around to help teach us the way of design and in return we the program users can help out the folks that need help, well I try to help when I can.

When I stop learning about art and design, It will be time for me to change my career path.

Sharie

[Chung Dha]

I just took part at the EU organic Logo competition. I was shoked that even design students do very amateur like work.

personally, I think a pro designer does work that is timeless (when it comes to logo design)...

Design students are Amateurs.

[BullzEye]

Yea, I know people that do design professionally, and I'm always looking to learn more, even asking others that know more to look at things I do and tell me where I used too much or not enough. Where to do certain things, what filters if used, do the best job than overdoing it. It's a constant learning process. I've been self teaching myself Photoshop since 2004, and I've noticed my skills in it have gotten better over the years. I stopped using so many filters from my first works learning the program, to using more layering to do my effects and designs, finding new kinds of brushes, shapes and things that add more effect and that sense of aww to my work.

I'm no where near pro which is why I'm also now going to college to add to the knowledge I am lacking like on color theory, concepts, etc.

I'm wanting to finally be in carerr based around logo/corporate identity and clothing/fashion design.. but yet be well rounded to even go in to web layout design and development.

The coding always gets me on the web development, and I still look at tutorials and learn form others on how to better design more abstract ideal layouts that would please the owner and the user of that site layout.

I believe you step out of the line up of amateurs the minute you decide to take a step forward and decide to learn more and expand on your skills and talents, like learning Illustrator and other programs currently used in the industry.

I'm still learning more about logo design, and trying to figure out programs like Illustrator and type of designing like using Vectors, etc.

If you see any of my work, feel free to critique it, and be as harsh as you want. I can't learn if you are easy on me. So tell me where I could use changes, how to design something easier if i went the hard way around, how to make it more eye appealing, where I used too much or too littel, etc.

[Chung Dha]

If you see any of my work, feel free to critique it, and be as harsh as you want. I can't learn if you are easy on me.

I second this, cause when I was at school the teachers didn't criticize me at all, making it freaking annoying. Just saying well done and then a high grade, I won't learn anything that way.

[Coy]

I second this, cause when I was at school the teachers didn't criticize me at all, making it freaking annoying. Just saying well done and then a high grade, I won't learn anything that way.

Same here. But when we had class critiques it got interesting.. I'd always have to be the first to comment.. Always started with what I liked and went on to what I didn't. It sorta set the bar for the rest of the class as not to feel they had to be "PC" about it.. but when my work went up.. I pissed a few people off and they picked my stuff apart. LOL

[MPostDesign]

comic sans, stretched text, 72dpi images, overly shadowed or outlined text (word art style), WHITE SPACE!

[sharie]

There are times when outlined text is good as well as using comic sans. It is knowing when and how to use them that has to be learned, and that sometimes comes from sites like this or other critque sites often help designers.

Comic sans is used way too much but I have seen designs that could have used it instead of what was used. If you look at a bunch of old time designs, pre computer you will see a comic sans like font used just as much.

I like comic sans, it is a good clean looking font, but do agree it is way over used, but when a client wants to use that font what else can you do...I will work up samples of the text for a client with different fonts and it is amazing how many times the clients still want to use comic sans.


With outlining, I think some just need to experience what and how to udjust the strokes, points and such. A large sign may need a thicker stroke. I know with the ball park signs I do that thicker stroke sometimes helps to see the words from so far away. I do a great deal of large signs and banners so I do add and outline stroke to many of the designs. When the stroke thickness changes the way the font is to look then the designer has gone too far.

A new designer has to experience these sorta things, telling them don't use this or do that is like telling the kids to stay out of the candy jar

Just my opinion about outlines and comic sans

sharie

[Chung Dha]

Same here. But when we had class critiques it got interesting.. I'd always have to be the first to comment.. Always started with what I liked and went on to what I didn't. It sorta set the bar for the rest of the class as not to feel they had to be "PC" about it.. but when my work went up.. I pissed a few people off and they picked my stuff apart. LOL

I always critisize other works and tell what could be better and done which way. But other say no comment or comment with no explaination why when they show my works, also I was on a different level then other students.

Mostly allot of awefull bad use or overkill on the gradients by allot of students or actually copy of existing logo's. I spent way to much time doing logo research in my freetime back then and seen allot of logo's and can easily spot a copy.

[Sepultura]

fake use drop shadow effect instead of drawing a real world shadow

[Justin E]

I would have to agree with the overuse of Photoshop filters. I see that a lot in my job from students who submit pages for their books. It's funny that so much time and money is put in to the filters and their abilities and the people who can do great designs in Photoshop use them very little. I think I have only used blur for the last 20 projects I have done.

[VonGizzle]

comic sans, stretched text, 72dpi images, overly shadowed or outlined text (word art style), WHITE SPACE!

I disagree with the white space opinion.

[jjyepez]

Please, anyone! Give me a hint in how to tell appart those fake designers from the real ones... What are the attributes that make the difference? Are there any common mistakes made by designers who are not supposed to feed on our customers? I would appreciate a helping word here!

Hi,
I agree with many people in here, typography is a key ... I mean, if you find a "designer" who loves to use TIMES NEW ROMAN or COMIC SANS always ... just stop and look closer ... have a second view ... typography is definitively a key. Even when it implies just few re-touches or customizations on common typefaces -helvetica, sans serif, etc.

I would say, "balance" in all senses (weight, colour, composition, spacing, etc.) ... "neither too busy or too bleak", just transmiting a nice feeling of balance is an important key for me to be aware of.

btw: Always is a good moment to keep on learning ....

Best regads,
--
jjyepez

[onesummer]

check these out for examples (I agree with most of the points pointed out in these articles):

amateur signs:

10 Common Mistakes In Logo Design - Smashing Magazine
How to spot an amateur graphic designer |

i also came across this post, it's slightly off topic, but definitely funny:
Bad Logos - When Logos Go Bad - Logos that Suck - Bad Logo Design Samples

[HWorks]

I second this, cause when I was at school the teachers didn't criticize me at all, making it freaking annoying. Just saying well done and then a high grade, I won't learn anything that way.

Well, we got a very severe teacher which made our lessons look like hell. She was stuck with things like precision, spaces between elements, etc everyone was getting mad and swearing at her, I always will say that was the best teacher I have ever had. Very useful, even if painful sometimes Like, when you gave her your project sketches and she said "NO. seriously, no. What the hell is this thing here? Do it again." over and over until you got something good.


Onesummer: great links, thanks, very funny Loved also the analisis of those top-selling sites. I always hated those pages which sell thousand of logos... they simply are not representing the company which chooses them.