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You are here: Home / Archives for Career Advice

Career Advice

5 Reasons To Follow A Career As A Project Manager

July 17, 2019 by Julie McGrath

Project managers are always in demand: No matter what the industry, qualified professionals are always needed to plan and provision the work. Of course, that’s just the high-level view of project management, which can be a complex and rewarding career. Why project management? If you’ve wondered whether becoming a project manager is right for you, hopefully we can help clarify why project management might be your best career move.

What Do Project Managers Do?

The basic principles of project management include planning, organising, securing, controlling, leading and managing resources and tasks to achieve specific business goals. Project managers determine strategies to kick off the project, evaluate and understand the project requirements, analyse and bring the required professionals on board, and monitor the progress of the work.

In addition, a project manager also:

·        Sets the budget for the work

·        Leads meetings to track the project’s progress

·        Sets the schedule and time frame for the project and all sub projects

·        Decides how the work will be completed

·        Reports on progress to stakeholders

Juggling multiple projects, schedule, and tasks can be extremely difficult, but with training and experience, individuals can learn to handle this and more.

Scope of Project Management

Like many jobs, project management requires a person to have a variety of skills to be successful. In addition to keen organisational skills, project managers should also be effective problem solvers, and be clear communicators. For those who enjoy varied responsibilities, project management may be a good match.

Some other reasons to follow a career into project management include the following.

1.   The demand for project managers is high. The Project Management Institute (PMI) expects 22 million new project management job openings through 2027.

2.   Project managers are needed in a wide variety of industries. Although quite common in the IT field, project-oriented work is also common in the business service, oil and gas, finance and insurance, manufacturing, construction and utility industries—all over the world.

3.   Salaries for project managers are competitive. An Entry-level project manager salary can range from £25,000+.

4.   Working with project teams and clients can add a lot of variety and creative challenges to the job.

5.   Project managers are always learning. They must regularly refresh their knowledge of processes and structures, new markets, technology, products and services, and customers.

Are you currently working as an Account Executive, Project Co-Coordinator or similar, and are ready to take the next step in your career as a Project Manager? Contact one of our Recruitment Experts for some free confidential advice and support. You can also check out some of our Project Management jobs here now.

Filed Under: Career Advice Tagged With: Careers, jobs, project management, project manager

25 Best Jobs In The UK

July 1, 2019 by Julie McGrath

If you’re looking for a total change-up Glassdoor’s just released a list that might give you some inspiration. The jobs site has just released their rankings of the best jobs in the UK, judged on median base salary, job satisfaction, and the number of openings.

Apparently, we should all be going into tech and management, I guess you have come to the right place then!

25 best jobs in the UK and their average salary:

You’ll notice that the top jobs aren’t the highest paid jobs, and that’s for an important reason: Salary isn’t everything. Audit Managers, on average paid £52,000, have the highest job satisfaction of the bunch, with a 4.5 out of 5 rating. There are currently 1,124 job openings for this role. Solutions Architects, despite being paid on average £70,000, report a lower job satisfaction with 3.4 out of 5. There are 1,597 of these roles up for the taking.

Do your research and think carefully about what kind of work would make you feel fulfilled before rushing towards whichever role pays the best. There’s no question that emerging technologies designed to grow and scale business, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation, are having an impact on the types of jobs employers are hiring for across the country.

For more information on your career options, please get in touch for some free confidential advice.

Filed Under: Career Advice

Artificial Intelligence could affect 70% of UK Jobs!

May 20, 2019 by Julie McGrath

Upwards of 70% of tasks done by human workers soon could be performed by machines. This shift could affect not only factory and retail workers, but cooks, waiters and others in food services, as well as short-haul truck drivers and even clerical office workers. The people that will be most affected are those working in manual or repetitive jobs.

 

What AI Means for Jobs

Just as the machinery didn’t kill the British textile industry, and in fact created new opportunities, there is the argument that AI actually could improve the lot of modern employees.

The auto industry is a good example where AI, robots and computerised systems are nicely integrated with human workers. While it is an attractive option to human labour, there will always be a need to supervise, check, maintain and program these technologies, which will generate higher-level jobs. Depending on the sector, you will see various forms of AI and robotics in verticals such as healthcare and manufacturing.

 

The Skill Factor

There is also the argument to be made that even those replaced by AI or robots might have opportunities to acquire new skills. Retraining workers displaced by automation or AI will be absolutely necessary as we move forward, particularly for those in mid-career.

This task of retraining and encouraging life-long learning will have to be undertaken by a number of different stakeholders, including the government — particularly at the state and local level — as well as the companies themselves that are introducing increasing levels of AI and automation into their organisation.

In some cases, where jobs are displaced by AI and automation, those forces could lead to the creation of new jobs and even careers. Many of these jobs we haven’t even conceived of yet. Those at the beginning of their career will be able to learn these new skills and transition into these new careers, but many at the mid-career level will need retraining programs to break into these emerging fields. Workers shouldn’t wait for their jobs to be replaced but should take advantage of all opportunities to get retrained or to acquire new skills.

 

Filling Unfillable Jobs

AI also could help fill openings in some industries where there simply aren’t enough workers. This is certainly true in the tech world, notably in IT and cyber security, where there is now a High skills shortage. It’s been estimated that by 2021, there will be 3 million openings in cyber security.

Retraining workers to fill those positions isn’t an option, but AI and machine learning could take some of the burden off overstretched IT departments. Enterprise IT organisations are increasingly embracing AI technologies to address the cyber security skills gap that they are struggling with.

In fact, it’s been projected that there will be 3.5 million unfilled cyber security jobs within the next couple of years, so it appears that AI is not taking away jobs at all. On the contrary, AI and other intelligent technologies are filling the skills gap by automating many of the manual tasks that normally would be done by a human. Since humans with those skills are unavailable in sufficient numbers, machines need to fill the void.

 

AI to Retain Workers

The other end of the spectrum for AI is in how it could be used by employers to help retain workers, especially in a tight job market. AI is now being used by HR departments as a tool to help employers know if employees are thinking about leaving their respective position.

One example is IBM, which has replaced about 30% of its HR staff with AI. In this case it actually is to help retain existing skilled workers, not to replace them with AI, but to ensure that valuable talent doesn’t jump ship.

The HR AI was designed to help employees identify opportunities for new skills training, education, job promotions and raises. In other words, AI can predict why employees may be thinking of seeking greener pastures elsewhere. By addressing these issues, IBM can keep its workforce intact whether by adding a new skill or promoting a deserving worker.

One component of this is through the tracking of social media posts that can indicate levels of happiness in ways that a human might not see. AI can find patterns and determine if an employee is considering a job switch.

AI is actually made up of four layers; and this includes a sensing layer where it can sense about an employee’s mood or feelings. This can be a measure of motivation for example. From sensing you can learn, and then you can decide based on what you’ve learned to determine how you’ll act.

AI also could be used to aid in the recruiting process, but its use to retain or hire employees could come with ethical conundrums.

 

Follow us on Facebook to stay up to date with the latest Tech News and Jobs. 

Filed Under: Career Advice

Top Tips On How To Become A Software Developer, With Francisco Gaytan – FullStack Developer

November 13, 2018 by Julie McGrath

Francisco is a FullStack Web Developer, below he is sharing some tips on how to become a Software Developer and how to get started.

Francisco: How do I get started as a developer? This is probably the question I get asked the most on social media. I run a page on Instagram called @thedevelife, with 47k followers at the time I’m writing this. That question comes up at least once a day. It is also a hard question to answer.

 

Sometimes people get glamoured by the pictures they see on Instagram of a dude attempting to be code at the beach on a sunny day. I’ve been a programmer for more than ten years, and I have not been able to code at the beach efficiently. I have attempted it a couple times, but it did not work out for me. At least in my experience that has been the case. What I’m trying to say is that sometimes people want to become programmers for the wrong reasons. Aspiring developers like the freedom being portrayed in social media, but sometimes that is all it is, just a portrayal. There is a lot of freedom that comes along with being able to work from any place with a WiFi connection, but there still some limitations. There are a lot of good things that come from being a programmer, the biggest, in my opinion, is knowing that someone out there is using an application you built in their everyday life. I became a programmer because I love to create cool stuff and then eventually the perks of being a programmer came along.

 

When I give advice to someone on how to get started, I lead with the following questions.

  • What do you see yourself doing as a developer?
  • Do you see yourself working on the front-end, back-end, maybe programming for mobile devices?

Depending on the answer to these questions, the steps anyone looking to become a developer should take might be slightly different. There isn’t an answer that fits all situations. Also, I cannot provide advice on areas I have not enough experience with like Big Data, AI or IOT. I am familiar with back-end development, mobile, and web development being my strength (my kung-fu is pretty strong when doing work for the web), so if you want to pursue any of those areas I have deficiencies on, I apologize (sad face), I can’t be of value there.

 

Let me start with bad news first. If you aren’t able to sit in front of the computer for long periods of time and work late nights, sorry to say this might not be for you. I say this because you will have to work long hours to develop an application worthwhile, once that application goes live you might be required to work even longer hours. If the app goes down for whatever reason, you will be expected to show up in the office (or get online at 3AM) to help resolve the issue. At the very least you will have to respond as soon as possible, even if you are working on another project. If you don’t like the sound of this, maybe being a developer might not be for you.

 

Something else you will need is to have is a mind of a problem solver. I have met programmers who struggle because they are not able to solve a problem or are not resourceful enough to look and find the information that will aid them to resolve the issue at hand. You will not be expected to have a swift solution to every problem that is thrown at you, but the expectation of you being able to solve issues will definitely be a factor in your success as a dev.

 

Now that we got all the negativity out of the way let’s get into something more constructive. Don’t try to take on too much too fast. I suggest you get proficient at one thing at a time before moving onto learning something else. Figuring out where you want to end up working will help with this. If you’re going to be a full-stack web developer, focus on either the front-end or the back-end until you learn it, then and only then move on to the other. Trying to learn both at the same time might overwhelm you. Let’s explore or this scenario a bit more. Let’s assume you will choose to learn the front-end first, then move on to the back-end and you know your way around a computer, but have not taken any computer science courses.

 

Front-End Web Development

HTML, CSS and Javascript. Those are the main things you will need to learn to be able to build a UI. JavaScript can be used on the back-end, but in this case, JavaScript will be used for the UI. HTML and CSS, go hand in hand, and without being familiar with those two, you won’t get far, so I advise you learn these first. Then you can get familiar with JavaScript, pure JS without jQuery or any other framework or library. I would only devote enough time to learn how to access DOM elements (by the way if you don’t know what some of the acronyms or terms mean, I will make a list at the bottom of the most common ones) and make simple manipulations to HTML elements. Once you feel comfortable moving around the DOM, I recommend choosing a JavaScript framework. I like ReactJS (technically, React is a library, but many refer to it as a framework), there is also Angular and VueJS which are very popular. All have their pros and cons, the reason why I chose React is that is the most versatile, and once you know ReactJS, the learning curve to learn React Native is small, this will be an advantage if you ever want start building mobile applications. Take some time to do some research and pick the one you think is the best.

 

Mobile Development

Like web development there a few flavours you can choose from. You can be a truly native developer and learn Java or Kotlin to develop for Android then learn Swift to code for iOS devices. Or, you can choose React Native for which you need to learn JavaScript and develop for both platforms, Android, and iOS at the same time. I personally chose this route because using React Native is just a hop away if you are already familiar with ReactJS. React or React Native will require you to have knowledge of JavaScript. Another advantage is that if you start with mobile development using React Native moving your skills to web development the learning curve will be minimal.

 

Back-End Development

Here is where you can choose from a plethora of frameworks, some of them are PHP, Python, Java, Ruby On Rails, NodeJs and many more. The best approach for planning out your back-end is to develop a RESTful API your web application or mobile application can access to be able to send and retrieve data securely. All the frameworks or languages mentioned above can help you achieve this. The frameworks I work with are .NET Framework and .NET Core with C# as the language of choice. Again, I was pragmatic with my approach I chose C# because I can build applications for many platforms and there is a ton of documentation on how to get started with Web APIs. The main thing to keep in mind is to make sure you can reuse your code and/or web API(s) as much as you can.

 

I don’t expect this to be a guide on how to become a developer. I would look at it more like a set of tips that I wish someone would have shared with me when I was starting out. I’d love to hear your thoughts on this, you can find me at @thedevlife on Instagram.

 

For more career advice on how to get a job in software development or change jobs if you are already a Software Developer then please click here, we would love to help you. 

Filed Under: Career Advice, Latest Industry News Tagged With: developer jobs, jobs, Software Developer

9 Graphic Design Trends You Need To Know!

October 1, 2018 by Julie McGrath

9 Graphic Design Trends You Need To Know!

As they say, “everything old is new again,” and 2018 has been a year of modernising graphic design trends from the past and diverging from the (literally) flat design landscape of recent years. Minimalism and simplification will stick around, but expect to see some old favorites make their return to the limelight with modern, updated looks.

If you’re feeling fashionable and want to add some contemporary flair to your designs, check out these 9 graphic design trends that will wow your customers in 2018 & beyond.

Here are the top 9 graphic design trends to watch out for:

  1. Responsive logos
  2. Gradients
  3. More depth (with semi-flat design)
  4. Dashing duotones
  5. Palettes & patterns inspired by the 80’s & 90’s
  6. Movement: animations & GIFs
  7. Bold typography
  8. Custom graphic art and illustration
  9. Authentic photography

1. Responsive logos

It’s been 10 years since responsive design began to revolutionise the web, and since then it has become the industry standard. The rapid rise of mobile browsing (and an endless assortment of devices and screen sizes) has created critical usability issues for traditional websites. Designers and developers began experimenting with various ways to make designs adapt to the user’s device as a one-website-fits-all solution. This laid the groundwork for what would become known as “responsive design.”

The idea of altering logos to meet the same user demands has largely remained unthinkable… until now. Companies have been refreshing their logos into modern, simplified versions over the past few years and responsive logo design is the logical next step in meeting the demands of today.

Responsive logo concepts by Joe Harrison
Select examples from “Responsive Logos”. Via Joe Harrison

Digital and interaction designer Joe Harrison created an experimental project called “Responsive Logos” to explore the creation of scalable logos for some of the world’s biggest brands.

Skype logo

Via Skype

Google logo

Via Google

2. Gradients (also now know as colour transitions)

NYC Pride webpage screenshot
Gradient image overlay with color transition animations for added flare. Via NYC Pride

In the not-so-distant past gradients reigned supreme. They were found on every website button, page header and PowerPoint presentation. Your corporate PDF wasn’t cool unless a gradient graced the cover. Then, sometime around late 2007 they were sidelined as we embraced an era of flat design.

Stripe webpage screenshot
Stripe uses vibrant gradient backgrounds to compliment semi-flat illustrations. Via Stripe

Flat design is evolving, and gradients are making their modern-day comeback as a flat design enhancement. This enhancement is part of a design update often referred to as “flat 2.0” or “semi-flat design”. Their reappearance in iOS and adoption by industry leaders like Stripe and Instagram have solidified their popularity once again, and you’ll be seeing them in the form of vibrant UI, branding, backgrounds, illustrations and overlays.

Elje Group webpage screenshot

Elje Group’s vivid color transitions and typography are on point for 2018. Via Elje Group

Asana webpage screenshot

Asana combines gradients, illustrations and shadows for a modern, flat 2.0 look. Via Asana

We’re also seeing an increased use of the term “color transitions” when referring to gradients. While the terms seem to be used interchangeably, “color transition” more often refers to the modern application which is vibrant, smooth and “flatter”—fitting within flat design aesthetics.

Workspace logo design

Workspace logo design for helloT7 by shaka88

Pushups fitness app

Pushups fitness app for SmoothMobile, LLC by Nashrulmalik

Aquatta logo concept

Aquatta logo concept by artsigma

3. More depth (with semi-flat design)

Galaxii game app design
Card design for the Galaxii game app by boorykin

We’ve been seeing them a lot lately, and it’s safe to say that shadows are officially back in 2018. Like gradients, shadows were put on the back burner as we stripped realism and skeuomorphism from our designs in favor of extreme minimalism and two-dimensional design.

In hindsight, depth was a valuable tool for helping users determine visual hierarchy, input fields and calls to action on screen. Designers had been experimenting with “long-shadows” as an acceptable means to add more dimension to their flat designs when Google Material Design reintroduced real shadows as an enhancement to their UI. The idea quickly spread outside of Material Design and designers began reintroducing shadows of their own. These shadows were large, soft, sometimes coloured and added subtle depth and dimension unlike their harsh, overused, “drop-shadow” predecessors.

Inbox by Gmail website screenshot

An example of material design. Via Inbox by Gmail

Android website screenshot

Large, soft shadows help determine hierarchy and interactivity in this awesome Material Design site. Via Android

The purists may not like it, but depth has proven that it can fit within the evolving ethos of flat design by improving usability and simplicity, both of which are core principles of flat design. Going forward you will see shadows become a staple of the “semi-flat” design movement. We’re already seeing them being used to enhance icons and illustrations, as well as websites, app interfaces and even print designs.

Codecourse homepage design

Subtle shadows help the UI components pop in this unique design. Codecourse homepage design by His-P Design Studio

Base UI website screenshot

Subtle shadows help the UI components pop in this unique design. Via Base UI for Sketch

4. Dashing duotones

AfriSam 2018 Corporate Stationary
Calendar panel from AfriSam 2018 Corporate Stationary. Via Katt Phatt, Andrew Footit, Promise Luxe™, charlette hepworth, Ali Cordeiro, Copywriter, Nic Kostouros, Sherilea Gaspar

Duotones are traditionally created through a halftone printing process where one halftone is printed on top of another of a contrasting color, creating a two-toned image. This fundamental printing technique has found new life in digital media. Imaging software has made it easier than ever to create duotones, as well as related variations like monotones, tritones, quadtones and “fake duotones” (tinted images).

Spotify Showstopper Podcast image
Spotify uses duotone images for branding and cover art. Via Spotify

Spotify has been credited with their return to mainstream design by using duotone images in their app and promotional microsites. Designers are taking advantage of this technique as imagery created within a limited color palette is delightfully complimentary to semi-flat design.

With bold colours and beautiful application possibilities, duotones are one of the hottest trends of 2018.

Duotone poster design

Duotone poster design for Gauthier & Nolet Architects. Via Jvstin Bechard

Keto + Co product packaging

Product packaging design by ::scott::

Cultulre.pl website screenshot

Duotones are used throughout the incredible website design for “Multimedia Guides to Polish Culture”. Via Culture.pl

NewDealDesign website screenshot

NewDealDesign uses vivid duotone imagery everywhere. Via NewDealDesign

5. Palettes & patterns inspired by the 80’s & 90’s

Bliss Thai’s 80’s inspired brand identity

Bliss Thai’s 80’s inspired brand identity. Via Daria Kwon

Write Sketch &’s high quality decorative paper

Write Sketch &’s line of stationery and decorative papers have an awesome 80’s-90’s vibe. Via Write Sketch &

Redux Saints logo
Redux Saints Branding featuring an electric logo design by austinminded

From pretty pastels (“millennial pink”, anyone?) to electric hues, colour schemes from the 80’s and 90’s have been gaining popularity once again. With the movement away from ultra-flat designs, expect to see the abstract and geometric patterns inspired by the era move from the fringes into the mainstream as well.

As children of the 80’s and 90’s become more prominent and influential as both brand leaders and key target audiences, this trend can add visual excitement as well as a touch of nostalgia to your designs.

Fun Employed website screenshot

Fun Employed’s funky illustration is an amalgamation of retro and flat. Via Fun Employed

Nordic.design website screenshot

Nordic.design is down-right cute with it’s geometric patterns and neon colors. Via nordic.design

MOO’s business card sample pack
Bold colors and patterns jazz up MOO’s business card sample pack. Via MOO

6. Movement: animations & GIFs

You may be hearing a lot of buzz about microinteractions lately, but what exactly are they and why should you use them? Simply put, microinteractions are tiny animations used to communicate with users and help them perform tasks. They are a UX best practice, and possibly one of the biggest UX trends to date.

Final app gif

App interactions for Final. Via Ramotion

Contact sync gif

Contact sync microinteractions. Via Ramotion

Microinteractions are everywhere and though you may not be consciously aware of them, every time you receive a notification on 99designs, like a post on Facebook or swipe left on Tinder, you are engaging with microinteractions. They are particularly useful in making users feel like they are manipulating an interface by providing feedback for their actions. Paying attention to the details can really take your designs to the next level.

500px logo gif
The new movement of 500px. Via William Kesling for Focus Lab
Animations for the new Google brand system

Animations for the new Google brand system. Via Adam Grabowski

Uber logo gif

Official animated wordmark for Uber. Via Nicolas Girard

When it comes to larger animations, GIFs and SVGs are valuable tools for communicating ideas, concepts and processes while making content more engaging for users. GIFs have come a long way since their animated clip art days and have evolved to fit in fabulously with the modern web. Add interest to ads, email newsletters, illustrations, icons and logos by taking advantage of this trend. Animated GIF logos have really become a trend of their own and it’s easy to see why—they’re slick, clever and extremely appealing.

These aren’t your average GIFs. Via The Artery

Icons Responsive animated header GIF demonstrates the concept behind their product. Via Icons Responsive

Bloom website screenshot
Bloom is brimming with illustrations and animations. Via Bloom

Speaking of appealing animation, the cinemagraph is making a come back! These animated images are essentially still photos with a repeating video loop for only a selection of the image. Think beautiful landscape with a single animated tree blowing in the wind. That contrast of movement on extreme stillness looks striking and surreal. Cinemagraphs are either videos or animated GIFs, and you can expect to see them coming to websites, apps and social media ad campaigns.

7. Bold typography (and serifs return to the screen!)

Slack website screenshot

Slack seamlessly integrates serif fonts into a flat design. Via Slack

Digital Volcano website screenshot

Serif fonts help set the tone for this epic project. Via General Electric

When it comes to typography in 2018 you’ll find that the bigger and bolder, the better. Designers will be opting for artistic effects, extra-large font sizes and huge headlines. Helvetica-inspired sans serifs have dominated digital spaces, and while they’ll remain as fashionable as ever (especially their extra-bold family members), we can expect more typeface variety in the coming year.

Bolden website screenshot
Bolden’s extra-large typography and hover animation is awesome. Via Bolden

This variety will include more decorative and hand-made fonts as well as—gasp!—serif fonts. Our serif font friends have been making a rapid reappearance on screens, especially when paired with sans serifs. With a demand for synchronization across all media, designers shied away from serifs almost entirely to avoid inconsistency as brands began to live more of their lives online. With the serif’s increasing acceptability on screens (likely due to better screens and Google Web Fonts’ impressive options), we can expect a ripple effect and for the serif to regain some of its former footing.

Alta packaging design

Alta packaging design concept by Fe Melo

Album artwork

Album artwork for Low High featuring creative typography by nevergohungry

book cover

Wir Im Wandel book cover by nevergohungry

Trends mainly seen in print will also be finding their way on screen. These will include experimental and artistic typography, more creative layouts and placements involving imagery, and bolder variations in alignment and kerning.

Polaroid website screenshot
So modern, yet so retro. Via Polaroid Originals
monsieur caillou website screenshot

Pierre Nguyen shows us bigger can be better. Via Pierre Nguyen

Nurture Digital website screenshot

Bold serifs and whimsical animations are a great pairing. Via Nurture Digital

8. Custom graphic art and illustration

custom typography logo

Stunning logo with custom typography. A collaboration by Dusan Klepic DK™ and ludibes

illustrated mobile site design concept

This illustrated mobile site design concept by boorykin is seriously amazing.

Book Cover Design

The Year of You book cover design for hannahs3 by LilaM

Whether they are whimsical, practical, or purely artistic, the demand for custom graphic art and illustrations will continue to grow in the new year. Custom imagery has always played a major role in print media. When it comes to digital media however (despite being a star player of Flash websites in the 2000’s), custom graphic art and illustration has taken a backseat to cheaper stock imagery alternatives for much of the last decade.

Rocket custom illustrations

Custom illustrations for rocket by SpoonLancer

Trade show display

Trade show display design for cloco by Mila Jones Cann

The accessibility of stock left drawing, painting, calligraphy, artistic typography, photography and illustration underutilized on the modern web. This includes modern renditions of classic graphic design techniques like duotones and double-exposures for example, both of which are becoming trends of their own. The movement toward flat design also left little room for these embellishments and as we opted for icons and illustrations tailored to flat design trends, we left things looking a little homogenized.

Mailchimp website screenshot

MailChimp’s fun 80’s inspired graphic art. Via MailChimp

Whimsical tentacle illustrations

These illustrations are downright whimsical. Via Denise Chandler

The game inspired interactive resume of Robby Leonardi screenshot

The game inspired interactive CV of Robby Leonardi. – This is one of my personal favorite CV’s. Designers please take note…

Custom artwork and illustration helps create a visual language which can really enhance and add personality to a brand. In 2018, you can feel free to get really creative as we’ll see more artwork in a broader range of styles surface as designers and their clients begin to untap the potential of these underused assets.

Matisse inspired illustration

These Matisse inspired illustrations with subtle animations are simply striking. Via Inside the Head

Part flat, part 80’s

Part flat, part 80’s, all custom. Via New Enterprise Associates

Delicate watercolor illustration
Delicate watercolor illustrations are timeless. Via House at Khlebny

9. Authentic photography

Yeti Cycles website screenshot
Yeti’s photography is action-packed. Via Yeti

Authentic photography looks and feels real. Whether you’re working with custom photos or selecting stock, look for images that convey emotion, contain action or tell stories. Unfiltered and unstaged photography was a huge part of advertising in the 90’s, and though we’re not quite sure why models spent the next 15+ years shaking hands and smiling at their screens, it’s refreshing to see natural (and more interesting) compositions return to the mainstream once again.

Big Cartel website screenshot

Big Cartel’s real life scenes relate to their artistic audience. Via Big Cartel

Dog walking on a leash

Seriously, how cute is this guy? Via Dog Jogs

Demand for real-life photography grew significantly in 2017 and will grow even more in 2018 as brands seek to connect with their users, and designers seek to rid the world of cheesy stock photography. Luckily there are lots of amazing photographers out there who are helping meet this demand through premium and free stock photography resources.

Epic action shots and scenery

This design is jam-packed with epic action shots and scenery. Via Epiccurrence

Elegant seagulls website screenshot

Elegant Seagulls combines custom photography with bold typography for a modern, creative look. Via Elegant Seagulls

– Mila Jones Cann

What are you doing to ensure your delivering great design work?

It’s an intriguing time in graphic design. The graphic arts are being revitalised as we’re beginning to see a resistance to the flat design movement. The design scene is about to get a lot more interesting as we continue to focus more on originality and the individuality of brands and their audiences. With so many old and new styles on the table, it will be a time of taking risks and breaking patterns. Are you ready to release your creativity? Check out some of our latest featured jobs that will get your creative juices flowing.

What other graphic design trends do you think will creep into the design space over the next year, let us know?

 

Filed Under: Career Advice, Latest Industry News Tagged With: design jobs, graphic design, graphic designer, ui/ux

WhiteHat Are Challenging The Idea That University Is The Only Path To The Best Careers.

September 13, 2018 by Julie McGrath

WhiteHat, a tech startup building an outstanding alternative to university through high quality apprenticeships, have announced a $4 million seed round led by Silicon Valley investor Lightspeed Venture Partners, with participation from Village Global, ShopTalk and Money 20/20 founder Anil Aggarwal, and British tech entrepreneur Wendy Tan White.

Launched in 2016, WhiteHat are challenging the idea that university is the only path to the best careers. They match ambitious non-graduate talent with apprenticeships across a wide range of sectors — including tech, professional services, finance and retail — and deliver top-class applied learning in partnership with General Assembly, Flatiron School, and other leading content providers.

Apprenticeships are becoming an increasingly important part of the UK employment landscape with over 400,000 people starting an apprenticeship in 2018. WhiteHat is leading on high quality apprenticeships for those starting their careers, and is already working with some of the most exciting companies in the UK, including Google, Facebook, WeWork, Salesforce, Warner Bros and Burberry. The apprenticeships last a minimum of 12 months and provide aspirational opportunities in digital marketing and social media, software engineering, accounting and finance, leadership, and business administration.

“We’re changing the way young people from all backgrounds are able to access the best careers and are partnering with Lightspeed to scale this global vision for the future of work,” said Euan Blair co-founder. “Every developed economy is facing a skills shortage, compounded by universities not adapting to the changing nature of the labour market and, with dramatically rising university costs, students are increasingly looking for alternatives. Finally, nearly every major company in the tech, creative and professional services space is trying to figure out how to introduce more diversity into their organisations.”

“The solution needs to combine top-class applied learning, linked to specific roles, with a job at a great employer that doesn’t cost the user huge amounts of money — that’s what we’re providing at WhiteHat,” commented Euan.

“For the first time we’re presenting a compelling alternative to university both in terms of career prospects and earning potential via apprenticeships. As we look to the future of work, employers are understanding that applied learning is more useful than academic knowledge,” said Sophie Adelman co-founder.

“There’s an immediate opportunity in the UK for a better approach to apprenticeships, driven by the introduction of the Apprenticeship Levy in April 2017: every single employer with offices in the UK and a payroll of £3m a year or more, needs to spend 0.5% on apprenticeship training or forfeit the money as a tax. At WhiteHat we provide an effective way to deploy their levy funds by developing a diverse pipeline of talent who will become the future leaders in their organisations. This enables companies to future-proof their businesses with the skills they need and will increase retention and employee satisfaction over the long term.”

The funding round, led by Silicon Valley-based Lightspeed Venture Partners, is their second UK investment and their first at seed stage. Lightspeed is a leading global venture capital firm, with over $6bn of committed capital under management. Lightspeed has backed a range of global leaders, with early investments in Snap, Mulesoft, TaskRabbit, AppDynamics, Nest, and StitchFix.

Lightspeed partner Nakul Mandan will be joining WhiteHat’s board. “WhiteHat are redefining how high school graduates can kickstart a great career and a lifelong education. At the same time, WhiteHat’s apprenticeship program enables companies to attract and engage with high quality talent at an early age, and that’s what the best of the best companies always try to do. It’s not surprising that in a short time, WhiteHat have been able to attract some of the world’s top companies as their customers. We’re very excited to partner with Euan and Sophie on this journey, and help them scale the business in the UK and beyond,” said Mandan.

WhiteHat is also announcing that Josh Bersin is joining the company as an advisor. Josh is an independent analyst and founder of Bersin™ by Deloitte. “Of all the ways people prepare for their careers, apprenticeship has always been one of the most valuable. WhiteHat’s unique model has the potential to help people of any age upskill themselves, prepare for a career, or evolve into a new role,” said Josh.

“Employers have been looking for a solution like this for years, so I believe WhiteHat is in the right place at the right time.” Bersin is a contributor to Deloitte’s annual Global Human Capital Trends report.

Studies show that staff members that are continuously learning and developing are more likely to stay within their current job. If you are an employer and want to know more about apprenticeships please get in touch with us. Now you have the chance to train your staff with Graffiti Recruitment at no additional cost, and give them recognized industry qualification.

 

  • Syncni

Filed Under: Career Advice Tagged With: apprenticeships, Training

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