Question: How did your education help prepare you for your career?

Answer: My education has been integral to my success.  An ‘eye’ for design is not enough; a firm grasp of basic business principles is essential to succeed in this industry.  If you can’t manage the project, your team, the budget or administer the process while you’re also keeping your hands on the wheel of your business, no amount of “make pretty” will keep you afloat.  An education is crucial; I wouldn’t be where I am today without the confidence and skills my education provided.

Now we pose the question to you: How has your education helped equip you for your career?

Erica Swanson’s Bio: I’m an Interior Designer which is a fancy-pants way of saying I create kick-ass spaces for wickedly cool people.  I listen.  I translate.  I initiate.  And then I deliver you, You.  I do that with my ‘Design on the Dirty’ virtual design services available anywhere in North America.  With laser-focused intuition, I create customized design and decorating plans delivered digitally or right to your doorstep.  Because it isn’t about this year’s hottest paint colour, this year’s trends, or what the Jones’ are doing.  It’s about you.  You can find me at www.ericaswansondesign.com and on Twitter @erica_swanson where I post about creativity, art and interior design.  But don’t just take my word for it; I’ve been featured on national television, radio, in books, magazines, and in both of Canada’s national newspapers.  So what are you waiting for?

PR: wait… I: wait… L: wait… LD: wait… I: wait… wait… Rank: wait… Traffic: wait… Price: wait… C: wait…

In order to help musicians build their brand, name, and career, it’s important to team up with a public relations specialist.  Public relations specialists with online degrees from reputable schools nationwide can help musicians with their advertising, social media, and branding.  Musicians who hire public relations specialists can focus on doing what they do best — writing, recording, and performing their music — while the PR professional can take care of getting them visible positive press.

Public relations specialists help manage a musician’s relationship with the public, creating opportunities for them to be featured in publications such as newspapers and magazines by the distribution of press releases.  While it is possible for musicians to do their own public relations, many musicians struggle with this business aspect and prefer to have someone take care of it for them.

A well-respected public relations organization New York recently facilitated a European rock band’s tour to America, coordinating radio promotion, press materials, and interviews while on tour.  As they drummed up interest in the band through a variety of different media channels, the band was able to deliver memorable interviews and focus on their performances.

Many schools offer online degrees in public relations, allowing busy professionals to work their school around their busy life, and not the other way around.  With a public relations online degree, graduates can choose their niche markets and work with the likes of musicians, small businesses, non-profit organizations, or even politicians.  For more information about a public relations online degree, visit My Colleges and Careers.

Question: How did your education help prepare you for your career?

Answer: I think my education has helped me in a few ways.  In classes and projects with real-life clients I had to learn to write well and on a deadline.  I worked in a student-run public relations agency on campus and one of my projects was the department alumni magazine.   That taught me to work with lots of different people with different positions and interests to bring opinions, edits, and ideas together to create a product everyone would be proud of.

Now we pose the question to you: How has your education helped equip you for your career?

Rachel Call graduated from BYU with a Communications BA and an emphasis in Public Relations and is a writer for PMA Media Group.  She is from Chicago and in her spare time loves reading murder mysteries, talking politics, taking photos, and going to basketball games.

Nintendo Video Game Designer Shigeru Miyamoto. Photo c/o Lawrence K. Ho / LA Times

Shigeru Miyamoto is Nintendo’s chief video game designer and the creative genius behind their best-selling games including Mario, Donkey Kong, and Zelda.  He’s also the legend video game designers aspire to be.

A natural innovator, Miyamoto received his formal education from the Kanazawa College of Industrial Arts in Japan and finds inspiration from real life experiences for video games.  Wii Fit came about as a result of his family’s efforts to get healthier, hit the gym regularly, and track their weight.  “It made me think that perhaps health could be a subject for a game,” Miyamoto told The Sunday Times.  And thus Wii Fit was born.

When Miyamoto got a puppy, the dog training class with his sheltie inspired him to create the video game Nintendogs.  When asked about Nintendogs’ popularity, he reports, “rather than trying to follow industry trends, it’s based on things that people find appealing in general. Not just what they find appealing in a video game.”

Video game design and development is a popular field that relates not only to fictitious worlds, but as Miyamoto shows us, the one we know and love.

In recent weeks, the animated blockbuster Toy Story 3 was released in 3D, and millions of people flocked to the theater to see the Disney film enhanced.  Unfortunately, 3D movies aren’t always fun and games with many reports of sickness ensuing after attending a 3D film.

Many movie-goers experience headaches and blurred vision both during and after watching a movie in 3D due to eye strain.  In real life when an object comes towards you the eye converges (moves inward), following its path, and accommodates or adjusts the lens shape in order to keep the object in focus.  During a 3D movie, as your eyes attempt to follow the objects that leap off the screen, they are unable to accommodate in an effort to keep focused on the screen.  It is this abnormal behavior that causes headaches and blurred vision.  This effect has been dubbed the “vergence accommodation conflict” by the University of California Berkley.

Prevent Headaches in a 3D Movie

Thanks to innovative technology, many theaters have newer equipment that uses one projector, rather than the two that was used originally.  The single projector alternates 144 frames per second between right eye and left eye images which helps to minimize the effect that causes headaches.

To prevent headaches and blurred vision in a 3D movie, avoid theaters that use the older stereoscopic red and blue glasses which may play a role in headaches and keep your eye on the focused images on the screen.

For more tips on preventing headaches and blurred vision, contact an optometrist eye doctor.

Source: Why You Feel Sick After a 3D Movie

Hats as an accessory have a myriad of benefits.  In addition to being a status symbol, hats protect the wearer from the glare of the sun and can make one appear taller.  Hats also draw attention to the face for improved communication.

Not one to shy away from color, each memorable hat Queen Elizabeth II wore on her Canada 2010 Tour matched her outfit perfectly.  Even the bouquets bestowed upon her managed to match the color scheme!

Hat design is an extension of fashion design and involves creativity, design, and working with materials of many kinds, and the delight that one day a hat you design may end up being worn by the Queen of England!

Duct Tape Fashion: Duct Tape Wallet by Dr. K

School’s out.  You’re bored.  If you’re looking to beat summer boredom, look no further  Duct tape, the fix-it solution developed during the World War II to keep water out of ammunition cases, has many more uses than securing your bumper back to your car.  While duct tape is typically associated with handy These innovative designers created original pieces from duct tape!

Duct Tape Fashion: Prom Outfits

Duck Brand duct tape hosts a scholarship competition every year for duct tape prom creations called Stuck on Prom.  The innovative creations are unforgettable!

Duct Tape Fashion: Stuck at Prom Duck Tape Scholarship Competition

Duct Tape Fashion: Patriotic Stuck at Prom Duck Tape Design

Duct Tape Fashion: Accessories

Duct Tape Fashion: Rose Purse

Duct Tape Fashion: Rose Bag by Shelle T.

Duct Tape Fashion: Costumes

Duct Tape Fashion

Duct Tape Fashion: Wedding

This couple had their wedding outfits created from duct tape by designer Brian McKinney.

Duct Tape Fashion: Duct Tape Wedding

Who knew duct tape could ever look so good!  If you find you have a knack for creating duct tape fashion, perhaps you ought to consider applying your design savvy to fashion design classes!

And if your duct tape fascination goes no further than tom foolery, you can always try this on the first day of school:

Even if you’re sick of Twilight, we’ve got amusing T-shirt concepts for you, too

One more we couldn’t find a photo for read:

If I were Bella, it’s a good thing Edward couldn’t read my mind because then he’d know how hot I thought Jacob was.

Kudos to these creative and innovative individuals that design these hilarious Twilight screenprints and T-shirt transfers themselves!  This very cool skill can be developed through a painting class that teaches screenprinting or a digital arts and design class where you get to learn the multimedia programs.  Talent is very cool, but talent that you can profit from?  Even better!

For people who would love nothing more than to enjoy a profitable career in the video game industry, there are available jobs other than just programmers, game testers, and computer animators.  After all, what would Super Mario Bros. be without the music?

One of the most popular video games of all time, the music for Super Mario Bros. was penned by Japanese composer Koji Kondo who has been on Nintendo’s payroll since 1984.  Talk about job security!

Since video games have become mini-movies, no video game is complete without a music score.  Music professionals adept in composition and arranging can enjoy careers with video game companies writing video game theme songs. Through a music or composition degree, you can develop the music skills necessary to have your compositions be immortalized in video game history like the Super Mario Bros. theme!

What does a Fashion Designer Do?

Fashion Design by Design Student Gabriela Hernandez

Fashion designers are responsible for the design and creation of clothing and apparel.  This includes creating the concept of the clothing on paper, creating a pattern, cutting patterns, constructing clothing, and adjusting designs.  They select the colors, fabrics, and textures that would be ideal for the construction of their clothing.  Fashion designers identify their target markets, conduct market research, and create clothing for their market’s lifestyle and preference.

Preparation: Fashion Designer

Fashion programs will teach classes on color, drawing, form, pattern making, draping, and cutting techniques.  Since fashion designers first capture their concepts on paper, it is important to be able to sketch their ideas.  While a formal education isn’t always necessary for becoming a fashion designer, having the credibility of a renown fashion design school on your resume can go a long way.  To become an independent fashion designer, business savvy is required.

Personality Profile: Fashion Designer

Since clothing is the outward expression of one’s personality, possessing creativity, vision, and individuality is invaluable.  Fashion designers need creativity as well as an understanding of drawing, sewing, and production.

By the Numbers: Fashion Designer

• Fashion designers held about 23,000 jobs in 2008.
• There are 7,200 projected job openings for fashion designers over the next decade.

Fashion Designer Perks

In order to stay up to date on the latest trends, fashion designers have the perk of attending fashion shows.  Many fashion designers are self-employed, giving them independence and flexibility in their career and personal life.

Show Me the Money: Fashion Designer Salary

In 2009, fashion designers made approximately $30.90/hour and $64,260 annually.

To find the ideal fashion design program for you to launch a successful design career, visit My Colleges and Careers!

(Fashion design sketch by design student Gabriela Hernandez)

Bella’s Wedding Dress #1: Christian Siriano

Bella’s Wedding Dress #2: Lela Rose

Bella’s Wedding Dress #3: Monique Lhuillier

Bella’s Wedding Dress #4: Erin Fetherston

Bella’s Wedding Dress #5: Prabal Gurung

Bella’s Wedding Dress #6: Max Azria

Which of these wedding dresses for Bella can you see her wearing?

If you would love to design wedding dresses, check out My Colleges and Careers for a fashion design program!

Video game designers are responsible for creating a virtual gaming world, including the storyline, artwork, and character bios.  They are also in charge of determining the mission of the video game and any challenges that players encounter.

Preparation: Video Game Designer

To stand out in the competitive gaming industry, an education in computer programming will help you land a job as a video game designer.  Since there are many different facets of game video game design including character development, art design, and programming, invest in an education in whichever area of game design you choose to specialize in.  An education in math, animation, storyboarding, computer simulation, and computer programming, such as C++, is valuable.

Personality Profile: Video Game Designer

Video game designers need creativity, good work ethic, vision, and strong communication skills in order to thrive in the industry.  As you might have guessed, a love of video games helps.

By the Numbers: Video Game Designer

• Video game designers held about 209,000 jobs in 2008.
• There are 72,600 projected job openings for video game designers over the next decade.

Video Game Designer Perks

As a video game designer, you can bring your game concepts to life for the enjoyment of countless others.

Show Me the Money: Video Game Designer Salary

Video game designers with more than 6 years of experience made an impressive $37/hour and $77,010 annually in 2008.  Designers with who had between three to six years of industry experience made $57,000 while those with less than three years experience made $44,000.

To find the perfect video game designer program for you so you can launch a successful gaming career, visit My Colleges and Careers.

This weekend, Prince of Persia joins the ranks of video games turned Hollywood blockbusters along with the likes of Tombraider, Final Fantasy, Resident Evil, and Mortal Combat.  Since video games typically lack any significant plot or character development, films based off of video games give room for lots of flexibility in the story development, but often fall short.

Prince of Persia film critics had this to say:

“It’s sort of pointless,” says Amy Biancolli with the Houston Chronicle. “Along with The Mummy, Aladdin, Raiders of the Lost Ark and the Book of Exodus, Lawrence of Arabia gets ripped off, I mean referenced, quite a bit.”

“Stop the presses,” says Dean Obeidallah with the Huffington Post, “because apparently we have all missed one big thing: The Prince of Persia was a white guy!  I have a dream … that there will be a day when Hollywood makes a movie about the Middle East and actually casts Middle Eastern people in the starring roles. There are some great Middle Eastern actors out there who would bring a realism and depth to these characters that a non-Middle Eastern actor could never do.”

Did you see Prince of Persia this weekend?  What is your review of Jerry Bruckheimer’s latest film?  Was it worth the price of admission and popcorn?

Gemma Arterton, the female lead in Disney’s Prince of Persia movie, dazzled on the red carpet in a nude crepe georgette number from Elie Saab’s Spring 2010 collection.  Known for his elegant and dreamlike evening wear utilizing soft edges and beading, this dress is right in line with Saab’s characteristic style.

If you have a knack for color, line, and design and would love to create red carpet gowns like this one, find a fashion design program in your area on My Colleges and Careers!

A web designer designs, creates, and maintains websites on the internet for companies, organizations, and public figures.  Using languages and programs such as HTML, Javascript, and Dreamweaver, web designers create memorable websites that can be used as an online resource, for promotion, and display.

Preparation: Web Designer

In order to become a web designer, people can receive training through vocational schools or an associate’s degree to gain a comprehensive understanding of computers, design, and the coding languages on which websites are built.  Web designers typically require some sort of on-the-job training as well.

Personality Profile: Web Designer

The web design industry attracts people from both spectrums, with artistic and analytic thinkers represented in the field.  Web design has procedures to follow but also allows for creative design opportunities as well.  Anyone considering a career in web design should have an ability to cope with high stress situations, solve problems, innovate and bring new ideas to the table.

By the Numbers: Web Designer

• Web designers held about 209,000 jobs in 2008.
• There are 72,600 projected job openings for web designer over the next decade.

Web Designer Perks

Web designers enjoy independence in their work and a feeling of achievement upon completing a website that receives profitable traffic and business.

Show Me the Money: Web Designer Salary

Web designers make approximately $37/hour and $77,010 annually.

To find the perfect web design program for you so you can launch a successful web design career, visit My Colleges and Careers.

A photographer captures images through a digital or SLR camera, effectively preserving memories, pictures, and stories.  An understanding of camera equipment, such as shutter speeds, apertures, and lighting is highly valuable.  With the development of digital cameras, many photographers are switching over to digital mediums, though a knowledge of film processing is important.  Thanks to digital photo editing capabilities, photographers can edit their photos after the fact and add special effects to enhance their photographs.

Preparation: Photographer

In order to become a professional photographer, there are college photography programs that include education in equipment, lighting, composition, and design.  A working knowledge of Photoshop is critical for the photographer to be able to tweak their photos.  If the photographer is planning to operate their own business, it is important to develop necessary business skills, such as marketing, accounting, and sales.  While some photography skills can be self learned, having the necessary qualifications helps professional photographers to stand out above the rest.

Personality Profile: Photographer

Creative and artistic individuals who have a great eye and enjoy working with people are drawn to photography.  People who can provide excellent customer service, have a knack for working with technology, and skills in sales and marketing make great photographers.

By the Numbers: Photographer

• Photographers held about 152,000 jobs in 2008, with more than 50% self employed.
• Photographers with salaried jobs are employed by commercial photography studios, newspapers, magazines, and ad agencies.
• There are 48,000 projected job openings over the next decade.

Photographer Perks

Photographers can benefit from working with a variety of different people, flexible hours, and be self-employed.

Show Me the Money: Photographer Salary

Photographers make approximately $14.31/hour and $29,770 annually with the top 10% earning upwards of $62,000.  Taking into consideration that photographers who are self-employed need to acquire their own photography equipment, they typically make less than photographers who are salaried.

To find the perfect photographer program for you so you can launch a successful photography career, visit My Colleges and Careers.

Photo c/o isseymiyake.co.jp

Fashion experts say that all color is present somewhere in nature.  Japanese clothing designer Issey Miyake took that to heart while designing his Spring 2009 collection.  He sent his creative direct, Dai Fujiwara, on an expedition to the Amazon rainforest to capture the exact color palette of the jungle to be used in his next collection.

Screen shot from Color Hunting documentary

Fujiwara and his team took thousands of color fabric swatches into the Amazon on the color hunting expedition and tested them against the flowers, river, mud, bark, and leaves.  Their method of testing a color swatch’s authenticity was this: if the color melted away when placed over nature’s backdrop, rather than calling attention to itself, it was a genuine color of the forest.

While speaking at the Design Indaba Conference, a world renown design event, Fujiwara shared with the audience his surprise in the colors they found on the color hunting expedition to the Amazon.  Expecting to find bold and bright colors, the palette they discovered was softer, brimming with muted tones instead.

These pieces from the Spring 2009 Issey Miyake collection showcase the rich colors of the Amazon rainforest, reminiscent of the vines and flowing water found in the jungle they were inspired by.

The Issey Miyake Spring 2009 collection got this attention at Paris Fashion Week.

The fashion design industry is abounding with creativity, allowing designers and their teams to integrate unique and compelling ideas in their creations.  If you are an artistic individual that loves color, fashion, design, and originality, consider a fashion design career today!  Who knows, the next time we hear of a fashion designer doing a color hunting expedition in an exotic part of the world for their next collection, it could be led by you.

Fascinating studies on music and its effect on concentration and learning have yielded incredible results.  Baroque music, typified by composers such as Mozart and Bach, is played at approximately 60 beats per minute and activates both sides of the brain, effectively increasing the listener’s learning capacity and the retention of information.  Baroque music causes the heart rate slows down which relaxes the listener, enabling them to become more alert and improve concentration.  The Center for New Discoveries in Learning reports that learning potential can be strengthened up to five times simply by listening to music at 60 beats per minute.

Not convinced?  When Thomas Jefferson was struggling with wording for a particular section of the Declaration of Independence, he stopped to play his violin and was then able to find the appropriate words.  Albert Einstein, revered as one of the brightest minds of our time, learned the violin as a child.  He loved playing the violin and embraced the music of Mozart and Bach, two famous baroque composers.  Einstein apparently found solutions to his equations while improvising on his violin, according to a friend of Einstein’s G.J. Withrow.  How’s that for evidence about music and learning?

Fascinated about music and its learning benefits?  Learn more about music by investigating music programs on My Colleges and Careers.

If you don’t own any Mozart, no worries.  Thanks to the internet, baroque music can be streamed for free on Pandora Internet Radio.

And the next time you can’t think straight, turn on some baroque music and let us know how it works out.

“That magazine needs a shake up in a big, bad way,” writes Abby Gardner. “But this is a good thing. I’ve always found that tighter budgets, in the end, lead to more creative solutions and final products.”

In hospitality and the food industry, budgets are being stirred around as well. In an article titled “The Re-Invention Revolution” for Hospitality Net, Karen Weiner Escalera explains that even the affluent are rediscovering more simple ways to spend, travel and self-express, and as such, products and services are being created to meet these needs. “Fashion mavens attend beading and jewelry design classes, purely for the creative fulfillment of it,” she says. “One Vancouver café is now doubling as an art studio. The Ace Hotel in Palm Springs lets guests dabble in summer camp-style crafts by hosting an ‘all-inclusive art-making weekend,’ with proceeds benefiting Children in the Arts.”

Even if you’re not the paper mache type, it’s clear that despite the field you are in, industries are making shifts to accommodate ever-tightening budgets.

It will probably be a long time before the world experiences characters like Bernie Madoff again, so here’s hoping that out of this Great Recession, our society may cascade into a 21st century Renaissance.

For more information about creative careers and job outlook, visit www.mycollegesandcareers.com.

My Colleges and Careers: We know you are way too cool for a formality like a job title, but if you had to paint yourself into a corner like that what would yours be?

Motion Design Consultant

My Colleges and Careers: What projects have you worked on?

I’ve worked on projects with Sprite, CISCO, Coke, FLO TV, various bands, and a couple of other super sicky dope clients that I’m not legally allowed to even talk about it.

My Colleges and Careers: What is different about your career  than you expected?

Considering the economic times, it’s a little more cut-throat than I thought it would be. People with fifteen years professional experience are floating around in the freelance market because they’ve lost their jobs and I’ve got to compete with them coming right out of college.

My Colleges and Careers: Do you feel like you were prepared when you left college?

Yes and no. Yes: the computer animation program is set up to teach you how to recognize a problem and solve it – there are far too too too many things to learn to enter the industry by only mimicking what a teacher shows you. (side note: to all the people that mimic andrew kramer’s tutorials – you’re not fooling any potential employers.) No: BYU failed to mention that everyone is going to try and screw you over… hard.

My Colleges and Careers: What do you love about your job?

Making things look sexy.

What do you hate about your job?

I dislike not knowing if I’m going to have work after I finish my short term contracts. It’s scary.

I am always trying to learn something new. I have a lot of very complicated computer programs that I work with and there is always something new to learn about them or some new shortcut to getting to the same end that will save you hours. It’s not about working really hard. It’s about working really smart. Art and culture are constantly evolving – the idea is to not keep up, but to lead. Because if I don’t do it, someone else will. I’m expendable and I never forget that.