CLEVERcreating - Balance between thinking and doing

Is Graphic Design a Good Career? Spoiler Alert: Yes, It Is!

May 16, 2022May 16, 2022 by Hannie Mommers

Nowadays I am retired, I have been a graphic designer for 35 years. There hardly was a day I didn’t want to go to my studio to start my day. It goes without saying that the profession is still part of my heart.

The world has changed hugely in those 35 years, as you can imagine. After all, everything changes all the time.

The question “Is graphic design a good career choice” was frequently asked of me, both by my clients and by students and interns. Despite all the changes, I could always answer with a resounding yes.

How to Make a Booklet by Folding Paper as a Marvellous Gift

May 13, 2022May 13, 2022 by Hannie Mommers

Sometimes the budget is scarce and the wish to make an outstanding item is big. For example, you want to have a great present for a birthday or anniversary. Or you want a gift as a souvenir at a customer meeting, like a friend and I did.

In this article, I explain how to make a booklet by folding it, without the need for any other resources but paper and an A3 printer.

And I show another way of folding a booklet for which you don’t need a printer unless you want to use text.

Why Is Colour Important in Graphic Design? What Are Practical Applications?

May 10, 2022May 9, 2022 by Hannie Mommers

Colour has a big influence on us. Colour sets our mood and is a way to express ourselves. Colour has a symbolic value, which can be different per culture.

We are warned by colour. Red means beware of danger, while green stands for safety. Fire trucks are red. Sustainable companies often have green as their main colour.

Especially because of its recognizability and emotional value is colour important in graphic design and advertising. As a designer, you can deviate from generally accepted colours, just make sure you have a good reason for it.

How Does a Colourblind Person See the World? Be Considerate of Others.

May 6, 2022May 6, 2022 by Hannie Mommers

The biggest advantage of being a graphic designer is that you meet so many kinds of people and work for so many different types of companies.

Some clients wanted to talk as briefly as possible, while others shared more about their interests and their lives.

That’s how I found out that my printer was red-green colourblind and one of my clients was red-colourblind. How does a colourblind person see, became an interesting topic this way.

A Helpful Colour Theory for Hobby Artists as a Thorough Foundation

May 5, 2022May 2, 2022 by Hannie Mommers

Why should a hobby artist care about the colour theory? Well, any knowledge that contributes to your toolbox is helpful and expands your possibilities.

In this article, I explain the difference between the colours on your screen and those of paint. I talk about Johannes Itten’s colour theory and give some tips about resources.

A colour theory for hobby artists is in my view just as important as for professional artists. Hopefully, it will increase your enthusiasm for your hobby.

What are the Rules of Corporate Identity that Can Stand the Test of Time?

April 29, 2022April 29, 2022 by Hannie Mommers

I was a graphic designer for 35 years, so I had to develop several technical skills over time. When I started in 1985 fax machines were quite new and there were no computers in the offices in the Netherlands.

Most printers had offset, although there were a few that still used letterpress printing. Designs were made on the drawing table. The design drawings were transposed by phototypesetting. And, we can hardly imagine this, there were no mobile phones, let alone the smart ones.

The main conclusion throughout the years was that the techniques may change, yet the rules of corporate identity will not.

10 Tips to Crop Pictures the Right Way for your Blog or Magazine

May 4, 2022April 25, 2022 by Hannie Mommers

A well-chosen picture explains the content of your article for a blog, magazine, or newsletter at once. A photograph can show something in a single image that otherwise would need a lot of words.

Sometimes it is better to crop a photo to get the focus on the desired part. In this article, I give you 10 tips to crop pictures the right way.

Cropping is considered making changes to a picture. When you use photographs that somebody else made, make sure you have permission for these changes.

Profitable Selling Pictures Online? Which Problems and Possibilities Exist?

April 22, 2022April 22, 2022 by Hannie Mommers

One of the ideas in this article 20 Ideas on how to make money after retirement is to sell your digital pictures. Can you start selling pictures online just like that? What are the options you have? And equally important, what are possible problems you can encounter? I’ll elaborate on these in this article.

You don’t have to be a professional photographer nowadays to sell your pictures. Although it helps if you know what you are doing and if you maintain a quality standard in composition, use of colour and format.

Can you Make Ceramics at Home? Is Owning a Kiln Absolutely Necessary?

April 18, 2022April 18, 2022 by Hannie Mommers

When I was living in the Netherlands I made abstract, sculptural ceramics. You can see the sources of inspiration and the results of what I made in another article, but here I want to answer the question “Can you make ceramics at home?”.

In order to work properly, you do not need your own atelier – several of my students used their kitchen table – although a place you don’t have to tidy before every meal is an advantage.

The space I used was a small building located in the garden, which suited me perfectly. It was my atelier where nobody disturbed me and I could work quietly. And where I taught my students, so at times it was not quiet at all!