Stratisphere: Visual Communication

I figured I’d post some research I did recently on job titles and some specific information concerning these titles. The job descriptions below are coupled with some salary information that I found interesting. The numbers (44k - 48k - 62k - per year) are base to average to high and calculated for my area. I found it suprising that much of what I enjoy get paid less, only with experience and leadership does one make more. Understandable.

Web Designer - 42k - 51k - 55k - per year

Produces graphic sketches, designs, and copy layouts for online content. Determines size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, selects style and size of type, and arranges layout based upon available space, knowledge of layout principles, and aesthetic design concepts. May require an associate’s degree or its equivalent and 2 years of experience in the field or in a related area. Has knowledge of commonly-used concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field. Relies on instructions and pre-established guidelines to perform the functions of the job. Works under immediate supervision. Primary job functions do not typically require exercising independent judgment. Typically reports to a manager.

Intermediate Level Designer - 49k - 62k - 98k - per year

Produces graphic sketches, designs, and copy layouts for online content. Determines size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, selects style and size of type, and arranges layout based upon available space, knowledge of layout principles, and aesthetic design concepts. May require an associate’s degree or its equivalent with at least 3 years of experience in the field or in a related area. Familiar with standard concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field. Relies on limited experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Performs a variety of tasks. Works under general supervision; typically reports to a manager. A certain degree of creativity and latitude is required.

Senior Designer - 66k - 76k - 87k - per year

Produces graphic sketches, designs, and copy layouts for online content. Determines size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, selects style and size of type, and arranges layout based upon available space, knowledge of layout principles, and aesthetic design concepts. May require an associate’s degree or its equivalent and at least 4 years of experience in the field or in a related area. Familiar with a variety of the field’s concepts, practices, and procedures. Relies on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Performs a variety of complicated tasks. Typically reports to a manager. A wide degree of creativity and latitude is expected.

Creative Director - 120k - 128k - 164k - per year

Advances the overall quality of strategic thinking and design applied technology. Develops creative briefs and design concepts to meet the business objectives of the organization. Responsible for establishing creative direction for the entire line of online services, products, and programs. Requires a bachelor’s degree. May be expected to have an advanced degree in business management with at least 5 years of experience in the field. Generally manages a group of exempt and nonexempt employees. Relies on experience and judgment to plan and accomplish goals. Typically reports to a senior manager.

Level I Web Content Engineer - 44k - 48k - 62k - per year

Develops and designs interface, front pages, and the tools to navigate on the web site. Performs unit testing at the page level. Sets code standards, and leads code reviews. Reviews specifications and provides time estimates on the development of projects and features. Prioritizes projects and deliverables. May require a bachelor’s degree in a related area and 0-2 years of experience in a related field. Has knowledge of commonly-used concepts, practices, and procedures within a particular field. Relies on instructions and pre-established guidelines to perform the functions of the job. Works under immediate supervision. Primary job functions do not typically require exercising independent judgment. Typically reports to a manager.

Content Specialist - 44k - 48k - 62k - per year

Assists in the development and implementation of content on websites. May be involved with integrating work of writers and designers to produce a final layout compatible with corporate standards. Requires a bachelor’s degree with 0-2 years of experience. May be expected to have knowledge of HTML, DHTML and JavaScript programming language. Relies on instructions and pre-established guidelines to perform the functions of the job. Works under immediate supervision. Primary job functions do not typically require exercising independent judgment. Typically reports to a supervisor or manager.

Monster Salary

So school is over and the heat is on, what to do next? Lots of expectations and questions.

On to more exciting news!

My apartment building is a rather large old building located between two large 4-5 lane streets in an urban setting. Anyway, the other day it caught on fire! It seems that the fire started, though not known how, in the headshop on the first floor. The fire was located on the opposite side of the building from my unit so I got nothing but a little smoke. The excitement started around 11:00 and ended around 2:00, a good three hours later. So 3 units were badly damaged by smoke and the headshop was torched and some pets died in the smoke. Drama that could have been worse, glad the fire was controlled quickly, thanks to the Denver Fire Department.

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Good News! My portfolio site is up and running on its brand new domain.

A good idea of what I have been up to recently is on this site.

Some highlights of what you can find on my portfolio are as follows:

• About - About me as a designer and what my interests are.
• Design - A collection of recent projects.
• Photo - A collection of Photographs, displayed in a customized fashion.
• Contact - A way to contant me via mail.

Anyway, without further-a-do, I present…

www.alexstratis.com 

Plainly put, what is it about languages and how different cultures communicate?

It’s something to do with the inherent way of thinking that goes with each culture.

What are the variables?

A lot of what defines each language is what the culture defines are the norm for any given situation.

For example, the Japanese default way to  answer the phone is with “moshi moshi” now to an American or British person “mooshy” might be slang for smooshy/squishy.

Appropriate & Organize.

When beginning a project I start by analizing the content provided. The basic elements of content consist usually, but not limited to, images, text, and often, rich media like audio or animated objects, music, movies, sound effects, visual effects, et cetera. These are reviewed and aproched with questions. I usually take notes of reactions and any other useful information that I deem worthy of consideration.

Consider & Revise

If needed, the existing content for the page being worked on is examined and projected as either efficient or inattentive, to the design needs. If changes need to be made to the content, for either readability or design reasons, this is done before any actual image manipulation is done in Photoshop.

Problem Solving visually / spatially in Photoshop.

This is basically starting from scratch or working with a redesign template if it’s been established. This usually involves some kind of grid system/layout decision and to me is the most fulfilling step; because, it’s the time to create the images that will later be embraced by code.

Problem Solving using code.

At this point the content is usually complete and naked. This step is the most challenging as various languages of code are used to dress and arrange the images and text (content) to the desired look for the design as a whole. This involves working to ensure web browser comparability and user functionality so this step can take the longest depending on languages used and the inherent problems being solved.

Testing & Delivery.

I like to call this step the Q&A Phase, where I shift my thinking / perception and focus on everything from a macro perspective to the micro. I believe this to be a very important time to check for mistakes, whether they be in the Design, Organization of content, or Code, this time allows for reflection and consideration for changes before going live.

Planning for the Future.

Because the web is always changing, growing, moving, learning, progressing, living, crawling, and failing, a website is never just simply finished, in the sense that it’s completed or perfect; there is always time for adding something or subtracting something. Now that’s my kind of math.

Tis an interesting phenomenon, languages. Whether they be spoken or visual, they are the basis for most communication between us humans. I’ve often mused over how new and old languages can be. Chinese is a very old language. CSS is a very very new language.