In Case You Haven't Noticed, We're On a Break

So it seems that the holiday season has gotten the best of us, but look for lots to happen in the new year ... and don't forget about the Competition! Details to the right. Not that you want to do work over the winter break, but you could at least be "brainstorming," right?

Happy Holidays! See you in January!

Event CANCELLED

Let's blame it on all that turkey ... due to some technical difficulties, we have to cancel Wednesday night's event (11/28). Our apologies to everyone who'd planned on coming. Stay tuned to find out when the Year One discussion will be rescheduled.

Date Change for Next Event

Uh, so, the previous post? Yeah, ignore it. We changed the date. Sorry!!

So... you will now be coming to see us WEDNESDAY, November 28, at 7 pm.

It should be a really informative night. We have a few of our recent student competition winners talking about their experiences in their internship(s) and career thus far. It should give you some good insight into what to expect and how to best prepare for life after college. Plus, there will probably be food. How can you NOT come?

Click on the image for more details. And feel free to post a comment here or email us at spdrsvp@gmail.com if you have questions, we'll respond as soon as we can. See you there!

NEXT EVENT: Nov. 26 (NOT! see above post)

Our office tours and portfolio reviews went well last Friday. Thanks to everyone who participated! And for those who missed it ... we're doing it again in the spring, so keep checking back here to find out specifics. Otherwise ...

Mark your calendars for the evening of Monday, Nov. 26. We're hosting a speaker night featuring several designers talking about their internship experiences and how it affected their career paths. Look for more info to come in the next few days.

Only a few spots left!

Don't forget: our PUBlication CRAWL and PORTFOLIO REVIEWS are THIS Friday!
We still have a few spots left, so sign up now by emailing spdrsvp@gmail.com

In addition to touring the offices of Spin, More and Fortune, we'll be visiting Martha Stewart's Blueprint magazine also. And if you don't have the time to make it to the whole day, you're welcome to come just for the tours or just for the portfolio reviews. Just let us know in your email.

So sign up now, and we'll see you at 9:30 on Friday, at our office at 17 E. 47th St on the 6th floor.

(More details can be found in the post below.)

PUB(lication) CRAWL & PORTFOLIO REVIEW

Hey you!
Yeah, you. Get your calendar out, and clear off what you might already have on there for Friday, November 9th. (click on the poster for the FULL EFFECT)




Because you're going to come to SPD instead, tour some magazine art departments (like SPIN, More, & Fortune) in the morning, and in the afternoon, get your portfolio reviewed by a panel of art directors coming especially to talk about what does and doesn't work, and what they're looking for when you come to them to interview.

The cost? Totally FREE for SPD Student members (and it's only $25 to join!)

So take this down:

WHEN: Friday, November 9th, 9:30AM
Tours start at 10:30 // Portfolio review at 1:00

WHERE: Meet at the SPD office, 17 East 47th Street (between Madison & 5th Avenues)
6th Floor, Buzzer #1

HOW: RSVP! Register online at spdrsvp@gmail.com (but hurry, space is limited!)

Again, FREE for SPD Student Members, $10 for SPD Professional Members, $30 for everyone else (and again, it's ONLY $25 to join SPD as a student member!)

YOU DON'T HAVE TO TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT

Of COURSE we want you to enter the student design competition; we wouldn't keep talking about it if we didn't think it was awesome, and the great thing is — we'd tell you that about entering any competition. It's good for you!

But really, we're not the only ones with that position on it. Core77 came up with 5 reasons (scroll down to the 5th post) far more eloquently than we could, so we're going to just highlight them here:

1.
Preparing your entry will force you to create a well-crafted, well-produced "piece"—with great photography and great copy. Which means it's portfolio-ready.

2.
Even if you don't win, many competitions—especially online ones—publish dozens of notable entries. So you'll probably get some press from it, which you can screengrab and put in your portfolio next to the entry spreads.

3.
It's not schoolwork. Many design competitions have themes that are ambitious, progressive, and challenging, so entering them will give you a great opportunity to spread your creative wings. Especially if you find that a lot of your classwork doesn't possess these characteristics, go get it across the street.

4.
The fact that you enter design competitions sends the message that you're engaged in the design world beyond school. Which you should be.

5.
You may just win. And then that point about printing out press clippings takes things to a whole new level. "I see that you've won or been published in 3 magazines and on 5 websites since your Junior year?" Endorsements from judges and editors may get your interviewer to think a little more seriously about you, which is the point, right?

More fantastic advice from Core77 in their Hack-2-School posts here:

Hack-2-School Classroom

Hack-2-School Dorm Room

Hack-2-School Represent

Hack-2-School Crash Course

Hack-2-School Cheat Sheet

MORE REAL-LIFE TALES FROM THE INTERNS

So, Tina sounds pretty fantastic, right? In fact, you might be thinking, it ALMOST sounds too good to be true. Ooh, you little skeptic. You think we're making it up!

The really great news is — we're not. Again, we'll get out of the way, and let Megan Cummins, this year's Second Place Winner, tell about her experience as a summer intern at Departures:

I cannot begin to express how much I learned during my internship. It has, quite literally, changed my life. Prior to coming here, my ideas about the magazine industry were based on movies, classwork, and my overly-active imagination. I honestly had no idea what to expect, and countless questions. So, here goes.

First off, I finally understand the chain of command. I never quite understood what each job title entailed. More importantly, the departments themselves. Seeing first hand what each dept. does and how they interact with one another was quite eye-opening. I now know for certain when I start my own Graphic Design firm, a mixture of styles and personalities will be pertinent to its success. I loved watching how people reacted to hearing everyone's opinions and see them make revisions as a result. I also enjoyed getting to experience how stressful it can be when someone might not clearly understand what another dept.'s job is and have certain expectations of them (ie. the photo dept’s ability to make images appear instantaneously). Communication is key.

Another thing I learned was the importance of personality. This one is multi-faceted. I believe those who are in higher positions have the ability to set the tone keeping everyone on eggshells or making them feel comfortable and encourage new ideas. I can see what an impact it makes. I also noticed the need to be able to sell an idea — to pitch a story with enthusiasm so as to get everyone else excited to be working on it with you — to paint a picture in their minds so the photo dept. knows what images they're looking for, and the art dept. knows what style of design to imitate, and so forth. Lastly on the personality bit, I learned that you CAN overcome shyness. Prior to my coming here, I was always rather nervous on the phone- since I tend to sound like my younger brother, but after making calls to businessmen and women across the globe, I somehow forgot to feel uncomfortable and saw it as something that just needed to be done. I also learned the value of creating relationships with individuals over the phone- establishing contacts that are willing to go the extra mile for you when you’re in a bind because they’ve come to know you. Sometimes the key to getting things done on time is having having friendly relationships with the people in the mailroom, or the assistant to a photographer. It always pays to be nice.

I have also learned the value of time and efficiency. I can honestly say I now understand what is meant when you say "a New York minute". 1 NY min = 10 southern min. When I was able to work in the Art Dept., I quickly picked up on the fact that not only does your work have to be great, but you have to be able to produce dozens of ideas in hardly any time. You also can't put too much heart into it, because critiques can be brutal!

I'm struggling to express just how much this internship has taught me. From little things like the mysterious "editor-in-chief" or how to politely call someone for the 13th time about a contract or W9, to tagging along on a photo shoot or watching ideas evolve and move from each dept until they're finally put into print... It would take pages to fully relate what all I learned.

I love that the magazine was like a small family. I was able to go on a photo shoot, watch the images get edited, see how the art department laid out the spread, learn the details of crediting and research — basically every aspect of the magazine. I never expected to be so immersed in the production and get such a thorough understanding of the inner-workings of the industry. I witnessed an entire issue come to life! It was terribly exciting and has woken me up to the real world. I learned the pros and the cons of the industry. I can appreciate it so much more. Regardless of the industry I end up in, the mechanics behind the magazine — the teamwork, the business personalities, the production, the mixture of the creative and technical skills — are all things that I know will have a direct influence on my business, and whatever job I may have prior to that. I now know what aspects of my portfolio to focus on when I return to school and what direction I'd like to go after graduation — things I was terrified of at the start of the summer. I cannot thank you enough for this internship. I cannot express what an impact it has had on my life. Everything I learned will continue to pay off for the rest of my career and will shape and influence everything I do in the design world.

So, there you have it. A rambling overview of what I learned. Please know that however cliche it made have sounded, I sincerely mean every word of it. I cannot thank you enough for the opportunity. It was everything I had imagined and more. I will never forget sitting at a little restaurant with my family in Memphis and getting the greatest phone call of my life.

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE INTERNSHIPS?

So one of the big perks of being a top winner in the Student Design Competition is a summer internship at a major magazine. And one of the big questions we always get is, But what is it really like?

It's hard for us to say, because, like magazines, each one is different. When choosing magazines to host interns, we try to find placements that are unique and promise a lot of experience to a hard worker. But we can't really guarantee what you'll be doing day-to-day.

What we CAN tell you is what some of this summer's past interns have reported back to us, and so, we'll just get out of the way, and let Tina Nguyen, this year's First Honorable Mention Award winner tell what her summer was like, interning at Fortune magazine:

As for my experience at Fortune...it was absolutely amazing! It was beyond what I expected and more. Two months was so short and I was really getting used to it there. Grace Martinez, who was the Art Assistant at Fortune (you might've heard, but she's now going to be a designer at Portfolio magazine) was basically my supervisor, she was such a big help and wonderful to work with. Bob Perino was so great as well, making me feel welcome at Fortune, and helping me out in any way possible, he is such a kind and thoughtful individual, and such a great talent, was so great to learn from him. Linda Rubes, was someone I also learned so much from, she was all the more helpful to me, just guiding me along some articles she was working on for the issues, she was so kind and sweet and it was great getting to know her. Everyone else in the art department were wonderful as well, welcoming me with open arms...I also learned a great deal from them.

I had my own cubicle with my name labeled on it...:) The first few weeks, I organized hundreds and hundreds of their magazines in storage, updated illustrator tearsheeets, updated the art wall, (in which I loved, it was interesting to see how the articles all came together) among other administrative type of things, then Grace got me started with the Letters page of the magazine and eventually I worked on the table of contents of their international issues. I had a great time learning how to put together their pages, the formats they follow, the images being chosen, and how everyone just works together as a team. Bob also gave me the opportunity to come up with different designs for the Question Authority and Investing page, because he wants to change the whole style of the magazine, so I felt nervous and excited at the same time to show him my ideas. I also helped the other designers in the art department, looking for images, setting up a PowerPoint presentation, among other things, definitely keeping me busy over there.

Almost every week, someone would bring some treats, ranging from bagels, to cakes, to muffins......hahaha, just feeding everyone like crazy...it was great though, just brought everyone together.

All in all, this experience has taught me a great deal and I feel that I've grown so much during the 2-month period. I've met so many wonderful people there, not just in the art department, but also in the photo and Editorial department. It's been a great pleasure being around them, I couldn't have asked for more.

They all made me feel like I was part of the team. I always looked forward to coming there to work each and every day, it's just been phenomenal and I feel so fortunate that I had the greatest experience ever, and after all this I definitely know where I stand, what I want to be doing in the long run.

I will definitley be keeping in touch with everyone, Bob even told me, if anything, to call him after I finish up with school, and he told me, who knows what will happen then, and that was so great to hear, because there is no doubt in my mind that I would love to come back and work there and to just be surrounded by such wonderful people...I will miss them dearly.

On the last day, they bought me a cake, and some cream puffs for Grace (it was her last day too) and a thank you card, along with a book that showcased Fortune covers from the 1930s to 1950s. I did not expect that at all, it was so sweet of them...I actually started to cry, not in front of them, but once I was alone in my cubicle reading the card and just reminiscing about my experience at Fortune...I just couldn't believe it was already over.

I will never forget this, and I really am sad that it's over, but I know that I will see them again. This experience has meant so much to me, there are not enough words to explain it all, just thank you from the bottom of my heart...it's been beyond wonderful.

I WANT TO BE A WINNER TOO! (Step 1: Get ready.)

Well, wanting it's the first step. Good for you.

This year's competition is just heating up, and there's plenty of time to get a whole batch of entries ready for the judging.

First thing, think about the categories, and which ones you might want to enter — remember, you can send in as many entries as you want, from any categories. And if you're an SPD Student Member, your first 3 entries are FREE!

The five categories are

Film Magazine
This publication informs an audience of young and older cinephiles about the behind-the-scenes, well, scenes in the film business. It gives gossip, industry developments, and information about directors, films in the works, deals being made, and newcomers you don't know of—yet. Indie projects and big-budget efforts share space in its pages. Lavishly illustrated with cutting edge photography and film stills, this is more than a trade rag.

PROJECT Celebrity biography/profile -- choose an actor/actress or director as your subject.
HEADLINE Up Close: (Actor/Director Name)
SUBHEAD TEXT Hollywood can't/couldn't get enough of this stalwart actor/director. With an inspired body of work that commands respect, (insert last name of actor or director) remains one of the most acclaimed legends of the silver screen.
BYLINE By Marion Curley
WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT Design a two-spread feature** that focuses on a living or dead actor or director's career. You can use a real actor or director as the subject, as well as real films they've made (or invent some), along with other information factoids or graphics that relate to their career highlights. Think about what people would find engaging. You might want to go beyond using all portrait photography and find some photos of the actor/director behind the scenes on-set. Remember, you don't actually have to write the story, but use real names of the subject if you have display type, for example, pointing to a photo of Kate Winslet or Alfred Hitchcock.



Entertainment Magazine
This new publication targets young people from college age to young professionals. A clever, sometimes sharp-tongued magazine, it focuses on music, movies and television, with reviews, investigative stories, interviews and reader polls. This magazine isn't afraid to poke fun at the subjects it profiles.

PROJECT Celebrity Interview -- choose a recording artist or group (Example: Weezer).
HEADLINE The headline will be the subject's name.
SUBHEAD TEXT Sex, drugs, and rock and roll are what the lyrics preach but to think that's what defines (him/her/them) would be a sin. The gospel according to (person or group name as headline)
BYLINE By Chemra Chavez.
WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT Design a two-spread feature** that would appear in this magazine. There must be some text, but it does not have to begin on the first spread. Find great photos of your chosen artist, but think beyond the expected. Look for baby pictures, a great illustration, or maybe there's a way to illustrate him/her with type instead of an image. It's to your advantage not to choose your friend's band or someone too obscure. Think celebrity. Remember, you don't actually have to write the story, but use the band's real name if you have display type, for example, pointing to a photo of Weezer.



Sports Magazine
This publication is a must-read for young athletes and people obsessed with extreme sports and the lifestyle associated with them. It reviews new products, covers competitions and goes around the world to explore new sports. Writers interview sports super-stars as well as kids in the park. Style is a big focus of the magazine, and it regularly covers what athletes wear and where they hang out.

PROJECT Sports profile -- choose a sport (Example: Skateboarding).
HEADLINE "Extreme Rush" or "The Thrill of It"
SUBHEAD TEXT Danny (or Danielle) Way aced the (you add name here) Competition—this (name of sport) legend now owns the top spot. But it wasn't always this easy.
BYLINE By Katherine Geib
WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT The story will focus on participants in the chosen sport, amateur or professional, with an emphasis on lifestyle and attitude. You can highlight the athlete's style (clothing, hair, body piercing, gear, etc.). Look for photos of an athlete in the middle of a great jump, at the moment of victory, or the moment of defeat. Or, take your own photos of skateboarders in the park, great haircuts, boots–improvise. You can choose a famous athlete or your teenage brother and his friends. Design a two-spread feature** on your chosen subject. The text does not have to begin on the first spread, but it certainly can. Remember, you don't actually have to write the story, but use real names of sports and players if you have display type, for example, pointing to a photo of Real Madrid or Andy Roddick.



Travel Magazine
This magazine is a new travel guide for college students and young professionals looking for inexpensive ways to see the world. It has lots of maps, youth hostel reviews, info on cameras and gear, clothing, footwear and books. Readers' photos and journals are featured, as well as short stories and advice columns.

PROJECT Travel Guide -- choose a destination.
HEADLINE The headline will be the name of the country or city.
SUBHEAD TEXT The insider's guide: 10 places to eat, drink and hang out like a local.
BYLINE By Fabrice Carrier
WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT Design a two-spread guide** to your chosen destination. The key to successful spreads will lie in the research. Consider including postcards, maps, unusual souvenirs, passport stamps, rail schedules, foreign money. If you haven't taken the big college trip abroad, try designing a guide to your own city or state. Your spreads should be full of information that would be useful to a young person on a budget. Think about what would be important to you if you were traveling. Remember, you don't actually have to write the story, but use the real names of places if you have display type, for example, pointing to a photo of Buckingham Palace.



News Magazine
This edgy news and history magazine intended for college students has hard-hitting interviews, profiles and feature stories about historic events.

PROJECT Crime
HEADLINE THE ESCAPE ARTISTS or THE GET-AWAY ARTISTS
SUBHEAD TEXT On a warm August morning in 2004, two men and a woman ran out of the [Name of Museum] with [famous artist's name] [ title of same artist's work], never to be seen again. A true story of art, thieves, and the man hunting for a missing masterpiece.
BYLINE By Isabella Gardner
WHAT IT'S ALL ABOUT This story explains the theft of a famous work of art, the theories about who did it, and profiles of the victims, the suspects and the detective working the case. Think of innovative ways to illustrate the story – not just photos of the museum or the artwork. You may want to incorporate maps, floor plans, historic timelines. Design a two-spread feature** on your chosen museum and artwork. The text does not have to begin on the first spread, but it certainly can. Remember, you don't actually have to write the story, but use the real names of places if you have display type.

**A spread consists of two side-by-side pages; in this case, a page measures 8 x 10". The spread itself will measure 16 x 10".


Now that you've thought about the categories & what you can do to dazzle us, work on putting together the actual entries. Like some of our mamas always say, "You can't win unless you enter."

Wait - maybe that's the lotto people.

Anyways, here's HOW TO ENTER:

1. CHOOSE
Select a project from one of the five categories listed above (film, entertainment, sports, travel, and news).

2. DESIGN
Create a 4-page story (two spreads) on the project you choose. Each page measures 8 x 10, so a spread is 16 x 10. Original photography or illustration is not required, but welcome if appropriate. You may enter more than one design in the same or different categories

3. SUBMIT Either printed material or electronic files
PRINTED MATERIAL:
Full-size spreads, not reduced copies. DO NOT MOUNT THE WORK TO ANY TYPE OF BOARD. Tape a copy of your completed entry form to the BACK of each submission. Staple the spreads together in the upper left-hand corner. (NOTE: Slides are NOT accepted).

OR

ELECTRONIC PDF:
Burn all submissions to a CD. Entries should be full size, print quality, 300 dpi, PDF files (all fonts embedded). It is ok to put multiple entries on one CD. Include a printed copy of the entry form for each entry. Mark clearly the name of the school & students' last name(s) on CD.

4. SEND
Mail all entries with completed entry and payment forms to:
The Society of Publication Designers
17 East 47th Street, floor 6
New York, NY 10017
tel: 212.223.3332

Please read this over carefully and stay within the guidelines. SPD reserves the right to disqualify any miscategorized or incomplete entries.

AND THE 2007 WINNERS ARE....

Established in 1995, the SPD Student Competition honors the life and work of Bruce W. Honeycutt, the former Art Director of Details and Spy magazines, who died January 12, 1994 at the age of 40. It recognizes exceptional design by students with awards and three cash prizes: the Adobe Scholarship in Honor of B.W. Honeycutt (the First Place prize of $2500), the Second Place prize of $1000, and the Third Place prize of $500. The First, Second and Third Place winners also receive copies of the Adobe Creative Suite software.

In addition to these prizes, the First, Second and Third Place and First Honorable Mention winners have received Summer internships at leading magazines: Departures at American Express Publishing, Fortune at Time Inc., Marie Claire at the Hearst Corporation, and Men's Health at Rodale, Inc. All of these internships come with FREE summer housing in NYC.

All of these winners, along with the Second Honorable Mention, Third Honorable Mention, and Fourth Honorable Mention winners, will have their work featured in our upcoming PUB 42 Annual.

Chaired by Francesca Messina, CD, Guideposts Publications and Linda Root, DD, Studio Incubate, this juried competition acknowledges the talents of the student designer and the teachers who develop their unique talents. Our enormous thanks to the jury for this year's competition: Susan Bogle, DD, Atlanta Home; Craig Gartner, AD, Sports Illustrated Presents; Gretchen Smelter, DD, Brides; Armin Vit, Senior Designer, Pentagram; and Fred Woodward, DD, GQ.

In recognizing the promise of each student, Adobe affirms the creative possibilities inherent in the individual. Throughout its partnership with SPD, Adobe is helping shape the next generation of creative professionals. Together we are building the foundation that will sustain and further artistic accomplishments within the editorial design community.

WINNER — FIRST PLACE, THE ADOBE SCHOLARSHIP IN HONOR OF B.W. HONEYCUTT

DESIGNER Allison McLean
TITLE Rugby
SCHOOL Montana State University
INSTRUCTOR Jeffrey Conger
CATEGORY Sports

PRIZE $2500 cash, Adobe Creative Suite 3, Summer internship with Marie Claire

WINNER — SECOND PLACE

DESIGNER Megan Cummins
TITLE Coldplay
PHOTOGRAPHERS Elis Parrinder, Tom Sheehan
SCHOOL Savannah College of Art & Design
INSTRUCTOR John Waters
CATEGORY Entertainment / Music

PRIZE $1000 cash, Adobe Creative Suite 3, Summer internship at Departures

WINNER — THIRD PLACE

DESIGNER Beau T. Foor
TITLE Armin Van Buren
SCHOOL Montana State University
INSTRUCTOR Jeffrey Conger
CATEGORY Entertainment / Music

PRIZE $500 cash, Adobe Creative Suite 3, Summer internship at Men's Health

WINNER — 1st Honorable Mention

DESIGNER Tina Nguyen
TITLE Copenhagen
PHOTOGRAPHERS bloggingcopenhagen.net, colorado.edu/gallery/copenhagen
SCHOOL School of Visual Arts, New York City
INSTRUCTOR Mitch Shostak
CATEGORY Travel

PRIZE Summer internship with Fortune

WINNER — 2nd Honorable Mention

DESIGNER Wenjun Zhao
TITLE Radiohead
PHOTOGRAPHERS Jason Evans, Capitol Records
SCHOOL The City College of New York, CUNY
INSTRUCTOR Ina Saltz
CATEGORY Entertainment / Music

WINNER — 3rd Honorable Mention

DESIGNER Shin-A Kang
TITLE The Strokes
SCHOOL School of Visual Arts, New York City
INSTRUCTOR Mitch Shostak
CATEGORY Entertainment / Music

WINNER — 4th Honorable Mention

DESIGNER Thy Nguyen-Huu
TITLE Sapa
SCHOOL Fashion Institute of Technology, New York City
INSTRUCTOR Kingsley Parker
CATEGORY Travel

Welcome!

Thanks for visiting our SPD Student Outreach blog!

So just what is this SPD anyway, you ask? We're the Society of Publication Designers, the professional organization for those who make the art/design/photo-related decisions for print and interactive media (magazines, newspapers, newsletters, websites, etc). You can read all our official mumbo jumbo here, but all you really need to know is that we hold speaker events, networking opportunities, and an annual competition showcasing the best of the best in publication design (resulting in a really awesome book filled with tons of inspiring work ... for copies of recent editions, click here).

As a student, you can join SPD for just $25 a year ... that'll get you a free copy of our next Annual (as described above), a subscription to our newsletter, discounted or free admission to our student and professional speaker/educational events, and 3 free entries in our Student Design Competition. Not to mention, it'll look really good on your resume. With all those benefits, how can you NOT join?

So, do we have you convinced yet? Then click here for the Student Membership Form. You do need to be a full-time student, and we'll need a copy of your current school ID card. Have questions? Call us at 212-223-3332 or email us at spdstudentoutreach@gmail.com.

Even if you don't join, you can still attend our events (and we hope you do!). You'll just have to shell out some extra bucks. But trust us, it's worth it.

So keep an eye on our little blog here for news and info on upcoming events. And we hope to see you at one soon!