Inside the Mind of a Graphic Designer
Mark: Tell me about this collection of designs, which I assume are for fictitious clients?
Michael: If Science Fiction was a real magazine. I just thought that the first image had a science-fiction feel to it. Like the snail was entering a wormhole through the mushroom. For the others, I just made the design fit with the image. The next comp [facing page] had a surreal feel to it and I thought, “Why not have a book about these fictitious landscapes?” I thought that the New York one [page 111] would make a great travel poster. A post-drought, we-are-still-here kind of travel poster. And the last one reminded me of one of those disaster movies you find on cable television [page 110].
Sample design by Michael Wooten.
Original images by Mark Chen.
Mark: When you work on a project, can you tell me how the search for stock photos fits into the process?
Michael: It depends on the project. Often, I will take my own photos—but I have used stock photos when needed. Often, it’s when I can’t easily set up a photo shoot that I will use stock photos.
Sample design by Michael Wooten.
Original images by Mark Chen.
Sample design by Michael Wooten.
Original images by Mark Chen.
Mark: After you obtain the stock photos, how do you integrate them into your design?
Michael: Usually the client will provide me with a link to whichever service they use. If not, I have my own account. Most sites will let you search for images via keyword search, so I will look until I find that perfect image—or images, as the case may be.
Mark: Is it easy to find the stock image you are looking for?
Michael: It depends on the subject. Most often, yes it is.
Mark: Do you have specific stock photo agencies that you search? What are they?
Michael: Shutterstock is the biggest. There are others like Pixabay that are okay. New Old Stock is amazing. It’s a collection of antique photos, many taken by government agencies or discovered in estate sales. Its only downside is that it’s not searchable, so you have to scroll until you find the right image. Flickr can also have some good resources. The Nationaal Archief of The Netherlands has a great Flickr site with lots of pictures from Holland’s past. Deviant Art has some good resources, as well.
Mark: Do you have any advice for stock photographers?
Michael: I tend to go for the dramatic. Strong lighting, sharp contrast, that kind of thing. Make sure the images are high-resolution and sharp. Keep in mind, we may only need a small part of your photo.
Mark: Some thoughts that go through your mind? Any “I wish they would have photographed this and that” kind of thoughts?
Michael: Scrolling through stock always makes me wish that I spent more time learning photography.
Original images by Mark Chen.
Sample design by Michael Wooten.