Where are all the graphic designers at?

[sharon]

I miss the old days, where I would log on to try and find a graphic request that has not yet been filled.  It was great being able to see others' work and ultimately seeing a technique that I was curious about and learning how to do it. Not too many of these nowadays... There was an evident buzz in the GDR section and now it's an almost silent hum.

[Tumbleweed]

I don't really know why that is the case but a few guesses:

With the great graphic design programs out there maybe there isn't the demand there used to be since people may be able to turn out a decent graphic all on their own.

I do think a lot of graphic designers may have gotten discouraged from filing requests with roleplay forums being so popular. What I mean is you spend a hour on a graphic and the site owner puts it up and the next day, deletes their site because no one is joining. 

Also I've seen a site owner request a graphic, someone fills it and the OP never comes back, which could also be discouraging.

I'm not a graphic designer (very amateurish) but I too love looking at designers creations. I miss the annual graphic worm VanillaOrchids used to orchestrate. Although the last year you could see a bit of the really good talent was dissipating, it was still fun to look at.

[Kami]

i stopped filling requests because:
a) people never said thanks
b) i never got credited
c) i started doing it for a living and i don't have time to do free stuff for people who do A and B

[Former Member]

I do it once in a while but my main drive is to do it for a site I feel really deserves it. The way some of these requests are filled out, I feel no incentive or motivation to help them out, honestly. I know it sounds terrible but doing graphics takes time and energy and I have very, very little to spare. When you can barely make a post about what you want, take ages to respond, aren't particularly courteous, your site has nothing on it that I see lasting, I can't spare the time for that. If you can't make a decent request, how do you expect me to take the time, for free, out of pure kindness to fill the request? It shows me you do not understand the time and effort that goes into graphics, that you are going to take it for granted, at least in my opinion.

When I find a request that seems heartfelt, the site has potential, the request was detailed right off the bat, they respond fast, then I'm quite likely to fill it and be happy to do so. =D

[EmMie]

I miss those days too.
VanillaOrchids and :K3Z: will always be Pro Graphic Designers. I've always been amazed by their graphic techniques.

As for filling graphic requests, I usually fill a request if it's detailed, and sometimes when a person tells me to have freewill with it. The only downside to the "freewill" request is that whatever you create, they may or may not like it. I think the more specific a person is in their request, the more likely their request will get filled.

My personal time also has a play when it comes to requesting graphics.
If I have the time to do it I will, if not, I won't.

It does help when people at least say a "Thank you" to let you know that they appreciate the graphic you've created for them, because depending on what they're asking for it does take a bit of time to create, and we do this willingly.

Hopefully this thread will spur more graphic designers here to be active and make this board boomin' again, as well as members to be more specific in their graphic requests!

[Pendu1um]

Nov 13, 2013 1:50:17 GMT -8 Kami said:

i stopped filling requests because:
a) people never said thanks
b) i never got credited
c) i started doing it for a living and i don't have time to do free stuff for people who do A and B

Dunno why tumbleweed liked your comment Kam she told me of once when I told someone I wasn't there slave lol but your right people don't credit and appreciate it at all.

[Torrential]

I never regularly filled requests back in the day, but I sorta fell off PB for a while as I was completing my education. Now, heading into the workforce (as a web designer, no less ), I've personally come back to try and fill requests to add to my portfolio. That's only my story, however.

I agree with other points in that filled requests go largely unthanked and responses are either few & far between or nonexistent; I can understand the frustration.

[Teg]

I remember those days, really missing Reedy

At any rate, I don't fill them, because I'm too busy with my own projects, school, and other things, not to mention all of the reasons a lot of other people have stated in this thread.

[Stinky666]

I think ultimately, the majority of decent designers all left PB.
Either they went onto new forum hosts, started a career (in design or anything else), went to college and/or university, had a family, or simply moved away from the internet, and tried making a life for themselves.

Or, if you're like me, you don't like to do requests because you like to do your own thing. Use your own ideas. Requests are always, obviously, to specs. It's one reason I don't like to do theme requests. I like to do my own stuff.

[Smangii]

With v4, ProBoards had a larger design community because it was a need. There was no official theme section the support forum (as there is now). With v4, all Proboards users relied on designers/design forums because it was in higher demand, you could not create a design on your own unless you had the talent and knowledge. AND it was a good thing if you used a premade template, because it was generally recognizable and easy to use, you just slap your logo on it. Now, premade templates have earned a bad reputation, and I don't know why Everyone just wants to make their own even if they aren't good at it.

Unfortunately now, although v5 is meant to attract more designers, it defeats the purpose of any existing design forums. Creating skins/themes is no longer an exclusive talent. Literally, anyone can make a v5 theme and submit it to the library for others to download (and it doesn't have to be a good design). One major turn-away for current designers is seeing that Theme Library. Sad to say, it's mostly full of crap. To a new designer looking to venture at PB, it shows that there are no good designers here and they will just turn the other way.

Therefore, the old "good" designers left because they were no longer needed or rewarded for their talent, and this happened before v5 even took off. Giving critique on designs was a broken record, since everyone wanted ugly animal stocks with grungy dark text and glossy gradients that just didn't look good, and all the designs turned to RPGs that started to all look the same. And adding with what others have said, people made requests or ran off with skins/themes and never said "thanks" or gave any credit to the designer, which just doesn't happen on other places where good design is recognized and praised.

However, on the lighter side, there are still a few of us sticking around...

I pretty much owe my whole design career to PB. Being on a design forum back in 2006 is what got me interested in graphic/web design, and now I'm a professional with a life But I can't leave my "home" that started it all... and I don't think I could ever get "sick" of PB or just not enjoy designing for it anymore. It's been 7 (going on 8) years and I haven't entirely left yet, just have taken many breaks.

[David Clark]

I believe good design is still recognized and praised by our users. Some of our most prolific theme producers like @khristian, Alisha, Stinky666 and others have a few of the best-looking and most-utilized themes, and are pretty much now household names 'round these parts because of the good work that they've released to the public. I do know that they're all usually pretty good about making sure the content they create is credited to themselves so people who use it are aware of where it came from.

I also disagree with the notion that the theme library is detrimental to the attraction of theme designers. It is a new feature, yes, and as with any community-based system it will take time to develop, propagate, and reach its full potential, but saying the theme library repels designers because non-designers are submitting their lightly-edited themes is like saying Google Play or iTunes repels app developers because there's so much junk on there.

[Alanna 🥀🖤]

I removed my themes from the library because they were being abused. They were being used as "templates" and also the credit was being removed and their credit slapped on to it. I was also PMed and asked on my support threads if I could custom edit the theme to fit peoples needs... it was rather annoying and rude.

I have done some requests and I'm not a fan of it either because of some of the reasons you all have said. I've made an entire skin custom for someone and it only been used for a month and was switched or I made an entire skin for someone and they never respond again and disappear.

I'm adding my skins to the library again for a round two... let's see how this goes. But, honestly, I don't think any designer, good or bad, is going to willingly make things for free and not be appreciated or respected which happens way too often.

Smangii, I agree with you but also disagree. I only started design when V5 came out because V4 was so well- sloppy I didn't bother with it. I tried my best but I never liked anything I made because I couldn't make anything I wanted unless I added some JavaScript to target specific things on the forum. With V5, it's easier to understand but not everyone can do it... just look at the Theme Library. I wrote the PB V5 Tutorial because I was tired of answering millions of obvious questions...

It does turn me away a little bit but it also makes me WANT to make better skins... Yeah, I like to show off a bit. Not saying my stuff is amazing, but so far people like it but I bet that's only because it's one of the best of what's available. Like David Clark said, there are only three people, that have multiple skins created and that are known. I haven't seen one of yours, but maybe you don't release them, I don't know.

[David Clark]

Remember, too, that (as you might have already suspected from the large "FREE" text on every library listing) there are plans to allow content creators to be able to charge for their premium content. Is there any credit or appreciation better than money for your work?

[Alanna 🥀🖤]

Dec 12, 2013 17:00:45 GMT -8 David Clark said:

Remember, too, that (as you might have already suspected from the large "FREE" text on every library listing) there are plans to allow content creators to be able to charge for their premium content. Is there any credit or appreciation better than money for your work?

I did notice that and I have been wanting to ask about that as well. How will it work? How will a "designer" put a price on their themes?

[David Clark]

For more information I'm afraid you'll have to wait for word from our devs over in the development blog - I don't have much in the way of details at this time.