Talk - The Business End — Australian INfront

The Business End

Golden Crunch Chips DCS Separations © Cowan Design

Posted by Jeremy Wortsman on 08th January 2010

Urbandictionary.com defines 'The Business End' as "The section of a

tool/device directly responsible for producing the desired effect of

that tool/device". Like the steel head of a claw-hammer, it could be

said that in the creative fields that the business end of things is

also the hardest part.

As someone who began their career in a more 'hands-on' creative role,

I can dispel right off the bat the misconception that the business end

of our industry is devoid of any inherent creativity. In fact, I find

myself thinking in new and lateral ways that I never could have

imagined possible in a traditional design role.

Whenever I give a public talk or lecture, there is one image I always

show, which is of a series of screenshots of colour separations that I

did while working as a finished artist in packaging. Sure it's

something that looks incredibly boring and you won't see it in the

pages lining the design annuals, but without learning the skills on

the job to perform complex colour separations, I would have never had

the technical skills to figure out how to print Is Not Magazine, which

was the stepping stone to my career today.

At the end of the day, I strongly believe that being a successful

creative involves a balance of multiple skill sets. As more and more

graduates form their own practices, and talk of the 'Death of the

Creative Department' looms in Adland, now has never been a more

important time to hone your business skills if you are going to

survive. Whether you are a graphic designer, illustrator,

photographer, etc., the one thing that binds our fields together is

that we work under the banner of Commercial Art. And fully

understanding the implications of that first word is crucial to

securing not only our own personal financial future, but the future of

our industry as a whole.

In the community spirit of the of Australian Infront relaunch, I would

like to open things up firstly to you. What do you want to know about?

What business challenges are you facing? Are there any specific

roadblocks that are stopping you from realising your creative dreams?

While there are already heaps of amazing sites and blogs out there

that already cater to this niche in some ways, it is my hope in the

coming weeks and months to explore issues specific to the Australian

Creative industry. Whether they are short bursts of inspiration, or

more full reviews of specific online and offline references, it is my

sincere hope that I can share with you some of the knowledge that I

have gained in my own path. While I won't pretend to know it all, or

even that my ways and suggestions are the right ones, I will do my

best

Urbandictionary.com defines 'The Business End' as "The section of a tool/device directly responsible for producing the desired effect ofthat tool/device". Like the steel head of a claw-hammer, it could be said that in the creative fields that the business end of things is also the hardest part.

As someone who began their career in a more 'hands-on' creative role, I can dispel right off the bat the misconception that the business end of our industry is devoid of any inherent creativity. In fact, I find myself thinking in new and lateral ways that I never could have imagined possible in a traditional design role.

Whenever I give a public talk or lecture, there is one image I always show, which is of a series of screenshots of colour separations that I did while working as a finished artist in packaging. Sure it's something that looks incredibly boring and you won't see it in the pages lining the design annuals, but without learning the skills on the job to perform complex colour separations, I would have never had the technical skills to figure out how to print Is Not Magazine, which was the stepping stone to my career today.

At the end of the day, I strongly believe that being a successful creative involves a balance of multiple skill sets. As more and more graduates form their own practices, and talk of the 'Death of the Creative Department' looms in Adland, now has never been a more important time to hone your business skills if you are going to survive. Whether you are a graphic designer, illustrator,photographer, etc., the one thing that binds our fields together is that we work under the banner of Commercial Art. And fully understanding the implications of that first word is crucial tosecuring not only our own personal financial future, but the future of our industry as a whole.

In the community spirit of the of Australian Infront relaunch, I would like to open things up firstly to you. What do you want to know about?What business challenges are you facing? Are there any specific roadblocks that are stopping you from realising your creative dreams?

While there are already heaps of amazing sites and blogs out there that already cater to this niche in some ways, it is my hope in the coming weeks and months to explore issues specific to the Australian Creative industry. Whether they are short bursts of inspiration, or more full reviews of specific online and offline references, it is my sincere hope that I can share with you some of the knowledge that I have gained in my own path. While I won't pretend to know it all, or even that my ways and suggestions are the right ones, I will do my best!