Best and most simple programme for this purpose???

Ecocabbie · 02-03-2010 11:53AM #1

Hi there!

I work in advertising, but have no hands on experience on the design side, although Im fairly computer literate.

Basically Im looking for a simple design program to create simple mockups, mainly on outdoor billboards sites, bus shelters and on vehicles. My colleague had been doing this quite simply on his iphone using an application caused 'juxtaposer'.

I was wondering does such a programme exist to use on PC or Mac (I use Mac)
I suppose the equivilant of imovie for editing or garageband for audio recording, something real simple and easy to use but just basic functions. I dont think id last a day on photoshop, way outta my league;)

Any advice or help massively appreciated!

thanks

mood · 02-03-2010 01:26PM

Quark XPress, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator.

However, even if you managed to master one or all of these programs there is a lot more to graphic design. Programs are only a tool. You need to know how the print process works and you need to understand typography, colour interaction, etc.

My advice would be to leave it to the professionals. As a designer who has plenty of experience I have seen loads of work come in that simply could not be printed because the person simply was not a designer and didn't know what they were doing. You could end up costing you company a lot more than you save.

Ecocabbie · 02-03-2010 03:12PM

thanks for that.

However, do rest assured that any design work we require is always done by professionals. And we have a lot of design work done! however we need an element of in-house when it comes to pitching ideas.

I have worked with quite a few designers and you can not imagine how simple I am talking here. Think about it, if my colleague can do more than an adequate job on an iphone application I dont think what Im looking for requires quark express!!!

I dont mean to sound like im trying to trivialise what designers do at all- im not! and they are more than a necessary part of our business, but this is quite different.

Anyone else any ideas? thanks

02-03-2010 08:47PM

Vectordesigner or DrawIt might be suitable.

There's also some a free web based image editor worth trying.
http://aviary.com/

Ecocabbie · 03-03-2010 01:47AM

Man thanks P ill check those out.
All the best,

Buddhapadge · 03-03-2010 09:08PM

I started designing stuff with Paint Shop Pro years ago, I remember it being a pretty good gateway into things. I think you can download it on a thirty day trial.

Smyth · 07-03-2010 03:16PM

Gimp would be useful for doing quick and dirty mockups. That is what it's for I take it? Something to aid your pitch.

Deliverance · 09-03-2010 10:45PM

I always found some crayons and a black pen to work up a storyboard the best as a start. You can easily trace the creative direct input into a computer program and redraw it. Put your creativity into the art first then transfer it to the computer. The computer is a tool to do something with your art. I.e. redraw it digitally for the digital consumer.

OctavarIan · 10-03-2010 12:14AM

I second GIMP, it's probably the best free alternative to Photoshop you're going to get. It's not too difficult to use either.

You could check out Inkscape as well, also free. It's an alternative to Illustrator.

Deliverance wrote:

The computer is a tool to do something with your art. I.e. redraw it digitally for the digital consumer.

I disagree with this completely. A modern computer is a more than viable tool for creating art.

Besides, this thread isn't even about art, it's about design.

Deliverance · 10-03-2010 10:35PM

Ah yeah for sure. The computer is a multi tool able to create amazing stuff. I agree with you there. It's just that as an additional input... I have found that putting pen to paper as as creative person, that I can, and have turned a script into a storyboard via pen and paper and crayons etc. From there I put it into a computer and can redraw it digitally for distribution.

I imagine if your working for a company as a computer user with great expertise on computers, then any person in the company can use a pen or a coloured crayon to add to the 'idea'. the others in the company may not have the same abilities or expertise computer wise.

So a pen and paper etc can and does provide a low tech solution that everyone can use, to simply add to the computer using expert who can transform the idea into an overall solution.

Plus design is not art? Where did you get that idea or indeed impulse from?

OctavarIan · 11-03-2010 12:12AM

Deliverance wrote: »

Ah yeah for sure. The computer is a multi tool able to create amazing stuff. I agree with you there. It's just that as an additional input... I have found that putting pen to paper as as creative person, that I can, and have turned a script into a storyboard via pen and paper and crayons etc. From there I put it into a computer and can redraw it digitally for distribution.

I imagine if your working for a company as a computer user with great expertise on computers, then any person in the company can use a pen or a coloured crayon to add to the 'idea'. the others in the company may not have the same abilities or expertise computer wise.

So a pen and paper etc can and does provide a low tech solution that everyone can use, to simply add to the computer using expert who can transform the idea into an overall solution.

Yeah I do know the importance of pen & paper, I live in a mountain of the stuff! A five second drawing can show what would take maybe hours to explain in words. I just though you were saying that computers couldn't be used to create art, obviously a misunderstanding, no biggie

Deliverance wrote:

Plus design is not art? Where did you get that idea or indeed impulse from?

At the core of design is function. At the core of art is form. Design meets objectives, art meets impulses. A design is a planned outcome which meets a specified goal, whereas art is an expression of the artist. Art is very personal, design is not. And it's where the two mix that things get interesting!

You wouldn't have hired Francis Bacon and told him to create posters for your business' new marketing campaign, to put it that way

Of course design can be art though, it's just in the case of this thread the topic is clearly design.

[edit]Here's a great link that explains it better than I can

Deliverance · 14-03-2010 12:07AM

OctavarIan wrote: »

Yeah I do know the importance of pen & paper, I live in a mountain of the stuff! A five second drawing can show what would take maybe hours to explain in words. I just though you were saying that computers couldn't be used to create art, obviously a misunderstanding, no biggie

At the core of design is function. At the core of art is form. Design meets objectives, art meets impulses. A design is a planned outcome which meets a specified goal, whereas art is an expression of the artist. Art is very personal, design is not. And it's where the two mix that things get interesting!

You wouldn't have hired Francis Bacon and told him to create posters for your business' new marketing campaign, to put it that way

Of course design can be art though, it's just in the case of this thread the topic is clearly design.

[edit]Here's a great link that explains it better than I can

Aye great link and an interesting read. It is tough seperating the two as a learner for sure. But that article / point of view is quite good for providing some much needed focus. Thanks for that. I wish I had read it a couple of years back during some stressful training years. It is worthy for others to read it just to get a nicely explained example of the difference of art and design in a subjective way.

Thanks again.

Best and most simple programme for this purpose???

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