[forbes]

this is starting to do my head in..

started my new job as a web designer 2 months ago and when i came there were plenty of work to do, about 4-5 website visuals to design etc.. i designed them all and theyve all gone to the clients for either feedback or for them to gather content for the site...

ive been waiting probably 3-4 weeks for them and basically spent that time doing sweet fa!!! just sat here browsing the net, half-assed attempts to doing online tutorials on glassy orb buttons to make myself look busy and im getting peeved off..

does anyone else go through this stuff? its a small company (only 5 of us) and only 1 of us emailing/talking to the clients etc and he's pretty busy..

what do u recommend i do to solve this shit? cos i cant take sitting around twiddling my thumbs for much longer...

[combat sheep]

hire a stripper

[ryanbrown_6]

I am waiting for a director to turn up for a meeting that should have happened 3 hours ago!

Ive been looking at design sites, thinking about my own portfolio, and looking for design companies in Oz - thats where I wanna be long term.

Don't suppose anyone knows of any good to have a look at?

[Mandy Moo]

During quiet spells I create my own projects to promote the studio and bring in more work. You can take as long as you like plus you get brownie points for doing something off your own back! Look for stuff that needs doing and do it.

[forbes]

Originally Posted by Mandy Moo

During quiet spells I create my own projects to promote the studio and bring in more work. You can take as long as you like plus you get brownie points for doing something off your own back! Look for stuff that needs doing and do it.

so what kind of projects do you do to promote your studio? sounds like a good idea...

[Mandy Moo]

Originally Posted by forbes

so what kind of projects do you do to promote your studio? sounds like a good idea...

Some of our work are sent via agencies and we just prepare them for print, often our clients ask for the artwork in CD format. I'm in the middle of designing a CD pack to promote the studio and show these clients what we can do. Because I work for a printers in the pharmaceutical packaging industry my idea is that these CD will be sent as "a prescription" with a patient information leaflet that give info about the design studio, the CD will be their requested files. Still very much in progress though.

In my old job, working for a newspaper group. I use to find ads that I think needs redesigning and redesign them then show them to the Sales Rep responsible for that client.

[Dusteh]

You can also spend the time streamlining some of your processes; for example, if you are providing the client with content-management features - could you improve upon the documentation you leave them with?

[forbes]

Originally Posted by Mandy Moo

Some of our work are sent via agencies and we just prepare them for print, often our clients ask for the artwork in CD format. I'm in the middle of designing a CD pack to promote the studio and show these clients what we can do. Because I work for a printers in the pharmaceutical packaging industry my idea is that these CD will be sent as "a prescription" with a patient information leaflet that give info about the design studio, the CD will be their requested files. Still very much in progress though.

In my old job, working for a newspaper group. I use to find ads that I think needs redesigning and redesign them then show them to the Sales Rep responsible for that client.

we dont do print here (yet) but youve given me a few ideas...

dusteh - i dont particularly wanna streamline a process i dont get to do very often, when i do get to do it i like to prolong it as much as i can so im not left with nothing to do... so may as well draw up a different cms user manual for each client i get eh! more work that way...

cheers for the ideas

[freelancr]

I would consider yourself lucky, nothing to do and still getting paid! Stick a few games on if you are bored, or if you have to do something work related perhaps write some opensource software.

[Alexanda]

Originally Posted by forbes

this is starting to do my head in..

started my new job as a web designer 2 months ago and when i came there were plenty of work to do, about 4-5 website visuals to design etc.. i designed them all and theyve all gone to the clients for either feedback or for them to gather content for the site...

ive been waiting probably 3-4 weeks for them and basically spent that time doing sweet fa!!! just sat here browsing the net, half-assed attempts to doing online tutorials on glassy orb buttons to make myself look busy and im getting peeved off..

does anyone else go through this stuff? its a small company (only 5 of us) and only 1 of us emailing/talking to the clients etc and he's pretty busy..

what do u recommend i do to solve this shit? cos i cant take sitting around twiddling my thumbs for much longer...

Same boat here, except i'm not allowed to do any promo shit for the company as the creative director does it all, for the last 3 weeks i've just re-sized ad's and made brews while everyone else has massive 2 year projects on the go, does my head in.

[jack]

Originally Posted by cantona

Same boat here, except i'm not allowed to do any promo shit for the company as the creative director does it all, for the last 3 weeks i've just re-sized ad's and made brews while everyone else has massive 2 year projects on the go, does my head in.

Thats harsh mate, you a senior?

[Alexanda]

nah, i've only got 3 years exp. the studio consists of one creative director, 4 art directors a web guy and me

[jack]

Thats sounds like a mad set-up. How can they seriously have 4 art director titles for 2 designers?

[edit] just re-read my message, and it was full of typos :s

[Do Gooder]

learn a new program that you know nothing about.

when i worked a big agency as a artworker i used to while away many an hour learning Cinema 4D (a three dee app)... before the company when down the pan!

...or take up knitting

[Limbo]

I'd give my right hand not to be working 12 hour days. It's been fucking mental here for 6 weeks.

Learn some new skills while doing something contructive... Intranet Design? Working up your portfolio? PHP? Flash? CMS's? Photography?

[centro]

Originally Posted by cantona

nah, i've only got 3 years exp. the studio consists of one creative director, 4 art directors a web guy and me

4 Art Directors and no direction.

[TheEnglishSpy]

Nothing really to do? You could start to think up some new projects, do them on your own, or get people to do that? Makes you look more like a creative director instead of a visual designer hahaha

[Do Gooder]

Originally Posted by jack

Thats sounds like a man set-up. How can the seriously have 4 art director titles for 2 designers?

i worked in a company of 17 bods. i was the only one who wasn't senior, director or manager... even the recepionist dolly bird was a 'manager' crazy stuff.

think it's done to make the company credentials look good.

[yank crime]

So frustrating- I know the feeling as well. I freelance- so it makes it worse that I'm there to help out when it's busy- but then waiting on client revisions, or creative directors to exit meetings for their input... being paid hourly while not even on staff and everyone walks by to see me f'ing about on the internet.

I'm always looking on craigslist to find projects when it's that slow- getting paid to be at 'work' and then working on a side project in down time... double paid is nice- but you look like more of a wank if they see that- so it's risky i suppose.

I like the idea about learning new software- lynda.com has killed hours of boredom and taught me some neat tricks.

[weldo]

i'd just bide my time doing whatever felt like a good idea - be it productive or otherwise ... if its quiet now, it may not be for too long ... enjoy the break.

maybe look for other jobs too ?? (if you were the last guy hired - you're likely to be the first out the door if work dries up long time)