Be Prepared
This phrase is the motto of the Girl and Boy Scouts. This is also good advice if you are applying for grants or scholarships to help you finance your education at a graphic design school or college.

In this article we’ll offer some tips regarding the logistics of applying, where to find funding, and how you can increase the odds in your favor for successful submissions.

Details, Details, and More Details
The good news is that there are funds out there for you to apply for. The bad news is there are funds out there for you to apply for. In other words, if you hate paper work and applications, this will definitely be a challenging experience.

Make sure you fill out all forms completely, accurately, and neatly. This will make the job of screening your application much easier for the person in charge of scholarship reviews. So always “be prepared.”

Here is some advice on the process of applying for scholarships:
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Does the Scholarship Apply to You?
Make sure that the specific grant or scholarship you are applying for is geared towards your specific needs. If you are seeking financial help for your career training at a graphic design college, applying for a science scholarship makes no sense. Do your research to be certain you fit the scholarship category.

Keep Your Grades Up
A good deal of scholarships require a minimum GPA of 3.0 or better. In some instances, a 2.5 or higher is acceptable. If you want scholarship money, your GPA scores are one of the first qualifying prerequisites that will be looked at.

Get Letters of Recommendation from Your Teachers
Anyone can say they’re great, but backing this up with facts is another matter. If you are exemplary in your scholastic abilities, talents or other positive qualities that fulfill the requirements for a scholarship, ask your teachers to put in a good word for you by writing a letter of recommendation.

Don’t Skimp on the Details
You will probably be asked to submit a written essay on the reasons why you are a good candidate for the scholarship. You need to emphasize your strengths and not shy away from making your case. Make sure to list any awards, activities or personal achievements that demonstrate your expertise in your field of graphic design.

Keep at It
Filling out scholarship applications can be tedious and tiring. But according to those who are in the know, they understand that the rewards can be worth all the work.

Where to Start
Now that you know the “how,” the next step is knowing the “where” of scholarships.

The following Internet links are filled with valuable information and strategies on scholarships and grants:
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CollegeAnswer.com
You’ll find a wealth of information pertaining to funding, selection of colleges, and college related topics. There is plenty of good advice and resources here.

FedMoney.org
This website describes itself as, “Your FREE Guide to All U.S. Government Grants and Loans Benefiting Students!” This website has an easy to use interface that can narrow down your search for government scholarships and grants.

Schoolgrantsblog.com
This blog was mentioned by Time magazine. This resource lists various grants that are available to students as well as listing the specific grant categories.

Next Time…
What are the specific scholarships available to you? Who runs them? What are the pitfalls in applying for scholarships? These questions and more will be answered in Graphic Design Scholarship Basics and You - Part III.

Until then, keep on designing!
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Design a Home for the 21^st Century
Are you a graphic designer and a fan of architecture? Are you interested in trying something different with your design skills?

Or perhaps you are an architecture professional or student. If so, now is your chance to stretch your creative muscles and apply your talents in the FreeGreen New Home Design Contest.

The contest is seeking entries from designers that demonstrate the concept of “affordable luxury” in homes. In the words of the contest sponsors:

“…home owners still desire livable, ascetically pleasing, and luxurious homes, but now need these same concepts implemented into smaller more affordable residential structures.

“This creates the perfect opportunity for the design community to take charge of this challenge and be the first to create new home designs, and design delivery methods that meet today’s restraints and requirements.”

Choose Your Venue
Contestants have the option of choosing between two design profiles: a traditional single family home or a modernist retreat.

Your draft must identify the climate region the home is designed for and cost $220,000 to $410,000 to build. All entries must fulfill the required square footage requirements for each design profile.

To see a summary of the requirements for each profile, follow these links:

Traditional Family Home
Modernist Retreat

Please note that certain contest assets and details will be only available after contest registration. The cost of the entry/registration fee is $50.

Judging and Prizes
The winners will be selected from the votes for best design from the public and a jury comprised of industry professionals. According to the official contest rules, prizes for this competition are:

Best in Show ($5,000 Prize)

* $5,000 Cash - For the best design across both contest profiles.
* The implementation of your design into a true house plan (full construction document set) by ….FreeGreen, to which you will retain the rights.
* Your winning house plan will be posted on the FreeGreen for-sale House Plan Web site, Better ….House Plans.

Best in Class (Two $1,000 Prizes)

* $1,000 Cash - For the best design in each profile (the Best in Show Design is excluded)
* The implementation of your design into a true house plan (full construction document set) by ….FreeGreen, to which you will retain the rights.
* Your winning house plan will be posted on the FreeGreen for-sale House Plan Web site, Better ….House Plans.

Final Details
These links provide important information regarding the FreeGreen Home Design Contest:

The Official Contest Site
Contest Schedule
Contest Rules
FAQs
Registration Page

The entry deadline is September 1, 2010. Send any questions about this contest to WhosNext [at] FreeGreen.com. There is a $50 entry/registration fee required to participate in this competition.

Art, Culture, Porsche, Benz, and You
As disconnected as all of these words seem to be, you have a chance at winning an art residency in beautiful Stuttgart, Germany–the headquarters of Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and site to the international art residency Akademie Schloss Solitude.

This contest is open to all international artists and designers.

Individuals who have graduated from a university, college, graphic design school, design center or other recognized institution of learning are eligible. Students are not eligible for this residency.

The Residency Details
Sixty winners will be selected by a jury for residencies in the years 2010-2013. The categories for entry, according to the official contest rules are:

* Architecture: architecture design, urban studies, landscape design
* Visual Arts: including performance art and curatorial practice
* Performing Arts:  stage design, directing, drama, play-writing, dance, acting, musical ….theater, performance
* Design: visual communication, fashion, costume, product or furniture design
* Literature: theory/criticism, essay, poetry, fiction, translation
* Music/Sound: sound installation, sound and music composition, sound and music performance
* Video/Film/New Media: including video installation

This is a wonderful opportunity for designers and graduates from graphic design colleges to expand and hone their artistic skills by going overseas to participate in this ongoing art residency program.

Residency winners will be provided with a six month to one year fellowship at the Akademie Schloss Solitude in Stuttgart, Germany. The winners are responsible for their personal transportation to Stuttgart and back.
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Each fellowship recipient will be awarded a grant of €1,000 per month during their stay, free lodging, freight cost subsidy for the transportation of art/design materials to and from Stuttgart, partial health insurance benefits, and associated workshops and study groups.

Important Information
Click on the following links for information related to:

Akademie Schloss Solitude Residency Guidelines
Residency Winner Awards
Jury and Winner Selection Procedures
Who Is Eligible for this Contest
Staff Contact Information
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Other Details
The deadline for this residency fellowship contest is October 31, 2010. There are no entry fees for this competition. For questions about this event, make an international phone call to +49 (0) 711 99 6 19 0. Fax queries may be sent to +49 (0) 711 99 6 19 50.

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Calling All Designers
The Seoul International Design for All Competition is a unique opportunity for designers from a broad range of design backgrounds to compete for cash prizes and awards.

Seoul, Korea has been designated World Design Capital 2010 and is celebrating this honor with a design fair and contest.

The Design for All competition’s objective is to provide an open forum for all designers, regardless of their specific fields of expertise, to share and present their creations.
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The Entry Categories
According to the official website, designers may submit their work in the following contest categories and their respective sub categories:

* Product for All
- Product
- System
- Fashion
- Craft

* Communication for All
- Graphic
- Advertisement
- Moving Image
- Animation

* Space for All
- Interior
- Environmental Design
- Architecture

Awards
Various cash prizes totaling $26,000 USD plus contest award certificates will be given to the winners of this competition. According to the contest sponsors, the awards are:

* Golden Haechi prize: one winner, US $10,000
* Silver Haechi prize: three winners, US $2,000 each
* Bronze Haechi prize: five winners, US $1,000 each
* Iron Haechi prize: max. ten winners, US $500 each

* Honorable mention: within two hundred people, certificates for each
* People’s choice awards: twenty winners, certificates for each

How to Enter
Perspective contest candidates must first register at the official website. Submissions are to be uploaded to the entry website with a valid free account.

The deadline for submissions is July 13, 2010. There are no entry fees for this contest.

School and You
If you want to become a graphic designer, a good education serves as the training and proving ground for your professional skills.

If you are new to the area of graphic design you may have some questions such as:

* What sorts of educational opportunities are out ….there?
* How do you choose a good graphic design ….college?
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* What type of degree or certification do you need?
* What will I learn?

We’ll cover these topics and more in our two part series on graphic design education and you.

Image Is Everything
Or to put this in another way, your graphic design education image is everything. You’ll reflect virtually everything you’ve learned in the classes, assignments and projects from your graphic design school. So selecting the right design school is of paramount importance.

Good graphic design schools and design centers have very robust curricula that cover topics such as design theory, the use of computer graphics software, drawing and illustration techniques, portfolio design, and critical thinking skills.

A good college is nothing without a professional and skilled teaching staff. There are real teachers who can inspire and mentor you in the fine art of graphic design. There are also those who are called teachers but merely disseminate facts and information in a mechanical way.

You want teachers who have highly developed skills in graphic design and can effectively communicate and guide you in your design education.

Offline, Online or Sometime?
An effective graphic design education is possible through traditional colleges, universities or online distance learning centers.

If you need maximum flexibility in class scheduling, online education may suit your needs. Some individuals opt to go to school on a part-time basis to earn their degrees while working full-time.

Check with your college counselor to find out what suits you best or look through the offerings here at graphicdesignbasics.com for more information on graphic design education schools and colleges.

Next Time…
In the next article we’ll discuss graphic design degrees, certification, junior colleges, and the job market for graphic designers. See you then!

What Does the Job of an Interior Designer Encompass?
For many years the job of an interior designer had to do with decorating living or business spaces by using the appropriate selection of furnishings, lighting, floor and window treatments, artwork, and the use of color.

For the most part, these are the primary functions of interior designers but recently the tasks of interior designers have expanded to architectural aspects such as planning for interior detailing, the placement of windows, stairways, escalators, and building renovation elements.

Interior designers are responsible to their clients and must assess what their needs and wants are before going into the actual phase of interior design planning.

A great deal of communication is needed during this phase to make sure that the concepts of the client and the interior designer are in phase.

Interior design jobs can be as small as a one room treatment of a kitchen, bathroom or living room to taking on projects for entire office buildings, retail stores or public locations.

These projects are often done under tight deadlines and the interior designer must be able to work well under pressure and multitask effectively.

What Steps Are Necessary to Prepare for an Interior Design Career?
Entry-level interior design jobs require a college degree in design. Professional design schools offer programs that take 2-4 years to complete. There are also 2-3 year certificate programs in interior design offered by community colleges, art schools, and online education centers. Some graphic design schools also include interior design in their curriculum.

Some graduates of interior design programs gain needed work experience by interning or serving in a design apprenticeship program. These apprenticeships are 1-3 years in length and provide career training for aspiring interior designers.

Apprenticeships are usually done at a design firm or architectural firm under the watchful eye of a professional designer.

The Qualities Employers Seek from Prospective Candidates
Many employers of interior designers want individuals who are proficient in using computer aided design (CAD) software. A basic understanding of engineering and architecture is also desirable.

Those seeking employment as interior designers should be creative, efficient, and have strong communication skills. They should also be constantly attuned to what is going on in the interior design industry in order to maintain a current perspective of what is fashionable and what is not.

The Job Outlook for Interior Designers
The future looks bright for interior design positions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that there will be a 19 percent increase in interior design jobs from 2010 to 2018. Although there will be substantial openings for interior design jobs, the competition for these spots will be extremely high.

In 2008 the mean annual wage for interior designers was $51,020.