Tldr: the winning “design” from a student org’s logo competition lifts it's elements from linocut prints/etc. and I'm not sure how to bring it up with club leadership (in WI, USA, for the record).

Forgive me if this isn't the proper place to ask this and do let me know if this question would be better directed elsewhere.

I'm part of a university student organization that recently had a logo design contest. Logo designs were submitted and voted on by members. The winning “design” had what I initially thought was just a collection of random clipart (which I found irritating). After trying to find said clipart’s source because I'm petty like that, I realized the “designer” was just copying linocut designs they found on pinterest (which genuinely pisses me off).

How do I bring this up to the club’s leaders? Does the omission of fine details call fair use into question or are the silhouettes enough to make it some sort of infringement? Should I reach out to the artists in question directly? I did my best to find original sources but Pinterest makes it difficult. One of the copied designs is legitimately the current logo of a practicing artist in Canada. It strikes me as disgraceful—if not legally suspect—to use these artists’ work in a logo that will be made into and sold as club merchandise.

I've been working on my personal logo recently. I've heard some people saying that a personal logo isn't important in the long run and others say personal branding is the most important thing you can do so I figured better be safe than sorry and its good practice anyway. As far as the design goes I decided to go with my initials, I wanted to convey a sense of elegance and luxury while still being playful. I'm struggling on deciding on a color pallet. I think the gold looks more elegant but the pink matches my personality better. I tried to go somewhere in the middle but the grainy texture the metallic filter gives is a lot more obvious in my opinion. I'm open to criticism on the design because I'm always looking to grow as a designer.

Had a really weird meeting at work yesterday. The CEO told me my statics, carousels and reels made from scratch are boring, take no time to make and nobody cares about them. So from January next year, he wants the entire social media feed to be AI reels, AI images and AI copy. That's it. I'm officially being replaced by AI and they won't even let me go.

I can't quit the job because it's my main income and I haven't had any luck finding a replacement yet. The meeting's been really bumming me out so I made a poster design just to take my mind off things for a while.

The text on the right is from Follow The Cops Back Home by Placebo. I used blue for the whole thing because it's my favourite colour lol! I also made it sort of a surprise for my friend with the werewolf comic so it's got some references to it in the fine text and visuals :)

I might do more of these at work just to keep myself a little more grounded. Since AI is taking over for me I'll have the free time right? Lol!

Have you guys ever had a similar experience at your job?

For context and information please see my previous post!
I want to start by saying thank you to everyone who provided feedback on my last post your advice has been extremely helpful and kind.

I’ve worked on it a lot more and have gone back and forth with the copy but I feel it could still use improvement. I’ve changed up the fonts, but if anyone has any suggestions on fonts that are available on google slides I’m all ears!

I’m also worried about the amount of text and images- too much or too little?

I’m limited to 5 slides, and I’m trying to hit points they’re asking about in the job description. Also the word “hungry” is one of their values not my words so I won’t be changing that. I’ve also redacted the company name on the final slide. EDIT: The last slides colors are changed to match the shift in my style but also it’s their brand colors!

And once again please be harsh any and all feedback is welcome, I promise you won’t hurt my feelings!
I’m also attaching my portfolio for reference on my style and projects: https://savflores.xyz

I work for 10 years as a designer, but mainly in-house. Last couple of years I had a freelance client that I worked a lot with. But right now it seems they experience a crisis (probably higher ups fucked something up+economic situation is tough) and they cut costs harrrd. They lay off person (lets call him Bob) that works with me directly, the person that brought me to this freelance gig.

Bob is finishing his work soon. On behalf of higher ups he asked me to provide source file for some projects. To be clear these things are really nothing in terms of design. They are simple and basic. It’s like sales, photo, title, price, of the product.

So we never really discussed the question about source files directly. and it’s not even talked about in our contract. So I don’t have to hand they over.

But I love to work with Bob, and Bob loves to work with me. And in future Bob could provide me with more work.

But also I feel like they want to get rid of me and that makes me feel negative emotions. I don’t want to make their life easy.. Also it would be strange to bill source files..

What would you do?

Hi! I'm a junior designer based in the Philippines, and I would like some feedback on my portfolio website. I designed and built the website myself (I'm also a web developer), because I wanted the site to have strong emphasis on my personal branding so I hope it comes through.

I graduated about half a year ago with a degree in Entertainment and Multimedia Computing. I'm hoping to land a job as a designer that specializes in branding and/or advertising, but I have little insight as to how to go about it.

As per content, I'm aware there could be more. I'll add more graphics in the near future, and replace some of that are on there too. If y'all could view the website both via desktop and mobile, that would be great. Any constructive feedback would be very much appreciated!

Edit: More context

Project Overview
This project demonstrates a comprehensive corporate identity and visual rebranding system developed.

Design Philosophy & Symbology
The core emblem modernizes the traditional concept of an institutional coat of arms, utilizing a highly structured geometric layout. The design features a stylized tree composed of distinct symbolic layers:

• The Tree Structure: Represents the historic Battle of Ankara and references the dense forests of the Pursaklar region, which famously served as a strategic concealment zone for Tamerlane’s (Timur) war elephants.
• The Water Droplet: Positioned at the base of the tree's root system, the water droplet represents the famous Kavacık spring water, signifying the region's pure natural resources and deep-rooted stability.

Strategic Objectives & Color Palette
The final composition is designed to project a forward-looking, progressive administration that values sustainable civic development. The color strategy relies on an official, high-contrast palette where each tone carries a specific institutional function:

• Service Red: Represents active civic duty, public service, and administrative dynamism.
• Trust Blue: Symbolizes structural integrity, stability, and institutional trust.
• Pure White: Reflects transparency, clarity, and institutional integrity.

The comprehensive documentation and applications of this rebranding project can be reviewed in detail on Behance via the link provided below. Your professional critique, insights, and contributions to further refine this identity system would be highly appreciated.

City of Pursaklar - Behance

Hey everyone!

I absolutely love The Magic of MinaLima and I'm looking for recommendations for books with a similar feel.

What I love most is the combination of graphic design, illustration, typography, intricate details, and the way the book itself feels like an art object rather than just something to read. I especially love the playful, immersive presentation and the craftsmanship behind every page.

I'm looking for books that explore graphic design, visual storytelling, print design, ephemera, book design, or beautifully art-directed illustrations. They don't necessarily have to be about MinaLima or even graphic design specifically, I'm just looking for that same sense of wonder and attention to detail.

What books would you recommend? Ideally, something visually rich that I can spend hours flipping through and discovering new details.

Thanks!

I've been on a rural health clinic marketing team for a few years now doing design work and I've tossed this question around with my manager in the last year or so. It's relevant to know that the audience in mind for my designs leans primarily on the older end, but we have a fitness program that is aimed towards a younger crowd.

I keep wondering how much direct guidance is needed for viewers to understand what to do with a QR code. The older demographic really stumps me, since my manager assumes anyone above the age of 50 has no idea what a QR code is. It's been well over a decade since QR codes became a big thing and I feel that it's no longer necessary to write out detailed instructions. I've attached a recent example from a newsprint ad with a revision my manager requested and my original version.

Is this level of description really needed? I worry that adding so much makes the design feel wordy and also feels like the organization is talking down to our audience. What are some creative ways you've gotten around roadblocks with QR codes?

ETA: Wow! I got a lot of great feedback, especially about the URL shortener and the transparency of the link. I didn't realize that was such a crucial element of including QR codes in design work. Even though I don't have enough time in the day to respond to everyone, I wanted to say I appreciate everyone's responses and perspectives ☺️

I am a first year design student, I usually create illustrations but wanted to explore more photography based design. Just having fun practising different styles! Obviously any feedback and advice would be appreciated.

Hi all! I am a senior brand designer working in indie / luxury beauty and lifestyle brands. I have now been working as a designer for about 7 years and feel I have mastered my craft within the parameters of the work I do (campaign, product launches, paid & digital). I have been feeling like I’ve outgrown doing the same work over and over again for various brands and think shifting to AD is a natural next step to start developing campaigns and concepts. I have been working in contract roles for the last years so I have never really had a mentor to guide me in this direction.

What has been your experience in navigating this transition? What are the key differences between the two roles? I am assuming shoot and production experience which I am hoping to build out. I am currently interviewing for a couple of AD roles at top beauty companies, so want to make sure I approach this correctly. Appreciate any advice!

EDIT: I’ve made in update to this post please check it out! :)

Hi there! I’m a designer who’s recently graduated college and I was reached out to by an art director about a residency program. The application requires a five slide maximum personal presentation and the posting asks “who are you,what is your passion, how do you work, what are your favorite projects and why (company name) share a story about one of our values and how you relate to it.” The value I chose is “stay hungry” and I’m sharing about my explorations of Touchdesigner during my final semester.

The second slide is about my process, 4th slide I’ll be talking how, even though they seem like random images, these photos inspired my projects

I’d like to keep it simple with the copy so I can do the talking. My design style is blending the old with the new they want personality and uniqueness but I feel my slides are lacking in format or styling. Any critiques are welcome please BE HARSH. And let me know if you have any questions! Thanks!

I’m trying to get a flattened, yet sharp effect with an image like the items in the red sale poster. My current image is the pile of sales stickers. I’ve tried a few things in photoshop and even image tracing but it’s always got that “ai generated look”, which I def don’t want. Any tips would be greatly appreciated

I did some covers for the books I've read in the past year and that I enjoyed. I use mixed media, digital illustration, collage, etc. What do you think? Happy to hear opinions!

(Nsfw tag because of see-through body piece on a character on the last slides)

Hey I am wanting to rewrite my freelancing contract that I give to my clients. Right now I have a modified template from an old professor. Does anyone have experience writing their own contracts?

Has anyone sought out a legal professional for intellectual property?

To sum up what I want to vent about right off the bat: a junior colleague who joined the company as a designer is addicted to AI, and there’s a trend throughout the office to use AI to save time. I’ve been straining my eyes tracing illustrations generated by AI to convert them into vector data. I’ve had enough.

My friends also ask Gemini for life advice, and even when I just search for something, the AI suggests the most relevant results—so I know it’s impossible to live our lives without AI playing a role in them.
However, now that I’ve chosen the role of “designer,” I believe I should use my own judgment to develop a solid, unshakable concept—even when it comes to the fundamental aspects of how to approach the design that’s been requested.
Since I work as an in-house designer at my company, I don’t create designs based entirely on requests from external clients, but I still have opportunities to work on logo designs and main visuals.

After all, if you can’t think for yourself and articulate why you created a design—explaining, “I created this design for these reasons, and this is why it’s good”—then you can’t fulfill your role as a designer. I even get the feeling that, eventually, you might lose the ability to think for yourself altogether.
And my junior colleague—who had just joined the company as a new graduate—was someone who couldn’t articulate concepts or his own ideas. Far from it, he couldn’t even handle basic tasks like laying out white space or aligning the widths of objects, so in the end, all the time-consuming work has fallen on us instead of him.
I was utterly dumbfounded when I saw him asking Gemini how to come up with a design concept.

Since the company I work for doesn’t specialize in design, there has been a company-wide push to use AI to reduce the time spent on visual development.
My junior colleague and I were assigned by our supervisor to create a logo and illustrations for a major upcoming event, and we set to work on designs with different styles.

Meanwhile, while I was mulling things over and working on my logo design, he repeatedly asked the AI to generate illustrations and submitted the finished ones. His boss liked them, and they were adopted alongside my logo.
That alone was frustrating enough for me, but the real problem was that we needed vector illustrations that could be scaled up significantly for use at a major event—yet my junior colleague didn’t even know how to use the Pen Tool in Illustrator.

Since I had no choice, I traced my junior’s AI illustration as vector data so that I could reproduce even the finest details of the illustration. It was extremely straining on my eyes, and when I thought about the fact that this was ultimately an AI-generated illustration, I felt a sense of helplessness even while I was working on it.

And right now, for some reason, I’ve been left entirely in charge of creating flyers and posters using those illustrations… Not only am I constantly being made to clean up after my junior, but I’m also thoroughly fed up with my current company, which actively promotes the use of AI-generated content. I’m under a lot of stress right now, and I feel like I’m on the verge of developing an adjustment disorder.

I’m currently looking for a new job, but since I often have to work on my days off, I can’t seem to find the time. I know it’s my own fault, though.
To be honest, the company is trying to talk me out of quitting, and I’m so afraid of losing my financial security that I can’t bring myself to leave… but I’m really fed up with the way AI is being used these days.

Oh how I miss print media! Guess I'm officially an old fart now. At least there wordmark has changed much!

Hey everyone! I’d like to share a recent design project I’ve been working on.The goal of this project was to create a visual identity that feels distinctive, consistent, and meaningful while reflecting the brand’s personality and core values.I explored different visual directions, experimented with typography and color palettes, and worked on developing a cohesive design system across different applications.Thanks for taking the time to check it out. I’d love to hear your honest feedback!

A client posted the identity work I finished last week and someone in the comments called it AI looking because it was too clean. That lockup was hand set over two days in the same Figma file with my naming sheet sitting there like a museum label nobody wil ever read.

If your read on finished brand work is just "AI" because the spacing is quiet and nothing is crooked, you are flattening a lot of actual labor into a cheap comment.

Hello, I've been using Photoshop and Lightroom to lighten and blend in the dark spots on this textured box by slightly reducing its texture and clarity, and also by using spot healing and healing brush tools. It looks fine and almost smooth when the photo is zoomed out, but I'm not satisfied with the results because it looks like the spots are just blurred and doesn't have any texure/pattern of the product when zoomed in.

Any tips on how to blend these spots and make it look seamless?

hello friends! i am currently in my final year of college for design and our professors are requiring that we make a physical portfolio book for our final project.

in my portfolio i have a couple of prototype websites made with figma, as well as some motion graphics made in after effects. i asked my professors how to add these into my physical portfolio and they told me to add a link to it, but i feel like thats a bit silly since you cant click a link physically.

i also looked into qr codes, but the only websites i can find are ones that require monthly payments, and i am currently not in a position to be paying $15 a month for 3 qr codes. i was wondering if anyone knows any free qr code generators OR any other ways to incorporate my projects into my portfolio.

thank you!!

Hey everyone! I recently built a node-based image editor for my personal needs. Maybe for some of you the tool can be useful as well: https://www.vladlikh.com/project/noddle