Tag Archives: go media

How to Use the Best Mockup Templates for Graphic Designers

Here at Go Media’s Arsenal, we have been creating and curating design resources since 2006, when we first began releasing our collection of royalty-free stock vectors. We have since expanded to textures, fonts, e-books, tutorials and perhaps most famously, mockup templates.

We passionately create our mockup templates and love that we have become a go-to for professionals in the industry. Because of this, we get tons of questions every single day about our mockups and how to use them.

So, we thought we’d create a quick (and free!) guide to killer mockups, which includes information and advice we dole out regularly. This includes:
– Info for Newbies, like how to open and use our mockup templates
– How to Use Smart-Object Enabled Mockups and Displacement Maps
– Tips to Killer Mockups (Using Them to Your Advantage for Future Success!)
– Pro Tips for using the best mockup templates for graphic designers (ours!)

With the download you’ll also get:
– a mockup PSD free download
– a vector freebie pack

If you’d like to grab the guide, simply sign up for the Arsenal newsletter below. Please note, you’ll have to confirm your subscription in the first email in order to receive your free download in the second email, so wait for it…

Subscribe for our Updates and get the Killer Mockup Guide & Freebies

In today’s Weapons of Mass Creation talk, Co-Founder, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Go Media, Wilson Revehl is up to bat.

After leading Cleveland’s Go Media through its best worst year ever, Wilson Revehl packed up and took his talents to some beach in Florida. There he learned sand ruins laptops and sunburns smack of the apocalypse. This WMC, Wilson returns from South Florida to Cleveland. Unlike LeBron, he’s not rich, famous, tall or good at sports (or sports metaphors). But he has realized how to win in design and wants to share what it takes.

Wilson Revehl is the Co-Founder, Vice President and Chief Technology Officer of Go Media. He is a veteran Graphic Designer and Web Developer with an early career dating back to the .com bubble of the late nineties. He has been involved in hundreds of website and web application launches of all scales. Wilson’s expertise is in front-end and back-end development with a specialty in PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS and eCommerce. He is a WordPress enthusiast with countless plugins and customizations in the portfolio. Mr. Revehl manages our Amazon Cloud infrastructure, PCI Compliance and SaaS platforms. When not “sitting in front of the glowing box”, you can often find Wilson floating in the pool or on the water with his lovely wife and two kids. We think he was probably a manatee in a former life, or aspires to be one someday.

Enjoy Go Media’s Best Worst Year Ever:

How to Write the Best Graphic Design Cover Letter

If you want the job at the best graphic design firm ever, you have to submit the best cover letter, resume and portfolio ever. (We’ll leave the bits about being a worthy designer to another post.)

And with no shortage of resources on what makes a great cover letter, resume and portfolio out there, this should be a somewhat simple feat. But here at Go Media, we are disappointed to see the same mistakes made over and over again. It often seems like applicants choose to apply for more jobs – the quantity – over quality (in other words, doing a thorough job of applying to fewer companies). In this three part series, we talk about the elements in cover letters, resumes and portfolios that really make our jaws drop.

To start, we’d like to address cover letters. Above all, there is one element that most good applicants touch upon, but often do not take the time to cover with enough depth and passion. This aspect makes all the difference between a cover letter worth passing by, and one worth paying attention to.

What is this magic element?

A SECTION THAT SERIOUSLY PLAYS TO OUR EGO.

Sounds simple, right? Far from it.
It takes time and a ton of time, which is why we rarely see it. Please read on!

In the cover letter, it’s critical that you communicate to the potential employer: “You are the only company I am applying for, I’ve been following your company for years.” You want to play into the ego of the company. In order to communicate this you need a plausible story. Most importantly, you need more FACTS about the company you’re applying to. So, this means research! Referencing a few portfolio items is a fine start, but anyone can do that in 10 seconds.

If you REALLY want to wow the potential employer, spend several days (even weeks if necessary) reading anything you can get your hands on about them. This may sound like a huge investment, but consider this – you’re about to commit to working there for YEARS. Isn’t a week of research worth getting into the right company?

If they wrote a book – read it. If they have a blog, read every article you can on the history of the company. About page? Read it. Then, write a concise ‘How I got to know your company’ story… If you can find any gem in your research to reference you can say things like: “I read in your book that you used to lay on the floor drawing with crayons all day as a kid. That’s exactly how I spent my childhood.”

Basically, you need to make sure they know you KNOW them… you did your research. You desperately want to work for them and them only. Sprinkling in a few obscure facts will help communicate this.

As an employer it’s VERY clear to us who’s done their research and who is just throwing out a generic cover letter. Pandering to our ego works. We want to think that the people I’m hiring are HUGE Go Media fans! Of course! We love hearing their stories about how they discovered our company and have been following us for years. When they reference specific tutorials we wrote 8 years ago, we think: “Wow. This is going to be a loyal employee!”

how to write the best graphic design cover letter

Similarly, continue to blow us out of the water if you’re able to illustrate actionable ways in which you’ve shown your love for the company. Have you volunteered for our design conference, benefit shows, or attended every single one of our open houses? Let us know!

Also, Answer the why

Next, explain WHY you want to work for the company you’re applying to. The reason should be specific. Something like: “Your firm has a background in illustration and I can see that you appreciate art. This is unique compared to the other firms I’ve considered applying to. I love the balance of artistry with design – it’s something I’ve always done. It’s important to me that I’m working in an environment that has that appreciation for the artistic side of design.” Again, you are not only giving the reason why, but you’re reinforcing that you have a deep knowledge of the company you’re applying to. This ties everything together eloquently while making us feel warm and fuzzy.

While you’re at it, here are things to avoid doing in your cover letter:

  • Not addressing anyone specifically. Never write “Dear Hiring manager” or “To whom it may concern”. Do your research! Figure out who’s hiring and write to them specifically!
  • Sending before having trusted friends and family proofread it again and again. Watch your spelling! Attention to details is critical. One error here can knock you out of the game completely.
  • Using your email as the cover letter itself. Design a cover letter that you save along with your resume and attach. It’s ok if what you write in your email is exactly the same as the attached pdf. The point is – I want to see you apply the same branding from your resume onto a cover letter page, and then again on the website. If you don’t attach a designed cover letter you’re losing that opportunity.
  • Praising your own design skills, i.e. “I’m a VERY talented designer.” This simply comes across as arrogant. Whether you are talented or not will show up in your portfolio. Saying you’re good ONLY WORKS AGAINST YOU. If you want to praise yourself in any way – it should be: “I work hard, I’m eager to learn and I have a positive attitude.” These are things that cannot be seen in a portfolio. And these ARE traits that a potential employer is looking for – not arrogance or overconfidence.
  • Giving your potential employer work. Saying things like: “To download my resume go here…” is very bad. Make hiring you as simple as possible. I recommend attaching a finished designed cover letter (which may contain the same text that you included in the e-mail), your resume and a pdf of your portfolio and or a link to an online portfolio.
  • Saying you want this job as a jumping off point for completely different. The last thing we want to hear is that you’re applying to be a Junior Designer, only to turn into a Project Manager in another 6 months. We will support your hopes and dreams, but we are looking to fill the position of a Junior Designer now. If you’re actually looking for a Project Management position, please look elsewhere.

Okay, now that we’ve covered our number one must follow rule and these important don’ts, promise us you’ll dedicate the time your cover letter (and future employer) deserves.

Stay tuned, when next week we’ll be back with our favorite rules about creating the best design resume ever.

Japanese Wave Pattern Vector Free

Join us every Thursday, when your friends here at the Arsenal take over the Go Media blog to share insights, tips, freebies or other fun to brighten your work day.

Today we’re sharing a hand drawn seamless wave pattern modeled after Japanese wave patterns we’ve been into lately. Check out the Arsenal for more vectors known the ’round the world for being the best of the best.

Here’s what you’ll get with today’s download:

Japanese Wave Pattern Vector Free

Did you know that all of Go Media’s vectors are royalty free? We have thousands of hand-crafted illustrations like these you can use in your work, so definitely head over to the Arsenal to check them out.

Love our products? Access our huge product library ($11k in resources) and exclusive content for only $15/mth. Yes, seriously. Learn more now.

Here’s your download >> Hand Drawn Drawn Japanese Wave Pattern Vector Free

Have a great day, everyone!

Weapons of Mass Creation Fest Podcast

In this new audio series by Go Media, we sit down and talk with the contributors, sponsors, and attendees of our design conference, Weapons of Mass Creation Fest, to find out more about them and why they are Weapons of Mass Creation. Read More ›

Weapons of Mass Creation Fest Podcast

In this new audio series by Go Media, we sit down and talk with the contributors, sponsors, and attendees of our design conference, Weapons of Mass Creation Fest, to find out more about them and why they are Weapons of Mass Creation. Read More ›

Hey Arsenal Subscribers! We’d like to welcome you to our 30 Day Design Firm Makeover Course. Over the next month and a half you will receive valuable lessons and quick tips on making some positive changes in your design company.  Read More ›

Personal Branding Tips for Graphic Designers

In this edition of the Go Media Podcast, we sit down with Kimika Hudson to talk about how creatives can “thrive, profit and have fun by being themselves online.” Read More ›