Tips • Graphic Design USA https://gdusa.com The nation’s most popular news source for graphic design business, ideas, and opportunities. Wed, 25 Mar 2026 13:08:14 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=7.0.1 https://gdusa.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/icon-gdusa.svg Tips • Graphic Design USA https://gdusa.com 32 32 This Is How Graphic Designers Stay Ahead Of AI https://gdusa.com/this-is-how-graphic-designers-stay-ahead-of-ai/ Tue, 10 Mar 2026 13:59:36 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=84044 Design in the age of AI isn't simply production. It's editorial judgement, cultural fluency, and strategic storytelling with a flare that only human ingenuity can provide.

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]]> Creative Comment: Don’t Confuse AI Volume With Value https://gdusa.com/creative-comment-ai-image-generators-and-the-conversation-creatives-need-to-have/ Mon, 09 Feb 2026 15:57:16 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=83610 Lauren Phillips discusses how AI speeds creative output but cannot be asked to replace strategy, judgment, or brand nuance.

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]]> The GDUSA Podcast #17: Amy Mangan & Lucy Marino https://gdusa.com/the-gdusa-podcast-17-amy-mangan-lucy-marino-of-robert-half/ Thu, 25 Dec 2025 16:32:04 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=82654 In this episode, we’re joined by two experts to break down the 2026 Salary Guide and what the latest trends mean for both creative professionals and hiring managers.

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]]> The GDUSA Podcast #16: A Conversation With Mike Perry of Tavern https://gdusa.com/the-gdusa-podcast-16-mike-perry-of-tavern/ Thu, 20 Nov 2025 17:08:55 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=82399 Mike Perry is the founder and CCO of TAVERN, a Brooklyn-based creative agency focusing on food, beverage, spirits, and hospitality brands.

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]]> Lucy Marino: Hiring & Careers In A Digital-First Design World https://gdusa.com/design-in-a-digital-first-world-what-it-means-for-hiring-careers/ https://gdusa.com/design-in-a-digital-first-world-what-it-means-for-hiring-careers/#respond Mon, 06 Oct 2025 12:29:35 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=80769 The future of design is digital, data-driven and deeply creative. How can creative professionals and hiring managers best adapt? Some thoughts from the executive director of the creative and marketing practice at global talent solutions firm Robert Half.

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]]> https://gdusa.com/design-in-a-digital-first-world-what-it-means-for-hiring-careers/feed/ 0 5 Career Questions With Holly Tharp of Full Sail University https://gdusa.com/5-questions-with-holly-tharp-digital-arts-education-director-full-sail-university/ https://gdusa.com/5-questions-with-holly-tharp-digital-arts-education-director-full-sail-university/#respond Sun, 05 Oct 2025 13:56:10 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=80666 Holly Tharp, Digital Arts Education Director, Full Sail University shares some top tips for up-and-coming designers. Her extensive experiences in the professional art world as well as academia make her a prime candidate to share some practical wisdom.

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]]> https://gdusa.com/5-questions-with-holly-tharp-digital-arts-education-director-full-sail-university/feed/ 0 What’s Really Keeping Creative Directors Up At Night? https://gdusa.com/whats-really-keeping-creative-directors-up-at-night/ https://gdusa.com/whats-really-keeping-creative-directors-up-at-night/#respond Wed, 10 Sep 2025 14:18:45 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=80816 Dustin Black has a sobering truth to share: creative directors are not just managing creative departments anymore – they are leading organizations through a fundamental transformation.

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]]> https://gdusa.com/whats-really-keeping-creative-directors-up-at-night/feed/ 0 There Is No Such Thing As Boring Data — There Are Just Boring Stories https://gdusa.com/theres-no-boring-data-just-boring-stories/ https://gdusa.com/theres-no-boring-data-just-boring-stories/#respond Fri, 25 Jul 2025 10:59:25 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=80264 Ultimately, data isn’t just numbers; it’s human activity, translated. And when you recognize that, you start to treat data less like an abstract artifact and more like a living, breathing entity.

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]]> https://gdusa.com/theres-no-boring-data-just-boring-stories/feed/ 0 Creative Comment: When Fonts Become Fear Tactics https://gdusa.com/when-fonts-become-fear-tactics-ai-licensing-and-legalities/ https://gdusa.com/when-fonts-become-fear-tactics-ai-licensing-and-legalities/#respond Thu, 24 Jul 2025 16:20:04 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=80219 By Rochelle Ratkaj Moser, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Ratkaj Designs, a creative agency that brings together the power of design and the purpose of philanthropy. With a focus on accessibility, inclusion, and mission-aligned visual storytelling, Rochelle has spent her career helping nonprofits and social impact organizations better communicate their values, advocate for change, […]

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]]> https://gdusa.com/when-fonts-become-fear-tactics-ai-licensing-and-legalities/feed/ 0 Lucy Marino: Building a Design Team for CX Success in 2025 https://gdusa.com/building-a-design-team-for-cx-success-in-2025/ https://gdusa.com/building-a-design-team-for-cx-success-in-2025/#respond Sun, 13 Jul 2025 17:40:42 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=80119 BY LUCY MARINO, executive director of the marketing and creative practice at global talent solutions firm Robert Half  which connects employers with skilled marketing, creative, digital, advertising and public relations professionals to meet their specialized recruiting needs. Marino manages strategy and operations for the company’s marketing and creative talent solutions teams across U.S. locations.   *** […]

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]]> https://gdusa.com/building-a-design-team-for-cx-success-in-2025/feed/ 0 GDUSA Podcast #15: Paige Breedlove + Lucy Marino of Robert Half https://gdusa.com/gdusa-podcast-15-paige-breedlove-lucy-marino-of-robert-half/ https://gdusa.com/gdusa-podcast-15-paige-breedlove-lucy-marino-of-robert-half/#respond Sun, 13 Jul 2025 13:00:28 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=80123 In this episode of The GDUSA Podcast, we welcome Paige Breedlove, Vice President and Senior Digital Recruiter at Robert Half’s Digital Talent Center, and Lucy Marino, Executive Director of Robert Half’s marketing and creative practice. Together, Paige and Lucy offer an expert perspective on the evolving nature of creative work—specifically, the accelerating shift from traditional graphic design to […]

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]]> https://gdusa.com/gdusa-podcast-15-paige-breedlove-lucy-marino-of-robert-half/feed/ 0 Why The ‘Soft Girl Aesthetic’ Is Influencing Branding For Gen Z https://gdusa.com/why-soft-girl-aesthetic-is-taking-over-gen-z-branding/ https://gdusa.com/why-soft-girl-aesthetic-is-taking-over-gen-z-branding/#respond Fri, 20 Jun 2025 14:56:24 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=79548 An opportunity for brands and marketers, this trend reflects Gen Z's values of authenticity, self-expression, and emotional connection, and draws on some powerful current digital subcultures.

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]]> https://gdusa.com/why-soft-girl-aesthetic-is-taking-over-gen-z-branding/feed/ 0 The Numbers 2025 (Part 1) https://gdusa.com/2025-numbers-1/ Tue, 10 Jun 2025 05:54:28 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=63361 The Numbers - Selected Results from the 2025 Print Design Survey (1/2)

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]]> Select Comments: How Does Print Fit Into Your Professional Life? https://gdusa.com/print-importance-25/ Tue, 10 Jun 2025 05:54:18 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=63347 Print Survey 2025: How Does Print Fit Into Your Professional Life? Spoiler alert: it is not print or digital — it is print when it matters. Whatever works!

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]]> The Numbers (Part 2) https://gdusa.com/2025-numbers-2/ Tue, 10 Jun 2025 05:54:15 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=63359 The Numbers - Select Results From The 2025 Print Design Survey (2/2)

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]]> Artisan: Hiring Candidates Who Want To Be In The Office https://gdusa.com/artisan-how-to-hire-candidates-who-want-to-be-in-the-office/ https://gdusa.com/artisan-how-to-hire-candidates-who-want-to-be-in-the-office/#respond Thu, 01 May 2025 16:47:59 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=79122 The workplace may have changed forever - but that doesn't mean every job can be done from home.

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]]> https://gdusa.com/artisan-how-to-hire-candidates-who-want-to-be-in-the-office/feed/ 0 Creative Jobs 2025: Design Skills Employers Need Now https://gdusa.com/the-design-skills-employers-need-right-now/ https://gdusa.com/the-design-skills-employers-need-right-now/#respond Tue, 15 Apr 2025 13:45:12 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=77309 Landing a job in today’s employment market isn’t always easy. But, says Lucy Marino of Robert Half, demonstrating a blend of sharp design skills with an eye for user experience and emerging tech can help you get noticed by hiring managers.

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]]> https://gdusa.com/the-design-skills-employers-need-right-now/feed/ 0 Chris Prescher: Brand Flexibility For Cohesion and Relevance https://gdusa.com/chris-prescher-the-art-of-brand-flexibility/ https://gdusa.com/chris-prescher-the-art-of-brand-flexibility/#respond Sun, 30 Mar 2025 15:51:18 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=78094 The tension between maintaining a unified parent brand and allowing flexibility for sub-brands presents a challenge. A monolithic approach is appealing but can limit how effectively specialized divisions communicate their unique value propositions to distinct audiences. Chris Prescher argues that by allowing sub-brands to craft tailored messaging while staying true to the parent brand's core values, companies can achieve both cohesion and relevance.

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]]> https://gdusa.com/chris-prescher-the-art-of-brand-flexibility/feed/ 0 Huot: 2025 Airline Design Trends https://gdusa.com/huot-on-airline-design-trends/ Mon, 10 Mar 2025 14:47:47 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=65254 Edmond Huot is a globally renowned designer specializing in airline branding and livery design. With over two decades of experience, he has shaped the visual identities of some of the world’s most prominent airlines. He shares his thoughts on airline design trends in 2025.

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]]> Justin Ahrens Returns To Rule29 https://gdusa.com/justin-ahrens-returns-to-rule29/ Mon, 27 Jan 2025 14:00:23 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=65342 Justin Ahrens has returned to lead Rule29. In early 2024, Ahrens left the design firm to establish O’N Creative, an in-house agency at O’Neil Printing. This new chapter blends O’Neil’s production expertise with Rule29’s creative vision.

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]]> Artisan: Design Trends To Focus On In 2025 https://gdusa.com/artisan-design-trends-to-focus-on-in-2025/ Fri, 10 Jan 2025 20:02:03 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=65196 2025 has arrived and Artisan brings useful design trends into focus. If you want to level up your skills for next year, here are five areas that could be fun - and worth your while - in landing a new job or a new client.

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]]> Kiosk Helps Moms Create Safe And Memorable Holidays https://gdusa.com/kiosk-helps-moms-create-safe-and-memorable-holidays/ Wed, 01 Jan 2025 17:25:28 +0000 https://gdusa2024v2.agreatidea.studio/?p=65103 Agency Kiosk has launched an awareness campaign around the potential threat of food allergies for Latitude Food Allergy Care.

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]]> 2025 Hiring and Compensation Trends For Creative Leaders https://gdusa.com/2025-hiring-and-compensation-trends-for-creative-leaders/ Wed, 11 Dec 2024 21:59:28 +0000 https://gdusa2024v2.agreatidea.studio/?p=64990 Staying on top of employment trends can help you adapt your recruitment practices and salary structures. Lucy Marino of global talent solutions leader Robert Half lays out the key factors shaping the hiring scene for marketing and creative professionals.

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]]> Brand Building In An Age of AI Agents https://gdusa.com/brand-building-in-an-age-of-ai-agents/ Sat, 23 Nov 2024 18:54:15 +0000 https://gdusa2024v2.agreatidea.studio/?p=64812 As AI agents increasingly take over tasks like shopping and web browsing, brands face the challenge of how to stay relevant when interacting with bots instead of humans. Jim Misener, President, 50,000feet, highlights strategies to help brands thrive in an era of bot-driven consumer interactions.

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]]> Twinpreneurs’ Journey To Creative Success https://gdusa.com/twinpreneurs-journey-to-creative-success/ Fri, 15 Nov 2024 19:09:43 +0000 https://gdusa2024v2.agreatidea.studio/?p=64816 As twin sisters and co-founders of Buttercrumble, a creative studio, Abigail and Chloe Baldwin have navigated their way through the creative industry while facing the challenges of being young, working-class women. Their journey taught them resilience but also revealed systemic barriers, particularly for those from underrepresented backgrounds.

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]]> Old-School Cookbook To Benefit Trinity Lower East Side https://gdusa.com/old-school-cookbook-to-benefit-trinity-lower-east-side/ Sat, 09 Nov 2024 19:16:05 +0000 https://gdusa2024v2.agreatidea.studio/?p=64754 Chef Will Horowitz, along with Trinity Lower East Side Parish, a team of designers at Champions Design, and with help from HarperCollins, created an old-timey community cook book featuring a collection of recipes from the East Village to directly benefit the church and its soup kitchen, in efforts to help it recover from the years of the pandemic.

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]]> Editors Letter: A Widening Circle https://gdusa.com/editors-letter-a-widening-circle/ Fri, 01 Nov 2024 14:40:01 +0000 https://gdusa2024v2.agreatidea.studio/?p=64644 Gordon Kaye and Sasha Kaye-Walsh are editors of GDUSA. This comment, connected to our annual responsible designers report and our 2024 health and wellness design awards competition and showcase, first appeared in the OCTOBER 2024 print and digital magazines.

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]]> Is Your Creative Team Ready For AI? https://gdusa.com/is-your-creative-team-ready-for-the-ai-revolution/ Wed, 23 Oct 2024 15:12:25 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=64385 The AI Revolution: is your team ready? Generative AI is opening up new possibilities in visual communication. If you're a creative leader, argues Lucy Marino of global talent solutions leader Robert Half, showing your team how to put this technology to work can give your company, design firm or agency a competitive edge.

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]]> Robinhood Identity Reflects Maturity https://gdusa.com/robinhood-identity-reflects-maturity/ Tue, 15 Oct 2024 18:34:45 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=64335 Robinhood has revealed a new visual identity with a new logo and elevated branding to symbolized the evolution from a scrappy startup to a full-services financial platform for the latest generation of investors.

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]]> Smashburger Restores The Swagger https://gdusa.com/smashburger-restores-the-swagger/ Thu, 03 Oct 2024 17:04:52 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=64294 Smashburger has unveiled a refreshed brand identity that infuses the company with vibrant new energy and a modern look. This update features redesigned logos, new colors, fresh typefaces and a distinctive brand voice, all crafted to bring Smashburger's unique and bold personality to life.

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]]> Artisan: The Art of Followup – How and When To Do It https://gdusa.com/artisan-the-art-of-followup-how-and-when-to-do-it/ Thu, 26 Sep 2024 19:56:08 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=64185 For creative job seekers, follow-up emails are more rare and impactful than you’d guess. So, where do you start? Artisan has some advice and direction on how to structure your follow-ups to keep you top-of-mind with decisionmakers.

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]]> Misener: The ESG Branding Backlash https://gdusa.com/misener-the-esg-branding-backlash/ Mon, 02 Sep 2024 16:38:03 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=63781 Jim Misener examines the backlash that ESG is experiencing as well as a principled response that companies should take. Jim’s message to clients: control the branding and control the narrative, and you’ll build a stronger, more resilient business.

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]]> Why Working For An Agency Could Boost Your Creative Career https://gdusa.com/why-working-for-an-agency-could-boost-your-creative-career/ Mon, 12 Aug 2024 13:42:56 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=63737 Working for a creative or marketing agency can be a career accelerator because agencies are where ideas collide, skills sharpen and doors open. Lucy Marino of Robert Half Talent Solutions lays out some of the challenges, opportunities and strategies to consider in potentially making the move.

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]]> ‘V’ Is For Verizon Rebrand https://gdusa.com/v-is-for-verizon-rebrand/ Sat, 13 Jul 2024 17:41:52 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=63517 Verizon has introduced a brand refresh by Turner Duckworth that centers the color red and the letter “V” — and briefly revives the classic line “Can you hear me now?” — as the company simultaneously rolls out new programs and benefits for customers.

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]]> Two Things Can Be True At The Same Time https://gdusa.com/two-things-can-be-true-at-the-same-time/ Wed, 03 Jul 2024 14:40:05 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=63374 Gordon Kaye has been editor and publisher of GDUSA for more than three decades, and Sasha Kaye-Walsh is website and social media editor. This comment, connected to our 61st annual Print Design Survey and our 2024 Digital Design Awards competition and showcase, first appeared in our June 2024 print and digital magazines.

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]]> Select Comments: How and Where is Print an Especially Effective Solution? https://gdusa.com/effective-solution/ Tue, 02 Jul 2024 19:12:19 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=63344 Print Survey 2024: How and Where is Print an Especially Effective Solution?

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]]> Robin McLoughlin Pens Leadership Book https://gdusa.com/robin-mcloughlin-pens-leadership-book/ Mon, 01 Jul 2024 20:37:54 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=63559 Accomplished brand and creative strategist Robin McLoughlin has published “Creatives in Leadership.” The new book, available now on Amazon, offers insightful guidance into unlocking problem-solving strategies by hearing from a collective of creative leaders and their experiences.

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]]> Artisan: Questions To Ask Before Saying Yes To A Freelance Gig https://gdusa.com/questions-to-ask-before-saying-yes-to-a-freelance-gig/ Mon, 01 Jul 2024 13:33:20 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=63404 Just because freelance jobs are available right now doesn't help with figuring out which ones are high in quality. How do you determine which gigs are truly right for you? Artisan breaks is down into four types of questions you should ask yourself before you say yes to that freelance gig.

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]]> Takeaways From Our Print Survey Sponsored By Billerud https://gdusa.com/2025-observations/ Mon, 10 Jun 2024 05:54:31 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=63363 Ten takeaways from our 2025 Print Design Reader Survey sponsored by Billerud. The bottomline: Print and digital aren’t competing forces – they are complementary tools that work best when strategically aligned.

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]]> 6 Ways To Add Creativity Back Into Your Team’s Workday https://gdusa.com/6-ways-to-add-creativity-back-into-your-teams-workday/ Fri, 24 May 2024 17:16:19 +0000 https://gdusa.com/?p=63022 Is your team’s creative well running dry? You are not alone. Here are several ideas on how to overcome the negative forces that can sap motivation and how to build a work environment that inspires innovation and engagement from Lucy Marino of Robert Half Talent Solutions.

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