What is your day job?

[MarcT]

Hi,

I used to work in commercial furniture design, doing some concepts and drafting.

Since 3 years now I do freelancing in Illustration.

Regards,

coco

[Rhanna]

Thanks for you guys sharing with what you do. I appreciated reading about the members.
Rupert

[Manoj]

I have a degree in Architecture. After a few years in an architect's office I decided it wasn't for me. Too little of the work was to do with actual design...for a while I freelanced doing architectural perspective views. Then I took a course in multimedia and learnt Photoshop and CorelDraw...the latter which I dumped as soon as I found Xara ...among other programs.

So now this is my day job...designing book covers, logos, web graphics, cartooning and illustration. I don't make the kind of money I might have made as an architect...but I think I'm happier. Well apart from the stress that DGehman mentioned...either the stress of deadlines or the stress of finding the next gig...

Best
Manoj

[glenngosack]

Amazing group of people here at TG...
I'm a senior IT supervisor at a large utility. I manage the Unix 'farm' of servers - about 230 of them. Stumbled onto computers about 26 years ago when I met my wife and have been self taught in all facets of them including C programming. (don't to much of that anymore) Love graphics and Xara, but like some, not the most sharpest crayon in the box... but I like to experiment. I envy all the wonderful drawings I see here. I keep trying though.
Although I'm eligible for retirement, I'll probably hang here for a couple more years (kids and college) before moving on to a less hectic schedule... this 24/7 callout can drive you nuts sometime.

[Robbie Tighe]

the graphic design is my day job,

Qualified in Architecture like manoj (Diploma only) Aftera while felt it wasn't for me so i left the office i was working for, decided to go back to college and Study marketing, while there i worked part time for a wine shop to pay for the course.

i was introduced to xara by a family member at this point. So i began to use it for doing posters and advertisements for the shop. i stayed there and earned my qualifications in Wnie (obtained a degree in it) and became Assistant manager. After 3 years of employmant i was then approached by a Wine and spirits distributer to work on their merchandising and advertising.

This meant relocating to a city on the south west of ireland about 150 miles from where i lived. Unfortunately my new manager and i could not see eye to eye From day one, so after 6 months i quit.

It was while driving back on a friday to my home town that i decided to see if i could take the graphic design further, I had enough funds saved up to cover my living and resource costs for a year.

This was just over 2 years ago, now i run a complete design and print service and i'm getting busier.!

Thank you Xara!

[w00dy]

Teacher... but not in the same world that I started off in 1974...Physics >> Electronics >> ICT/Vocational Education >> Personalised Learning!

One day in 1983, the Head came in the staff room and said, "Here Woody, tha's a scientist, you can go on this new fangled computer course!" and that was it, got bitten by the bug and the rest is history.

BBC Acorn/CC Impression >> Apple Classic/Clarisworks (Yuk!) >> PC's...Xara/Coffeecup/Camtasia/Alpha5/Moodle/Joomla.

In cricketing terms, I suppose that I'm an all-rounder, I get by pretty well with most hardware and software but the day job takes up most of the time.

Hopefully one day in the not to distant future, they'll put Woody out to grass and he can play with his computers all day.

[shanwick]

Well, thought I might as well say "Hello" and say what I do for a living.

I run my own accountancy business after being made redundant as an IT manager some eight years ago. Next year I reach retirement age but have no intention of giving up work completely just yet

When it comes to art and the like I have absolutely no natural gifts at all. I can't draw a straight line - not even if I use the Shift key

But I just love messing around with graphics software. My wife says that it keeps me out of the pubs and away from the women

[Klimt]

I am a Management Consultant and in that capacity I deal quite a lot with marketing issues. A couple of years ago we had a problem developing a website for one of the projects. Most of the webdesigners we've been talking to were very focused on the technical aspects of website building and the content became a secondary issue so I started to experiment with some wysiwig software and ended up with a website that we wanted. That was a starter and shortly after my son, who is a musician needed a website so I did that one as well. I needed a software that could (in a simple way) handle pictures, I did try Adobe Photoshop but foud it too complicated and that's when I found Xara . I am still learning every day and since my other son is working with a project that needs a kind of cartoon pictures so I have my practice every day and find Xara absolutely fab to do this for him.

[DocBambs]

My background was as a computer geek for a computer supplier (from leaving school) supporting Acorn, early PCs, Atari, Amiga, etc. Later on I was classed as the designer for their hi-class (read 'expensive') PCs.

Since then I worked for a US company with Unified Messaging solutions (Voicemail, Fax & email) then jumping ship to a UK supplier of document solutions as a technical guru. Now I project manage implementing document management solutions of various types mostly for the financial industry and global corporates who have UK offices.

I started with Impression (and a little Artworks) on the Archimedes and came to Xara on the PC quite recently. Up until then I always used Corel on the PC - I still consider it a great program - just not quite so good as XX.

I use XX for work quite often to brighten up my dull presentations (including 'corrupting' the company official presentation templates recently using some flash from XX) and to produce quick diagrams. I just haven't persuaded the office to buy me a copy of XX for my laptop.

I have a good understanding of how to do things in Xara, just no artistic ability to apply it with!

[mightyfun]

I'm a MOM, WIFE, GRAPHIC DESIGNER.

It's hard to believe I've only been working with Xara for a year now.
I try to do as much graphic designing as my two year old will let me do between the three square meals, laundry, shopping, playing trains, cars, reading books, going on playdates...and other mommy stuff.

I've managed to get a few jobs on the side creating graphic designs for digital scrapbook designers, as well as keep my website up and going, although it doesn't get updated as much as I would like it to, and It's been a couple of months since I've created any new products ( oh well, I'm not a super hero, I guess something has to give. ).

I also have my first booklet being published this Feb. featuring hand embroidery designs that I have created.

OH,,, can't forget I'm married to a wonderful husband as well. I suppose he does take up a good portion of my time too. LOL.

Jen