This is a real situation I am dealing with. I was perusing some local design portfolios yesterday and stumbled on some work I thought was alright. Clicking through to the portfolio, I noticed something infuriatingly familiar -- a brochure I had designed. Sure, the title was a different title, and the photos were of different people, but everything about the design of the thing, the style, the color, the way everything comes together to make this thing what it is? 100% Pure Nate Voss.
Now I know, or I guess, that this is something veteran designs have to deal with from time to time. Let's say you design a series, perhaps of brochures, where you work out a complete design system, a whole visual vocabulary, grid system, the works. Then you leave this job, and some young production designer comes in a few weeks (or months) later to add a brochure to the line. Happens all time, that part. What doesn't happen all the time and frankly should never happen any other time is that young production designer dropping that piece into their motherfucking online portfolio with no note or mention of any other designer's participation or, verily, creation, of the work at hand.
Things not to do: Exactly this. And sources tell me that my work seems not to be the only person's work being treated this way in this young man's portfolio.
Wow, stabbing right at the heart of an issue that many older veteran creatives run into. After leaving a job finding that your work has been reclaimed because of minor tweaks on a pre-existing project. Nate, kudos for bringing it up.
To the noobs:
Come on now! You know better. Some work done as a team can be put in your port but revisions on something you had no hand in at the original level of design… you can catch a smack for that!
And that's why I really can't use anything from my current job.
You should pull a Jerry Springer on him. Call him up and tell him your old employer recommended you have him as a special guest on the Reflex Blue Show dealing with a misleading topic like "How to be a STAR right out of school" or something to that effect. Then a few minutes into the polite and witty banter you can spring it on him. See how long he squirms before he either breaks into tears or runs screaming from the room to pack and move to Russia. Maybe you could leap over the table at him and Steve (keeping true to the Jerry Springer theme) could run in and pull you off. Evil? Perhaps. You know you want to! ;)
Haha, I agree with shughes but only if he lives within a 15 mile radius. I wouldn't want the kid to fly or drive down a few hours just to be humiliated in front of a not-so-live studio audience.
I can hear the Vossome chants now...
Nate, you should put a picture of his mom in your portfolio. And his sister.