Make Time for TINE
I read a lot of design publications and books - mainly because I am interested in the world of design and I like to stay as current as possible with trends, issues, etc. Every once in awhile a book comes along which addresses the nuts-and-bolts side of design - the business side of being in the design profession. Well, the new book by Shel Perkins, Talent is Not Enough: Business Secrets for Designers, is one such book.
TINE, published by New Riders and in association with the AIGA, addresses the options designers have in building a career in this whacky profession. Shel writes about job hunting and how to actually prepare for it. He also writes about business and pricing models for small design businesses, legal issues, and exit strategies for large firms in a conversational way which makes it all extremely easy to understand.
It is a textbook and reference book on the business side of design. So, for us visually-oriented people, it may seem like a heavy read. It's not a total loss in this area, though. There are some very interesting graphs and figures which still will appease the textbook-phobic. The graphic of the "sales funnel" is particulary clever, for example.
So, if you're just getting out of design school, thinking of going out on your own, or having large-firm growing pains or legal and contract issues, this is the book for you.
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