When people first discover that a low-resolution JPEG or PNG can be transformed into a sharp, scalable vector file, it feels like magic. I remember sitting at my desk three years ago, staring at a blurry client logo and desperately searching for a way to save it without manually redrawing the whole thing in Illustrator….
In my mid-30s, looking back at the industry landscape, I often get asked by juniors if they should pour their time into certifications like the Visual Design Industrial Engineer or Computer Graphics Operator. When I started out, the common advice was to stack credentials like building blocks. I spent about 600,000 KRW on a specialized…
Falling into the equipment trap again I was looking at the latest Dell mobile workstation the other day, the one that weighs about 1.9kg and has a 16-inch display. It feels like every time I commit to learning a new tool like Blender 3D or CLO3D, I end up spending more time staring at hardware…
The Reality of Professional Certifications I remember sitting in a cafe in Gangnam back in my mid-20s, staring at the requirements for a Product Design Industrial Engineer certification. I was convinced that if I could just pass the exam, I would be untouchable in the job market. Looking back after a decade in the field,…
Rethinking the Adobe Illustrator Learning Curve I’ve spent years working in design-adjacent fields, and whenever someone asks me how to start with Adobe Illustrator, I find myself hesitating. Most online tutorials sell you the dream of becoming a master overnight, but in real situations, this tends to happen: you open the software, stare at the…
When I first started looking into company logo design for a small service business, I thought the process would be like ordering a meal—you pay, you get a clean vector file, and suddenly your business looks professional. I was wrong. After actually going through this, I realized that the gap between a sleek brand logo…
When I decided to pivot my career toward graphic design in my early 30s, I honestly thought it would be a straightforward path of taking a few courses, mastering some software, and updating my portfolio. I had seen plenty of online success stories, but in real situations, this tends to happen much differently. You aren’t…
Rethinking the Adobe Illustrator Workflow I have spent over a decade using Adobe Illustrator for everything from simple icons to complex layout files. When you first start, there is a temptation to treat every project as a clean, perfect vector exercise. But after actually going through this in various corporate environments, I have learned that…
Buying an iPad was supposed to be the turning point About six months ago, I finally caved and bought an iPad Pro. I thought it would be the magic fix for my stagnant graphic design skills. I spent roughly 1.3 million won on the device and an extra 150,000 won for the Pencil, convincing myself…
When people ask me about vector tracing for professional printing—like for a football jersey or a corporate sign—they usually expect a ‘magic button’ solution. In my experience, especially after handling dozens of these requests for small business owners, the actual process is far from automated. Vector tracing, or converting raster images into clean paths, is…