Professional Design Forums?

[Sunny]

Ive been on conceptart for a very long time and Im surprized this graphic design forum in here exists. To me, it wont do the trick for what I need. Im searching for a professional design forum where I can get the same quality feedback that I get here for my illustration and conceptart, but instead for logo designs, ads, etc.

If anyone knows of a high quality community like that, that takes itself seriously please post!~

[billakong]

99designs.com

companies requests all types of designs on this site, if they pick your design, it means you've got the hang of it, and you get payed. if they don't, you learn and improve. win/win. hope this helps!

tell me if you have trouble navigating the site. it was a little weird for me at first.

[millz]

FACEPALM!

99designs.com is a crowdsourcing website, only amatuer designers or those without any formal education in design bother with a place where you get payed peanuts and potentially earn nothing for hours of work.

/RANT

anyway to answer your question...

The people you see hanging out on such design forums are usually the kind of amatuers who have a decent eye for design and some skills with adobe products but never really learnt about the theory behind design. I wouldn't call that professional although depending on your experience and knowledge they can still help your improve somewhat.

As a professional working in the industry, i can tell you that designers learn or improve by observing the world around, the world is full of design, from the street signs you drive past and don't give a second thought to, to the billboards you usually don't take much interest in to the newspaper you read in the morning and every magazine on the shelf at the newsagent/bookstore. We learn and improve by seeing if the design is successful in its purpose or not, and what parts of the design are successful/unsuccessful.

This also allows them to identify and keep up with trends or break them and create something unique.

In terms of professional feedback for design, your feedback on your design comes from peers at your workplace and most importantly, from yourself, and from the demographic you are targetting.