Desk of Tobias von Schneider

My favorite type of designers

There are many types of GREAT designers I've had the pleasure of working with over the past two decades and what I learned is that they are all not measured equally. Below are some of my favorites for the various circumstances. (FYI: very rarely does a designer inherit

by Tobias van Schneider

How to get a job at Microsoft

It's an exciting time to be a designer at Microsoft. This is not the same company it was ten years ago.

by Tobias van Schneider

Overdeliver

With every project I do, I aim to overdeliver. I built my career on this attitude. I try to take every step of the project, down to the smallest details, above and beyond what’s expected. In an industry defined by billable hours and budgets, some might say it's a dangerous approach. For me, it’s the

by Tobias van Schneider

Beautiful portfolio homepages

Your portfolio homepage is often your first impression – long before you have an interview, before you send a cover letter or give a strong handshake, before a company even contacts you.

by Tobias van Schneider

Drip project management

If you need something from someone, don’t ask for it all at once. This only overwhelms a person. They will mark your message “unread” and let it sink into the abyss of their inbox until you follow up. Again.

by Tobias van Schneider

How to share your project failures in your portfolio

I had high hopes when I first released .Mail, my email concept. Some press, thousands of sign-ups and countless hours of work later, the idea died a silent death. It’s my favorite project that never launched. We all have one.

by Tobias van Schneider

5 inspiring design studios from Mexico

Mexico's design talent is not news to anyone. Mexico City was named a World Design Capital in 2018, one of only six cities to receive the title. And it's no wonder.

by Terri Lee

A new designer’s observation of agency life

I am fairly new at design. After several years working in customer service and other various industries, I decided to pursue a new career. That began with an internship at House of van Schneider, much of which I documented here on the blog. And I haven’t stopped since.