After years of being a graphic designer, there are many things I’ve learnt and things to keep learning.
From understanding the world of design, other people and myself, here are 10 things I’ve learned as a designer.
1. Trends Pass but Principles are Forever
Although indulging in the latest trends is fun, just know that they won’t last forever. Design principles have been around for decades, and there’s a good reason for that: They never go out of style. Learning and mastering these fundamentals creates a strong foundation for any project you create.
2. Graphic Design is Much More
Before I learned anything about graphic design, I thought it was just logos and branding. However, after going through design courses and talking to my design peers, I realized there was more than colour palettes
and typography.
Graphic design is more of an umbrella term that spans different areas of design, such as motion graphics, UX/UI, packaging, editorial, etc. Design incorporates human emotions and psychology to create a solution for a brand and a good experience for the consumer.
3. Learn Everyday
Graphic design isn’t just a one-time thing you can learn, it’s always evolving with time. New trends, tools and techniques are being developed daily and changing the design market, so staying curious and learning is better. Whether it’s through online courses, YouTube videos, or other designers, continuous learning is important to stay on top of the game.
4. Networking is Key
There’s only so much you can achieve if you’re not marketing yourself. There are plenty of benefits to networking.
It creates new opportunities, friends, communities, connections, career advice, valuable information, etc.
It can create a stronger reputation and increase visibility for your brand. So get yourself out there, go to a design convention, take a course, or join a group.
5. Find A Community
The best way to be creative is to be creative with others. Even though 95% of creatives are introverts, it’s better to create a strong community with other designers. It’s great to have people around you to share work with, and talk about trends or general business stuff. Overall, it’s just a great feeling to have a strong community with like-minded people who feel like another family.
6. Build Your Skills
Of course, understanding the best tools and programs is great for design, but it’s the skills that create a designer. It’s just like painting, you can buy the most expensive paints in the world, but that can never replace skills.
A good artist with skills can use the cheapest pencil and paper and still create a masterpiece.
Tools with always be tools, an assistant to help you create your design. It doesn’t replace the designer’s vision, creativity or problem-solving skills. Instead of getting caught up with the newest programs, how about learning the basics of design fundamentals first? Once you build your skills, you can replicate them in every medium needed.
7. Save, and Then Save Again
Vision this: You’ve been working on this project for hours, and then the program freezes. It’s over – you can say goodbye to your project as you sit and stare at the screen. However, this could all be prevented with a
simple Cmd + S.
As a designer, Cmd + S is a reflex I do every couple of minutes. It’s also a great idea to save your files on an external hard drive or online (Google Drive, Dropbox, etc). This prevents your computer from being overloaded with files and gives you a backup file for your projects.
8. Name Your Files!
Have you ever had trouble finding a file and when you try to search for it, there are 13 files with similar names? Then you open “Logo_FinalEditedDraft2” when the right file is “Logo_FinalFinalEditedDraft4”. Instead, try to name them correctly and keep them short and simple.
Of course, there isn’t a “right” way to name your files, but find a solution that works for you. Something like “SunriseCreative_BusinessCard” or “SunriseCreative_DesktopMockup” works well for staying organized.
Separate your files into different folders and delete old files you don’t need. Have a folder for working files, images, final PDFs, mockups, logos for print, etc. You can also try using folders inside folders for more organization.
For example, “SunriseCreative > Logo Export > Web > JPEG > SunriseCreative_Logo Horizontal Full Colour.jpg”.
9. Get Inspired
Starting a big project before looking at references is like learning to run before knowing how to walk. It makes the whole process smoother and easier from start to completion. Talk to the client and start crafting a mood board together. Put together photos, fonts, colours and other inspiring resources. This lets you both create ideas and lets you understand how to final product should feel and look.
10. Take a Break, It’ll be Fine
If overthinking was a crime, I’d be in jail for life. When you start thinking, you begin to overthink and eventually get creative block. Once you’ve hit that dead end, take a step back and breathe. It’s okay to step back once in a while and let your brain rest. Take a walk, see new sights or just take a nap. It’s important to have a good work-life balance. There is no point in straining yourself for hours to get a new idea when a quick walk can do the same.
Not only has graphic design taught me how to be creative, but it has given me life lessons that I can follow every day. Everything I’ve learned over the years helps shape who I am today and helps me see each project from a
new perspective.