A List of Things Graphic Designers Should Know

Being a graphic designer does not only require skills and imagination, but also a lot of work. There are so many graphic designers in the world that it requires even more than that. The difference between all these professionals also lies in the mindset they have.

Being open-minded helps a lot for an obvious reason, but not everybody manages to hold such a mentality. Moreover, being aware of your position in the company, your importance or your skills and relationships with others make a difference as well, so therefore today we take a look at a list of things every graphic designer should be aware of.

Regardless of how good you are, there is always someone better.

Therefore you should know your limits and not ask for too much in exchange for your services, because if you are employed in a company it is very possible you will get fired.You have to know how good you are and ask for payment according to your skills. Then there is always someone you could look up to and try to learn from them.

You need a goal to score

The game of football would not exist without a goal. The life of a graphic designer is the same. Designers need a goal in order to score. They need to know from the beginning what it is they want and try to reach it, otherwise they can’t reach something they don’t target.

You need a positive self-image

Having a good image about yourself is another path to success. See yourself not only as a valuable asset to whatever it is you do, but also to what you want to become. Think of how you would like to be in the future and make that image your goal.

Get your portfolio online

There is not too much work for you if you do not have a portfolio online. Design a simple, clean and effective portfolio and then upload it on the internet. That’s where you have to take it from. Then advertise it, show it to your friends and try some viral marketing. But whatever it is you do, it all starts with the portfolio – so begin your graphic design career with it!

Choose quality

Not all the designers are proud of every work they’ve done in the past and this is totally normal. Therefore, only choose quality over quantity and do not upload to your portfolio work that you are not proud of. The portfolio is your image and should make a good and fast impression, so don’t waste your visitor’s time with work you wouldn’t look at yourself.

Show off the work

The average web user today is very lazy and will not take too much effort if he is not really interested in your profile. This is why you have to make your work visible, and make sure people can access it fast and easy.

Get to the point

In this fast world we live in time is really precious and people wasting it are not appreciated by the others. Therefore make your point fast, get to it and then move on to other things. Do not have a portfolio with showcases from several domains if you only do webdesign or video productions. It is confusing and the users who have to spend a lot of time on your profile only to find out they are not interested in what you do will get mad at you and might never come back.

Get internships

Internships are the new way of learning stuff, especially in the field of design. The main point behind it is that you get some work time and some hands-on experience in a company that will improve your skills – and we do not only talk about the design skills, but also about team work and personality. Don’t waste the internship – make the most out of it. Also, try to take on as many internships as possible – you can never say you know it all.

To consider: Some people say that unpaid internships should not be taken, but I do not fully agree with this. I would rather find an unpaid internship than not find one at all. Short-term internships (e.g. 6 weeks or 3 months) might be unpaid. I would obviously not take an unpaid internship for a whole year, but three months is not a lot of time. Think twice before rejecting such an opportunity.

Be patient

Being patient as a graphic designer is one of the main skills you will need. Jobs will arrive later than you wish and internships might not be too helpful in the beginning, but just wait for it. The sun will shine on your street too at some point in time.

Ask questions

Somebody said many years ago that the one who asks is dumb only one time; the one who doesn’t ask is dumb his whole life. And this is quite true in my opinion. Somebody else said that there are no stupid questions, only stupid answers. This is why asking questions is important. You don’t know everything in your field (nobody can claim that, anyway) so you have to ask. This way you will get better at what you do and people are usually nice and willing to help. Don’t be afraid of asking, it’s better than making a fatal mistake because you didn’t know.

Seek feedback

When I talk about feedback, I mean constructive criticism. You will not learn too much by hearing that your projects are perfect. There has to be something wrong with them, there just has to. This is why you always have to ask for feedback and try to improve the respective area next time you work. Praise and pats on the back are only good for your short-term self-esteem, while constructive criticism is good for your long-term career.

Have a network

Knowing someone that knows someone is the way of doing things today. Viral marketing is very important and gives huge results, therefore try to meet as many people as possible from your domain – and not only from there. Recommend people and get recommended in exchange. Ask for business cards and give yours in exchange. This is the way of doing things today. It’s always easier to ask your employee for another graphic designer than to Google one.

Set the right price

As I said in the beginning, you need to set the right price for your work. Moreover, never work for free, because if you do it once, you will also do it for the second time. And why would you work for free? Mind you, it is not internships we talk about, but freelancing tasks. Negotiate the price tag and put it on paper.

See the good parts

There is no such thing as a bad client or bad jobs. You can learn something from everyone and every little task, therefore as long as it meets your financial demands, do everything in your power to finish the job or deal with the client. It will pay off in the long run.

Failure is your fault

If you fail, then it is not the client’s fault, but yours. You have the project in your hands and there is always a solution to the problems that can arise. If you took the wrong path, it was entirely your decision and therefore entirely your fault. Don’t blame somebody else; take the responsibility for your choices.

This was a brief list of the things you might want to know if you are new to the business. Try to avoid showing off and be modest in the beginning, then improve your skills through internships and create the right mindset for yourself – then you can call yourself an ultimate graphic designer. Remember, skills and imagination are not everything!