The world of graphic design is really a broad one. There are many segments in it, but all in one way or the other, are of great importance to us. Today I will like to share 20 things to do to become a good and professional graphic designer. These tips I will be sharing, were based on some influence of it, I had experienced and some from friends in the field.
Being good, at times, does not always mean your overall ability; it might only mean how good you can put what you know into practice. In the same vein, good experience is always a solid foundation for expertise.
A - Adhere to instructions: Most designs do have specifications regarding how to and/or design size; these specifications always have some reasonable influence on the work at hand. To save you the trouble of errors or wrong design layouts, always follow each design's specifications correctly.
G – Get the right material for your design(s). Great designers always have needed materials ready. Materials such as the design layout/template, an image or any other required materials should be ready before designing process. These materials help you to do what you know in a convenient and easy way.
Besides, it helps people to find what your designs are all about. Think of designing a portfolio for a juice company. The first think to consider materially may be images such as fruit or branded products of that company followed by some nice colour that relates to that of the company. Got that? Good!
O – Organized your design. Good organization matters a lot in graphic design. It speaks your true power graphically. Well organized colours, images and objects are great features that make people understand how good you can implement your skills.
O – Opt-out of archaic/awkward design. In other words, stay current to the latest design tips and strategies. The internet is a very good place to get these gists. A Google search will surely do you good.
D – Discover yourself. My philosophy of life is that until you discover yourself, you can't overrule out of your ignorance. That is, unless you alone, I mean you, unless you discover your true power and ability, it will be difficult to achieve the aim of a good graphic designer. Discover yourself and work out your differences.
G – Generate new sets of design strategies; they help you so that you don't become an 'impotent' expert (or archaic expert). A good discovery of yourself should lead you to employing new skills and with those skills; you are clearing the bush and removing the thorns that may hinder you on your way to become a great and professional graphic designer.
R – Redesign where necessary; I remember there was a time I worked on a friend's project. Then, I had to design five (5) portfolios (with same text and wordings but with different designs). To all intents and purpose, always design a backup design, that is, always design at least 2 different designs per project. Though this may look boring but it takes you a long way to achieve and attain your dreams.
A – Adjust your designs in a nice and accurate manner. Nice adjustment is another factor you have to take to heart while designing. What matter most in graphic design is your audience. Who are you audiences? Do you plan your design for the public? Is your texts and designs readable? All these questions point to several things of which nice graphical adjustment is an important aspect.
P – Play around with your design in your heart. Yes! Of course, I said 'Play Around'. Though, that might sounded funny but it is another strategy that had worked for many graphic designers including me. Meanwhile, while 'playing around', always remember what you left to play. In other sense, DON'T OVER-PLAY! Who knows, you may get the best strategy you had longed for while doing that.
You can also download the
pdf view of this post
H – Have a curious mind: Be curious because when you are, you find interesting things to do. Curiosity will always lead you into new discoveries that will change your standard to a pro designer.
I – Importance. The rule of the game is "until you value yourself, you won't value your time. Until you value your time, you will not do anything with it", that was a quote from Scott Peck (1936 – 2005). Maya Angelou (1928) was also right when he said "success is liking yourself, liking what you do and liking how you do it". So, value yourself, your dreams, the time you use for your designs and what you design. If you don't value yourself don't expect outsiders to value you and what you do? Suffice to say, like yourself and your design and believe that you can improve.
C – Cooperate with peers in the field. This sounded like some kind of teamwork. When you work as a team, you gain multiplied folds of what you will gain as a personal being. At times, teamwork may not be the correct option because you shouldn't rely too much on it, but all the same it helps.
D – Do-It-Often: Believe me, to become a pro graphic designer is not a day job and the best way to implement new skills is when you design often. Always remember these words from Vince Lombardi (1913 – 1970), "Practice does not make perfect, perfect practice makes perfect". In other words, practice perfectly to become a perfect and professional in graphic design. With perfect practice, your graphic designs may extends to some other technical template design for Ms Office applications; that is, good practice may lead you to a standard
PowerPoint template designer/programming.
E – Examine yourself and your design: Before you go out to broadcast your success on a particular design, it is better to examine your design to avoid errors and wrongdoings. Be optimistic while working, but don't be too enthusiastic (you may end up losing your focus). Your personal being integrates/determines the quality of your work. "Work harder on yourself than you on your job" – Jim Rohn (1930 – 2009).
S –Shape your professional future: Stay focused to the true you which you want to see in the nearest glowing future. Don't be distracted. Stay focused.
I – Itemize your mistakes: To learn from your previous mistakes is not a sin; in fact, it is the greatest privilege to rise again; and to rise more powerful. Always learn your lessons from errors or mistakes you made.
G – Gather knowledge from others: Learn from experts or professionals; you acquired more skills by doing that.
N – Never over-praise your work: Much enthusiasm is not good for a good graphic designer. It can drag you down to the zero point without any tangible achievements. Don't be confuse, ok? Be happy but don't be over-happy about your work. So, beware!
E – Enhance with corrections: Corrections from friends or peers goes a long way to help you stabilize your feet on the graphical world of today.
R – Reach lots of people with your design: In another term, promote yourself and your work. Make yourself known. Let people know that you can do it. A nice graphic image on your page (twitter, Facebook will do) let people know who you are. Good promoting strategies help you find people that love your concepts and designs. They may end up requiring for your services.
And with that, we have come to the end of the 20 tips to become a pro graphic designer. On the final note, I will advise you to be creative. Another word for graphic design is creativity; if you want to become a professional and an expert in graphic design, you have to be creative. I hope you had found this post useful?
Don't forget to comment and share this post to your friends.
.png)
