10 steps on how to be a successful graphic designer
1. Become a collector, not a hoarder – Collect designs that you like the look of – and hide them away for inspiration at a later date.
2. Buy books – Don’t forget about books! Even though the Internet has an unlimited amount of resources – there’s nothing better than flicking through a beautifully designed print outcome.
3. Read design blogs – or even better MAKE YOUR OWN – Design blogs are the best way to keep up to date with what is happening both nationally and internationally in the design world.
4. Be active in your design community – Look out for events and other various activities where graphic design outcomes may be needed. It is also great to make connections that can offer you valuable feedback and critiques on your work!
5. TAKE PHOTOS OF EVERYTHING – These days, if you see something you like you don’t have to remember everything about it because you can take a photo! Photos are another way of collecting inspiration. Take photos of anything and everything that interests you. BUT remember to respect copyrights when taking photos. Do not reuse or republish others’ copyrighted content without permission.
6. Redo your old designs – Sometimes, when looking at your old work you can see how much you have improved over the years and it is great to adapt, change and IMPROVE your old work into better, fresher and more professional outcomes.
7. Have a killer portfolio – As designers, our portfolio is all that we have to show our potential clients to HIRE US! So make sure that you keep your portfolio up to date with only the very BEST of you work. You can create fake briefs and clients in order to produce outcomes for your portfolio.
8. Attend lectures and workshops – Take note of what’s around you – check out your weekly newspaper to keep up to date with the latest workshops and lectures. These are a great way to meet like-minded people that have the future potential for collaboration.
9. Go to exhibitions – Exhibitions are a great way of seeing trends, and what other creatives like yourselves are up to. Immerse yourself in art and design – you never know, they quite often have free champagne.
10. TRAVEL – Travel is hands down the number ONE way of learning, experiencing and meeting people. Through travel – you can learn about different cultures and how they use design.…
