31/08/2018
***I want to be a Graphic Designer. Is it as easy at it seems to be?***
Hey, I am Alex. A Senior Graphic Designer with over 10 years of experience. I am ready to share with you what I have learnt throughout my career if you think you are ready to become one. Ready?
Ok, so let’s take it from the beginning: I started this career by pure passion. And yes, it is true what they say: you really must do what you enjoy most in life because the results will not be delayed to appear. But is passion all that it's required in having a successful career in Graphic Design? The answer is no. I will list below some key points that I realized that a successful Graphic Designer should have. Are you ready? ;-)
1. You need to have a knack for aesthetics, notice the finer details and love to learn new things
Why? Because these are the principals that any design career is based on. You know, some people are just destined to be designers. If you don’t natively have these characteristics, you must reconsider by being a Graphic Designer. You should rather choose a law career or a financial one. Not kidding! :-D
2. You spend your last money on things just for the packaging/label
Oh yes… sounds crazy right? But it isn’t. That’s what passion means. I often see a wine bottle in different stores/shops and I say to myself “Is this wine worth my last 50 $?”. Well man… you should see the label though! Yes, it’s worth it! Or have you found yourself admiring the takeout bag your food came in while scarfing down lunch? If so, you have a serious appreciation for packaging/label design and this is what is needed to take the following steps to a creative career!
3. You recognize fonts have different personalities
Yes, they do! First of all you should really know font choice matters. With so many different typefaces available, it's essential to find the right typeface pairings to complement the design. Designers can quickly tell what works and what doesn't, so if Comic Sans and Papyrus make you cringe – you're well on your way to becoming a designer!
4.You download apps just to check out the design
We all know that a big role in creating well-designed digital products is the understanding of UX aka User Experience. If you usually download other design apps just to see how the other designers do it and to also to see things from a lateral point of view (I mean, from the user side) in order to improve your artwork, then you have it! You are a complete artist that not only inspires from the others (important: it is not a shame to do it) but also evolves continuously! One of my designer friends said “I have stacks of weather apps on my phone, not because I'm particularly interested in the weather, but just to check out the interface design.” Well, do you?
5. You understand the power of branding
I often meet people that confuses logo with branding. Wrong! I hope you don’t because is very important for you to know that branding is much more than a logo! It's the entire spirit and idea behind a product or service that consumers connect with. Successful brands create an instant reaction. If you recognise and understand brand loyalty, your inner designer is well at work.
So let’s see: Did you score all 5 points displayed above? If Yes, congratulations and good luck with your great Graphic Designer career! If you're not find yourself along to this list, maybe you shouldn’t become a designer! But good news: there's a place for everyone in this world! ;-)
Yours,
Alex
Senior Graphic Designer
and Michael Digital
