Being at the top of your game is really what everyone wants. But how do we go about it?
We see how teams and clients expect so much, so fast from graphic designers which leads to burn out, being stuck and just jumping from one company or client to the next — without much space to breathe and grow.
Because of this, we listed some hacks to help graphic designers grow and improve continuously while being on the job, and to be seen as a high quality professional almost instantly.
1) Be Open to Inputs and Feedback
Taking in feedback and being receptive to comments goes a long way in both improving the output, and improving the graphic designer.
Graphic designers need to learn how to take comments constructively towards their work and use it as a springboard to take a project to the next level.
PRO Tip: Even the most irrelevant comment or input has some value. Be on the lookout for that value with every input or feedback you receive, and try to analyze and evaluate how it can be best applied to your work.
2) Look and Listen
…to your clients, other companies, people and to your surroundings.
We know graphic designers each have their own way or style of doing work. But it’s also good to have new and fresh ideas incorporated into their artworks. You can have this by looking outside the box every now and then, challenging and pushing beyond the daily routine, and getting inspiration from your surroundings.
PRO Tip: Activate all your senses and allow yourself to have a peaceful moment and just observe potential inspiration — from different figures to cultures and behaviors. Once you have them, write it down and try to apply these concepts in your next design or project. You can also get inspiration from your hobbies and activities outside work, whether it may be games, songs, films, performances, day-to-day people observations and many others.
3. Explore and Expand
Master your craft and expand your reach through constant practice, taking design lessons while having fun during down times, as well as pursuing side projects which makes you uncomfortable. This can force graphic designers to get out of their comfort zones and upgrade their skills and knowledge.
PRO Tip: Set a schedule in your day dedicated to learning. Exhaust and learn from all the free design lessons available all over the internet. Maximize the free trials of subscriptions of online learning platforms like Udemy, Coursera and Skill Share and focus on learning on your down times, or after work.
Or you can volunteer or sign up for freelance work, be an on-call graphic designer for various international clients, or pursue design projects that are fairly unfamiliar. This can help you learn in the process while building an extensive portfolio.
4) Hone Your Communication Skills
While it’s easy to be absorbed in your designs and own work, being able to connect and communicate with people easily can improve your value as a professional.
A graphic designer having good communication skills can better understand their clients or team’s needs, know the audience their targeting easily,
PRO Tip: Practice talking to people in person, on your personal time (rather than online). Make it a habit to talk to different people face-to-face everyday until you can ease into communicating at work and meetings. Treat every conversation as “practice only” and try to have fun while looking for common ground with the other person to lessen the nerves.
5) Connect with Fellow Designers
Broaden your circle and reach out to fellow designers and potential mentors that can help you along the way. As they say, no man is an island. There are designers who have long been in the game and have a lot of experiences and knowledge to impart.
PRO Tip: Take the opportunity to learn from industry experts, attend events, approach fellow designers, be friends with them, ask them for feedback, partner with them, and learn and grow together.
6) Pre-empt Your Clients’ Needs
Being able to foresee the client’s and team’s needs and being 10 steps ahead is a quality found in professionals. Clients are busy thinking of other things, and showing proactiveness is a good quality they will surely remember about you.
PRO Tip: List all your deliverables. Then analyze. Put yourself into your client’s shoes. From there, list all the things you want accomplished for “your business”, and support each item with some research if it is achievable, and what are the challenges.
Ace the presentation by bringing these items to your client’s concern, and ask their thoughts and opinions, bounce off ideas to improve them until formulation and execution.