9 Must Have Skills For Graphic Designers!
July 22, 2017
Do You Want To Become A Graphic Designer? If Yes, This Article Is For You!
August 2, 2017
Some people are destined to be designers. They have a knack for aesthetics, notice the finer details and love to learn new things. These people just move through the world differently.
Should you become a graphic designer? The following 11 signs, if you see them in yourself will tell you whether you should become a graphic designer, as proven by experience of most of the successful graphic designers of our era:
1- You recognize fonts have different personalities
You 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!
Shillington London’s Corrie Anderson loves typography too: “At school I would spend so much more time drawing out the headings on my homework, or choosing a typeface, or even choosing what paper it was on rather than writing out the actual work. Oops.”
2- You spend hours on Pinterest and Instagram
We all know how addictive social media can be. Designers love creating mood boards because visual research can inspire and spark creativity in unpredictable ways. You should consider becoming a graphic designer if you find yourself lusting over stationery on Pinterest or in a deep spiral of #typography tags on Instagram.
Shillington Brisbane’s Shanti Sparrow knows the joy of Pinterest. Check out her epic collection of design boards.
3- You download apps just to check out the design
As our everyday life catapults into the innovative future, designers play a big role in creating well-designed digital products. If your phone is full of apps you hardly use but can’t bear to delete—you have a head start in understanding the world of UX aka User Experience design.
Shillington Melbourne’s John Fry knows how you feel: “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.”
4- You care about aesthetics in everyday life
Are the cushions on your sofa organized by size or color? Are your picture frames perfectly aligned? If so, you understand the importance of visual clarity. Balance, Repetition, Contrast, Alignment, Hierarchy. The five design principles that create the foundation of design education are already forming in your brain.
Shillington Sydney’s Jason Cooper knows your obsession: “When I’m plating up dinner, I’m always looking at the aesthetic quality and perfecting the color, balance, etc. The design principles are always at work!”
5- You understand the power of branding
Branding is more than just a logo—it’s the spirit and idea behind a product or service that consumers connect with. Successful brands create an instant reaction. If you recognize and understand brand loyalty, your inner designer is well at work.
Shillington New York’s Enza Lettieri gets it: “I know branding plays a big part in my everyday life. It’s all about the tiny details—I love that fragrant smell when I enter a T2 store. The brand puts effort into the whole customer experience.”
6- You have a knack for craft and handmade
Do you like to get your hands dirty? Do you enjoy the process of crafting as much as the product? You’re a creative at heart if you spend your weekend undertaking home DIY projects, or even unwinding with an adult coloring book.
Shillington London’s Alyson Pearson loves to get crafty too: “Rather than buying birthday cards, I make them.”
7- You collect designs that inspire
If you save your favorite cards and invitations, have a bowl filled with cool old matchbooks, or can’t bear to throw out an empty but beautiful perfume bottle … signs are you’re a creative! Designers love to collect examples that inspire because when something works, it works.
Shillington London’s Ali Neilly is a fan of collecting too: “I’m a serial collector. I once acquired an elderly woman’s stamp collection from a charity shop and since then have continued to add to it as they’re the perfect addition to a moodboard with their unique patterns and colors.”
8- You See Design in Everything
Have you ever gone to the grocery store and thought to yourself somewhere along the lines of this: I wonder what font this can of tuna is using? It could’ve communicated better to me if it had a bit more kerning.
Designers know that they’re surrounded by Design, and they just can’t stop their minds from unearthing lessons, ideas, and solutions through the things they see and experience.
Designers will see Design outside of their own interests; outside of websites and user interfaces if they’re a web designer, outside of business cards and letterheads if they’re a print designer, outside of furniture and wallpapers if they’re an interior designer.
9- You Care About Solving People’s Problems
A design is successful when it properly provides solutions to real problems.
It’s in redesigning a website so that people can find their way around it. It’s in coming up with clever data visualization solutions to include in your infographics so that people can easily digest the numbers.
And so, it only makes sense that a successful designer, by default, is a problem solver.
And more than that, a great designer is compassionate, and looks at the needs of other people first.
A designer recognizes the fact that creating the perfect design according to their own perspective and style will fail if others don’t think the same way.
Sometimes I go overboard with problem-solving, to the point where it becomes abrasive.