7 Things Every Graphic Designer Wishes They Knew When They Were Starting Out

They Knew When They Were Starting Out
The human brain is hardwired for visual content. We can process visual data 60000
times faster than text or audio. From shapes, colours, lines, to textures every element
leaves an impact. Visual storytellers or simply put graphic designers play a very
important role in a brand’s journey, making a splash (pun intended, sure sure) with
their creativity and art.
We asked the creative minds at one of the best digital marketing companies in
Ahmedabad, about the 10 things they wish they knew when they started their journey
as professional graphic designers in Ahmedabad.
MASTER THE “TOOLS”
When it comes to designing, it’s not just about thinking creatively. It is very important
to have in-depth knowledge about the software and tools required to edit, design and
Budding designers can learn the ropes of designing from Adobe’s design tutorials, and
online courses on SkillShare polish their skills on tools of the trade like Adobe
Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign.
SKETCHING SKILLS COME IN HANDY
A graphic designer needs to think creatively, and nothing stimulates creative thinking
like sketching does. Even the National Center of Biotechnology Information agrees.
Sketching brings forth clarity to ideas and thoughts.
These rough drawings allow the designers to play around with their ideas, usage of
elements, the flow of colours and placement of content. These sketches also aid in
showcase an idea to the clients for approval before digital designing begins. This way it
can help save time.
ALWAYS HAVE A BACKUP
One of the most important things to be mindful of as a designer and content creator.
While this point may be a subject of many jokes, it is painful when you’re not able to
retrieve something beautiful, created with much passion and hard work, just because
you forgot to take a backup of the file.
Always keep a copy of your work, downloaded fonts, elements, and other content on a
hard drive or any form of detachable digital storage device. Even storing it on cloud is a
great option and increases accessibility, but also brings along with it the risk of lack of
data privacy.
There will be days when you wake
up and just can’t find the same
mojo and inspiration with which
you create designs every day. It is
completely OKAY to feel this way,
and it is called a creative block.
Getting out of this phase may look
difficult, but it’s not the end of the
road. Go back to your previous
work, look at what you have
created and to reignite that lost spark.
Sometimes, even looking at the work of other fellow designers, can inspire you to break
the block.
BUILD A PORTFOLIO
As a digital marketing company in Ahmedabad, we always ask for a portfolio of
work from candidates who wish to work with us.
Every designer must have a well-presented and updated portfolio consisting of their best
works, adding any testimonials they’ve received from their clients. A portfolio is a sneak
peek into a designer’s brain and an overview of his/her design style and language. A
beautiful and thought-out portfolio makes you stand out and increases your chance of
getting the job or project.
BE OPEN TO CRITICISM
You cannot make everyone happy. No matter how much thought, hard work and
creativity you’ve poured into a project, there will be naysayers.
But not all feedback is negative. In Fact we believe that all feedback has at least 1% truth
in it. Some of this can be constructive and help you grow as a designer. Instead of
blanket rejecting all feedback, accept, listen, and take in the bits that can help you
improve. It also helps one show their intent to grow, ego-lessnes regarding their own
work and a willingness to try new things in their profession.
ALWAYS SEEK AN ADVANCE WHILE FREELANCING
Graphic designing is one of the many
jobs which has the benefit of working
from home. But with remote jobs,
there comes along with it challenges of
not being paid in full for the job done.
Clients may offer you tasks,
assignments or even seek samples of
your work before green lighting the
project.
But it is important to be assertive and inform the other party about your terms and
conditions. One of which should be to get paid at least 50% of the total project cost in
advance. Genuine clients who appreciate your work will agree, and it ensures both the
parties fulfil their part of the contract, now that a monetary transaction has taken place.
ALWAYS STAY CURIOUS!
Never shy away from asking questions, trying to find new things, and learning new
skills. Because curiosity may have killed the cat but it definitely helped the designer
become better one day.
Before working on the design, the designer should always go back to the client to clarify
any doubts he/she has in their mind. It’s true sometimes it feels like only a NASA
scientist can decipher what the client wants, but asking as many questions will always
help.
BONUS TIP: Don’t be afraid to push yourself outside of your comfort zone! Keep
learning!
If you are a budding graphic designer who’s looking to work on some elevated ideas with
a bunch of cool folks and cooler clients, drop us your work portfolio and CV at
[email protected]. And if you’re among the ones looking for such
creative minds and professional graphic designers in Ahmedabad to work for
your brand, drop us a hola on [email protected]
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