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Being a
beginner is daunting. You’re rarely certain that the correct things are being
done and, even if they are, you are still not set on the right path. This holds
true for graphic designers who lack experience. Their creativity may be stifled
by
insecurity--
hesitation to make the right decision. They start to shrink; their confidence retrogrades
into a diminutive speck, instead of being full-grown and capable. On the other
hand, there are others that are overconfident, their ego being the size of a
country, who don’t know the first thing that makes a successful designer. You,
as a beginner, do not want to be in either of these camps. This article aims to
provide some knowledge and tips on how to swim, not sink, in the waters of
graphic design.
Learn
From Others
Graphic
design, just like any other profession, is not arbitrarily mastered one day
through sheer luck. There is no sudden “enlightenment” when you wake up one
morning. Knowledge is accumulative. You may obtain a tip here, a piece of
advice there. Great graphic designers didn’t become proficient by obstinately
sticking to their own guns. No, they learned from others. They found ample
inspiration in their neighbor. They joined design communities to learn from the
pros (forums, perhaps.) They saturated themselves in these communities so that
they would have more knowledge at their disposal, more “tricks” up their
sleeve. Learning from others will help you find your creative pulse. Don’t
insulate yourself in a lonely, ego-driven bubble. Reach out to other, become
inspired.
Become comfortable in your niche
Once you’ve
acquired ample knowledge, apply it to your niche. If your niche is logo design,
practice often and market your attributes. Don’t be withdrawn (or too
overconfident.) If you believe you have the skills to heavily market yourself,
then, by all means, spread your name. Be proactive in advertising what you
offer-- get an accounts on Facebook and Twitter and push your name. Create a
blog or website where you provide cogent details as to why you’re an amazing
graphic designer. In short, become a brand that is marketable--create something
that is memorable-- and clients will come to you (as a beginner, you will, for
a while, have to go to your clients.)
Find
Balance
In the
beginning, I admonished you to escape from your hesitation and inaction while
urging others to drop their obnoxious egos at the door. Find a sense of
balance, an equilibrium in not solely
your temperament but in your skills as a graphic designer. Don’t skim
your way to success. Learn by asking questions, reading articles, studying
other’s design. This is how innovation is engineered-- not by copying but by
creating; not by creative sterility but by installing fertile imagination;
through being honest with your work. These are the ingredients to a great
graphic designer. I urge you to acquire them.
