3 Tips for the Graphic Designer Beginner
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 Don’t be withdrawn (or too overconfident.)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.
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