How to be a graphic designer
My design story
I often get asked how I got into graphic design and what I think are the best routes. I thought it was about time I created a blog post about it!
I began my design journey as a gothy teenager with no direction. Did you have careers lessons at your school? We did, on VHS videos in the school hall and occasional career nights where people talked about their job. I watched a video about the skills required to be a commercial artist. I vividly remember being captivated by this short film and knowing it was what I wanted to do. It was a real lightbulb moment, that shone brighter after my art teacher said it was a job for ‘boys’. Her words made me more determined!
How do you get the best practical experience?
Learning about design in formal education helped me to to get the basic principles nailed, but I advocate work experience too. This gives you real world examples of how commerical work runs and the time frames required. It’s often faster than you think with more stakeholders than you’ll have in educational practice.
Studios, publishing companies, well-organised agencies and freelancers (sometimes) can fill in the learning gaps. These include a better understanding of how design fits within the wider workflow and relates to the project and other teams. There’ll be time to learn about communication skills with clients, how design is costed and the scheduling process. Larger companies can help to provide an overview for any student who isn’t sure which area of design they want to work in.
My work experience
I’ve worked as a junior designer in publishing and in fast-paced agencies. These were good introductions to studio work and deadlines. I have got creative on everything from vehicle wraps on vehicles, photo shoots with dogs for billboard ads, signs, brochures - in summary, marketing material of all shapes and sizes, exhibition stands and pop-up marquees! I also spent a long time creating clipping paths, which was good training in Adobe Photoshop.
Junior design work might feel frustrating at times, I hear you! But all those skills created a great foundation and I still draw on that experience.
It was during my time as a junior designer that I was drawn to print design after being tasked with typesetting learning material. In a mid-weight role, I was tasked with the design and print management of a company newsletter. I went on to art directing for magazines and onto agency work with accounts for UPS, United Business Media and the Teenage Cancer Trust to my portfolio. I became adept at pitches and navigating procurement too.
There was no room for error and my teams files had to be 100% perfect, otherwise it was a 1 am phone call and a drive to the office to fix the problem! Good systems, page plans, customer management and copy editing were just as important as good design. All these experiences have helped me to work efficiently and creatively, and paying attention to workflows.
I now have a hybrid working life after redundancy, pausing work to complete a Masters in Graphic Design and Typography and rebuilding my working life after pregnancy loss.
The world of design is constantly changing. I now create website design, adding digital media and coding to my range. I use my skills in calligraphy and illustration too. I am always learning.
Is someone born to be a designer?
Without question, my academic study has polished my work and gives me confidence in my design skills. I understand the science of design better - why one typeface and not another? Before I may not have understood why I thought this. I can draw on research, the lecturers I have met and fellow graduates. I now appreciate why something or someone inspires me and how I can use that in my work. Ultimately, it’s only until you take a degree that you realise how much it can benefit your skills and help your clients. It isn’t necessary, but I believe that my clients get a better result because of my education and my practical skills.
Are you born to the job? I believe we’re surrounded by so much media that it’s hard not to be influenced. I do know I’ve never been driven towards maths and figures, as I am words and type. So, perhaps some of us have a natural desire? If that’s the case, I’m very fortunate to have this career that I love.
What skills are useful?
Good personal skills and a thick skin! You will often have to talk to clients or stakeholders, all with their own opinions on the work you’ve created. Taking the view that it’s the designer’s way or no way isn’t productive!
Creativity which is obvious, but be mindful of variety in that creativity. Nobody want to see a portfolio with everything set in Helvetica or endless leaflets. Try tackling a book cover.
Technical skills. Adobe Creative Cloud is still the industry go-to. Knowing the basics of InDesign, Illustrator, and Photoshop is useful. Adding video editing or animation packages is a bonus. I do use a Mac but I honestly don’t think it’s an essential requirement.
Time management, literacy and the ability to problem solve are really important. You may like to read this post about 12 skills that aren’t creative but essential!
Takeaways
If you feel you’d like to turn to design as a career, talk to established designers. Look out for talks at universities and The Design Council. Use social media to follow designers like Erik Spiekermann, Antony Burrill, Ryan Bosse, Dan Mather and Stegan Sagmeister (who will provide a solicited critique on his Instagram feed). I am always inspired by Marian Bantjes and Candy Chang.
Follow design awards like The D & AD and read about industry news in Creative Review, Creative Bloq, Design Week and Its Nice That Is. This will help you to understand the different disciplines of design.
Practice! A decent portfolio will help you should you wish to study. You may grow this and find you can enter awards. I’ve won awards for my personal study and professional practice, all rather unexpected but a great addition to my CV.
Explore dream job ads for requirements. Canva is great for social media and quick jobs but lacks the technical details of Adobe and Affinity, so you may wish to examine what recruiters are looking for in your dream role as there’s often a theme. I know a bit of WordPress, Canva and Adobe Express for my clients but I create using code, Squarespace, Shopify and Adobe’s software so those are my main areas of focus.
Work on prompts. Sharpen is one of many sites that provide simple prompts, which may help you to create your own work and grow your portfolio. Record the process so you can show how you solved an issue, that’s often more critical than the outcome for recruiters.
Volunteer. Many small charities would love some help with design, from newsletters to social media. You may get the chance to work with an established designer. Arts Jobs and Charity Jobs list opportunities.
Don’t sell yourself short. Keep learning and developing your skills, so you can charge your worth. By taking training, you already know more than many.
Do let me know if this post helps! I’d love to hear from you.
