For Designers Just Starting Out
I was definitely not a designer when I first got into the web business. I was a developer only (not a great one either I might add), and then design eventually came to me as a side interest. Between the few design and art classes I was required to take in school, and a demand from some of my clients that they needed web designers, I practiced the craft on my own and primarily became a self-taught designer.
Yes, I took a few design classes in college. However, my degree is not a design degree and those were mostly electives that I took for the credits; I am by no means a design major or have had any serious professional instruction in design. Throughout the years, experience has organically taught me design and about the business of design. In this post today, I’ll teach you what I learned when just starting out, in order to help any aspiring designers get started themselves on the right track.
Practice Makes Perfect
Practice makes perfect. It’s always been a fact of life, and it couldn’t be more true for design. You can study design theory, history, and everything else as much as you want, but the best way to get great at design is to start designing. The transformation from beginner to experienced designer happens slowly, so slowly that most designers won’t feel as though they’ve changed at all, until they look back and see a work from a year ago and note how much they’ve changed.
Even if you don’t have a client to design for, begin making designs. Make designs for yourself, make them as freebies. Get feedback, and don’t take negative feedback seriously. Receive constructive criticism, and keep designing in order to improve.
Good Designers Copy, Great Designers Steal
In the words of one of the greatest artists of all time, Pablo Picasso, “Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal.” In design, we can use the same advice. Picasso meant by this that we must learn and grow from those before us, and we must not put so much pressure on always being “the most original.” This way of thinking will backfire — get good at design first, understand and know how to implement the best practices, common trends, basic design principles, and soon you’ll find your own unique style that will be original enough on it’s own.
Steal first, learn, and originality will come naturally.
He also meant something else by this. Since everything’s been done before, what’s been done by the best is the best for a reason. Think of the most effective web designs. Why are they effective, great looking, and why are the websites behind them so successful? Because the methods used within the design work. Steal best practices and use them for your own designs; steal trends, layouts, and overall techniques. Most importantly, make yourself understand why they work. Then, after you learn how to do them, you can improve and make them your own.
Don’t Be a Starving Artist
What’s with the “starving artist” mentality? If you plan on running your own design business or otherwise making a living off of your design skills, know how to be a great business person. Screw the starving artist mentality. There’s nothing noble about not being able to afford food or have the lifestyle you want.
Do the work you don’t want to do when you have to, and up your rates when you want. Run a design business effectively, and get paid for your talents. Every once it a while you’ll get the urge to do some unpaid design work, for personal projects usually. That’s fine, but don’t let it interfere with your business. Also don’t turn down work when you need it because it’s below you. Don’t be a stuck up designer!
It’s Not All Pretty Colors
If you just want to create pretty designs that look cool, get out of the design business. Go try to get your work hung up in a gallery. Design is about more than pretty colors, cool textures, and neat shapes. Design is about typography, usability, information architecture, accessibility, and so much more. It’s about designing for the benefit of it’s consumers, not for you. Learn about these things too.
You Need to Know How to Code a Site
If you’re a web designer that is. At least know how to code a site in HTML/CSS. Get to understand semantics, and learn how to set up a basic website. Even if you don’t want to be a web developer, you’ll have to at least work with one someday, and having the basics down will help dramatically. Plus, you’ll just be broadening your list of possibilities professionally.
Web designers need to know how to put a static website together these days. Go beyond this if you’d like, perhaps you’ll find an interest in it. If you don’t, you can still hire separate developers to turn your designs into WordPress themes, web apps, or to just add a few more dynamic features to your design.
Study on your Own
Look up similar blog posts, articles on design principles, and if you want, even go out and buy a design book. Read tutorials, and do the tutorial too. Buy and consume the resources you need to grow your design skills. Nobody’s a natural designer. If you know a great designer, they worked hard at it, for years.
What do you think designers just starting out should focus on?
