50 things graphic designers should know

8/4/2019 50 Things Graphic Designers Should Know

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1. You are not the first.

There are very few firsts these days. Countless others have started studios, freelanced and requested

internships. It can be done. #the50


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2. There is always someone better.

Regardless of how good you are, there will alwaysbe someone better. Its surprisingly easy to waste

time worrying about this. #the50

3. Success is not a finite resource.

College fosters azero-summentality: that someone has to fail for you to succeed. In truth, anothers

success doesnt limit yours. #the50
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4. You cannot score without a goal.

If you dont know what you want, then how can you pursue it? Having a goal defines an end point,

and subsequently, a place to start. #the50

5. Starting anything requires energy.

It takes more energy to start than it does to stop. This is true for physics, your career, and that idea

you need to work on. #the50


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6. The path to work is easier than you think.

To get into the industry you need just three things: great work, energy and a nice personality. Many

forget the last attribute. #the50

7. Have a positive self-image.

Your self-perception is your most important asset. See yourself as the person you wantto be and

others will see this too. #the50


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8. Get a clean, simple website up.

An online portfolio is the alpha and omega of your career. With a wealth ofweb services, theres no

excuse for not having a website. #the50

9. Curate your work.

Never stop editing your portfolio. Three strong pieces are better than ten weak ones nobody looks

for quantity, just quality. #the50
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10. Listen to your instincts.

If your work doesnt excite you, then it wont excite anyone else. Its hard to fake passion for

mediocre work scrap it. #the50

11. Make your work easy to see.

People are lazy. If you want them to look at your work, make it easy. Most of the time employers

simply want to see a JPG or PDF. #the50


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12. Hand-write addresses.

Clients, prospective employers and potential clients gravitate to letters with handwritten addresses.

The personal touch goes far. #the50

13. Time is precious get to the point.

Avoid profuse humour or gimmicks when contacting studios for work, theyve seen it all before. Get

to the point, theyll be thankful. #the50


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14. Never take an unpaid internship.

This is not a necessary evil a studio that doesnt pay their interns (at least the minimum wage) is a

studio not worth working for. #the50

15. Do as many internships as you can stand.

Internships are a financial burden, but they are vital. They let you scope out the industry and find the

roles that suit you best. #the50


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16. Dont waste your internship.

A studios work can dip, as can its energy. Ignore this and be indispensable, the onus is on you to find

something that needs doing. #the50

17. Make friends with a printer.

A good relationship with a printer is invaluable they will help you save money and the

environment. #the50


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18. Find your local D.I.Y. store and pound shop.

These places are invaluable resources of cheap and ready-made artifacts ripe for tinkering, re-

decoration and re-contextualisation. #the50

19. Be patient.

Its not unusual to complete several internships and not find a good fit. Try applying to a studio you

hadnt considered. #the50


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20. Ask questions.

Assume nothing. Ask questions, even if you think you know the answers. Youll be surprised at how

little you know. #the50

21. Ask for opportunities.

It will feel cheeky, but ask for things. Ask to be included in exhibitions, magazines, pitches if you

dont ask, you cant get. #the50


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22. Seek criticism, not praise.

You learn nothing by being told how great you are. Even if you think your works perfect seek

criticism, you can always ignore it. #the50

23. Make friends, not enemies.

The creative industry is a small world: its a network where everyone knows everyone else.

Remember this before pissing someone off. #the50


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24. News travels fast.A good intern will find their reputation precedes them. Jobs are nearly always offered on this word-

of-mouth evidence. #the50

25. Dont get drunk at professional events.

Theres a difference between being merry and paralytic. The latter costs you your dignity, your

reputation and possibly your job. #the50


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26. Network.

Theres some truth in its not what you know, its who you know. Talk to people, send emails; at the

very least sign up to Twitter. #the50

27. Dress smart look business like.

Take your work seriously? Then take your appearance seriously. Clients are more likely to deal with

people who look like they care. #the50


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28. Never work for free.

Not only does this devalue the profession, but it makes you look weak. Even a nice client will take

advantage of this. #the50

29. Negotiate.

If you really have to work for nothing, negotiate. Clients and studios have access to many resources

that can be viewed as payment. #the50


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30. Read contracts.

Never sign a contract before reading it. Subsequently, dont begin any job without a contract you

may have to write one yourself. #the50

31. Make your invoice stand out.

Businesses are deluged with invoices. Make yours stand out with colour or shape and its likely to rise

to the top of the pay pile. #the50


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32. Theres no such thing as a bad job.Always push yourself to do your best. Logically, theres no way you can be dissatisfied with having

done your best. #the50

33. Theres no such thing as a bad client.

The onus is on you to make the client relationship work, not the other way around. If its not working

out, fire them as a favour. #the50


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34. Embrace limitations.

Limitations are invaluable for creating successful work: they give you something to push against.

From this tension comes brilliance. #the50

35. The environment is not a limitation.


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The environmental impact of your work isnt a fashionable consideration as a creative, its your

most important consideration. #the50

36. Boring problems lead to boring solutions.Always interrogate your brief: re-define the question. No two briefs should be the same;a unique

problem leads to a unique solution. #the50

37. New ideas are always stupid.

New ideas are conceived with no context and no measures of success this falsely makes them feel

silly, awkward or even impossible. #the50
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38. Do not underestimate self-initiated work.

Clients get in touch because of self-initiated work. Ironically, business is excited by ideas untouched

by the concerns of business. #the50

39. Justify your decisions.

Clients fear arbitrary decisions they want problem solving. Have a reason for everything, even if

this is post-rationalised. #the50


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40. Show sketches, not polished ideas.

Clients often mistake rough digital work for the final design. Show sketches for as long as you can, it

makes them feel involved. #the50

41. Work with the client, not against them.

You may think youre right, but look at the clients solution along with yours. Occasionally youll be

surprised. #the50


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42. Dont always take no for an answer.

Fight for superior solutions. Demonstrate your thinking to your client, take them through it itshard to argue with logic. #the50

43. Pick your battles.

The creative industry is often infuriating, but not every argument is an argument that needs to behad. This takes time to learn. #the50


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44. If youre going to fail, fail well.

Being ambitious means you have to take on things you think you cant do. Failures are unfortunate,

but they are sometimes necessary. #the50

45. Be an auteur.Regardless of who youre working with, speak up if somethings not right. Take it upon yourself to be

the barometer of quality. #the50


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46. Take responsibility for failure.

If a jobs going wrong take responsibility. It feels counter-intuitive, but responsibility means you can

do something about it. #the50

47. Share your ideas.

Youve nothing to gain from holding on to your ideas; they may feel precious, but the more you share,the more new ideas youll have. #the50


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48. Get out of the studio.

Good design is crafted from understanding the relationships between things. These connections cant

be found when locked in a studio. #the50

49. Awards are nice, but not vital.

Awards look good on the shelf, but clients seldom pick up the phone because of them. Solid work

encourages that. #the50


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50. Dont take yourself too seriously.

Take your work seriously, take the business of your craft seriously, but dont take yourself seriously.

People who do are laughed at. #the50

50 things graphic designers should know

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