Top 6 Qualities of a Graphic Designer
Simply put, as we know, a graphic designer… designs graphics. As the name says, graphics usually include visual elements like art, imagination and most importantly, Creativity. And then the design part is associated with the thought processes, like thinking, problem-solving and practicality, which also involves design principles. And when we bring the visual elements and the thought process together we get Graphic Design, just like that.
So what sort of tasks does a Graphic Designer do?
Graphic Designing is a career where you are free to let your imagination run wild, where you are allowed to create and design how you see things, I mean can it get any better than that?! Every day you get to wake up, head to work, and create a new piece of design for the world to see.
Graphic designers get to learn new things every day because no two clients are the same. Also, a big part of their job role involves bringing ideas to life. How cool is that!
Graphic designers produce works of art and mind-blowing designs for many businesses and industries, it could be anything from a magazine, an advertisement, a website or even just a poster.
Let’s have a quick look at some of the tasks Graphic Designers are typically engaged in,
1. Package Design
This is where you get put your twists and design everything of a package, the package being anything from food cases to subscription boxes for mailing. And this might sound easy but there are many things to consider from the look, feel and the functionality of the package. So this is another areas of problem-solving they are usually involved in. If you love challenges, this is for you, because some box designs can get real complicated.
2. Publication Design
These designers create layouts for printed material, everything from magazines to catalogues to newspapers and more, if you enjoy creating layouts and designs that match stories, have an eye for colour and like to keep up with the latest design trends, this is just something you will love.
3. Web Design
Simple as it sounds, graphic designers are also involved in creating awesome online website layouts. This is a good field to look into if you’re someone that doesn’t like to worry much about career security, as most companies and industries are now heavy on digital presence, and as a result, the need for good web designers is always on the rise.
Okay so, what skills and qualities makes a great Graphic Designer?
Like any career, certain skills and qualities are required to be present in order to meet the standards, some of these skills and qualities can be acquired through practice and determination and some only through encouragement, these are the top 06 skills and qualities that would make you a great graphic designer.
1. Verbal Communication
Yes you read that right. Even though graphic design is mainly about communicating visually, verbal communication is essential as you have to be able to discuss and pitch your ideas to clients and your team. It also assists in maintaining a successful business relationship, thereby helping you grow into your job.
3. Drawing and Sketching
Sketches make pitching ideas much easier and rough layouts always sell an idea far better than a polished one as good ideas sometimes begin on paper before entering the digital realm. Here’s something cool; when a design is combined with art to convey a meaningful message to a specific group of people, it is known as art direction and this is important as it provides precision and sense to your designs.
5. Imagination and Creativity
This is a strength that is unique to each person and differs from individual to individual, imagination is what powers Creativity which is responsible for all the designs that you produce. Good Creative design will help you showcase your ideas clearly, and eventually build the trust of your customers.
2. Research and Problem Solving
Research is all about collecting data, either through online sources or through the client itself to expand your knowledge base as a designer, allowing you to come up with new and innovative approaches to solve a problems or fulfil design requests, so basically research helps you understand what makes people tick!
4. Time Management
Graphic designers work with a lot of deadlines. Not all deadlines are the same and some might even require you to work quicker in order to deliver the project on time, as a result, you will need to know how to manage your time effectively and how to be more efficient with your work, this is key to building your career.
6. Passion
And lastly, your passion. Passion is what brings imaginative and Creative ideas to life because in order to produce a design you need to be able to push yourself, the more passionate you are the more you push yourself to be better and as a result, you will be able to produce good work and the right solutions.
Of course the above points are just the top ones. There are many other major skills that would help in your path to becoming a well-known and skilled graphic designer apart from them. They can include software skills, presentation skills, typography, coding and a great sense of attention to detail!
But how can you gain these skills? And how do we keep improving as a graphic designer?
Here are some tips to improve your skills and qualities
1. Read books
Reading stacks of books is the most traditional way to gain knowledge as it gradually expands the mind and generates creative and original ideas.
Here are some books you should consider reading,
Things I Have Learned In My Life So Far by Stefan Sagmeister
The non-designer’s design book by Robin Williams
Interaction of colour by Josef Albers
3. Listen to podcasts
Podcasts are more of an entertaining on-the-go learning approach, you can go further into issues without having to put up time to read or view a video.
Here are some podcasts to listen to,
Design Matters
The Honest Designers Show
Design Life
2. Make use of online learning platforms
Visual learners can stream videos online on websites like YouTube and Netflix which in turn aids in skill improvement.
Here are the top 10 Netflix documentaries you should consider watching
All in all…
Graphic design is critical not only to produce a great first impression but also to establish a lasting impact in the long run.
The demand for Graphic Designers are always on the rise due to the advancements in technology and today more people than ever own a smartphone.
Companies and industries are always looking for ways to improve their product and this is where you come in. as a designer this gives you the freedom to test your limits and produce remarkable works of art!
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