5 Tips to Be a Better Designer (and not Die Trying)

I know that all jobs are complicated, and they have better and worse days, but as I only know mine, I can only tell you about the work of a designer! I love my job! I cannot be happier! But of course, within the daily work there are better and worse times and there are many days when not everything fits. One of the main problems faced by a designer is the lack of creativity. There are days when you can be at 50% without problems, but others will require 100% and maybe your charger is half empty….

It’s a common thing, not all of us are always at the top in the moment we design. So if we follow a few steps every day, we will get in those days something from which to start.

Either way, the brain is a muscle and we must train it! We must always be attentive to everything that happens around us, because everything can be a source of inspiration. We must be like children who are open to any stimulus.

So here are my tips to be a good designer (or at least try) and to be happier!

1. Everything can be your source of inspiration

As I was saying, if you are not open-minded in your environment, you might miss a lot of things that might inspire you. Everything can help you, from a design job you like or another you do not like, to music, movies or perhaps nature. Even from a job that you do not like you can extract an idea that then leads you to get a project.

It is very important to read blog related to your work, in this case of design and WordPress to have the latest news. Always have the trends of the last year at hand. It is very common to have some tool like Feedly in which to keep blogs that interest you to read them.

2. Try something new

Routine, which is in charge of putting our feet on the ground and give us a bit of security or calm, can also be our enemy when we let ourselves be guided just by her.

That is why it is important to break out of the routine, look for new trends, do something you do not usually do … stop thinking! Surely only the search for this that is new to us is able to open our minds a little.

We must be constantly changing!

Sometimes we do not explore our work tools to the fullest, as we are used to doing things in one way and we do not want to waste time learning another. However, it is very important to give opportunities, to invest time in improving, training and trying to update.

In design, what was yesterday’s trend today may be “impossible to look at,” so if you are not willing to try new things, you are likely to fall behind.

3. Look at the details

They say that details make the difference and it is true! Sometimes the detail is in distinguishing two serif fonts, which not all are able to do. But if you do it you will see that those details are what make them special. Perhaps it is the curvature of one of their characters, or perhaps the angle with which the lower-case ends.

As we talked in the button post, the details are what make the difference, so to differentiate you must take those details into account.

Even two things that look alike have something different. Fonts and colour are two elements that help us to give this detail. As we always say, “red” is not the same for you as for me, and the difference between the two is responsible for giving the detail we need.

4. Hear the customer and hear yourself

Clearly when we work for others we have to respect the desires of these, however, we also have to give our opinion. Sometimes, even if you think that the client has very clear ideas, you give him another point of view, which makes him reconsider and of course see it from your side. The client might say “no, it is better of my way,” but you have already released the idea and maybe it is the first step to shape it, if not for this project for another.

In general, ideas are always to be welcomed, so it is not advisable to silence the inner self. That Spanish saying “people understand each other by talking things over” normally takes place and is very satisfying. Maybe something you propose to a client serves you for another. Ideas are always there so it is important to note and reuse them.

5. Appreciate the work of your colleagues

In addition to becoming a support, when you have doubts, the work of a partner is also a source of inspiration. Knowing what your colleagues are doing, can make you see in which areas the design is moving at the moment.

We said it in point one and we repeat it in this one, you must read blog and magazines of things that are not very related to you but also of colleagues of profession. Everything, at some point or another will serve you. And do not just stay in your language. It is important to know what is being done in other European countries, USA … It is normal that if you work for customers in Spain, you guide by the most local tendencies, but in the end we are working in a global world, and trends are becoming more global.

And when you have doubts about something, think that some colleagues have gone through the same thing, so there are many forums in which doubts are resolved, even if you have nobody close to ask.

I hope it helps you!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *