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About graphic design
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Top Ten Tips for Graphic Designers
1. Let your clients know (diplomatically) that they can choose two between time, budget and quality, i.e. you can do something great on a tight timeline but with a proper budget; or something great without a high budget but you'll need more time (so you can fit in your schoolwork or other projects and not drop everything for it). Clients will usually want something amazing, tomorrow, on a skimpy budget and it's up to you to negotiate better terms.
2. In a similar vein, you are at a stage of your career when you are building your portfolio. So sometimes it's worth doing a project for little pay if it's a boost to your portfolio or gets you into an area you would like to explore: e.g. packaging, identity for restaurants, website design, etc.
3. Explore as many design areas as you can, from digital to printmaking, video to 3D. Our strongest interns have been multidisciplinary. If you are talented and bright, then you can apply your thinking to many different methods of design.
4. Communicate clearly. Design is often a means of communication in itself, but if you have weak writing skills (expression, grammar, spelling), it's worth improving them. Whether you end up as a freelancer, employee or business owner, you will always benefit from being able to write and speak well.
5. Stick to deadlines, and any other promises you make. It's better to promise delivery a day later and exceed expectations by delivering early (or even delivering on time and at least meeting expectations) rather than disappointing your client and undermining their confidence and trust in you.
6. Have an eagle's eye for detail. That is one thing which can set you apart from other designers. From not making typos yourself, catching a client's ones, or pushing pixels until they are perfect...the devil is in the detail!
7. Know your formats (ai, eps, jpeg, gif, png) and software, and when to use what. Consider watermarking your work: (Courtesy of clientsfromhell.net)
8. Be creative! Graphic Design used to be called Commercial Art, and of course the commercial element is important, but it's often the clever twist in a logo or communication piece which makes it effective and memorable.
9. If you ever get frustrated, go to clientsfromhell.net for a good laugh.
10. Look outside the design world for inspiration. Anything from cinema to art, cooking to motorbikes – or whatever your other interests are – can fuel ideas.
Thanks to Madelyn Postman, Creative Director, Grain Creative, for these great tips!
