Image via Complex Original
The discipline of graphic design is one full of respected rules, strict guidelines, and sage wisdom. These tried and true road maps have helped designers adhere to a certain standard of design, as well as help them create meaningful and engaging objects that assist and enrich the lives of others.
However, even the most seasoned designer is continuously learning, discovering new inspirations, and uncovering new facets about their profession. We asked 16 designers from various reaches of the industry to enlighten us on their rules for success. From the top names in the industry, here are 16 Things Graphic Designers Should Know. Some of them may just inspire you to take a deeper look at your own work and your own methods.
Jon Jackson, Executive Creative Director, Huge
You have to fight to make good shit.
“Your design cannot explain that the budget got cut or the developer got sick.”
Natasha Jen, Partner, Pentagram
Ingenious design is done by doing it.
“It is rarely a product of strategy decks or of arranging Post-its.”
Richard Grefé, CEO, AIGA National
Design holds the keys to understanding and improving the human experience.
“Every designer should realize her special gifts include empathy, creativity, and an insane commitment to beautiful execution, when beauty may be the simplicity with which a function, a narrative, or an experience is appreciated. To be successful in this world, the designer must not abandon her craft and its focus on execution, but she must become much more seasoned in the context of problems seen from other disciplines—humanities, social sciences, anthropology, history—since context will allow the designer to assure the relevance of her solutions.”
Joe Stewart, Partner, Design, Work & Company
Don't stop designing.
“There is this horrible realization that a lot of more senior people get, which is that the better you are at being a designer and the more experience you have, the more a lot of companies want you to stop designing. Don't let them make you stop. Don't get promoted out of designing. Don't ever think designing is not the #1 priority. Money, awards, and fancy titles don't matter in the end, just your portfolio. None of the designers I look up to and study are [the ones I admire] because they had big titles and big paychecks. I study them because of their portfolios.”
Dan Cassaro
Know more than 10 things.
“Focus is important ,but hyperfocusing on your work makes you a boring hermit nerd. Experiencing new things makes you a multi-faceted person which in turn makes you a more relatable and better designer.”
Jessica Hische
You're not just a graphic designer; you're a person too!
“Don't let all of your other interests and skills atrophy. You can find a balance between making meaningful work and living a meaningful life.”
Chris Lyons
Great design tells a story.
“Creative and focused research provides the underpinning for the story.”
Jason Tselentis, Associate Professor of Design, Winthrop University
When in doubt, sketch it out.
“I've seen too many designers try to narrate their way to a solution, explaining how things will look in great (but often wordy) detail. It's easy to get caught in a rut of trying to talk yourself or the client into a solution, but a thumbnail sketch or other pre-visualization is worth so much more.”
Lorrie Frear, Associate Professor, Graphic Design, RIT
“Take responsibility honestly and quickly, and then make the necessary adjustments. And don't make that mistake again!”
Frank Chimero
Remember, you’re a design shepherd.
“Even great ideas need to be helped along by communicating rationale, building consensus, integrating feedback, and batting back the doubt that sneaks in during longer projects. A great idea not only needs to be thought of, it also needs to survive the process of making it.”
Rob Giampietro, Principal, Project Projects
Always be mindful of designing experiences.
“When I teach a class, it is an experience for my students. When I write a contract or a proposal, it is an experience for my clients: what they can expect from me, how often we will meet, the phasing of the project, the modes of our collaboration, etc. As you move from working individually to working collectively, the design of these experiences, and your ability to learn and refine your sense of how such things should be designed, becomes increasingly important.”
Ryan Haigh, Product Designer, iHeartRadio
Give a shit. Seriously.
“I can't tell you how refreshing it is to see someone show up to their job and give a solid effort day in and day out.”
Nicole Marie Rincon, Art Director, Column Five
The Internet can’t think for you.
“Looking at things all day long on Tumblr, Dribbble, Twitter, or blogs does not equal making good work. Get off the Internet. Get on with the business of making things. Looking at other people's work all day long is black hole of unproductively.”
Ekene Ijeoma, Design Technologist
Take the long way home.
“There are many different ways to do this, but simply, move away from your usual routines, your usual thinking, and your usual experiences. Your future designs will thank you.”
Marshall Meier and Ruba Tadros, Founders, Monolith Collective
Be nice to people.
“Part of being in this industry is finding the right balance of project/self-management and doing good work. Sometimes it’s less about the design and more about you as the designer. That was a big lesson we learned. People really just want to know they can rely on you and you're going to be there for them.”
Josh Gomby
Know your client.
“Rather than pitching work you know they won't buy due to production costs or because it is conceptually risky, give them work that creates a meaningful dialogue around their business and shows that you are partners in that conversation.”