Today we’ll be giving you a set of buzzwords that will sound corny, stupid, and all too helpful. To be the absolute best graphic designer you can be, repeat these concepts to yourself often, looking at how you manage each within your own life and workflow. The field of graphic design requires real dedication to achieve success: Use these key areas to get more work, and to find deeper satisfactionwithin your career.
Innovative: There are thousands upon thousands of other designers out there, most of which are pretty good (whether you’d like to admit it or not). How do you differentiate yourself from the rest of the herd, and land those killer gigs? Simple, really: Be innovative.
Innovation starts from the ground up. An innovative designer is constantly looking to expand his toolset, and to explore new ways of creating elements. He’s also not afraid to take a design risk in the hope that it will pay off at the end. Speaking of payment, innovative designers aren’t afraid to try unique business strategies, either.
Bold: If you quit your day job to become a full-time freelance graphic designer, then you already know everything this characteristic of a successful designer has to offer. Truly successful illustrators must be bold, and willing to buck the current trends if they’re detrimental to a project. Bold designers aren’t afraid to say no to a time-wasting client or a bad partnership. Likewise, a bold client isn’t afraid to go for the gusto, using unorthodox methods to introduce himself to new and prospective clients.
Adaptive: Lastly, a truly successful graphic designer must be adaptive, and willing to roll with the changes. This characteristic spans so many fields, including business models, payment methods, technology, and software. New tools are constantly being produced: An efficient graphic designer keeps the spirit of intrigue alive by always looking for the next greatest workflow piece. Likewise, the willingness to trade up technology pieces, or try a new online service, can set a graphic designer apart from those who get stuck in the repetitive doldrums of comfortable design.
All in all, to be the best graphic designer you can be, simply keep the spirit of the thing alive. Graphic design is a hell of a lot of work, but it’s one of the most rewarding and creative fields around. You have the power to create your own dreams, and with that in mind, nothing is too big, and no project too small to be a roaring success.
