Getting designs the way you want takes patience in every aspect. It involves experimentation, dedication, hard work and discipline. It’s tough yet so worth it.
Patience is the key to long term success. If you have faith and practice, your efforts will be rewarded. You’ll pick up new things every time you complete a design tutorial and discover new ways of thinking, feeling and looking at design. There is no greater feeling than mastering your designs and knowing they look great. Don’t give up!
Things to consider:
- Repeat tutorials. Just because you’ve completed a tutorial, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have another go at the exercise. You are likely to find yourself picking up new skills each time you do the tutorial and mastering the tools needed to create quality designs. Try redoing the tutorial without referencing it – so you can see how much you’ve remembered.
- Don’t compare yourself to others.Graphic design is a competitive business but don’t spend time comparing your designs to other people at your level. It could be disparaging or make you arrogant; either way you will lose motivation. It is good, however, to have a benchmark of what is trending, what is popular and what is good quality. So do aspire to design like the best. With patience and perseverance, your talents will shine.
- Keep things bite size. Make sure your tutorials are teaching you a small part of a program and not overwhelming you with too much information. If you’re not grasping a tutorial and you’re getting frustrated with it, leave it and go try something else. It could be you’ve chosen something that’s too complicated and you need to pick up some more basic skills.
- Allocate a time slot. Even if it’s just twenty minutes in the morning before you shower, be strict with this time slot for designing. It’s the best way to incorporate designing into your day and having it as part of your routine will help you stick to it.
Remember, all things are difficult in the beginning but with time you can bring out your inner designer!
