Thinking about a career in design, but not sure where to start? Here are some tips for you:
1. Passion is key
Like in any other job, you must have passion and love what you do to do it well. If you are looking through magazine layouts, playing around with colors, patterns and most importantly you are drawn to art and beauty then the good news is - creativity may already be built in you. Now you need to practice developing it!
2. Practice Makes Perfect
If you are serious about developing any skills, you need to put a lot of effort and time into it. Try to organize your time to make learning as part of your daily routine! Spend at least 2 hours in the morning or evening watching tutorials or working on a design project at least three times a week! So that's only 6 hours of design time per week! But try to allocate time in your calendar, treat it like a job and stick to it!
3. Build your Portfolio
Start building a portfolio on projects that you want to be doing when you are employed.
The best way to learn and build a strong portfolio is through doing actual design tasks. There are so many fantastic crowd-sourcing sites that will help you to work on real client-based projects.
4. Show your Work
Don’t be afraid to start sharing your designs, even when you don’t think they’re good enough. Guess what? They might not be! But it’s important to get feedback on them, to have someone tell you about an existing pattern you didn’t know existed, to join a community that will help you grow long down the road, to show and share your work and iterate bit by bit with the help of others.
5. Complete an Internship
What is the better way to improve as a designer than to work with real people on real projects that have an impact on the world and for the users we design for? Don’t just apply to one internship. I applied to many. When you are just starting out, you don’t want to be extremely picky. Even if you don’t entirely fit all the job requirements, it never hurts to apply.
One of the great ways to practice and show your work to a wide range of people all around the world is by becoming a WikiStage design volunteer. Designers will be mentioned on the "WikiStage Designer" section on the WikiStage Team page for a year and we will share your work on our social media channels where we are followed by in total more than 100.000 people.
WikiStage is looking for volunteers to become WikiStage Designers. If you have great skills in design that you want to share with the world, apply here.
It doesn’t matter how good you are. Fields like design are always changing, shifting, and growing. The only way to stay on the edge is to constantly learn and improve your design skills. These tips will help you make progress and improve your design skills no matter the level you are at.
Seek out opportunities to study with a master who has scaled the graphic design heights you can only dream about today.
Deciding on a specialty early in your design career helps you spend more time developing the relevant techniques.
Show your work, whether it is on social media, design blogs, or industry forums. If they shred them, that gives you the opportunity to evolve.
Master and relish Photoshop, Illustrator, and other design tools.
Collaborating with someone more experienced from the design community, teaches you a better design perspective and opens you up to new techniques of the trade.
Ask for feedback, either from our mentor or other experienced designers, or both.
When it comes to design, experimentation is the key. Trying out new font styles, new color combinations, and experimenting with different tools not only give you more exposure but can also spark inspiration.
Join a graphic design community and actively involve yourself in debates and discussions. By surrounding yourself with like minds (online or in-person) you’re giving yourself the opportunity to grow as an artist.
Keep informed about the latest developments taking place in the industry. Visit forums to see what people are saying, and get information on the latest software that will improve your work.
Always be on good terms with your clients. Resolve any issues amicably - as much as possible - so your client relationships stay in good standing.
In order to teach yourself design boost your design skills, you must be persistent and keep reminding yourself why you started in the first place.
WikiStage is looking for volunteers to become WikiStage Designers. If you have great skills in design that you want to share with the world, apply here.
