I always wanted to be someone when I was young. Not just another book on the shelf. I’ve had that creative fuel since I was young. However it was undiscovered, as a result I picked chemistry, biology and politics as my main college subjects, hoping to make something of it and become a politician or a scientist. Unfortunately I found out I failed at all these subjects after coming back from holiday, and only had 2 weeks to reenroll or find a different college. Against my family’s consent I took up a full course in graphic design where my creative fuel had sparked and is still burning today. 

I’ve been freelancing since 2006 while I was a student, and now working temporary at a printers as a designer as well. I through my self in the design scene and took a crash course in freelance design when I was in college, and to a lot of peoples surprise I managed to prove my success. I have been taken advantage of a few times by a number of clients due to my age or my inexperience in business. I guess I’m the type of guy who seems to learn the hard way. Yep I love freelancing because you never know where your going to get your next phone call or email from. Some freelance jobs can be a bit dull but fortunately most of the freelance jobs I’ve got were good. I’m looking to expand in to my own shop/studio, so I decided to boost my experience and finance by working at Great Ledge Printers.

My favorite part… I have two… I get a buzz when I first get a brief that has a lot of potential and when I see the work I’ve designed published and used publicly, it’s a great feeling when you walk past a piece of work and you can say “I designed that”.

I never thought of this question before because I always liked to design for my self. But if there were one individual I would design for it would be Charles Saatchi, for the simple reason that he seems to appreciate design, artwork and creativity in general. One event that’s stands out in my mind was the Islam Awareness Week in Aberdeen. Where I gave a talk about my design work in Aberdeen University and then gave a calligraphy presentation, and had another two days of writing peoples names in calligraphy. The best part of it is when you see their look on their face when they see their name in Arabic calligraphy. 

One thing I’ve learnt in the business of the design industry and dealing with clients is, always have a written agreement especially if your going to be working on a big project. Also never under sell your self, as a creative your work is unique and valuable. I’ve learnt my lessons the hard way. When I first started out, I was young and had no experience in dealing with clients face to face, and was taking advantage of.

One person who was a great help and has shaped my career in a large way is Muiz Al-Khattat. Muiz was a student and already a freelance designer when I met him he was at university and I was in my first year of college in Graphic Design. Muiz was like my design mentor, he has given me countless advice, from dealing with clients giving talks and workshops to wide audiences. I also admire his work and also inspired by it. When I first entered the freelance design scene I could relay on him at any time when I needed advice and help. There were other people who have helped shape my Design career like my family and my tutors. However Muiz was the most prominent in my design career. At the moment I’m kind of taking his role and helping other younger designers in their work and their career.

I have various ways in getting over a creative block, some are more effective than others depending on my mood at that time. One method I use of getting over a creative block is by looking at other designer’s work of similar briefs and see how they’ve tackled it. Another thing I do if the previous method doesn’t help is I’ll simply go for a walk or start painting a canvas with my spray paints. But usually I just start; I’ll do a warm up design where one thing would inspire another and before I know it I would  have  enough  ideas  for what I need to design.    

I really enjoy and have a passion of martial arts and have practiced different types. However I stopped training, as my freelance career became fulltime. Despite that I managed to fit and intertwine my reflexes and martial art spirit in everyday life. What excites me about life? I kind of treat it like a game, not in a sense that I don’t care, but in a way where I progress though different levels. I set my self objectives and go out of my way to achieve them. I get a rush / buzz when I achieve one of my objectives. My next one is opening my own design studio this January.

“I love this question” my ambition is to build my own brand as big as Adidas or Nike, and be the chairman of my own clothing / design company. I was inspired by this idea 4 years ago before I started freelancing and gave my self 20 years to fulfill it, and put my self a set timeframe. Up to now I think I am pretty much on schedule.   

 
Thanks for the interview

Yusf Ali

Dr. Damber Kumar Nirola

I am from a small Himalayan country called BHUTAN. I was born in a village called Nainatal and I  currently work as a Psychiatrist in The National Referral Hospital in Thimphu, the capital city.

I do graphic design as a pastime. I used to draw and paint as a hobby and learned a bit of graphic design on my own. I am not an expert though!

I do freelance work. I love doing graphic design but most of the time it depends on my free time which I manage after taking care of my patients.

Conceptualization is very critical and that’s what I like doing and is my favorite aspect of Graphic Design.

If given the chance I would illustrate books for children and make logos related to the Health care services. I like this because I am more comfortable in these fields. I did illustrations for a flip chart for educating people on antenatal care. I also won an award for designing a logo from a water and sanitation program for The Bhutan Health Ministry.

A word of advice to peers, make it a habit to use your art for art purposes only and don’t just make it look like a factory. Be creative and you will enjoy the outcome.

Well, I have no one person who helped me in my career path. Only myself and I!

When I need help sparking creativity I meditate!

Other than graphic design I like to stick to reality rather than dream about something unattainable. I make sure to give enough time to my family and I meditate daily.

In the future, as mentioned earlier, I don’t dream, but I would be happy if I could design for some big company, maybe even Microsoft!!!

Thanks,

Dr. Nirola

Agus Primakusuma

I come from Indonesia. I was born, grew up and live in Jakarta which is the capital city of Indonesia.

After I graduated from the university, I applied to an audio visual communication agency as a computer graphic designer. Honestly, I did not really know anything about graphic design. That is where I learned for the first time computer graphic tools. I Learned such items as: Draw Applaus, CorelDraw, Photoshop and several graphics tools. I give my inspiration thanks to my first boss. He gave me a great opportunity to learn the graphic design world from ground zero. And I thank God for giving a talent to me through my parents. My father is from Bali, the exotic island where the most creative and talented people live.    

I have been doing freelance work for about 2 years. I love design and creating nothing into something. I’m very happy when my ideas help people find the path and growth for their business.

I believe the actual process is my favorite aspect of design. I follow all aspects of graphic design from brainstorming, brief design, sketch, creating it digitally, sending it to the client, discussion and finalizing the work.

If I had the opportunity to work on one event or project I would want to dedicate my work on a cultural event or multi media project. What I have realized is  I love to meet and work with people from different places, different backgrounds, different languages. All together for one purpose or goal.

I’m not expert in this area of giving business advise. But according to my experience, give the client more than their expecting. Yes, we do freelance for a living but money is not the main objective point. Give our big efforts to their needs. I believe this is an effective way to make a long lasting relationship with our clients.  

Hmm the one individual who helped shape my career, I think would be my first boss. He gave me an opportunity to get started in the graphic design world even though he knew I did not have any knowledge, skill or degree in this field.

When I get writer’s block or need help sparking my creativity I take a short break and wash my face with cold water.

Besides graphic design I like traveling, art, culinary. Life is exciting because everyday we wake up and we face a different moment and situation from yesterday. That’s why we have so much knowledge from our past.

In the future I see myself here, making a design everyday. I want to share my little knowledge to everyone.

 
Thanks,

Agus Primakusuma

Jon Cleave

I am from England and was born in Reading. I moved to Cyprus (Limassol town) when I was one and a half years old due to my fathers job. I lived there nearly my whole life and moved back to England last year (Aug 2008) to Bournemouth to study Graphic Design Degree at The Arts University College Bournemouth.

Initially, I was truly and first inspired by my school teacher Mr. Nigel Hall when I was approx 13 years old. I was in an Art lesson and created a graphic piece. My teacher was the first ever to complement me for my work properly and inspired me every step of the way, which made me end up taking GCSE Art & Design Graphic Design when I was 14, where I received an A* Grade, which followed through to A-Level Art & Design Graphic Design and receive an A Grade in it. Throughout this process, My friends and family and Fiona Henderson (another teacher) really helped me strive to succeed in this field through motivation. Nigel Hall introduced Computer Art magazine to me when I was 14, which I have now been subscribed to for many years which had the largest impact on my graphics work in terms of inspiration.

Yes, I have done several live projects for other students, friends and some professionals. Some were for free, but I believe that unpaid work is just as important as paid work when you want to get known by word of mouth. This is my 6th year of doing Graphic Design (still have under three left at the university), and have loved every minute of it. I love it because every project, design or brief outcome I produce, I improve so much each time, where I get a feeling of success and achievement for each one I complete from the amount of effort I know that I put into each one.

My favorite part of graphic design is the feeling of success and happiness after each project I do. My other favorite part of graphic design is that you never stop learning, and are always new styles (at the time), updated software, unlimited tutorials to learn; to keep up to date with all of this is constant learning and never stop.

If I could do one project I would do some graphic design work for Vault49 Graphic Design company. They are truly inspirational to me and I admire their work more than anything. To be able to do a design for them would be one of the biggest achievements to me. I have designed a logo for a Graphic Design Tutor at the university (which I find out soon if I got one or not), which is really exciting because the deciding person is an inspiration to me as well and I would feel very good if she picked my design. I have also designed illustrations and logos for a fashion student (which is in a completely different discipline). That was good for me as I learnt new skills and team working as I went along.

The only advice I have is to always keep up to date with the latest tutorials, software, trends. Read as many books on Graphic Design as possible in the long term, and subscribe to monthly Graphics magazines to keep up to date with the graphics world around you. Not forgetting to conduct this research on the internet too, as often as possible, on blogs and as many graphics sites as you can. I learned this through my own experience of experimenting, conducting thorough research and improving/learning new graphic skills for the past six years, and it has personally been a great tactic.

Fiona Henderson was my out of school art teacher, and helped me considerably in terms of inspiring me to do better and broaden my way of thinking in terms of graphics and knowledge. She changed the way I thought when designing which I am forever grateful. This was around the time where I was applying for universities and knew how much I  wanted to go into the graphic design field.

I research as much as possible about the project first (whether I know all about the project/topic or not), which gives me a background knowledge of what and who I am designing my piece for. Once I am fully aware as to who my target audience is, and what themes could be used, I create mind maps as to what initial ideas come to mind and expand as much as possible on them no matter how experimental the idea may be. This is where I manage to do a different piece of graphics for each project I do from the last. I then conduct a thorough amount of secondary through looking at previous designers I have looked at, new designers, new tutorials, old tutorials, inspirational designs. I save all of the designs and links in my own folder library of graphics when working so I can go back to them again and again for more. I then conduct the necessary primary research needed, and go back to further secondary research and inspiration, and then develop my design throughout this whole process (from thumbnail sketches to finished pieces). This process prevents me from getting a writer’s block of design. If I do get this though, I go back to stage one and start over.

I personally love the fact that I have happiness in my life with my friends and loved ones. I believe that you must have as much fun as possible in your life and to not let the little things get you down as much. Life isn’t all fun and games, but even when times are hard, if you set your mind to it, you get through it and can enjoy it even more after. Making memories is what life is about. What I find exciting in life is that there is so much to learn, so much to do, so much to see… So much I have not done yet, even though I have done so much for the age of 20 years old, but know that there is so much more available to me during my lifetime and won’t hold back. I want to fulfill my life by doing as many enjoyable things as I can, which I can truly say I have done so much in life so far.

I see myself as a top graphic designer in the future and won’t give up until I’m there. I am young and have the biggest opportunity to do so, as any individual does if they put their mind to it. I am set to work for either a top graphic design company or end up as a well known free-lance graphic designer depending on the circumstances at the time. My biggest goals are being happy and successful… to settle down and have a family, all the while being the most successful I can personally be.

Thank you very much for this opportunity,

If you want to take a look at my personal academic blog and portfolio,
please feel free to go to http://joncleavegrafix.wordpress.com

 
Kind Regards,

Jonathan Cleave (Aged 20)

Ian Welsh

I was born in St. Petersburg, FL, but was raised in a small town 10 or so miles north of St Petersburg, called Largo.

I was always into comic books when I was a kid, X-Men, Venom, Spawn, Batman. That really got me into art. I got back into it when I worked for a metal magazine based out of Tampa. I had tinkered around for them doing ad’s, logos and fliers for shows. I soon started doing artwork for local bands, t-shirt designs and album covers and stuff. But illustration really caught my eye, I really don’t do much “design” work, anything I do with CSS or Corel programs is on my Wacom Tablet. I got a book that featured these two amazing comic artists Bernie Wrightson, he did Swamp-thing and Mary Shelly’s Frankenstein and a alot of work for DC. And this other guy, Marc Silvestri, he worked for Marvel doing X-men then Image comics doing Witchblade then started his own company called Top Cow doing Darkness and all kinds of stuff. Also found out about Gustave Dore and Alphonse Mucha. Kinda blossomed from there. I also really love Jim Lee’s stuff, Alex Ross, David Finch, Mike Mignola, John Dyer Baizley….too many to name. To really sum it up, comic books again are what got me doing it.

I love doing work, mostly freelance, I run my own thing called IWELSHART. I mostly do artwork for bands, labels and private clients. I also do some comic work and other illustrated publications.

Being able to put something that is in my mind on paper. That is my favorite aspect of graphic design.

Comics, for one of the big three, Marvel, DC or Image. That is it.

Anything worth doing is worth doing right. Monotony is part of the job, if you want a piece to stand out be prepared to work 60+ hours on it.

Cheesy, but my parents, they always indulged what ever crazy thing I wanted to try.

I always listen to music when I work, usually when I do work for a band I have them send me their lyrics, their ideas and their mp3’s. I will immerse my self in their work and it will trigger something. I have a sketch book I just doodle random things in then when I get something good going I finish it up then transfer it to the Bristol.

Other than comics, I am a big history buff. Specifically the civil war, also love nature. Growing up in a area that 20 minute drive in any direction and you’re in the middle of no where with swamps and forests. It is great.

Doing comics or my own work, hopefully a mixture of both. Ultimate would have to be running my own imprint.

Thank you very much!

Ian Welsh

I’ve always enjoyed art and saw graphic design as a way for me to use my ability to help businesses and organizations succeed commercially.

Currently I do freelance work, though I am looking for a full time graphic design career. On top of freelance graphic design, I also work full time as a landscape designer. It’s enjoyable, but not where my heart truly lies.

I love the interaction with my clients and working through the process of developing their vision with them. Also, I’m a big fan of color, so I really enjoy putting together color schemes and making a design pop.

I don’t know that you can call it ‘graphic design’ per se, but I would love to work as a colorist for a comic book publisher. Comics have been an artistic influence on me since I was very young and I still enjoy them to this day. It’s a fun medium where you can really stretch the imagination. I would say to this point, my most noteworthy project has been for the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. This stands out for me because it is a first-class organization and being involved with them has really opened a lot of doors for networking.

Well, I don’t have too much experience yet. I’ve only been out of school for a year now. But I would say that being patient and being selective are what I’ve learned so far. I’ve learned to be patient (it’s still a work in progress) while waiting for new projects to come along, as well as, in my full time career search. I’ve learned to be selective in the projects I take on because often times, ones you might not want to do, but do anyway, become more of a hassle than anything else.

As funny as this sounds, probably the number one person who has helped shape my path thus far is my wife, Jennifer. She is truly a sounding board for me, as I bounce ideas off of her all the time. Plus, she doesn’t let me get discouraged and keeps driving me to work hard every time.

Usually the best method for me is to just step away from it and take a break. I find that my brain gets too cluttered if I try to make something happen, so just getting away and focusing on other things helps greatly. Also, listening to music is a great way to feel rejuvenated.

My wife and I are about to have our first child, so that is pretty exciting and I’m very passionate about being a good father. My faith is something that I am passionate about as well. I volunteer at my church every weekend and I love to be a part of local missions that help our community. I also am passionate about physical fitness and staying healthy. My wife and I both battled being overweight when we were younger, so eating well and exercising at least 4 times a week are things we are committed to. Life is exciting to me because, just like with our new baby on the way, there is always a new adventure to be had and lessons to learn. Life is hard, no doubt, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. Sometimes you just have to look a little closer to see what has the biggest impact.

Professionally speaking, I would like to one day work for myself as an independent graphic designer and, potentially, comic book colorist. I would also say that this is my biggest goal. Honestly, the ultimate accomplishment to me would be for my wife and child(ren) to say that I am a great husband and father and that I could be used to make a difference in my community.

Thanks,

Mike Rozon

We hope that you will find this post valuable, and if you do, please link to us from your blog or website. Please keep in mind that these tips aren’t in any particular order, but they’re numbered for convenience and reference. Thank you to all who contributed to this post. The names of contributors are at the bottom of the post.

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1. Be meticulous

Spelling errors, grammar, and other issues with designs can really injure the initial viewing of a concept. It might be a wonderful concept, but if it contains little errors, that might be pet-peeves of the client, you and they might miss out on a quick conclusion. Double check, triple check, and when in doubt, look it up.

2. Keep an open mind

Always be willing to learn from someone else. Having an open mind will allow you to learn and see things you never would have experienced with out it.

3. Be observant

We all know that art is in everything and inspiration can come to you in the most unexpected moments. Look to everything around you for ideas and inspiration.

4. Be prepared

Be prepared with the right tools to make you successful. This ranges from having a pen and pad available for those inspiring moments, to having the right knowledge, software, business cards, drawing/writing tools necessary to completing a successful project, etc…

5. Get an education

• Get the best education you possibly can
• Become a typeface guru – Using the wrong typeface with your designs can kill your chances of being extremely successful as a graphic designer
• Writing classes – Learn how to write and it will serve you well in everything you do.
• You may know a lot, but the graphic design world is evolving quickly. Make sure you get in some continuing education hours and give yourself that competitive edge.
• Take some basic business courses while you’re at it.
• Etc…

6. Read books

We chose to separate “Get an education” and this step, “Read books” because we feel that on top of reading books, which are for instruction on graphic design, it is also important to read books that have to do with other subjects. Fiction books are a great way to take your mind off of the world and into your imagination. If you feed your imagination, it will show in your work.

7. Be organized

We all know someone who is extremely organized, and it’s impressive. If you look organized, potential clients might be impressed by this too (not to mention it just feels good to be organized). Also, if you have a structured/organized design process it can save a lot of time.

8. Use your time wisely

You only have so many seconds, minutes and hours in a day. Use them wisely. Make sure you make your customers’ time just as valuable.

9. Don’t worry about the money (kinda)

Money is important, no doubt, but if you can focus on creativity and the needs of the client and prove to them your value as a designer, money will be no object if you’re charging what you’re worth and no less…

10. Gather testimonials

Testimonials are a great way of showing that you have been successful with other businesses and people. And, on top of that, they show that you are diligent and prepared and have a desire to do well and succeed.

11. Have a strong portfolio

You’ve seen portfolios that have only a few pieces of art from some designers… This is not enough. As a designer you need to “DESIGN” your own portfolio and display your works like you are passionate about what you do.

Design an online as well as an offline portfolio. Remember, presentation says a lot about you and how serious you are about getting their business and doing an amazing job. Try tailoring your portfolio to your next client (or prospective employer). They will be impressed

12. Rights for your logo work

Make sure you have permission to display logos you’ve created for clients on your website. This will help your online portfolio grow. Most of the time people are happy to display their business name somewhere else, but you never know…

13. Get Credit – Print design credits and designed by links

• Try to get a credit on some of your print design work. You can score more business by getting credit on your work.
• When creating a logo or web page for someone, see if you can get a credit placed on their website with a link to your page. A lot of times you will see a “Site Design by” link on the footer of a page. Try getting a “Logo Design by” link. If the client says, “No,” don’t worry about it. It’s no big deal.

14. Contact info

Don’t be afraid to get more than just a name and e-mail address from someone. You never know what your situation will be like while working on a project, so you need to make sure you will be able to get in touch with someone if necessary.

15. Seek ongoing business

Your marketing costs for repeat business will be significantly lower than marketing for new business. Don’t neglect your new customer marketing, but make sure you don’t forget to seek opportunities to work again for existing clients. Give them a call and check in.

16. Ask for referrals

• Referrals can drastically change your business and workload.
• You’ll know when someone is happy with the end result if they give you a referral. Ask your clients for referrals. This can increase your income significantly, and you will spend less time looking and more time creating.

17. Make more money per transaction by referring to others

Look for opportunities to make more money on each individual project. Don’t try to squeeze more money out of the client if it’s not necessary…

Be creative. Your expertise in graphic design doesn’t hinder your ability to refer to people who provides services that might be related to the project at hand. Some people will pay you for your referral… Print services, e-mail marketing, shopping carts, website security, hosting, etc…

18. Get a website

As a graphic designer, you need a website, something you can refer people to. People these days love to research things because it’s easy to do on the internet. If you don’t have a website, you are missing out on a lot of opportunities.

19. Optimize your website

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is important in making your business grow. You can get jobs because someone visited your site by typing in certain key words into a search engine, like Google or Yahoo. Your expertise is graphic design, but it might not hurt to make your job search easier and invest in some SEO education.

20. Start a blog

Blogging is a great way to express yourself and show people your knowledge and skills as a designer. It will help people get to know you as well as help with SEO because of the content that will be related to graphic design and your area of focus. It will also help your writing skills.

21. Make your work area conducive to creativity

The way to do this might be different for everyone. Some people need inspirational quotes and pictures hanging up everywhere, while others need everything to be clean and clear of distractions.

Putting your ideas on paper can help creative juices flow. Now, there are a lot of different preferences on how to get your ideas out, so find the one you like best and make sure that particular form of idea output is handy at all times.

Focus on the project at hand intensely, putting all energy into it, but try sometime to take a break to meditate. Clear your mind and relax. It can help you to return to the project renewed, and full of new ideas and enhanced creativity.

If you include a written explanation with each concept that you submit to a client, a design might change from “another picture” to a “solution.”

Many times we try to look like a super hero by how quickly we can turn a project around. Try, instead, to give yourself a little more time in your estimations, that way if you need more time, you already have it, and if you’re finished early, you truly are a hero.

Clients who have connections with a lot of businesses and business people can have a tremendous impact on you and your business…hopefully, because you’re doing good things. This will be a potential referral source for more work. Remember to do your best work always and you will go far.

Make sure you have adequate sleep, exercise, nutrition and hydration. If not, you will slow down and you will be looking forward to burnout, which is not fun.

• The Freelancers Union
• Graphic Artists Guild
• AIGA – Great organization for many things, but something very important is that they promote business savvy-ness in designers.

Networking for business and networking for graphic design. Attend these meetings and see if you can become a presenter for one of these events, or even host one. Many people attend these meetings and don’t get too far, but the ones who do are the experts (those who aren’t afraid to get in front of the crowd). Set yourself apart as an expert and speak.

Share the things you learn. It will reinforce that learning and help you retain it.

Become an expert in a particular niche. People will refer to you if you can make yourself valuable because of specialized knowledge.

32. Become a speaker

The goal of becoming a valued speaker is to engage the audience in active listening; so engaged, and curious, that after the speech you are inundated with questions from the attendees. They will want to know if you can help them…

Become an expert in an area of business, like branding, marketing, etc… that you can speak on. Or, come up with several reasons why the right design choices are necessary for business success (or successful marketing campaigns). Then, speak! Give examples. If you can prove quicker results using the right designs, you will be in demand…especially if you can deliver…so, make sure you can deliver after your wonderful speech.

33. Market to a specific niche

Marketing to a specific niche will do several things for you that will help you, naturally, get more business:

• It helps you become an expert, by practice, in a particular area of business.
• It gives you more visibility. People within that niche are more likely to hear and talk about you than ‘Average Joe’ who doesn’t focus on any particular niche.

34. Attend tradeshows and seminars

Tradeshows and seminars are great for many things, including:

• Educational opportunities
  • Learn about competition
  • Learn best business practices
  • Learn about the industry
  • Learn about new products and technology
  • Etc…
• Opportunities to network
  • Fellow designers
  • Potential clients
  • Teachers, speakers, experts, etc…

35. Do your best to understand – A basis for a strong design brief

If you understand the customer, their needs, their competition, and their industry, you will be able to be creative with that knowledge and supply them with the perfect design.

36. Require a down payment, if possible

In a contest, this isn’t possible; however, when working one on one with a client you should require a down payment, unless you already have an ongoing trust relationship. This keeps you, and the client, honest.

37. Have a set number of concepts/revisions

Set your expectations upfront with the customer, on the number of concepts and revisions you’ll do (always create more than one). This will help protect you from getting taken advantage of. This should be covered in your contract.

If you’re doing a contest, you might want to consider doing the same and submit a certain number of concepts and revisions. Your time is valuable and even if you feel you have a shot, someone else may come out on top.

38. Proper planning and timing

Don’t undershoot the completion date. Plan properly and your timing will be impressive. Give yourself a couple days of wiggle room so you can deliver on time, or better yet, early. Sometimes, those last second projects can be detrimental to you and your design business. You can lose by not delivering on time, or by losing time to utilize adequate creativity, so be careful about accepting those, even if you need the money.

39. Use a contract

A proper contract should be used to protect both you and the client. A contract should never be one-sided and should never be worded with tricky sentences meant to confuse and ultimately take advantage of a situation.

40. Think marketing

Be creative. There are many inexpensive ways to market your business, so do it!

• Send an e-mail newsletter. This is an inexpensive way to keep in touch with your clients and provide value. If you don’t yet have customers yet (just out of school?), create one anyway and send it to your friends and family. Have them forward it on to people they know, to help you get started.
• Blog
• Creative drop-by’s
• Etc…

41. Establish your own brand

As a designer, you own your own business whether you work for a corporation or small business or you are on your own. You need to establish your brand in order to market yourself and your services to others.

42. Always give it your best

This is one of those, “Well, duh!” statements, but it is so true. Sometimes, we forget to give it our best when we: don’t work as hard as we could, are negative about our job or other people, don’t do enough research, miss deadlines, don’t return phone calls, are late for appointments, have excuses, etc… Put your heart and soul into your work

43. Simplicity is always the best

Now, simplicity doesn’t mean that the design was easy to create, by any means…but, what it does mean is that if the presentation is so busy or flashy that there is no reference to the focal point, or it’s hard to find the meaning behind the design because of complexity, there’s a big problem… This isn’t abstract art!

44. Simplify your life

During large projects with short deadlines, you may have to simplify your life a little bit to make sure you get the rest you need as well as keep your creativity at its max throughout the project. Write down your normal activities and try to eliminate those that aren’t necessary for survival. Proceed and conquer!

45. Don’t make your logo an icon

A logo is not simply creating great symbols (2D or 3D)… If so, it’s not a ‘logo’ instead they are called ‘icons’…

46. Use typography correctly

Correct use of typography can sometimes be more important than the logo itself. Correct use of typography is meant to complete the logo.

47. Logos should be versatile

Make your logo more flexible, so the client can use it in all types of media and marketing mediums.

48. Study other designers

Study other designers’ work and learn from the best. Also, refer to great brands and award winning logos, understand how they related their design to the brand. Remember, do not copy… of course, you wouldn’t, but just in case…

49. Respect the decision made by the client…

The client often times will choose a concept or design that is surprising to you. Don’t try to force your ideas on them.

50. Be confident

Be sure of yourself when you call yourself a designer! You own the right to call yourself that and make recommendations to clients because you’re the one that went to school and learned the processes necessary to provide them what they need. The client calls the shot, but not until you’ve offered up what you know to be the right choice.

Get out there and remember that you don’t know everything. There is always something to be learned, so if you make a mistake, don’t sweat it, keep moving forward with confidence.

51. Realize that design is an iterative process

Even though you will repeat some of the same steps over and over, it’s wonderful to know that there are still designs that have not been designed yet and creativity can still exist. With that in mind, a satisfactory result today may not be satisfactory tomorrow.

52. Be professional

When you criticize your fellow peers don’t be vulgar or make funny comments. Make your criticism constructive and helpful. Cheer on your fellow designers! We are all students.

As a designer you need to be able to take criticism as well. Don’t pay attention to others if their criticism is anything but constructive.

53. Be proactive – Don’t get taken advantage of…

Interview your prospects as part of your process to see if they are worthy of your work as a designer…

• Use a contract.
• Get paid a deposit.

54. Join a network

Join design networks like:

• http://cargocollective.com/
• http://www.behance.net/
• And many other networks…

Networks help you see more designs and get in contact with good designers. If you don’t know who’s good, look at who’s being followed the most and try figure out why? Also, don’t forget the social networks that many businesses use:

• http://twitter.com/
• http://linkedin.com/
• Share valuable insights, thoughts and links to business blogs on Twitter and other “like” networks. Connect with companies you’ve done work with before on LinkedIn and have them recommend you and write reviews of you.

55. Realize that you are not the best

You are only as good as your current work, so keep trying to improve, even if a lot of people admire your work…

56. Find time to do personal projects

This is the only way that you actually explore and understand your creativity, and likes, to the fullest.

57. Remember that Graphic Design is ART

Try new things. Let yourself get caught up in your customer’s vision and give them your best work. You might be surprised what you can do if you just let go for a concept or two and “let your hands explore the canvas.” Imaginations don’t have boundaries.

58. Add other things you love into your work

Try to apply related things that you’re good at. e.g: photography/ nature/ cars/ (there must be one)

59. Travel

Traveling and sightseeing can broaden your perspective of life and give you other avenues of ‘thought’ that you only ‘thought’ were possible.

60. Meet people

Meet people in “real life.” Get outside!

61. Don’t underestimate the cost of a project…

…but, if you feel you did underestimate the cost of a project then say something.

62. Practice, for crying out loud!

The more you do things the better you get at it and the faster you do it next time.

63. Design from life experience

Let the flow of ideas based on your life, and your perception of environments, become a key to successful design.

64. Be a respecter of time

Respect the client’s time…and YOURS! Be on time, every time. If another client is holding you up, they need to respect that you’re a business person and they aren’t the only client. Schedule your time wisely and this won’t be a problem.

65. Don’t try to be Superman!

Recognize when you are taking on too much, and try to scale back. Being too busy can wreak havoc on your productivity and creativity.

66. Reach for your dreams!

Don’t limit yourself by what you don’t know. Don’t go down that road! Take a chance and learn. Growth sometimes comes from the hardest times of your life. Take those times and chalk them up to experience and keep moving forward.

67. Labor diligently

If you truly want to make a difference, you need to work harder than anyone you know. You will surely reap the benefits of your hard labor.

68. Ask for the deal!

Don’t be afraid to ask a potential client for their business. You might get the old, “We’ll be back in touch,” and never hear from them again.

69. Do Creative Drop-by’s

It’s called cold-calling by traditional standards, but you can do some things that will make your cold-calling not feel so cold, to you as well as the people you are calling on. Get creative!!!

Though cold-calling can be pretty trying at times, it’s a great way to strengthen your communication skills and practice your ability to quickly and effectively express your ideas to others.

70. Become immune to rejection

Rejection will happen and when it does, keep moving on. One of the worst things you can do is hold on to the thought that someone doesn’t like you or your work. You should not take offence to others; it will slowly drag you down with a negative self-image. Everyone is free to their own opinion and if it’s not in your favor, move on and keep your head high.

71. Persevere

Perseverance covers more than just being immune to rejection, and cold calling. It also means that when you feel the burden of losing a couple big deals and are short on money, or, maybe there’s just a dry spell in a down economy… you keep going.

As long as you’re adequately marketing yourself and doing quality work, there will be an influx of business ahead. Keep it up and don’t stop being productive. Remember that just because you might be doing something, doesn’t mean that you’re being productive in your business. Be creative and do things that other designers aren’t doing to set you apart. Make sure everything you do is productive and PERSEVERE!

72. Show gratitude

Showing people how grateful you are for how they have influenced you is a great way to strengthen relationships. Make sure to say thank you to your clients, as well as everyone around you who gives you the gift of time to help you and be there for you.

73. Be a finisher

Complete your projects, and complete them on time. Being a finisher means that once you start something you also end it. If you find yourself stranded between a lot of unfinished projects, it’s time to re-evaluate the decision process for starting new projects. Make sure before you start a project that you know you can and will and have time to finish it.

74. Be dependable

Be so dependable that when you say you will do something it will get done. Become an “under promiser” and an “over deliverer”. Live up to your commitments and promises. Learning how to do this is right in line with several other tips here and can help you earn an excellent reputation and more business.

75. Don’t make any assumptions

Don’t assume you know how an experience will be. You might find your best clients in the most unpredictable situations. You should also ask questions of your customers before you assume what they’re thinking. You don’t want to lose a customer over a “good intended” assumption…

76. Study potential clients

Study your potential clients. Research their businesses and surprise them with your knowledge of their business and market. If you’re focused on a particular niche, this is a very important step to take if you’re not already the market leader. Even then, it wouldn’t hurt to research the company itself…

77. Make sure you take the time to learn and get a feel for your project

Researching a project thoroughly can help build your passion for the project and the end result will be much better because of it.

78. Know the printing requirements before the project is due

Make sure your artwork is technically proper for reproduction. This will save you the time of having to edit, if it wasn’t correct in the first place.

79. Be unique

Speak through your designs with your own “Design Voice” and not by copying others.

Dare to be different, even if it fails. This is all a part of building your brand.

80. Be well rounded

Being well rounded in design and business is important. It’s important to know how to perform the client requirements, but it’s also important to know how to run and market your graphic design business. These are two pieces that go well together.

81. Be balanced

Learn how to live a balanced life between religion, family, business, friends and hobbies.

82. Find a common theme

Sometimes it’s hard to know exactly what the client wants because their vision doesn’t translate from their brain to words easily. In this case, ask a lot of questions and write all their answers down on paper to help sort the details to find the common theme.

83. Do Pro-Bono work for Charity Organizations

This is a great way to do something good in the world, as well as get your name on a few pieces of print that can really help with publicity.

84. Be passionate about your work and what you do

Your enthusiasm about the job will show immediately through your eyes, face and body orientation, as well as in your voice. If you are not passionate about what you are doing, you might be working on the wrong projects, working for the wrong company, doing everything other than design, or you shouldn’t be in design at all… Figure it out…

85. Use the time tested and indisputable referral method

Design only the highest quality designs, and give excellent service.

86. Become a time manager

Time really can’t be managed, because there’s no way to change a thing about it. But, you can definitely be managed. Manage yourself in a way to make the most of the valuable time that you have. Your business and personal life will be significantly enhanced if you are accomplishing a lot more and not stressing over things that you don’t need to stress over.

87. Build strong relationships with vendors

Building a strong relationship with printing companies and other businesses in the industry can help your business. Be creative and you will find ways to benefit from this relationship (better pricing, trade work, referrals, etc…).

88. Be willing to sacrifice…smartly…

Some small budget projects might be worth it if there is potential for a lot of press. Put your name on it!

89. Don’t be afraid to let go

If the relationship isn’t working out, don’t be afraid to let the client know that it isn’t working out. Let it go and put your energy in places where you want and need to be.

90. Don’t be afraid of competition

Competition only makes you better and can help drive traffic to your door.

91. Create a commercial

Write a 30 second commercial for yourself:

When people ask you what you do for a living, do you say, “I’m a graphic designer,” or do you say, “I create graphic tools for businesses that help them establish and re-establish their brand within their respective market.”

This will get a lot of, “Huh?” type conversations going, but it makes you look like you know what you’re talking about. You have just become an expert on branding and not just a graphic designer…hooray!

92. Become an avid bookmarker

Bookmarking sites is a great thing, especially if you do it over time. One day you’ll need a tool or some information related to your field and you can easily check your bookmarks of all your reference sites and find it easily. In fact, make sure you bookmark ThePerfectDesign.com. There are links to a couple of the major bookmarking sites at the bottom of this post.

93. Act as though you have showroom models

When you are showing a customer your concepts for their project for the first time, you are basically showing them the car they want and trying to decide which interior and exterior colors and features they want. Make sure to show the customer what their design will look like in a couple variations (color, etc…).

94. Be an active listener

As an expert graphic designer, it can be easy to fall into the temptation of doing all the talking. The best way to make a client feel confident and comfortable with you is to become an active listener. Not all companies are the same, even if they are in the same industry and sell the exact same products. Listen and learn, then you can make the decisions and talk all you want, because then, and only then with new knowledge, you are the true expert.

95. Change can be good for you too

Occasionally, okay more often than is preferable, a customer will change their mind in the middle of a concept and ask you to try something else or start over. The learning begins when you graciously accept this as a learning opportunity and go back to the drawing board. The fact that they changed has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them. Heck, even if your design did need an overhaul it’s not a big deal…just another situation to chalk up to experience. P.S. Make sure you get compensated if you didn’t mess up and they happened to just change their mind.

96. Become a commenter

Commenting on business blogs and forums can be very beneficial, if done properly. When visiting blogs and forums, leave comments on subjects you know. Make your comments descriptive and helpful and not just say, “Nice blog entry!” If you can show that you know what you’re talking about, you will score some interest in your brand and start earning business. Make sure you don’t advertise in your posts, but do make sure you enter your website address whenever they ask for it in your information. This will help people find you.

97. Be a taskmaster

In the early morning before you go to work, or preferably the night before, look over your list of tasks and prioritize them. Then, focus on the most important tasks until they are completed and move on to the next one. Learn to prioritize.

98. Ask a lot of open ended questions

When talking to new clients, and depending on the situation, don’t ask them a lot of questions that can be answered by ‘yes’ or ‘no’. This can slow down the process because of lack of information. Ask questions like, “What are your company goals for the next 5 years?” “What elements would you like to include in this particular piece?” or say things like, “Tell me about your business,” “Explain your target audience,” etc…

99. Ask the right questions

Asking the right questions is of ultimate importance. The right questions will lead you to the desired result. The wrong questions may lead you to more questions, the wrong result, a frustrated customer, and most importantly a frustrated designer (that’s you)…

100. Consult with someone about your ideas

Before running with an idea you have, make sure you have the clients 100% acceptance. It sucks to get into a project only to find that you wasted time by not getting the official okay.

Also, consult with your “brain trust,” people you trust will help you, when you need that extra boost of confidence.

101. Be relevant

Be relevant in all you do. Design with a purpose. Live life with a purpose. If everything you do is relevant to your goals you will live a more fulfilling life and your existence in the design world will be a success.

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Whew! So there you have your 101 Graphic Design Tips for Business and Success. We welcome any comments or suggestions that you may have. Again, please give us your stories for a tip or two (or more) and we’ll see if we can feature that when we get to that tip. We will be posting, hopefully, one for each day of the workweek starting in the next couple weeks.

Be sure to sign up HERE to be notified of the launch of ThePerfectDesign.com.

All the best!

ThePerfectDesign.com Team

We want to thank additional contributors to this article:

Amanda
Gina Yap – Cmate
Igepe
Surendranath Chennilode
Hamdalatu Braimah
Mohamed Shihabdeen – Shihab
Rahul D
Samuel Mosebe
Karen Thompson
Joee
Akima Webb
Jerome Revilla
Jesus Xaphan – Tsuperb
David
Ravi Gopallkrishnan
Ezariq Asri
Kammy Gilliam
Samuel Orlando Pinzon Carranza
Romualdo Rommel Perez
Samsul
Tim
Kamrun Nahar
Dustin Barre
Kamal Goswami

We’d like to keep this up and want to do a challenge every couple of weeks, so make sure you stay tuned to our Tweets on Twitter at http://twitter.com/perfectdesigns.

We were able to ask Isabel a few questions and would like to share a little bit about her:

Isabel Alvarez

How did you find the answer to our trivia question?

At first w/out the hint, I was going through my graphic design books. After the hint was given…’Kelmscott Press’ I searched online. It linked me to the name ‘William Morris’, but not the movement. I was talking it over w/ a friend, and she mentioned ‘Frank Lloyd Wright’ and art deco. Then I read it in ‘Wikipedia’, and found it (name and movement).

How long did it take you to find the answer?

I think it was approximately 30 mins (since I wasn’t timing myself, I don’t really know). At one point I stopped, and responded to someone’s tweet.

Are you interested in having more contests like this?

Sure. I find them challenging. I always wanted to take ‘The History of Graphic Design’ class. I went for the Certificate Program of Visual Comm -Graphic Design/Animation. If I would have continued for the Associates, I would have had a chance to take that class. Some day I will purchase the book.

What other prizes, besides an AMEX card would interest you?

Any prize will be fine. I loved the challenge, and the fact that I had to search for the information. This interest me; therefore, I participated.

How did you get involved in graphic design?

I’m a Licensed Cosmetologist/Hairstylist/Nail Tech (some color as well)…my first career. When I left the salon job M-F to work in CS in ‘96, and missed the work that I did. I then went back to school in ‘99, and completed the Certificate Program in Visual Comm.-Graphic Design/Animation. I’ve always had ‘art’ in my life. I’m a creative person.

How long have you been designing?

I think question #5 will answer this one as well; somewhat. I’ve always been doing some type of designing, but graphic design…I still consider myself a beginner. I graduated Gibbs College in 2001, and just to sustain myself I’ve held on to any job.

Besides design, what else are you interested in?

The beauty industry, color, fashion, crafts, photography, and typography (love type!!). I think my love for Type! goes back when I was younger. My favorite class was penmanship, and I always got compliments on my writing (print or cursive). I also love Calligraphy. Hence, my e-mail username TypeRtist (short for Type Artist).

How do you believe design has changed the world?

Wow… with everything such as color, type, and movement. Now you see more computer animated advertisements, or commercials…meaning graphic designers could capture just about anything from ones imagination.

Are there any tools that, as a graphic designer, you need but can’t find anywhere?

??There’s a lot that are available, but not affordable.

Is there an online service that you could benefit from if it was available? What is it?

Well, I’ve taken advantage of some tutorials online. I would like to see more in Photoshop, photo-editing, & animating type (I haven’t search for it, not sure if there are tutorials).

Who are some (or one) of your favorite designers and why?

• Franchesco! (A FB friend; met online) He’s an amazing comic artist. Because one can tell he truly loves his craft (work); he’s passionate about his work, and he is also a great person. He will be in the NYC Comic-Con Event on Oct. 16-18 http://www.wizardworld.com/franchesco.html
• Geoff Notkin -Art Director (owner of his own business); he’s the one that critiqued my portfolio at Gibbs (got a great critique from him). I don’t know, but because of that, his website; he inspires me. Art/Animation Companies -Pixar, Blue Sky Studios, and Dreamworks.

*If you meant famous…wow, there are many.

• Preston Blair-Cartoon Animator -In his time he got to animate, direct, produce, and designed a host of popular short films. That’s awesome!!
• Christopher Perfect MA (RCA)- his practice is in typography & graphic design, owns company in London, and author of ‘The Complete Typographer’ w/ Jeremy Austen.  Famous people or not, inspire me if they have gone to the limit. Especially in the designing field.
• Scott Kelby-Editor-in-Chief of the Photoshop User Mag.

In the beauty industry:

• Rhonda Hicks, owns a salon in Houston, TX; she does fabulous work, Leland Hirsch-CEO & Co-founder of the Artec Systems. He hosted the Color USA Show for beauty profs..

Thank you again, Isabel, for participating! We hope all of you will join us on Twitter to see if Isabel can hold the champion title: http://twitter.com/perfectdesigns.

All the best!

ThePerfectDesign.com Team