Tips from Experienced Graphic Designers
All Designers,
We’re in the process of compiling a list of tips that each of you graphic designers might have for other graphic designers, and we need your help. If you’re an experienced graphic designer and you’ve been given some good tips or advice in the past, or you have some tips or advice based from experience, there are many people that would love to hear from you.
This community is full of all types of personalities with different experience levels. Some are at different points in their careers than others. Some are just starting and some are getting ready to retire. Please share your tips and advice with all of us. Whether you have tips about design methods, to how to market your business, we want to hear it all. Please be generous and detailed in your response. You can post your comments using the form below this post and comments.
We’re looking forward to hearing from you!
ThePerfectDesign.com Team
P.S. Don’t be intimidated by the title of “Tips from Experienced Graphic Designers.” No matter what your experience level is, if you’ve experienced or learned something, that gives you license to speak to us, so please do! Thank you for sharing!
dont be precious about your work. be open to comments and implement them – this will make your original good idea an make it an exceptional one!
in every design project or job try to come up with more than one options!!! then after try to weed out the rest in order to make sure that every final result you produce is always your best!!!!!
At all times, spell correctly, make no typos. If there are typos in posts, correspondence I will not trust your graphic design work to be free of typos and mis-spells.
So where are we to submit our tips??
Praveen,
You can submit them right here. That would be great!
Thank you,
ThePerfectDesign.com Team
No matter how small or tiny a job is, always give it your best. If you have two clients, one of them pays you 1,000 for a logo while the other pay you 100 for a logo – remember to treat both of them equally. Present and propose your logo design to both of them with the equal amount of effort put in. Because no matter how big or small a job is, it will always reflect on your professionalism.
I agree with you Cmate. In every projects you encounter it is my motto to ” BE THE BEST, ALWAYS!” May it be big or small, it’s a MUST that a designer’s attitude to approach a project with the same treatment because, as you have said it, it reflects your professionalism.And may i add that you ,as a designer, also benefit from everything that you have worked on-you actually can keep previous works to fill up your portfolio and not have the feel of reluctancy in showing it to potential clients.
Im of the belief that the best is never about money,good designs arenot motivated by the financial aspect.Though money is always an issue it does not help the creativity within
Be a good designer is a never ending journey exploring our talent. Do not be satisfied with our present state. Read, Learn, Practice are among the keys of being aware about world outside ourselves. I’m the best designer? Oh, no. There are so many designers around the globe better then me. So, keep improve ourselves guys!
give the maximum of each and every creation, without coparison of profit. It will bring us the heights……!
give the maximum of each and every creation, without comparison of profit. It will bring us the heights……!
In design simplicity is always the best.Sophisticated or intricate designs would communicate but simple designs would do the trick.
Logo is not simply creating great symbols (2D or 3D)… If so it’s not a ‘logo’ instead they are called as ‘icons’…
Read the client and their brand before you start designing a logo…
Usage of typography against the logo is more important and that makes it complete…
Make your logo more flexible for all the media where the client uses it in future (by themselves)…
Always think simple and different…Dare to think in your way even if it fails…
Refer for great brand logos and award winning logos, understand how they relate it to the brand!
Don’t criticize your fellow mate’s logo, instead share your thoughts over it…
Respect the decision made by the client…
Be always sure, when you call yourself as a designer!
Good luck!!!
Design is an Iterative process. even if u are satisfied with an output today, the changed context tomorrow may demand for a necessary change (let me say improvement) in that. So never stop, just take halts and keep iterating your design for the new context.
Keep working on improving your design and creative thinking skill regarding design, then you will grow. When you critise your fellow peers don’t be vulgar or make funny comments, as a you a designer you need to be able to take critisism but only constructive ones. Client is king you can only guide them not to force your ideas on them.
As an Artist …both in 2D and 3D on the pc and off …I have done logos and speciality cards for people in other countries as freelance work with the premise that I would be paid when the designs were viewed by the “whole” team…Well as to date ….not even 1 paid for the artwork I created for them… and sadly there is not avenue to call upon to resolve this …so now I am very hesitant to submit any artwork to anyone even for online contests.
Hi Joee,
Sorry to hear that people are not paying for work done. Speak to business people in your area or freelancers that use the internet and build a relationship with them so you can grow your small business.
It’s always good to set up a contract/agreement before you start working. You can even include a deposit of up to 50% for new clients to make sure you are not the one loosing on the deal.
I usually quote the client per job even if I charge per hour. The client must understand the way I do business and I don’t start with artwork before the client agreed in writing.
All the best!
This looks more like design therapy. I’ll give a “Tip”
Transparent blends in Adobe Illustrator CS+
Create an object or use an image. Draw a gradient box over it. Select both and go to your “Transparency” palette. With the side arrow, select “Opacity Mask”. After this you can adjust the gradient to give or take on the image. This eliminates depending on PS. And it creates GREAT reflections or vignettes
-Akima Webb
Get exposed get out there, don’t worry about bad criticism.
Join net works like http://cargocollective.com/ or http://www.behance.net/ see more design and get in contact with good designer. If you don’t know who’s good look who’s being followed the most and try figure out why?
I like what igepe had to day further up – “I’m the best designer? Oh, no. There are so many designers around the globe better then me”
I think you are only as good as your current work so just keep trying to improve we all have to start some were!
I think that the best piece of advice that i can give is to always try to do personal work, ’cause this is the only way that you actually explore your creativity and likes to the top. And remember that Graphic Design is ART so by that we can say that we should not follow rules (per se), of course there are some Graphic Design rules that we should follow, but always and i mean ALWAYS, just sit down and let your hands explore the canvas, you may find yourself with stuff you never thought you could do, or doing something that wasn’t in your plans but that you actually like very much…that for me is much more important than anything in design…
Cheers!
Put your heart and soul in to your creative. Give the best of your creativity. The success will follow
while of course working on that constant self-improvement like everyone said, i’d really like to agree with Tsuperb the most. don’t let there be boundaries on designs. imaginations shouldn’t have any.
here’s my two cents:
– try to apply related things that you’re good at. e.g: photography/ nature/ cars/ (there must be one)
– this one is kinda personal but nothing beats pen and paper. seriously guys, doodle away! =D
– read a lot. look at everything. and not just design books and mags. go for anything.
– although reading can take you places in the comfort of your seat, still, travelling and sightseeing can and will get your perspective go wider.
– be professional; like Ravi Gopalkrishnan said – “put your heart and soul in to your creative(ity)”
– also, meet people. and its always better to meet them *in real life*.
– owh and yeah also be open to comments and criticism. most of the time they are for you own good
#somehow these sound like more on creativity improvements, not graphic. oh well.. T_T
cheers!
you don’t know everything so get over it and move on
speak your mind
don’t give the cust. to many oppions, it don’t end up pretty all the time
If you fill what was charge for something was to low then say something
(like 2 hours on one shirt that was chrage $18.00) plus thet method that was used
the more you do things the better you get at it and the faster you do it next time
let flow of ideas based on your life and your perception of Environments a key to successful design.
You have to know a little of everything, have general knowledge is something that helps. break and conform to the layout is something which we must play.
Believe that your work is the best, because you always give the best to your work, but always LISTEN to other
Read the briefing, open your mind and let it flow ….. GOOD LUCK
A graphic designer should never be satisfied with his\her own work no matter how best other people think he\she creats,because the only way to reach the top is to try hard every single second,with every single drop of sweat.Pre-mature satisfaction would just limit your ability,your true talent.And about job,dont do buisness with your passion,no matter how big or small the reward is,if you dont learn to respect them as equal,that means YOU DONT REALLY RESPECT YOUR OWN WORK, AND YOU R NOT A TRUE ARTIST.
By the way I am a very senior Graphic designer,from my long experienced life I have come up to this realization.
For me taking my time to make sure I feel the project and have the drive for it always benefits with amazing results. When pressed for time look to everything around you for ideas, no idea is to stupid or a waste of time and each idea is building on the final outcome. Lastly have fun and no matter the constraints venture out a bit to your creative side, don’t let deadlines and specific guidelines limit your creative abilities.
well..every…art work should be your own’s creation….and i love simplification…in design….
and every…art work…should be technically proper..for reproduction….
When getting instruction on design from Client, be as attentive as possible, pay as much attention to the detail in your design brief then translate that creatively. SIGNATURE TYPE OF DESIGN IS GOOD, BUT AVOID BRINGING OUT MORE OF YOU AND LESS OF YOUR CLIENT.
Designing is never easy when it is not from the HEART. Designing from the heart is a true ART. When you design or should i say when a boss wants you to design something, you should make sure that you love what you’re doing, your job most especially, and everything will follow. LISTEN, UNDERSTAND and BE OPENMINDED for comments and changes, these will make you an effective designer.