Your first job is your next college.
See your first role as your apprenticeship
and your opportunity to soak up as much knowledge from those around you as you
can. Keep your head up and take an interest in what the other designers are
doing around you. Too many graduates
leave college and think they know it all.
It’s incredibly
important to understand who you will be learning from. I was lucky to learn
from Mary Lewis at Lewis Moberly and a fantastic team of designers that were working with her at
the time. It made me the type of designer I am now. It made me understand the
importance of a great idea but also how important it is to make it look good.
It was a time when computers were still a novelty and crafting of type and
image was given so much more emphasis. I feel fortunate that I caught the end
of such a wonderful era but this is your era, and you should apply the same
principle and learn all you can.
Designers all think differently.
One of the great
things about my first job was the difference in the design team. We were all from different backgrounds
and many from different parts of the world, each with their own approaches to
finding a solution to the design problem. Presentations are far more successful
if several designers have had an opportunity to think about the brief and then
work collaboratively to solve it.
Design agencies are not all the same.
Before I got a
permanent job I gained experience from design placements. As well as the
obvious benefit of seeing what it’s really like after college, I was amazed how
different culturally the agencies were. You can only truly understand an agency
once you’ve worked there, but finding somewhere you fit is an important factor
in how long you will stay. Building a team of talented people that all work
well together is what makes an exciting studio and the outcome is great design.
Clients don’t always know what they are talking
about.
Understanding what a
client really wants comes with experience. Sometimes clients say one thing but
actually mean something else. Making sure you ask the right questions helps. As
a designer you can bring an objective view to solving their problem, but you
need to understand the problem first.
Sometimes clients do know what they are talking
about.
Being able to listen
is a big part of being a designer. Remember that the client is immersed in
their brand and its category. This insight can be a very helpful and often an
essential part of you understanding their brief.
Work hard.
You won’t succeed
unless you work hard. But if you love your work it makes it so much easier. If
you don’t love it, it means you’re doing something wrong.
Be nice.
A design studio can at
times be a stressful place, but there really is no excuse for not treating all
those around you with respect.
Simplicity is a powerful thing.
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