15 Tips to Improve as a Graphic Designer
Graphic design is a field that is quickly changing, both creatively and technically. While it’s easy to get caught up in learning new technical skills, it is just as important to focus on improving and pushing the limits of your creativity.
Here are 15 tips that can help you continue learning, strengthen your creativity and become an all-around better designer.
1. Become a collector
Each time you see a design that inspires you, collect it, bring it home and file it away. Collect brochures, posters and other collateral and stack them away in folders and boxes that you can quickly access. These can serve as a great source of inspiration when needed.
2. Buy books
Having an extensive book collection is always essential to learning. Try buying a new book at least every 2 weeks that ranges from inspirational, educational and technical topics.
3. Read design-related blogs
You can learn so much by reading other great designers’ blogs. The web is an invaluable resource of information. Take advantage of it and actually use it!
4. Start a design blog
Starting a design blog can be extremely useful and educational for yourself. It makes you more aware of the design community and more analytical of your own work.
5. Join and be active in the design community
As a freelance designer, joining the online design community is a must. Not only does it keep you up-to-date in the design world, but it’s also great for feedback and critique.
Being your own boss is great, but not having anyone to answer to as a freelancer also has its downsides, such as no one to criticise your work and help you improve.
6. Take lots of photos
Taking photos solves the problem of not being able to take home designs you like. Just snap a photo with your phone and file it away for later.
7. Create fake projects
Whenever you find yourself with free time, create fake projects. Create a fake brand for a company or design a logo, stationery, brochure, website – the whole nine yards.
It’s good to do this once in a while because it keeps design fun and lets your creativity run wild without limitations. It’s often easy to get caught in a rut when clients start dictating and your work is no longer “yours”.
8. Redo other people’s design
Don’t want to create a fake brand to design? Then try redesigning other people’s projects. This helps you evaluate what “they” did wrong and what “you” could do better.
9. Redo your old designs
Looking at your early days of design you might be saying: “Oh my! What was I thinking? I need to get rid of that immediately!” However, it’s important to keep that work. It will help you see if you’re moving forward and improving your skills. Instead of throwing away or deleting old projects, try reworking on them.
10. Attend lectures
Every few months, make it a point to attend lectures of other designers online or speaking at local schools and universities. Most certainly you will always learn a new thing or two.
11. Network with other designers
Attending lectures is a great way to meet other designers. Try to search out the designers that have more experience and talent than you do. Networking with people of higher skill levels will push you to work harder and learn more.
12. Take classes
Many local colleges allow you to register for classes without enrolling full time. Not only will it teach you some new things technically, it will also put you back in a classroom of your peers.
13. Travel
Every time you travel to another country, you come back feeling extremely inspired. Experiencing new cultures and seeing their artwork opens your mind to a whole new world.
14. Learn something new
Whenever you’re in a creative rut, try something new or do something completely unrelated to design. Getting your mind off things and into something new usually has a funny way of working itself back around.
15. Grab a sketchbook
This helps you work through ideas quickly and without limitations of design software.
