Some people are better suited for certain jobs than others. Skills and personality traits combine to make you good at your job. When it comes to design, do you know where you fall? Are you a good designer? or bad designer?
The response may be different. Between the great days and the terrible days, project that stones and ones that abandon should worn out, something which enables you to be a superior designer at all the time is familiarity with the characteristics that awesome designers will have in like manner.
The world has been filled with a great graphic designer where they do wonders with their skills and expertise. Are you one among them? Do you know what makes to be a successful graphic designer so that they can make a difference and leave an everlasting mark on the design world?
Also Read: Best Laptops for Designing in 2021
In simple terms a good designer is someone who steps into the world of designing with his doubts cleared and then ready to test his own limits. Someone who takes some lessons in the journey and always open to share his knowledge to others is, without any doubt a good designer.
Types Of Design
There are many types of designers and designing job that you can choose if you want to enter this field and make a career out of it. Some of these designing fields are:
Graphic Design
Web Design
User Interface (UI) Design
User Experience (UX) Design
Game Design
Motion Design
Interior Design
3D Design
Product Design
Branding Design
Print & Publishing Design
Informational Design
Software Design
Fashion Design
Architecture Design
Salary Of Graphic Designer
An average graphic designer in India earns around $4000/year or ₹3,00,000/year which can go up to $12,000/year or ₹9,00,000/year for an experienced designer, whereas an average graphic designer in US earns around $45,000/year or ₹33,75,000. Graphic designer's salary varies on particular field, expertise, job or freelancing and location. However a high quality designer can earn far more than an average graphic designer. Their demand is high in the market and they can charge around 100 of dollars per hour of work.
There are many ways a designer can be labelled as a good designer but we picked some qualities which we feels does justice when labelling someone as a High Quality Designer.
1. ORGANIZED
Maintain a tidy design environment. The difference between a good designer and a great one is organization. A great designer properly manages their time, and keeps a clean work environment everything from file structure to layer naming.
Organization primarily serves you as the designer, but in collaborative workspaces, it’s essential for effective collaboration. Others working on the project with you will have a much easier time making sense of your design file or the decisions you made along the way if you’re organized.
Good designers know that their work is worth thousands of words. So go to the source of their livelihood and spend time browsing their work. You also want to make sure that the designer you're looking at has experience where they say they do. Did someone tell you that they are a logo master? Then there should be extensive proof of that in their portfolio. If someone tells you that they can design a brochure, but you can't find any evidence of print work on their website, proceed with caution!
If you have a hard time finding any examples of a designer's work, move on! A good designer knows how to show off their work. They'll also readily have client testimonials to prove how satisfied their clients are. If those aren't showcased on their website, ask for them! A designer's past clients can tell you everything you need to know about the person you might work with.
2. PROBLEM SOLVING
Problem solving will always come with job, if you like to enjoy different types of challenges, then graphic design career will certainly look something to forward. Without shying away from the challenges and being very curios and excited to solve the problems will always bring a positive results and will lead to a stunning designs. Responsive web design is an art of designing the websites for a multitude of screen sizes and devices.
A high-quality designer can spend a lot of time identifying your needs before they ever lay pen to paper. They know that success hinges on identifying what needs to be solved to reach an end goal. This can look like researching your target demographic, listening to the full history of your company, scouting your competition, etc. Designers need to know what they’re tackling so they have the best chance at knocking it out of the park.
Getting your design done is your problem. And the solution lies with the right designer. Once you find them, they’ll commit themselves to matching up the pieces of your puzzle.
Great designers have this amazing ability to follow your instructions to the letter and go an extra mile beyond that. They observe the big picture and see where things can go wrong. Or how they can be done better. They have answers for your questions. And they have the wisdom to offer up their own opinion on a variety of matters too.
3. COMMUNICATION SKILLS
A good design is the result of the expectation of the client and the expertise of the designer. As a professional of the design industry, it is up to the designer to keep both their client and themselves on the same page. This is why it’s important to recognize the value of communication in the design process.
A designer who aims to provide the best result for their client will always maintain good communication with them. They won’t just leave it up to their client to address the tasks at hand. They’ll make sure that many questions are asked and many questions are answered.
A graphic designer should have very good communication skills where they know exactly how to communicate with their clients and also with other team members effectively. Good communication skill will be a key in keeping them in the loop in regards to every project, where it also opens door to new ideas which may be crucial for success.
If you are a good communicator, you will certainly build a strong relationship with the clients, where it helps you to build a strong reputation.
4. OPEN MINDEDNESS
Well this one is a bit obvious. But can be seriously underrated. Each and every day, a designer must keep up to date with trends and best practices. In serving constantly changing industries, and working in one, this is non-negotiable. And a designer can only keep improving if they are open-minded.
This means being aware of the design principles their industry is built upon – but not getting so hung up on them that they refuse to try something new.
If your designer falls into the high-quality designer category, they will listen to you with an open mind and see the values in your suggestions and ideas.
Following new design trends may be great for the designers and it may be beneficial also. But thinking outside the box will make the designers more creative and coming with the new designs by breaking the rules and overcoming the boundaries will be way towards the success.
Moreover pushing out from your limits and doing experiments will set up for a success.
5. CURIOSITY
A designer has to be curious. They have to see more than skin deep and understand concepts at more than surface level. The curiosity to see what things are made up of has to inspire them. Breaking down everything they see into basic shapes and colors and building them up again in various other forms in their mind is at the heart of being a great designer.
What? Why? How? When? Who? A great designer is full of questions. It’s not because they know very little. It’s simply because they don’t assume that they know everything and want to know more. Entertain their curiosity and you will be on the receiving end of some great designs.
You can’t become a graphic designer without acquiring certain skills and the knowledge. You can’t become a master without learning each and every single day. Many of the extraordinary graphic designers will not become the legends. They were always willing to learn the new skills in a different ways to outstand in the designs and they will never stop doing that.
Therefore, if you want to become a successful graphic designer then you need to keep on learning, especially because graphic design industry is been ever-evolving.
6. CREATIVITY AND IMAGINATION
Great graphic designers will be very creative and we can find inspiration for the new designs in pretty much everything. They don’t want other people to inspire them- they will stand out because of their own creativity and imagination.
High-quality designers have a sharp eye for the details. That means typos are as rare as a unicorn dancing to the jitterbug. Previous clients are usually the first to point out how detailed a designer is.
Working with someone who is detail-oriented also means that they are ready to improve your project, not just churn out designs. They will suggest edits to copy, or rethink how to present something so your project has the best chance to be successful. A high-quality designer is just as invested in your project as you are.
7. PERFECTIONISM
Pro graphic designers are not easily satisfied. Everything has its place and everything has to be in its place. That’s the only way they keep themselves content. As a client, you can count on this quality to be one of the most valuable in your designers. They will never hand you a halfhearted design. Every design they make is a masterpiece in some way because they observe every little detail.
High-quality designers prioritize attention to detail and pulling focus to these details through thoughtful designs. Asking your potential designers to walk you through some of their portfolio work is a great way to assess this.
Perfectionism will be one of the most beneficial traits of the pro graphic designers. If you have not happen to see flaws in things around you then it makes you to search for the innovative solutions to correct the flaws, where that trait will help you to become a better graphic designer.
The kind of designer you want working on your valuable project is someone who takes pride in how they are presented. Professionalism isn't thrown out the window just because someone is a freelancer. If anything, more is required of them, because they are the only face of their business. Do they forget your scheduled phone call or do they run late to your meeting?
The designer you interact with before the contract is signed is the same one you're going to work with and give money to. Make sure that they align with how you and your company operate in a professional manner.
8. ABILITY TO TAKE CRITICISM
Successful graphic designers will know that, they should not take the criticism personally. Quite the contrary, they will take it as a part of the learning process and they will try and use to improve their skills and will become the experts in that field. They always deal with the different opinions positively, and they will be open to the changes in their field.
Designers are not delicate snowflakes. They deal with various clients and competing deadlines on a daily basis, while aiming to please. They have to have thick skin – and not just regular thick skin. We’re talking as thick as a dragon’s skin.
A design is basically about what the client needs. So high-quality designers are always ready to accept criticism and feedback with a smile. They are well aware that their vision and their client’s needs can vary.
They are willing to do everything to align with their client’s goals. It’s a part of their professionalism. Try asking your potential designer about scenarios in which they’ve had to balance their client’s vision with their own.
9. ENTHUSIASM
Great designers aren’t boastfully arrogant, but they aren't insecure either. Showing enthusiasm for your work, and the work of others, will help you build relationships, and more importantly, trust.
The trifecta at work is Confidence ⇒ Enthusiasm ⇒ Trust.
That is, the more confident you are about your work, the more enthusiasm you’ll project, and thus the more trust you’ll garner from your stakeholders. They’ll trust your judgement, they’ll trust your ideas, and they’ll trust that you’re always producing work with them in mind.
In the design industry, much is subjective. Rules and guidelines can be interpreted differently based on the project or the person working on it. With no set of ironclad rules, and a variety of different standards, designers are often left to find motivation within themselves.
Experienced designers know how to build up their design process in a way that would benefit both their client and themselves. They will see the project through with unwavering enthusiasm and will accept feedback happily. While an inexperienced or immature designer may decide to walk away if they receive criticism, a high-quality designer will find a way to make things work. On time and within scope.
10. DETAILING
If you are tending to see the big picture without focusing any of the details. Then, you can never make your designs effective. A successful graphic designer should have an eye on the detail and even he can make the simplest designs look extraordinarily.
An effective designer is meticulous in all regards. They nit pixel every inch of their design, methodically incorporate accurate dummy data, and skillfully craft the story to resonate with the audience at hand. Identify where you lack rigor and either seek to improve, or identify techniques to fill the precision gap. Detail-oriented designers are never lazy.
High-quality designers have a sharp eye for the details. Clients are usually the first to point out how detailed a designer is. If their testimonials are full of phrases like "attention to details," "cared about all aspects," and "very thorough," then you've find a quality designer!
Working with someone who is detail-oriented also means that they are ready to improve your project, not just churn out designs. They will suggest edits to copy, or rethink how to present something so your project has the best chance to be successful. A high-quality designer is just as invested in your project as you are.
Starting a project with a designer is an exciting. You can save yourself time, money, and headaches by investing in a quality designer who becomes a partner and even a friend in the process. A common trait among quality designers is an insatiable desire to produce the best possible work, and if you are able to find someone like that, you are nearly guaranteed to be over the moon about the end results!
