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Out of context: Reply #2

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  • cherub0

    Any self taught designers here? How do you know when you're ready to start taking clients? I've designed a few wordpress sites and I'm starting to like it but I don't think I'm 100% ready.

    What's the barebones minimum to be a real designer?

    what core skills you must have?

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    • masochism_niko
    • Honestly the only core skill you need is sales (ie convincing someone to pay for your design services)nb
    • you can take on clients today. Wordpress clients are not shy about telling you how to design.hotroddy
    • that's pretty funny hotroddycherub
    • nb is right if you're thinking about the biznez side of things. You only need to know how to sell.palimpsest
    • As in regards to design itself I think it's more how you approach it (and your motivation) rather than your current skillset.palimpsest
    • This is someone from our generation, listen to the interview and see if you can relate or find an angle that works for you:palimpsest
    • https://scratchingth…palimpsest
    • YWFT! Can't wait to check this out...canoe
    • Nice, I also gonna check that out. It looks like the other Michael (of Designgraphik) is the one who's still running YouWorkForThem.yuekit
    • I wonder if what cherub is trying to ask is that there are certain fundamentals of design and you might not know them without formal training.yuekit
    • In the past people would recommend books like "Grid Systems" or "The Elements of Typographic Style" and while those are still worth reading,yuekit
    • it seems increasingly difficult to draw a straight line from there to the current world of digital design where there are about a million things to learn.yuekit
    • But ideally you'd start with these fundamentals and then learn the technology and principles specific to the web.yuekit
    • If you are working with pre-built wordpress templates, most clients you will encounter will want more than the template offers.microkorg
    • So you have to either find or build solutions. So having good knowledge of how these templates are put together technicaly is prob a must.microkorg
    • And branding. Because most of the "I'm looking for a WP site" clients also need a whole slew of help. SEO, messaging, lead gen strategy, digital marketing, etccanoe
    • And, I assume, creating your own vertical strategy will help train your eye. So pick a few industries and study their aesthetic, branding, nuances, positioningcanoe
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