Becoming a better designer
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- Projectile
Every now and then I come across a designer who just comes up with amazing stuff, first time round and seems to just do amazing things with every brief they're given.
To some newbies, I might even seem like , one such individual - I know it's almost always down to experience, hard work and talent.
...but I'd like to make sure I head in the direction of brilliance instead of just churning out design and getting slightly better at it over the years. What are the best ways to ensure this?
I think my biggest issue is inspiration. There's a lot of amazing stuff out there... but it's only great if you're designing for some trendy tech startup. Countless times I've searched for nice, modern, traditional corporate-feeling design and all I come up with is 90's crap and really fun, trendy stuff that few clients will actually go for. I want to find examples of design for clients, not design for designers!
Are there any mini courses/exercises that I can find online (or in London) that might steer me in the right direction?
What do you do to keep moving onward and upward?
Thanks
- docpoz3
Design is a sensibility that grows with you. In all aspects of life.
- docpoz3
... so the more you practice it the better you will get regardless.
- Morning_star1
Not sure how helpful this is but i always consider the following:
Like a cup; you are full of ideas about 'Design'.
You want teaching/learning/inspiration, but your cup is full
Before you start, you'll have to empty your cup.Dieter Rams, Ten principles of good design should be learnt and then forgotten.
Always be looking for inspiration. Always carry a camera.
Drugs.
- LOL ok I'll get on the Dieter Rams thing. As for the rest... lets just say my cup is full ;)Projectile
- ;)Morning_star
- doesnotexist2
having interests outside of design and then try to relate back to design.
also things that let you step outside reality/design, like drugs. looking in from outside helps with perspective.
- timeless0
around here we call it "the touch" (and then sing the stan bush riff) some designers just have it
it seemingly can't be taught because we've tried. we've had great "operators" come through, and they weed themselves out pretty quick
I say operators because they can use the apps better than everyone else but there's no aesthetic to the work. no matter how much you try to direct "operators" towards a better design stubbornness won't open their mind to a better solution (and usually lone-wolf-ish-ness™ hinders growth of aesthetic ability. the mindset of "it's done, it's technically sound, it's already solved, why do it again" will never allow growth in aesthetic, do it again because it can be better than it is
it's not luck, I thought it was when I was younger. it's hard work, open-mindedness, history and collaboration (sounds like a cat poster, but it's true) the more work we do the more chances there are of a design problem arising that we've similarly solved before and it then becomes tweaking what we've done in the past to suit our current situation
there will always be someone better which makes us crazy, and it should. and at the same time it should make us strive to BE BETTER
and another thing . . . no, just kidding, I should stop
- I feel like I move along a scale between having "the touch" and being an "operator," depending on project and day.monospaced
- I'd say the same thing about my work mono - days that don't require a lot of creative flexing - days I tell my wife all I did was monkey work todaytimeless
- Sometimes I want to be more on "the touch" side but struggle to evoke it. Sometimes it comes naturally, and sometimes i just want mindless tech work.monospaced
- bklyndroobeki2
Ever listen to your breath, type meditate?
- necromation1
i stopped pay attention ages ago... Shit i've forgotten more than i can remember BUT i think thats great.
The moment i stopped worrying about "how good am i?" and just focused on keeping my ass working, and getting paid and guess what...?
I'm getting paid.
- omg-2
Use the force. Let the force guide you... I'm not talking about the force Yoda or ObiWan talks about, but rather the force Darth Vader would use.
- fadein11-1
Have you considered teaching rather than practicing?
- omahadesigns-3
Learn grids, then learn how to break them.
- bklyndroobeki0
drugs, some are saying. be in your 20's, experiment all you want then. i feel like i missed my chance.
- when i'm done w/ 30min-60min of meditation. i can honestly say that the feeling it gives me (if you stay w/ it consistently) is quite enriching.bklyndroobeki
- nah dude in your 20s you don't have the self control to do 'em proper. Never too late ;)Projectile
- haha, txbklyndroobeki
- pango1
Learn how to make people do amazing work...
then take all the credits!
- falcadia0
I know this struggle. If you're always searching for examples to influence your design on a project, you end up churning out mediocre work. It has a few bits of genius taken from multiple sources but overall as a whole is just alright. It doesn't make you feel confident in career choice or design ability.
That hot shit designer who is killing it is probably a natural artist and is using the creative process to figure out solution on his own. He/She can most likely sketch & paint really good and is super creative.
It happens... that's why I became developer.