Graphic design is a very
creative and specialized job. There are lots of skills and qualities you will
need in order to become a designer and become a good designer. In this I'm
going to discuss the practical skills required. Now the practical skills can be
taught and acquired through practice and determination and are the typical
skills that are encouraged and acquired in art school. These can be considered
the foundation skills as you will need to practice and harness these from the
start.
So, the first is: Verbal
communication. Even though graphic design is visual communication you will
often have to communicate your ideas verbally to discuss and sell them to
others. The greater your ability to communicate and articulate your ideas the
better.
Drawing and sketching.
It's been said that rough layouts sell an idea better than polished ones. To be
able to draw and sketch will be able to communicate your ideas visually. All
design should really start on paper. Sketching is a great method to render your
imagination fast and bring your initial ideas out of your mind to rule out
anything you feel may or may not work. Sketches can become a discussion point.
When you have something visual in front of you it makes it easier to talk about
that idea with others such as clients or senior designers. Every time I'm at a
meeting I always sketch initial thought out and show clients. This helps engage
them and see their reactions. Every designer should be able to draw and sketch
to some degree.
Research. Graphic design
is about problem solving and coming up with new and exciting ideas. The best
way to discover and come up with such ideas is through research and expanding
your knowledge. You will need to be able to research. Often you may be tackled
with a brief on a subject matter you know nothing about. The more time you
spend researching the more you will learn and become inspired which will
ultimately reflect in your work. This will lead to you having more original
ideas and creating more interesting work.
Software skills. Today a
lot of design is done using software tools like Photoshop, Illustrator,
InDesign and after fact to name a few. The more proficient you are at these
programs the easy it will be and the faster it will be to deliver your design.
You will need a certain degree of software skills to bring your imagination to
life.
Time management. Depending
on the project you often face tight deadlines to complete work. That might mean
on occasions having to work fast and under pressure. You will need to be able
to manage your time effectively to implement the design process. You will need
to be able to adapt to various timelines in order to complete and deliver your
work.
Attention to detail. The
integrity and success of your design can often lie in the details. To achieve
high standards, you will need to pay close attention. This is one of the
strongest practical skills you can have because after all beauty is in the
detail.
So, those are some of
the key practical skills you will need to be a graphic designer.
This is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Accordingly, it is difficult to figure out when to end it. But then, this is dummy text. It is not meant to be read. Period.
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