The Young Designer’s Guide

If you are thinking about becoming a graphic designer or are currently in school getting your degree, there is one element of your future career that you should take into careful consideration. You must be willing to accept that what you create, whether a brochure or logo, advertisement or Web site, will inevitably be your client’s marketing piece.

It may sound simple, but the reality that comes with pleasing your client sometimes comes at the expense of your better design judgement. In some cases they love what you do and how you do it, but there are plenty of times when the final product will be something you may hate and be less than eager to let others know you created. The bottom line is you do not have to love it but your client must, because it will be representing them.

Try your best to persuade them to take a certain direction. Sadly not everyone has good taste or understands that when hiring a graphic designer they are not simply hiring technical support. They are hiring a professional with artistic talent, a degree and experience. Ideally the client should put their trust in the designer’s hands knowing we want to make the best design for their company.

It is likely you will at some point come across a situation where a client becomes too specific with their edits, such as, “Can you make this blue, move that over there, I’d like the logo bigger, and please change the font to…” Beware of the client who literally lays out what they want; the decline to “Technical Support” is a slippery slope. My advice when showing a design proof to a client is to make sure that you to tell them when they describe their thoughts about the work to use more general language such as, “It seems too busy to me,” or, “Can we make it more eye popping?” That way you can interpret the changes in style while still managing to keep the design professional.

If you cannot take the criticism that comes with such clients, I would suggest re-evaluating your career choice. However, if you understand and accept the fact that your astute design sense cannot please all of the people all of the time, and even feel joy when a client is so happy with what you created they are beaming with pride to show it to the world despite your better judgement, you’ll be okay. If you are lucky, there will be some clients like this whom you’ll be able to fire, but keep in mind that every job comes with both the good and the bad.

In graphic design you’ll make money, but often you do not have the option to choose for whom you create. I’ve done work for a gas monitoring systems company, sound fun? No, but I made it look engaging and I am proud of the outcome.

Bottom line, you do have to please your client, but there is no law that states you must put the work you did for them in your portfolio.

When it comes to doing your own search, there are a few things that you need to keep in mind:

1. Most art funding doesn’t come in the form of your everyday ’scholarship’. There is usually some form of competition or portfolio submission involved. You must be prepared to submit samples of your work and/or write about it.

Make sure you have decent digital images that have been color-corrected and saved at at LEAST 150dpi, full-size. This will allow for easy viewing and printing of your work by the judging panels. Make sure you have a JPG or TIFF version of each, along with a possible PDF for the internet-disinclined.

2. It is best to use the appropriate keywords while using a search engine. Searching using only the word ’scholarship’ after your type of art will bring up mostly descriptions of scholarships that are offered by specific colleges to their students.

To start, choose a search keyword that describes the type of art you make. Examples of this could be ‘graphic design’, ‘illustration’, ‘interdisciplinary sculpture’, ‘fiber arts’, etc. If you consider yourself more than one ’style’ of artist (and really, who doesn’t? I myself am a Graphic Designer, Photographer and digital artist that likes to draw), you will end up doing more than one search.

After you’ve decided on the art-keyword to use, begin your search by entering that word into the search field, along keywords such as ‘competition’, ’student’, etc. Other helpful keywords to try in any combination are ’scholarship’, ‘grant’, ‘contest’ and ‘award’.

By using the words ’student’ and ‘competition’ together, you are searching for scholarships, grants, awards that are offered to winners of student art competitions.

3. Don’t forget in your searches to keep an eye on your favorite arts publications and websites. Many of them offer student contests on a yearly basis. Winning, high placement or honorable mentions will usually get you some kind of mention in the winners issue!

4. Pay attention to your local art scene and the community around the school you are attending/applying to. Many cities have more art fairs and similar events than you could ever go to. For this reason, it is a good idea to perform a city search to find out what the local offerings are. Many arts fairs don’t require the exhibitors to be local. There are usually open submissions for different themes that may be involved. There are also usually monetary prizes. Don’t overlook your local Farm Fair!! There is always an arts contest!

While these prizes aren’t necessarily ’scholarships’, they are money that you can put towards funding your education. Not to mention: even if you only submit your work to local galleries, there is the opportunity to market and sell your work, therefore gaining recognition. No publicity is ever bad publicity, right?

For more tips and resources on scholarships go to: http://usaprivatescholarships.blogspot.com/

There is a considerable difference between healthy fear and panic.  Panic can cripple you; healthy fear can inspire great things and stretch you to new limits.  Ironically, both can serve you well if kept in the proper perspective.  As a designer, you will be asked to complete projects that range from the routine to the totally unfamiliar.  I encourage you to stretch and go for the unfamiliar as often as possible.  The dirty little secret is that also means asking you to experience both panic and healthy fear.  When you get rid of the first, you will be able to make the most of the second.

When you are challenged to do something totally unfamiliar, you are euphoric that someone trusts you to complete the project, and complete it well.  It means they not only recognize your skill, but also trust in your potential.  You are one happy designer.  But – wait for it now – after you tell your friends and family how excited you are, and they tell you how great it is and how proud they are, you go home, open a beer or a bottle of wine and unexpectedly break out in a cold sweat.  What the heck have you done?  What are you, crazy?  How are you going to do this – you don’t know anything about widgets!  That, my friend, is sheer panic.  Why would I be a fan of such a thing?  Since you asked, let me explain.

Sheer panic stops you cold.  There is, other than to pass out, nothing left to do but regroup.  Panic makes us think of worse case scenarios.  And once worse case scenarios are on the table, there is no place to go but “up.”  The panic subsides as you slowly move into the rational mode of figuring things out and making a plan.  And here’s the real secret:  the absence of panic is the beginning of progress.  It might be more accurate to say “the banishment of panic is the beginning of progress,” but “absence of panic” is what I came up with when I was in a panic over writing an article on an unfamiliar topic.  I have the saying printed out in a big bold font and taped to my office wall.  It’s my mantra:  The Absence of Panic Is The Beginning of Progress.

Once you have taken a deep breath and banished the panic, you are left with the burning desire to do well.  You just need to figure out how.  After all, everyone else believes in you!  If you’re smart, you’ll go back to basics.  Works for golfers.  Big tournament coming up?  Even the pros get out on the range and practice the basics.  In my mind, “basics” refers to goal, structure, content, and accuracy of purpose.  Once you get the basics in place, the rest will follow.

Specifically, ask yourself what the client wants.  What is the purpose of the project?  Is it to introduce a new product?  Differentiate the product from its competitors?  Explain how it solves a specific problem?  Enhance the company’s image?  With whom?  Exactly what is the purpose?
Once you know your purpose, ask yourself what you have to design to get that point across.

Obviously it’s no good to pitch denture cream to fifteen year olds.  Who exactly does your client want to reach?  What are they like?  Do they appreciate risks or safety?  Do they like to live vicariously?  Do they have money to spend?  Are they looking for something to make them feel good, or simply to get by in the most inexpensive way possible?  Now you’ve defined your goal, and you’re beginning to have a sense of how to get there.

Next you need a plan.  And the more you plan, the more confident you become, because you have the healthy fear of failure that drives you to make sure you know what you’re doing.  But – good  news – there is no more panic because you are feeling in control. Perhaps a bit nervous, but in control.  To reach the goal you’ve identified, however, that goal has to be measurable.  What research into the marketplace and the competition has to be done?  How much do you have to do each day to be finished by your deadline?  Figure out what you have to do, and mentally plug it into your plan. Then write it down.  Having it in writing keeps you honest and helps avoid surprises.

When your first draft is finished, look at it with a critical eye.  Does it convey the message you thought it would?  Is it comprehensive enough?  Simple enough?  Is the design strong or weak?  Is it too bland, too over-the-top, or perhaps (hallelujah) just right?  Do not be afraid of the healthy fear here – does a trusted colleague think it works?  How about a trusted outsider with fresh eyes?  Maybe you see things that you thought worked when you were creating them, but now as part of the whole, they simply don’t.  Maybe you suddenly know for sure that you need to move in a different direction, either slightly or entirely.  If so, don’t be afraid.  Just do it.

So what’s the moral of this story?  Banish the panic and work the healthy fear to your advantage.  It’s a good thing.  But once it guides you and you have your answers, banish the fear as well and confidently complete the project.  Trust me, healthy fear will be back for the next project.  Welcome it.  Just keep it in its place.