10 Insights for graduating Designers
‘Suggestions for developing an effective design process’
The end of the academic year is upon us and this week marks the annual New Designers exhibition in London. Graduating is a huge milestone in any designer’s career, but for most, it is just the first step into the creative industries.
With what can be a daunting time in mind, the Designworks team sat down to collate our top 10 industry insights for new grads.
Contents:
1. ‘The importance of sketching’
2. ‘Keep your eyes open’
3. ‘Get off screen’
4. ‘Become an expert… fast’
5. ‘Test early, test often’
6. ‘Hone your craft’
7. ‘Power of the personal project’
8. ‘K.I.S.S’
9. ‘It takes years’
10. ‘Enjoy the process’
1. ‘The importance of sketching’
Remember, a design sketch is primarily a form of communication used as a tool to efficiently share new ideas with team members or clients.
-Regular sketching practice will help you generate clear sketches quickly and confidently. Draw bold, draw big, draw often.
-Practicing timed, quick sketches or attending life drawing sessions are good ways to improve your drawing confidence and speed.
2. ‘Keep your eyes open’
Design is all about problem-solving, and creative solutions to these problems can be found everywhere - often in surprising places. A perfect example of this is biomimicry – the practice of emulating nature to solve human design challenges.
-Taking photos, keeping a sketchbook or saving images of inspiring designs will help to build a toolkit of ideas, solutions and approaches to bring to the table in future projects.
3. ‘Get off screen’
Within the design process there is a temptation to rely heavily on the convenience of 3D CAD and rendering software, however reverting to more traditional design methods will help provide a more tangible appreciation for scale, usability and construction whilst helping you spot potential challenges ahead.
-Drawing or printing 1:1 elevation views is a fast way to understand scale, size and the implications of any changes you may have made.
-Regular sketch modelling will give you an excellent appreciation for the function and form of an object or assembly.
4. ‘Become an expert… fast’
In industry (especially consultancy) you will be required to empathise with the unique needs of consumers and understand their requirements quickly when starting a new project.
-Conduct high-quality research early on in a project to create a strong brief and avoid making incorrect assumptions.
-Speak to consumers to understand their ideal solutions, priorities, and hierarchy of needs. A solid foundation at this stage will set the tone for the rest of the project.
5. ‘Test early, test often’
Innovation requires repeated testing, failure, learning and evolution. If a design idea is not tested to failure, it cannot typically evolve or improve.
-Test your ideas early and often. Make a design brief at the start of your project and use this as a marker for success.
-Sketch modelling, showing progress to a colleague, evaluating real-world materials, storyboarding and role-play testing are all ways you could test early.
-Testing harder, earlier and more often will drastically improve the end result of your projects.
6. ‘Hone your craft’
It is common to discontinue formal learning once outside of academia, yet continuing to expand your skillset will add diversity to your approach and improve your ability to problem solve.
-YouTube, online courses, workshops, books on creativity, are all fantastic resources to learn from others. Try learning complimentary skills that separate you from your peers.
7. ‘Power of the personal project’
Working on personal projects will help develop ownership and agency of your own creative process, pushing you to learn new, applied skills in a fun and engaging way.
-Well executed personal projects will show drive and initiative in your portfolio. Developing your own work will provide you with enticing content you can share without having to worry about client confidentiality.
8. ‘K.I.S.S’
Keep It Simple Stupid.
Good design can be summarised by one principle – simplicity.
Providing an effective solution for the least; resources, cost, complexity and impact on the planet. Whilst it takes a lot of skill to produce an elegantly simple yet effective design, aiming for this will make your designs stand the test of time.
-Try observing this principle across iconic design work over the last few decades. You will notice this across graphic, typography, UX, product, furniture and architectural design.
9. ‘It takes years’
Developing your skills, building your network and establishing yourself within a competitive industry takes years. Be tenacious, but patient!
-Regularly investing in your professional relationships will pay dividends over time.
-Hard work, positivity and a proactive nature are simple things that colleagues will remember.
10. ‘Enjoy the process’
Design development and problem solving are challenging but extremely rewarding. Remember to enjoy the process along the way!
We hope this article serves as a useful insight for some, and a handy reminder for others.
Good luck to this year’s graduates!
We are always on the lookout for exceptional talent here at Designworks, and if you think you might be a good fit, please drop us an email including a portfolio and CV (under 10mb) to the email address below.