Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
How to
Succeed as a
Graphic
Designer
Revised Second Edition
www.designersinsights.com
DESIGNERS INSIGHTS
How to
Succeed as a
Graphic
Designer
Revised Second Edition
ISBN 978-0-9879987-1-2
Typeset in Adobe Garamond Roman 12/16pt. and Helvetica Neue 45 Light 9.5/14pt.
“Design is everything. Everything.” —Paul Rand
Designers Insights
CONTENT
Foreword 13
About Designers Insights 15
Preface 18
Introduction 26
How to Increase Your Value 29
Sharing the Dream 31
Create the Right Career Path 32
Chapter 1
Getting Started 35
Understanding Our Past to Thrive In the Future 36
The First Macintosh Computer 38
The End of the Master Typographer 39
The Sudden Demise of the Film House 40
The Rise of the World Wide Web 41
The Downfall of the Photographer & Illustrator 42
The Fall of the Mighty Printing Industry 43
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Chapter 2
The Decline of the Graphic Design Industry 45
The Role of the Designer Is to Create Value 47
Our Industry Before the Millennium 48
The Dot-com Boom & Bust 49
Print Designers Versus Web Designers 50
The Self-Proclaimed Branding Gurus 51
The Downfall of the HTML Programmer 52
The Designing Client/Web Developer 53
The Ripple Effec On the Printing Industry 54
The Arrival of the Fast Food Branding Services 55
Developing Countries Want Their Piece of the Pie 56
Design Schools Need to Be Held Accountable 57
Chapter 3
Embracing Change for Tomorrow 59
An Industry Profoundly Transformed 61
Designing in Humanity’s Most Creative Era 64
Passing the Knowledge to the Developing Designer 68
Professional Technical Advice for Today 69
What Your Environment Cannot Teach You 77
Designers Insights
Chapter 4
What You Will Never Learn in Design School 83
Understanding the Responsibilities of the Designer 88
Protecing Yourself from the Print Industry 88
With Big Risks Come Big Rewards 94
Contracing Outside Suppliers 96
The Benefits of Building Your Creative Network 99
The Master and the Apprentice 101
Chapter 5
Giving the New Generation of Designers a
Fighting Chance 104
What the Older Generation Is Lacking Is Vision 105
Teaching the New Generation Where Their
Value Comes From 107
If Only They Knew How Close They Came to
Succeeding 110
How Our Market Reaced to Our Changing
Industry 111
Finding that Perfec Niche Job 115
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Chapter 6
How to Create Value for Your Clients 119
A Proven Step-by-Step Method for Creating Value 121
Trends Come and Go 127
Study the True Masters 130
The Best Books and Trade Magazines 133
Professional Associations 135
Chapter 7
The World Wide Web Then and Now 140
Designing the Online Experience of Tomorrow 145
The Future of the Web is Responsive 148
Clients and the Social Media Phenomena 150
Chapter 8
An Introducion to Branding 153
What is Branding? 155
What Can You Brand? 157
Creating a Brand Experience 158
Great Brands Affecs Everything 161
Designers Insights
Chapter 9
Design Integration Finally Explained 164
Creating a Visual Identity System 165
How to Apply a Visual ID Systems to Serve
Your Clients’ Growing Needs 169
Creating Graphic Standards Manuals 174
Chapter 10
Three Basic Skills You Must Master 177
Skill One 179
Skill Two 180
Skill Three 182
The Payoff 184
Chapter 11
Visualization…the Secret of Creativity 187
The Art of Visualizing 189
The Key to Visualizing Is Focus 193
Creating Is a Discipline 194
Training Your Mind to Be in the ‘Zone’ 196
How Your Brain Works 198
Knowledge Is Inspiration 199
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Chapter 12
Your Job Is Providing Service 202
Sizing Up the Client 206
What a Satisfied Client Can Do for You 210
The Designer/Client Relationship 213
Chapter 13
A Word of Advise for the Junior Designer 216
Bring your ‘A’ Game Every Day 217
The Client Expecs Perfecion 219
Follow Studio Procedures 221
Your Earning Power: Expecations Versus Reality 222
The Sophie Story 226
The Bob Story 233
The Danny Story 237
The Jim Story 242
Chapter 14
Assessing your Strengths and Weaknesses 248
Graphic Design…a Highly-Competitive Profession 251
Know What the Boss Wants and Needs 256
What is Expeced of the Junior Designer 258
Growing as an Intermediate Designer 260
Designers Insights
Chapter 15
The Positive Effecs of Optimism 274
Creating a Winning Attitude 276
The Razor’s Edge 281
Chapter 16
Change…the New Beginning 285
Building Your Plan 288
Conclusion 292
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
FOREWORD
Designers Insights
same changes, with many closing their doors. But Mario has
relented and feels that now is the time to set the record straight.
That there is still an important need for the graphic designer in
today’s volatile communications and design environments.
Stephen J. Hards
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Designers Insights
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Designers Insights
PREFACE
Why did I write this book? Why did I even think I could write a
book? I’d never written anything before, except printing in-
structions. Well, the answer is simple, because I’ve been there.
Because I’ve walked in your shoes. Because I overcame great
struggles and I’ve had great successes in my career. I wrote it,
because I know exactly how it feels. I know exactly how you feel
wherever you are at this time in your own graphic designers’
career. Let me start by sharing my own story…
Before graduating from high school, I was like most kids at that
age; I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. I was good
at only one thing. I was a good artist. My first mentor was my art
teacher. She said that I was destined to become a great artist,
that I really didn’t have any other choice in the matter, and she
always offered me great moral support where there was none
from my family. She made the biggest positive impact on my life
at that time, and I’m forever grateful to Régine Mallet. The next
school year, I was torn between my family expectations and
what I felt I needed to do, so on the first day of school, at the last
possible minute, I gathered my courage and walked up the stairs
to the main office of the only French university in my province, and
enrolled in the Fine Arts Program. That was the best decision of
my life up until then. I just loved it! Drawing, sculpting, painting,
film making, animation, and working in these art studios all day,
sometimes all night, was extremely gratifying to me. But as a first
year student, when I looked at the artists doing their masters
degrees, I thought to myself, this is not what I want to do with
my life. I realized that the life of a fine-art artist was not for me.
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Designers Insights
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Designers Insights
Well, during the past twenty years, our industry had many ups
and downs, mainly due to the economy, the recessions, gov-
ernment policies, followed by the next big thing and the constant
rise of new technologies, which profoundly transformed our in-
dustry in ways we couldn’t even imagine back then. I wasn’t
prepared for any of this. I was on a roll in my thirties, but then
reality struck, and struck hard. In order to keep my agency alive
and keep my valuable staff, I had to start working for more private
companies. What a shock that was. These guys couldn’t care
less about my award winning designs of the past, and I quickly,
out of necessity, learned how to create value for their customers.
After ten years of doing it my way, I had to start listening to my
clients’ wants and needs, I mean really listen, if I was going to
survive. I needed to adapt, and adapt quickly. Then my whole
philosophy changed dramatically, I had to put my humongous
ego aside. I went completely in the opposite direction, and I
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
started making money for my clients. Creating real value for their
brand and offerings. I even stopped entering graphic design con-
tests entirely, right on the spot. I never entered another design
contest again, to this day. I needed this reality check. The result
was that it made my company very successful once again, and
for the next decade after.
Designers Insights
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Designers Insights
Introducion
1
“It’s art if can’t be explained.
It’s fashion if no one asks for an explanation.
It’s design if it dœsn’t need explanation.”
—Wouter Stokkel
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Designers Insights
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Designers Insights
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Designers Insights
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Designers Insights
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer
Chapter 1
1
GETTING STARTED
Designers Insights
VISIT DESIGNERSINSIGHTS.COM
How to Succeed
What are employers really looking for in a designer? Why can’t
I get the job I want? Should I start my own business? Find answers
to these questions.
Designer Resources
Find all the essential technical knowledge gathered in one
complete collection for the professional graphic designer.
Showcase
Generating creative inspiration by showcasing today’s best
design work by top designers Submit your best design pieces
to our Showcase now!
Design Insights
Each workday we present uplifting thoughts and inspirational
quotes from design legends. Words of wisdom given in the
true spirit of master to apprentice.
How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer