{"id":4403,"date":"2017-03-06T09:22:56","date_gmt":"2017-03-06T16:22:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.taterboy.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/8-ways-to-succeed-as-a-designer\/"},"modified":"2017-03-06T09:22:56","modified_gmt":"2017-03-06T16:22:56","slug":"8-ways-to-succeed-as-a-designer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.taterboy.com\/blog\/2017\/03\/8-ways-to-succeed-as-a-designer\/","title":{"rendered":"8 ways to succeed as a designer"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sporting the tagline ‘a better world through creativity’, drug<\/a> it\u2019s no surprise that Cape Town\u2019s annual creative extravaganza Design Indaba<\/a> regularly explores how design can make a difference on a global scale.<\/p>\n

Last\u00a0week\u2019s three-day festival certainly didn\u2019t disappoint on that front, more about<\/a> and we reported on five ways design can change the world<\/a>.<\/p>\n

On a more personal scale, no rx<\/a> Design Indaba also has no shortage of insight and inspiration for working designers. Art director Kate Moross<\/a> closed her motivational talk with some quick-fire tips for design success\u2026<\/p>\n

01. Share your work early<\/h3>\n
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Sharing work early avoids any unwelcome surprises later in the design process<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI\u2019m not a dictator: I\u2019m a collaborator,\u201d was Moross\u2019 soundbite of choice when explaining why, for her, it\u2019s essential to get clients involved in the creative process as early as possible so you can shape the outcome together.<\/p>\n

It also helps you avoid any unwelcome surprises later in the process. Don\u2019t be precious: work with your clients, not just for them.<\/p>\n

02. Hire people, not skills<\/h3>\n
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When you’re picking your team, make sure they’re the type of people you want to hang out with<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Moross sent a ripple of laughter through the Design Indaba auditorium when she illustrated her advice for investing in the right people for your studio with a Richard Branson reference: \u201cIt\u2019s better to have a hole in your team than an asshole.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMake sure you want to hang out with them each day,\u201d she went on, affectionately describing the Studio Moross crew (herself included) as a \u201cbunch of freaks\u201d.\u00a0<\/p>\n

In short, when you\u2019re spending eight hours a day (or more) with your colleagues, don\u2019t pick them because of their knowledge of Illustrator shortcuts.<\/p>\n

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Wise words from Mr Branson<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

03. Create, don\u2019t copy<\/h3>\n
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Having another designer’s work on screen as a reference is a no-no for Moross<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Moross draws inspiration from all manner of diverse places (see point six, below), but other designers\u2019 work is very rarely one of them.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t like people in the studio to have any visual references on their screens, only in their minds,\u201d she smiled, before musing: \u201cI guess that means people with photographic memories can\u2019t work for me.\u201d<\/p>\n

04. Fire your clients\u2026<\/h3>\n
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Don\u2019t be a slave to your clients<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Linking back to point one, Moross won herself a little cheer from the Design Indaba audience when she insisted that life is too short to be working with difficult people who refuse to collaborate.<\/p>\n

In practice, only you will truly know when that time is right. But the message is simple: Don\u2019t be a slave to your clients.<\/p>\n

05. \u2026but don\u2019t burn too many bridges<\/h3>\n
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Great relationships spawn more great relationships<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Don\u2019t get too trigger-happy, though. Counterbalancing the advice above is Moross\u2019 insistence that great relationships spawn more great relationships \u2013 and she traced a string of jobs back during her talk, following the chain of cause and effect.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery job is connected,\u201d she points out. And once you cultivate a strong working relationship, word-of-mouth is one of the most powerful referrals you \u00a0can have.<\/p>\n

06. Make your own culture<\/h3>\n
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Culture is what you make of it \u2013 broaden your mind, and soak up the world around you<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t read magazines. I like taking pictures of drinks cans and going to Disneyland,\u201d chuckles Moross (she visits every year, and finds rollercoasters a great way to de-stress).<\/p>\n

What\u2019s the lesson here? \u00a0Simple: Broaden your mind, and soak up the world around you. Culture is what you make of it, and the less you rely on the conventional design world, the more original your work will be.<\/p>\n

07. Work for good causes<\/h3>\n
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Different types of project are also essential<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

As well as striking for a healthy work-life balance, Moross insists that it’s also essential to take on different types of projects.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Her advice? \u201cDo some work for love, some for money, and some for charity.\u201d While most designers balance passion projects with bread-and-butter commercial work, she laments that the third in the list is not as common as it should be.<\/p>\n

08. Be yourself<\/h3>\n
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Refusal to conform makes you unique<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Moross spent the first section of her Design Indaba talk discussing how she doesn\u2019t confirm to a world of binary classifications \u2013 she is proudly gender-fluid and \u201clives life in the middle\u201d.<\/p>\n

Refusal to conform makes you unique, and uniqueness \u2013 mixed with talent \u2013 is a potent combination for anyone in a crowded creative market. The message here is simple, but all too easily forgotten: be yourself.<\/p>\n

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