5 Unique Traits I Value in Young Graphic Designers

The most common mistake I see young designers make is over-confidence. It might sound harsh, but it's the truth. So many emerging designers I meet think they are infallible. They're quick to dismiss critique and slow to adapt to feedback.  

The strongest element of a company’s brand is its people, and I need people whose vision and values align with that of my own and our company’s. We’re going to be spending more time together than we are with our family, so we better like each other. Here are some of the key traits and characteristics I look for in a young designer, in no particular order:

1. Be an Artist.

This isn’t a deal-breaker, but I think it is something that can set you apart from your peers. The ground rules of what we do every day as designers are laid out in the foundations of art. It shows you are passionate about creating and have the ability to find new solutions outside of your computer.

I want to see that you create for fun, understand visual beauty, and can convey a concept through imagery. It also is very therapeutic to have a creative outlet where you can do whatever you please, without judgment (this becomes important as you get to #4). 

One of my past instructors says “all great designers paint." So whether you paint, draw, craft, or play guitar, your dedication to your art form shows me you are a passionate and creative person. And creativity rules the world, so I want you on my side.

2. Think.

You are not a programmed computer set to do only the most basic tasks asked of you; you are a communicator, asked to convey a message to an audience in the most effective way possible. As a designer, you are given the pieces to a problem that you need to solve in a visual format. The more thought you put into your solution the more effective your design will be. So take the direction given, process it, kick a hole in the proverbial “box”, and show your peers, managers, and client’s that you care about what you do.

3. Have an Open Mind.

Stick to your goals, but be open enough to at least try new things. You might uncover some new skills you didn’t know existed that will help you be a better designer, employee, and person. I came out of school with the vision of being a print designer, hoping to work on logo and poster designs with exciting papers and print options.

Just in my first two years my whole vision of what I was going to be had shifted into something I never even imagined and has grown way beyond that since. I’ve discovered some new strengths (and weaknesses) and now know for sure what I do and don’t like about all the new challenges I’ve faced. And now, I’m ready for more. The sick nervousness of the unknown is now exciting anxiousness to face new challenges.

4. Be Open to Criticism.

We all want to get better right? I do. And I want to make you better as well. The only way we can do that is to be open, honest, and humble in the critiquing of our work. Creation is a very personal and meaningful thing to do, and I know how difficult it is to have your personal creations torn to shreds.

As a designer, you will need to learn to distance yourself from your work and realize that this is your job and you are here to satisfy others. Clients will be wrong, your boss will be wrong, and you will be wrong. Deal with it. Hopefully, as you deal with each challenge you will learn and grow.

Taking advice, along with positive and negative criticisms, will allow you to grow and become a better person and designer. Whether it is your art, your attitude, or your ideas being challenged, these blood boiling situations will strengthen your design skills, thought process, and ability to communicate your ideas clearly. As long as you’re open and willing to learn, the sky is the limit.

And when you have to swallow your pride and destroy something you believe in for the greater good of the client, see #1, and go back to your art. No matter how ridiculous or great someone might think your art is, you can do it for yourself. Have it mean what you want, and no one can change that.

5. Communicate Often, and Get Better at It.

So you’re an open-minded, criticized artist who thinks too much and likes to creatively solve problems? Please explain. You need to be able to convey your ideas, designs, and motivations in a way that can be understood – by other designers, but more importantly, by non-designers. You need to sell yourself every day. I want to hear your reasoning and why you believe what you do. And not just in design either; communication is the cornerstone of everything we do.

So practice it, master it and let your voice be heard. Be blunt, be vulgar, be you; but be intelligent about it and know your audience.

P.S. Work on communicating intelligently: craft your emails with precision, care about what your texts and Facebook posts look like, don't abuse #hashtags, and stop bastardizing the English language. 

These are some of the key traits that I look for in a potential hire and someone I want to create our client’s work. Contact us if you are looking to work with some open-minded designers or would like to be part of the team.