Ah, the life of an aspiring designer: a blend of pixel perfection, caffeine addiction, and the occasional existential crisis over font choices. If you’re navigating this colourful career path, welcome to a world where creativity thrives on both chaos and constraints. Grab your sketchpad, fire up that design software, and dive into these tips to help you shape your creative journey. And remember, we’re all just one misaligned kerning away from greatness.
Limit Yourself to Unleash Creativity
If “necessity is the mother of invention,” then “limitation is the mother of creativity” is its cool, artsy cousin. If you’re banging your head against a creative wall, try taking something familiar out of your design process.
For the messy designers who dive into all sorts of creative paths and end up hitting dead ends, limit your options: stick to a design grid, or play around with some “boring” fonts. If you’re a neat freak, toss out the grid. If you’re slow and careful, set tight deadlines to speed things up. And if you’re quick and tend to latch onto the first idea, force yourself to pause and explore other options.
One of my favourite examples of using limitations to create genius work is the French filmmaker Michel Gondry. He’s known for his inventive and whimsical style, using practical effects and in-camera tricks instead of digital ones. By setting these self-imposed limits, he sparks unique creativity that leads to amazing visuals and storytelling.
Bury Your Beloved Ideas – Only Dig Them Up When They Haunt You
Not every idea, no matter how much you love it, is going to work out. Don’t force it if it doesn’t fit. Creativity is limitless; more and better ideas will come along. Be ready to let go and make room for something better.
If you kill a beloved idea and it comes back to haunt you a month later, it might be worth revisiting. Don’t stress about forgetting a good idea if you don’t use it right away. Stephen King once said there’s no need to keep a diary for ideas—if it’s great, you won’t forget it.
Copy the Masters, then Rebel
New designers often freak out about visual plagiarism, trying to have a unique style right from the start. But they don’t realise that everything we create is just an imitation with a unique twist. Every great creator, whether they know it or not, is inspired by someone else.
Everything is a copy of a copy, and that’s how you develop your own style. You have to learn the rules before you can break them.
Less is More – but there is more to it
Simplicity in design is powerful but sometimes needs a bit of explaining. A design that looks effortless often takes a lot of work and thought. Clients might not always get the value of simplicity, so be ready to explain why less is more.
A handy question to help simplify a design is, “Does this graphic element serve a purpose?” If it doesn’t, ditch it. If you need to do something flashy, stick to one bold thing that acts as PR for your design. Something that says, “Look at me. And now, look at my humble content.” Overly flashy projects are like over-exuberant people – fun at first, but quickly annoying. People tend to prefer those who are more humble, and design is no different, and you’ll soon lose your audience if you’re too ostentatious.
Great design isn’t just about what you add – it’s also about what you leave out. Just like in storytelling, where readers enjoy filling in the blanks, design can use the viewer’s imagination. By not filling in all the blanks, you create a dynamic interaction, making the viewer an active participant.
Quality over Quantity
Hick’s Law states that the more options you present, the longer it takes to make a decision. This is super important in design. Simplify your design elements to guide users toward the desired action. Every element should contribute to the main goal, like Apple’s design philosophy, developed by Jony Ive, their chief design officer for over 25 years.
Clients can get stuck in analysis paralysis if you give them too many options. Instead, present a few well-crafted choices. Three solid ideas are usually enough to cover a range of possibilities without overwhelming them.
A sneaky tip: if you’re creating three logo options for a client and you have a favourite, design your proposal to subtly highlight it. Use the colours, shapes, or fonts of the preferred logo in the proposal’s styling. It sends a subtle message: “The other logos are nice, but this is my favourite, and I think you should choose it.”
Be Considerate – package your designs
This is a pet peeve of mine. When you know you’re going to hand over your work to another designer, be considerate and package your files. Even if you think you’re the only one who will ever work on this project, it’s still a good idea to keep your design folders neat. It’s just good practice to keep all your design assets safe and sound in a packaged folder.
It’s a simple, no-hesitation, three-step move; easier than tying your shoelaces. Just click File > Package and then hit the Package button. Congratulations! You’ve just saved another designer from spending hours searching for 23 missing links.
Perfect is the Enemy of Good
Chasing perfection in graphic design can be paralysing. The endless hunt for flawless work can lead to nonstop revisions and a fear of finishing anything. Instead, it’s way more practical to have a quality checklist – a set of standards your design should hit. This can cover things like visual hierarchy, colour harmony, typography, and user experience. Once your design ticks all these boxes, call it done.
Accept that some flaws are gonna happen and see them as chances to grow – not fails. Embracing imperfection can spark creativity and innovation, making your designs unique and memorable.
Listen to the Layperson, but Preferably not Your Mom
While feedback from fellow creatives is valuable, non-designers provide insights closer to your target audience. They can highlight usability issues and elements that may not be as intuitive as you think. Balance professional critique with real-world feedback.
But be wary of critique from close relatives and friends. They most probably have your feelings in mind. Instead, get your ideas battered in the comment section online, pick the best-executed blows and learn from it. Or ask an accountant in your finance department.
Blend the New with the Known
That zooty hot design trend you saw on Behance might not be your client’s cup of tea. Some people’s idea of something spicy is mayonnaise and you should respect their taste.
Innovative designs are exciting but should incorporate familiar elements to avoid user confusion. The psychology of priming shows that people prefer things that feel familiar. Keep elements like navigation and logos in expected places to make your design user-friendly while still pushing creative boundaries.
Conclusion
I really hope this blog has shed some light on how to become a better designer. And if you ever find yourself lost in the labyrinth of layers and vectors, with hope seemingly out of reach, consider turning to the professionals. At Grindstone Advertising, we’re here to bring your vision to life with our expert design services. Because sometimes, even the most brilliant creatives need a little help to shine their brightest.
