We all go through the same path with somewhat the same questions in our mind, tackling the same problems, but how we handle and overcome the obstacles is the difference-maker. Being a designer since 2006 (16+) years, I faced many problems in design and I see many of my fellows facing them frequently, so instead of quickly firing up browsers and searching out help for them frequently, I thought to compile a small list of links. These will give you ideas and a hint of overcoming the problems at hand in Opening doors to graphic design.
1) W for What, When, Why, Where ?
Though its used for marketing but the principle is the same, you must know
- What is you task?
- When its going to be executed?
- Why are you doing it? what are the aims and objectives to accomplish?
- Where this design is going to be implemented? for example medium, exposure timing, exposed audience
These points will not only give you a command over you project but also will help you more accurate or close to accurate results, you can search out much more detailed articles on “what to know before starting design”.
2) Mom where’s my “CREATIVE HAT”?
Creative blocks and how to tackle creative problems is a must-ask question for yourself. A lot is being written on creativity and how you can squash some juice out of creative fruit. Few links are provided after this paragraph, but I strongly advise that you must figure out what is your THING, what routine and setting suits you.
How to boost your creativity by Jacob Cass or Creative techniques
3) Learn from others experiences.
Its a wise choice to learn from experienced, it will save your time and that can be used to polish your skills to give you the edge over others. My recommended link is: ARTICLE
4) Give it sometime to hatch
It’s a good thing to give some rest to your mind to regain energy and fresh ideas, If you think you are stuck, leave it and divert attention to something fun and soothing, which will relax your mind and body and in no time you will be ready with fresh ideas and thoughts. Stop forcing yourself to design, doesn’t work that way. The hatching time can vary from person to person.
5) How to accept criticism
Yes, all your family likes it, but that in no way makes mistakes right. Everyone has his perspective and level of approach towards design. Sometimes when I point out some problem or correction in design many replies as,
“I showed it to many people and they all said its good”
Well, there can be many factors behind it, maybe they don’t want you to get hurt, or maybe they just avoiding a conflict, or maybe from their level they are unable to detect that problem. You must be able to digest the comments and most importantly to filter out what’s of use in them, what to accept and what not to. I came across an article it’s worth reading
My recommended link is: How to accept criticism & How to accept criticism with grace and appreciation
6) hey! look around
Sometimes we are so busy with other things that we ignore the most fun things around us. Believe me the world around us is filled with ideas and funny things. All you have to do is sometimes look at your routine from a 3rd person view, for example, I travel a lot by public transport and most of the time it is quite interesting to watch people behave, and interact with each other. As I am from Karachi city the bus traveling culture got its perks and appeals and one day when I noticed it surprised me, so when we were given an editorial booklet design assignment from our teacher, I wasted no time and brought my ideas in tangible form.
7) Wake up and Mockup
Now you have thought of an idea so it’s time to execute it. The first step after knowing 4 Ws (What, When, When, Where) is to decide your layout and that’s the part that needs much practice. It’s advisable to dust off your sketch pad and practice layouts as much you can, they can be about anything, practice and lay-outing sense is the goal.
My recommended link is: Live by mockup, Die by mockup
8) 10 reasons why your render….
An article on “Blenderguru.com” is originally targeted towards 3d modelers but most of the points highlight graphic design problems too. Have a look and re-examine your work. and ask some questions.
My recommended link is: guru.com/10-reasons-why-your-render-sucks/” target=_blank>ARTICLE
8) Is this color the right color?
Choosing a color can be tricky, I will break it down to steps
- Know all 4 Ws (mentioned above) of your work
- Understand what color mood / meaning is. my recommended links are: HERE, HERE & HERE
- Get to know color wheel and color selection methods (analogous, complimentary and Contrast) LINK
- Get some inspiration ( from nature, surrounding, anything)
- Pick colors from available resources ( Before&After magazine has a great article LINK )
- Get help from internet resources, some useful color sites are COLORLOVERS, Abode KULER, COLOR SCHEME DESIGNER
