17 Little Known Ways To Become A World-Class Graphic Designer

A lot of people think that being a graphic designer is easy. They think that you just need to go on freelancer websites, pick your niche and start working as a freelance designer. But the reality is that being a professional graphic designer takes years of hard work and dedication to become successful at it.

In this article, I’ll share with you some tips and tricks on how you can achieve this goal of becoming an elite graphic designer in today’s world.

How to Become a Really Good Graphic Designer – YouTube

Takeaways
1. Embrace Continuous Learning
2. Seek Constructive Feedback
3. Develop a Strong Work Ethic
4. Cultivate Attention to Detail
5. Hone Problem-Solving Skills
6. Explore Various Design Styles
7. Master Industry-Standard Tools
8. Network and Collaborate with Peers
9. Balance Creativity and Practicality
10. Stay Updated with Design Trends

Table of Contents

1. Become An Expert At Marketing

Marketing is an important part of graphic design. Marketing is your number way to find new clients and get more work. And there are many different types of marketing you can do: social media, SEO (search engine optimization), email marketing…the list goes on!

The great thing about these platforms is that they’re free or cheap to use you don’t need a lot of money to be successful at them. But it’s also important not to underestimate the value of these platforms by thinking they’re only good for getting business.

Marketing isn’t just about selling; it’s about getting your name out there so that when people need a designer they’ll think of you first! And if nothing else happens from any given campaign, at least you’ve built relationships with people who could become future clients or refer others in the future.

Many misconceptions surround working in the design agency world, but understanding these can help you navigate your career better. Explore our article on Top 15 Misconceptions About Working for a Design Agency to gain insights into the agency landscape.

2. Learn How To Sell Yourself

You know the old saying: “You are your own best salesman.” As a graphic designer, you will have to sell yourself to get jobs. You need to understand what you can offer an employer and be able to articulate your skills and experience clearly.

A good way of doing this is by creating a portfolio of work that demonstrates your ability as a graphic designer. Your portfolio should include examples of similar projects that you have done before so that potential employers can see how well you have done previously. They need to be able to see that not only do you know what it takes for them but also how much effort has gone into it.

3. Make Sure You’re An Expert In Your Chosen Niche

You’re in the top 10% of all graphic designers on the planet. You know your stuff, and you make sure that everyone else around you knows it too.

But do you know the people who are already experts in your chosen niche? Do they know who you are? Think about this for a moment: if someone asked them to recommend a graphic designer, would they say “Someone like me!” Or would they think of someone else entirely?

Knowledge is power, as they say. And when it comes to learning how to become a world-class graphic designer, knowledge is everything.

The journey to freelancing as a designer involves personal decisions and considerations. Discover how one designer made the choice to embark on a freelance career in our piece on How I Decided to Become a Freelance Designer.

4. Work For Free To Build Up Your Portfolio

Find a local charity or business that needs help. You could offer to volunteer your design skills for some community outreach projects, like designing the logo for the local school.

Work on something you will be proud of. You mustn’t just throw together anything, but put some thought and effort into it. Make sure the result is something you are proud to say “I did this!”

Take the time to do a good job. This might take longer than if you were getting paid by someone else, but think of all the experience and practice it can give you. Get a good reference from your client this will help when applying for jobs later on in your career!

5. Start Your Own Business

Perhaps the most important advice we can offer is to start your own business. If you’re one of those people who would rather be told what to do than figure it out for themselves, then this isn’t for you. But if you have a passion for design and a desire to make an impact on the world beyond just designing t-shirts or logos, then starting your own business is an excellent way to get started in creative entrepreneurship.

Start with a niche, not a broad field; When starting any type of business (graphic design included), you must pick something that fits well within your passions while also having potential demand in today’s society. You don’t want to try too much at once; instead, focus on developing one service or product line at first and see how things go before moving on to the next thing.

It may seem like common sense but many people think they can handle multiple projects at once only because they are so passionate about each of them! While this might work out great for some people, there is always more risk involved when attempting multiple ventures at once because there won’t necessarily be enough time available between each project due to their varying demands on resources such as money/time/energy, etc…

6. Create A Social Media Presence Right Away

You might be wondering what social media has to do with becoming a world-class graphic designer. But there are several reasons why you should create a presence on the major social media platforms, even if it’s just for fun.

First, understanding how different platforms work is important if you want to become an effective online marketer. The most popular social media networks are Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, but there are also niche sites that cater to specific industries and interests (e.g., LinkedIn). Knowing how each platform works will help you figure out which one is right for your business needs.

Second, being active on social media allows designers to experiment with new ideas and strategies by providing them with real-time feedback from their audience or potential clients (if they choose not to keep their accounts private).

This can lead them down the path toward developing their own style as an artist or designer through trial-and-error experimentation rather than relying solely on formal training from schools like RISD or Parsons School of Design in New York City (or another prestigious art school in another country).

Mastering marketing research is a crucial step for any graphic designer. Learn about 14 effective strategies in our comprehensive guide: 14 Ways to Master Marketing Research, designed to enhance your research skills.

7. Understand Both The Technical And Creative Sides Of Graphic Design

The technical side of graphic design is how the practical application of your design. It’s about understanding the principles behind color theory, typography, space, and texture. It’s about knowing how to create a logo that functions well as an icon or on a small space. Your technical skills are what will help you communicate in ways that are visually pleasing to others.

The creative side is the why your process for creating something new and original from start to finish. It’s learning how to bring your ideas into reality through sketching them out first before ever picking up a piece of paper or putting pen to the tablet screen.

The creative process involves generating lots of ideas over time until you find one worth pursuing further as well as executing it with purposeful intent (or more often than not, lack thereof).

8. Don’t Underestimate The Importance Of Typography, Colour Theory, And Composition

Designers are always told to “focus on the details” and this is what I mean. As a designer, you have to be able to get into the small details of a project to create something truly amazing. That means learning about typography, color theory, and composition so that you can use them in your designs.

Learning how these three elements work together will allow you to create more effective designs with less effort. It will also make your designs stand out from other designers who don’t know how to use these elements effectively.

9. Don’t Expect To Become A World-Class Designer Overnight

I know that you’re probably thinking, “I can become a world-class designer overnight.” I mean, we’ve all seen those videos where someone learns Photoshop in 90 minutes or draws like Da Vinci within a few days. But don’t get your hopes up.

You need to put in the hours and practice every day if you want to be one of the best graphic designers on Earth.

You need to learn from others who are better than you by studying their work and taking notes on what makes them great designers and what they do differently from other designers out there.

You also need to be patient and persistent with yourself because becoming an expert in any field is not something that happens overnight; it takes years of practice before anyone can call themselves an expert at anything (unless they were born into wealth).

Transitioning from a beginner to a successful freelance graphic designer requires valuable insights. Get started on your journey with our resourceful article: Design for Chummies: How to Become a Freelance Graphic Designer.

10. Surround Yourself With Like-Minded People

If you’re interested in becoming a graphic designer, you must surround yourself with other like-minded people. By doing this, you will be able to get feedback on your work and idea about what works and what doesn’t. It also allows you to have friends who share similar interests as well as help motivate each other when times get tough.

11. Do Everything You Can To Avoid Procrastination

Procrastination is a bad habit that keeps you from doing the work you were meant to do. It’s common for graphic designers, who work with deadlines and tight schedules, to succumb to procrastination. This self-destructive habit can lead to stress and depression if left unchecked. If this sounds like something you’ve experienced yourself before, it may be time for a change of mindset!

The first step on your journey toward becoming a world-class graphic designer is recognizing your weakness when it comes to procrastinating and facing this weakness head-on by making plans right now for how you will stop yourself from putting off work until tomorrow or next week or next month (or later).

12. Own Your Limitations

Owning your limitations is one of the most important things you can do as a graphic designer. It’s also a very easy thing to let slide, especially when you’re working with clients who are not in the same place as you are.

There are many ways to own your limitations:

Know what you can and cannot do.
Know what you are good at and what you aren’t good at.
Know what time and resources are available for projects, as well as where those resources come from (e.g., the client’s budget).
Know what is acceptable for each project based on its scope, budget, timeline, etc.

13. Do Not Take Criticism Personally

We’ve all experienced the pain of hearing someone’s critique of our work or having them say something about us that stings. This can be very hard to take because it feels like someone is attacking you personally.

The truth is, criticism is never personal. If a client said your design was ugly and didn’t like it at all, they may have just been referring to the actual design itself, not your personality or how smart you are in general! It’s important not to take criticism personally because this will only hurt your ability to learn from mistakes and grow as an artist.

Instead of reacting defensively when receiving constructive feedback from others, consider how they could be right (or wrong) about their critique so you can improve yourself in certain areas where needed!

14. Go For A Walk When You Are Stuck On Something

The next time you are stuck, go for a walk. Seriously, just get up and leave your desk. Go outside and take a walk around the block or through the park. This is not just for inspiration either!

It can also help you clear your head of things that are bothering you so that when you return to work, your mind is ready to focus on what needs to be done.

Get out of the house and into other environments to get ideas.
Go to a coffee shop and observe the people sitting around you.
Go to a library, look at the books on display in the window, and observe the people who are reading them.

Take a walk through your neighborhood where you can see life playing out in all its forms: kids playing outside or riding bikes with their friends; older couples walking hand-in-hand down main street; families stopping at the local grocery store for groceries before heading home from work; etc.

15. Know How To Work With Others When You Have To

When you start working in graphic design, you’ll notice that there are many people involved in the process. Some of these people will be your colleagues, but others will be external partners such as clients or vendors.

When working with others, it’s important to know what role you play and how your role fits into the overall project. For example: Are you a designer? A project manager? A creative director? Knowing what makes up each part can help guide decisions about which tools and processes to use for different types of projects at different stages in their life cycle.

It’s also important to understand how other people (both internal and external) work so that you can work well together on any given project or client engagement—and ultimately get paid!

Balancing freelance graphic design with a full-time job demands strategic planning. Discover tips and strategies to excel in both areas with guidance from our article: How to Become a Successful Freelance Graphic Designer While Working Full Time.

16. Learn From Every Project You Do

This is one of the most important pieces of advice I can give you as a graphic designer. Every project is an opportunity to learn, and if you take advantage of this opportunity, it will make your life so much easier in the long run.

How do you go about learning from every project? Well, the first thing to do is make sure that when starting on a new job or freelancing gig (or whatever), you understand what exactly it is that your client wants to be done before starting work on any part of their design process.

If they want an identity system but don’t know what they want in terms of color palette or typography, then ask questions until they feel confident enough in their answers to move forward with confidence.

Take notes during meetings so that later on when working through ideas for how best to execute those things within their brand guidelines (and beyond!), everything makes sense and flows seamlessly together: ultimately creating something beautiful instead of just being “good enough.”

17. Do Not Be Afraid To Make Mistakes And Learn From Them

The best way to improve your skills is to make mistakes, but it takes a certain amount of courage and confidence to do so. Sure, you can learn from what others say about your work, but nothing beats making your own mistakes so that you know exactly how not to do something in the future.

Being open and honest is important, whether you are receiving criticism or giving it out yourself. If a client has something negative to say about your work, listen carefully and learn from his or her suggestions you might be surprised at how many clients have good ideas about design after all!

Similarly, if someone wants advice on how he or she could improve their designs (or anything else), give them some constructive criticism with grace and kindness; no one likes being told they’re an idiot who sucks at everything he/she does!

However much criticism or praise someone gives you seems never enough: You will always want more! Just remember that even though there are plenty of things we can improve upon as designers (and even more when we start working with new clients), we should never let outside opinions affect our self-confidence too much, or else we’ll never grow into the successful designer we were meant to become!

Final Thoughts

As you can see, there is a lot more to being a world-class graphic designer than simply knowing Photoshop and Illustrator. There is no right or wrong way to become one, but if you want to be at the top of your game, you’ll need a solid foundation in design fundamentals.