Potential
First published on the TYPESETT design blog website that was active around ~2010.
After graduating from the School of Visual Arts in NYC, I thought that I had a good idea of what was ahead of me. My professors were professionals in their field and I did my turn of internships and menial production jobs in the industry before receiving my diploma.
Getting more experience as I worked and becoming better over time was not a foreign concept to me but I did not grasp the vastness of what the communication arts industry offers.
I realized it is just the beginning of a lifetime of learning. Here are some insights I have gathered looking back in my career so far:
Communicating
We’re of the discipline of graphic communication but college only indirectly teaches you the art of interpersonal relations in the workplace. It’s sad partly because it is of incredible importance.
From my experience, understanding how to communicate with clients, co-workers and vendors is of indescribable value. A well communicated message during a crucial project can save you time, money and headaches and a consistent overall delivery of messages over time can set you apart in the minds of others as someone who has value in that they are easy to work with.
Be that person that everyone loves working with.
Enrichment
One of my most often repeated stories I tell is of when I was a production artist at a gigantic advertising firm in NYC. Some of the art directors had no clue as to how to use computers and required an entire department of staff to help them do everything from presentations to finished art.
I could not believe it. Every student coming our of college in the early millennium knew how to use design applications as a main part of their daily work flow. To think talent as important as some of these award-winning art directors did not keep up with technology was incredulous to me!
Fast forward to today and I am not surprised at all. I know that certain circumstances can prevent talented people from doing certain types of work. Talented leaders in art studios and advertising agencies can be a part of a project without doing any work that is computer related.
However, most of us are not in that position and we will never get there if we do not have a mentality of continual improvement.
My attitude is that I recognize that the landscape is changing quickly and I must keep up with technology and the medium in which my industry is moving towards while traditional practices begin to dwindle. For the moment, that happens to be the Internet, social media and mobile technology at the expense of printed collateral.
I’ve met many designers who do not feel the same way as I do. The print industry will always exist but the scales are tipping in favor of new media and will continue to tip to even newer media. An attitude of apathy is not something I would recommend.
For evidence, I’d like to suggest observing job listings at your position to see what skills employers are seeking. Are you talented in these areas of expertise? Are you talented in these areas of expertise in comparison to the kids coming out of college?
Those “kids” will be sitting in your chair, doing work intended for you if you’re not careful.
Be proactive about your education and live up to your potential.
Evolution
As a youth, my original intention was to become an artist of some sort. Graphic design eventually became my career after discovering it was a perfect blend of art, business, technology and lifestyle.
Deep down, I knew that I would be happy as long as I would not be hunched over a desk crunching numbers and obsessing over TPS reports.
My job now has increasingly become more strategic and subsequently reliant on crunching numbers and reports. The funny part is that I wouldn’t have it any other way. I would say that my job is still of artistic nature but the strategic elements lay the ground work for a successful project.
Personal experience has shown me that individuals who have keen business intuition fare well. They show qualities sales people have. Planning, strategy, organization, consistency, determination and overall hustle are all important traits for sales but this should not be wasted on the designer.
Understanding business requirements, organizing ideas, employing cunning strategy and using goals as a measurement tool to whether a project is successful or not is the practice of a mature creative professional.
Creating art is just the end-result of the design process.
Fun
When I hear the talk of “retirement” in everyday life, it dawns on me that other people are not often having fun with their jobs. Being a graphic designer, communication designer, artist, creative, web designer, developer… whatever you want to call it — has been the best decision I have ever made. I never dreamed that work can be so fulfilling and that I would enjoy all the experiences that have come from it so much.
So while I can’t predict the future and what the creative industry will become, I know I am engaged and proactive about growing with it.
Commitment to improvement with an eye to the future has led me to be fearless and confident that my best days are in front of me.
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