What Are The Characteristics Of An Effective Graphic Designer?
If you have bought something from a store because you were convinced to do so by the colorful illustrations of their product from their website, you are a living example of the effective convincing power of a graphic designer. These professionals come up with compelling visual designs that are geared towards making consumers take action. In many cases, graphic designers are hired by companies to help them come up with effective messages for their marketing or advertising pitches.
While graphic designers possess the technical skills and knowledge that allow them to work in the industry, not all graphic designers are effective in their work. Since this is a career where previous performances will speak for your skills, it’s important to harness those traits that will make you an effective graphic designer.
One of the most important characteristics of great graphic designers is that they have innate talent and creativity. Sure, knowledge of computer graphics and design software are going to be huge pluses but without that instinctive talent for putting together the elements of a great design, like color, contrast, scale and others, it can be difficult to create a visual illustration that will strike at the heart of your target market.
Another equally important trait of effective graphic designers is the ability to conceptualize original designs. You have the skill of being able to look at a product and come up with an extraordinary visual representation that will best exemplify the message that the client wishes to convey to their intended market. While the concept is unique, the message must still be understood by the target customers.
Effective graphic designers possess imagination and artistic ability. The sky is not the limit to what can be created. You aren’t burdened by expectations nor do you allow preconceived notions of what great art should be to box what you can come up with. It’s important to understand that graphic designers like you still understand the principles of art and the elements that define a great work of art. You use your fertile imagination to go over and beyond conventional knowledge to create effective visual representations.
Another characteristic of excellent graphic artists is technical expertise of the tools that are being used in the industry. Graphic designers of old relied mostly on pencils, T-squares and cameras. You must know how to manipulate computer programs like Photoshop, Adobe InDesign and Flash, among others. Mastery in using these programs will not only make you more effective, it will also enable you to get the job done faster.
You shouldn’t stop at knowing how to use these tools. There will continue to be new tools and programs that will be developed in the coming years to improve the graphic design experience. You should continue to keep yourself updated on these programs while you are active in the industry.
The final two characteristics have less to do with one’s ability to make creative illustrations and more to do with successfully marketing your service and being able to make a living as a graphic designer. You should possess excellent interpersonal skills since you will be talking with clients about what they want. You need to be a good listener so you can craft the design that they want which will really speak to their target market
You should also have business savvy. This is especially true if you are self-employed. You need to know your industry well so that you can give the right prices for your services and compete with others.
Career Spotlight: Graphic Designer
A graphic designer possesses inherent artistic ability and creativity. Since graphic designers these days now use computers to aid in their drawings, you will also need to be familiar and comfortable [...]
