As a graphic designer I’m literally always learning
new things, getting new insights and gaining
knowledge, I have long term goals, strong, focused
targets that I will meet, for example, I will work
in branding & marketing then after a few years
set up a practice in the south west region. I have
strong ties to the sea and my local environment
and I noticed that the area is not design conscious,
many businesses masquerade as design companies
but none deliver good ideas and impactful,
meaningful design. I’m going to help educate
local businesses and communities with the help of
like-minded designers and creatives. Firstly though
I need to get a wealth of experience in all areas
my work mainly focuses on print, illustration and
some film but I need to get to grips with a whole
range of skills like digital design and use technical
knowledge to improve my typographical and
editorial design.
I have created an A-Z of points that I use every
single day. The list tracks my thought process and
attitude toward a spectrum of aspects, situations
and problems I face everyday in the Graphic
Design field.
Advocate good use of
design, it doesn’t have
to be expensive, design
doesn’t have to be big
and bold and huge and
in your face, everything is
designed, teach people.
Make them aware.
ADV OCATE.
Big yourself up. No one
e l s e i s g o i n g t o d o
it for you, publicise
a n d p r o m o t e , d o n ’ t
u n d e r s e l l yo u r s e l f .
People will constantly
be trying to undervalue
your time and benefit
from your generosity.
Don’t include yourself
in this bunch.
BIGYOUUP.
COMPETE!
Compete . Don ’ t be
a key b o a rd wa r r i o r
s l a g g i n g o f f o t h e r
designs, get your work
out there compliments
are good but criticism
is even better.
DOMORE.
D o m o re w i t h l e s s .
Think lateral ly. A lot
c a n b e d o n e w i t h a
printer and scanner or
a c a m e ra a n d p a i n t ,
penc i l and paper etc
t w e a k p r o c e s s a n d
experiment, this is the
most enjoyable part of
being a designer.
EXPERIENCE.
E x p e r i e n c e . E v e r y
p r o j e c t i s a u n i q u e
e x p e r i e n c e a n d
b r o a d e n s y o u r
u n d e r s t a n d i n g . Two
b r a n d i n g p r o j e c t s
f o r a s i m i l a r h e a l t h
p r o d u c t w i l l n e v e r
b e t h e e x a c t s a m e ,
H o w e v e r i f i t l o o k s
l i k e a s h i t p r o j e c t
a n d w i l l s t o p y o u
f r o m t a k i n g o n
o t h e r m o re c re a t i ve
p r o j e c t s , d o u b l e
o r t r i p l e t h e p r i c e
t o m a k e i t w o r t h
yo u r w h i l e . I f t h ey
d e c l i n e w h o c a re s ,
i f t h ey a c c e p t yo u ’ l l
b e l a u g h i n g .
FINANCE.
F i n a n c e . Ta k e c a r e
o f t h i s . D e s i g n i s
a b o u t s a t i s f a c t i o n
a n d p e r s o n a l
r e w a r d , b u t y o u
c a n t e a t t h o s e .
GUT. A d v i c e o n w h a t
d i r e c t i o n y o u w a n t
t o g o i n w i t h a
p r o j e c t c a n b e
g r e a t , i n s i g h t f u l
a n d r e a l l y u s e f u l
b u t a l s o c a n b e
c o n f u s i n g , e v e n i f
e v e r y b o d y e l s e i s
t e l l i n g y o u c h o i c e
B , i f y o u r g u t s a y s
cho ice A , go w i th i t .
HELP.Yo u r i n s t i n c t t e l l s
y o u t o k e e p y o u r
c a r d s c l o s e t o
y o u r c h e s t . D e s i g n
i s n ’ t a l w a y s a
c o m p e t i t i o n , i t ’ s a
community and I can’t
stress that enough.
INDIVIDUAL.
Our design styles a r e
a l l o u t c o m e s o f o u r
l i f e e x p e r i e n c e s ,
s o w h a t u s e i s i t
s t e a l i n g s o m e o n e
e l s e ’ s s t y l e w h e n
y o u h a v e n o
c o n n e c t i o n t o t h e i r
i n i t i a l i n f l u e n c e ?
JOKE.D e s i g n i s n ’ t a l ways
d o o r d i e y o u a r e
occas iona l ly a l lowed
to have fun wi th i t .
Th is doesn ’ t inc lude
typographic puns.
KILL.K i l l b a d d e s i g n . I t ’ s
y o u r r e s p o n s i b i l i t y
a s a d e s i g n e r t o
s lowly eradicate bad
design, by m e a n s o f
t e a c h i n g , crit ique
and tearing d o w n
the occasional poster.
LIFE.I t s o u n d s c l i c h é
b u t i t r e a l l y i s a
l i f e s t y l e , i t ’ s a w a y
o f t h i n k i n g a n d a
w a y o f v i s u a l i s i n g
t h a t s h o u l d n e ve r
l e a v e y o u r h e a d
w h e n yo u s e e a n i c e
p i e c e o f d e s i g n i n
y o u r h e a d v i s u a l i s e
h o w y o u w o u l d
r e p l i c a t e i t ? T h i s
i s a p r a c t i c e I u s e
e v e r y s i n g l e d a y .
MASTER.
Master of al l trades
jack of none. I t wi l l
be tough out there,
become a Swiss army
knife…of creativity.
NAFFTYPE.
Free typefaces l ike
Lost Type may seem
l i k e a g o o d i d e a
b u t i t u n d e r m i n e s
y o u r w o r k . C h o o s e
o n e o f t h e m a n y
h i g h l y r e p u t a b l e
fonts l i ke Futura or
Helvetica, don’t over
c o m p l i c a t e t h i n g s ,
t h e y a r e p o p u l a r
f o r a r e a s o n .
ORGANISE.
Leaving things to the
l a s t m i n u t e s e e m s
t h e o n l y w a y , u n t i l
you actual ly prepare
for something using
t i m e b o u n d a r i e s
a n d f e e l t h e r e l i e f
wash over you in an
awe s o m e wave .
PRESENT.
E v e r y t h i n g s h o u l d
b e d e s i g n e d a n d
c o n s i d e r e d . F a c t .
QUESTION.
Its good to question
and research designer’s
r a t i o n a l e b e h i n d
y o u r f a v o u r i t e
p r o j e c t s . I t i s n ’ t
j u s t a b o u t l o o k i n g
g o o d t h e r e n e e d s
t o b e a c o n c e p t
b e h i n d i t .
RESTRAIN.
Being outspoken can
be a good thing, but
restrain yourself from
c o m p l e t e l y t e a r i n g
apart someone’s work
no matter how bad,
I’m sure you wouldn’t
like it. But do let them
know if there are any
i m p r o v e m e n t s t h a t
c a n b e m a d e a n d
focus on the positives.
SAULBASS.
T a k e i n s p i r a t i o n
f ro m p e o p l e t h a t
are renowned as the
best designers ever.
Not from flavours of
the m o n t h . W h e n
y o u s e e a t r e n d
forming influenced by
a time period, certain
designer or technique
use your next project
t o d o s o m e t h i n g
the complete opposite
of that.
TRY.T R Y . T r y h a r d ,
d o n ’ t w r i t e i d e a s
o f f b e c a u s e y o u
t h i n k i t w i l l t a k e
t o o l o n g o r b e
m o r e e f f o r t , i f
i t f a i l s y o u ’ v e
l e a r n t a n d i f i t
w o r k s y o u ’ l l l o o k
rea l l y coo l and stu f f.
UTILISE.
Utilise your uniqueness.
Use your characteristics
and i n te res t s f rom
o u t s i d e d e s i g n t o
feed your c reat iv i ty.
VEXED?
Vexed? Don’t be afraid
to have a rest and take
a break.
WEB.Get your mug all over the
web as much as possible,
anywhere you can, no
publicity is bad publicity.
XYLOPHONE.
Xylophone?
YOUTH.
Youth and inexperience.
Paula Scher talks about
serious play and solemn
play, she could only do
her serious most exciting
work , when she was
young, inexperienced
and naive, breaking the
rules of correct practice
in design, use this to your
advantage. Your allowed
to make mistakes and
sometimes that leads to
the best ideas.
ZEROTOLERANCE.
Lastly Its ok to know what
you want, most of the points
you have already read are
sugar coated versions of what
I follow for best practice. I
want to be nice to people, I
want to help, I want to teach,
I want to let everyone in on
my little secret tricks and fixes
for things. I want to do all that
stuff and more, but I know
along the way I will take an
attitude and principles towards
design and my contemporaries
sometimes that will be selfish. I
will be seen as arrogant, rude,
and egotistical but I hope
this shows an insight into my
psyche, because I know exactly
what I want to do and I wont let
anything stop me…and neither
should you.