I’ve seen a few questions about the future of design come up in the threads—I thought I’d share some advice for young designers in particular who may be contemplating these issues. (I didn’t want to hijack any threads with my admittedly China-skewed perspective, so I’m starting a new one here.)
1. Work on your ability to THINK, not think BIG.
I know, this is very vague, but it’s also really true. Designers (and companies nowadays) love to talk about design thinking, strategic thinking, innovative thinking, etc., but those are big catch-all phrases that get misinterpreted or misused all the time. You have to take care not to fall into the terminology, because those words tend to be grander in meaning than they are in reality, so people who rely on them skip “thinking” and instead jump right into thinking “BIG”. But that’s a blue-sky/arbitrary marker for success; it’s like trying to build a skyscraper without digging a foundation. What’s important is to constantly work on your ability to simply THINK: to challenge your own presumptions, to absorb and critique as many different ideas as you can, and to construct—preferably from zero—your own perspectives about every topic. Don’t just agree or disagree; investigate different sides of an issue. This will help you build confidence in your own convictions and therefore be more persuasive when you inevitably step into a discussion with a variety of opinions.
2. Look for opportunities to help DEFINE. Then lead in that area.
I can’t tell you how many times mid-level or higher management people will throw this gem into a discussion: “What we really need to do is innovate a creative solution that ladders up to our brand and communicates our values to our target consumers in an emotive way that meets their needs.” Almost everyone in the room or on the phone will be nodding away, but if you really listen to it, you’ll realize that 1) no one has shared any insights, and 2) no one has taken up the responsibility to ACT on them, if there were any. That’s a dangerous combination. No amount of great sketches or renderings will solve this issue. As a designer, your opportunity to shine is to help a team DEFINE the intangible when no one else is able to, and LEAD in that particular area when no one else is willing to. Look hard for those opportunities. This is a skill that’s applicable whether you’re an intern or a creative director.
3. Every once in a while, step back and evaluate your life as a designer.
Young designers can burn out quickly because he/she had worked long hours for years where the work just became automatic and the “creative” disappeared. Don’t let yourself get to that point. It make me sad to see great talent and hard-working designers burn out because they tried too hard to live up to their own expectations, as if they want to be “successful” (which is abstract) in year 1. The only expectation you should have about your design career is to ENJOY the experience of just being a designer. I have worked with people from a wide spectrum of careers—accountants, lawyers, marketers, non-profits, librarians, engineers, actors, models, pharmacists, bankers, etc.—I still believe that we designers are very, very fortunate to be doing what we do. So don’t enter the field right out of school or go into your second job tripping over your insecurities; you’ll get over each challenge, just like you did in school or in your first job. Don’t get me wrong: it takes hard work to be in this industry, but remember to “reset” often—take a step back, think about why you wanted to be a designer, why you may not be happy about what you’re doing, and make a decision: do you stay stuck or do you “design” your career path? Don’t let things just happen; because if/when they don’t, you’ll be disappointed—likely in yourself. Don’t fall into a mental trap that you yourself probably created. When troubled, take a deep breath, step out, relax, find your motivation and energy again.
4. Be creative for work, but also for yourself.
If you land an office job—either in in-house studio or an independent one—congrats! You’ll likely want to dive right in and try to commit 100% of your efforts into your new job—also great! But once you’ve settled in and have gotten a good hang of things, remember to to do creative work for yourself on the side. Whether it’s keeping a notebook to sketch cars, keeping a blog, visiting museums, or playing a musical instrument, don’t forget to keep a creative part of your life that’s OUTSIDE of work. It’ll broaden your perspectives, loosen up your thoughts, and keep you grounded.
5. Don’t worry about competing with China, other design fields, other designers, other people…
This might be contrarian of me—since school was highly competitive and you DO inevitably compete with applicants for that great job—but what I’m trying to stress is the overwhelming worry of some young designers about things that are not within your control. China, for example, is pumping out hundreds of thousands of designers a year; you might be worried about losing your competitive edge. I’ve seen the worries of UX/IXD becoming more popular at the expense of ID. I’ve also seen (and have gone through myself) the worry of not being “good enough” at 3D rendering, sketching, or other particular skill sets of being a designer. But the truth of the matter is, you should just be the designer you want to be—and work hard at being better at it. If you absolutely hate a particular skill, you’ll feel miserable whether or not you are good at it. Instead, invest the time and energy into something that really gets you going everyday, motivates you to step into the office, and, perhaps most important, makes you want to share it with everyone else. This will always be your competitive edge. Love it, embrace it.