10 Things Every Designer Should do (at least once)...

I feel like my most serious defeat was when I wasn’t fired from a job, but I was wasn’t smart enough to leave either!

mo-i: I’m starting a family in June. I wish I had started 10 years ago. I’ve heard it said that one should have kids when you understand how not prepared you are to have kids. I think I always knew I wasn’t prepared hehe.

I want to this - How did you approach these companies for the tour?

It was actually part of a pretty amazing summer program my school offered for a small fortune. 2 weeks touring Norther Italian factories and design studios followed by a 6 week intensive course in Milan. It was pretty amazing. I wish I could do it again now.

Yes! I did the same thing. The company going out of business at the height of the recession is what finally made me lose my job. It did definitely make me think about what I wanted to be doing. However, at the time I was completely unprepared for that event and needed work fast, so I had to fall back on what I was doing but with another company. It’s not ideal, but I do know more about what I want and what I don’t want than I ever did.

Another to add-

#12 (or whatever we are at)-
Fire a client. (More applicable to a consultant, but equal in corporate would be to say “no” to an internal team or boss on a project request).

One of the hardest things in business is knowing when to say “no”. Doing so will not only reinforce why you do what you do, but make doing it that much more purposeful.

R

On a similar vein, deliver bad news personally to a client and adress the solution. Nothing builds long term credibility than honestly dealing with an issue and learning the proper way to discuss it. Issue, not problem for example.

Good one. On that note, it also builds a lot of character to tell a client “you were wrong”. Going back after reconsideration of a concept you presented and a client bought into can be a humbling experience but if the means justifies the end, that is ultimately what they are paying you for. Ideally it’s a “I suggested x, but here’s y I just thought of, and why it’s better”…

R

Another related one, pass on a project because it just wasn’t something you wanted to do (put ethics, passion, or interest above money)… On the flip side, try it the other way and see how that works out. I passed on a few big projects (disposable floor cleaner and tech exploration program I thought was a dead end) because I wasn’t interested and I just didn’t feel they were ethically right somehow. I’ve also taken a few projects I wish I hadn’t of, only to kick myself halfway in when I was bored but too busy to take another possible project that actually would have been awesome. Live and learn as they say.

Add to that turn down a project that would pay y0ur company more than $1,000,000 :cry:

I’m late, as usual. Finally hit my day-off (my annual Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant refueling gig) and catching up on my CORE reading.

Touring a factory was mentioned previously. I would have to add WORK in a factory to the list of of experiences every designer should “endure”. Nothing teaches/clarifies manufacturing processes like actually operating equipment. Injection molding machine operator, foundry work, and tool & die shop machinist positions helped pay my way through school.

Discover something you once designed in its final resting place in a junk yard, on a beach etc.

Oh man, that is a good one!

I saw a tea kettle I designed sitting on the side of the street once… not a cheap kettle either. It was for Chantal. It came out about 10-12 years before, so hopefully people got some good use out of it… I hope.

I think about this every time I see an M&M’S or Snickers wrapper on the ground. Drives me crazy!!

J

I’ve done this. I agree.

The other thing with freelancers/consultancies that are new is an inability to turn down work. It’s important to learn that not every potential client out there is going to be good for your business. It’s like dating, there has to be a good fit in order for it to work.

Also to learn to stick to your guns when you quote someone on a project. To be able to say no and walk away when they want to pay you low rates.

Had to do this as part of my footwear degree. First year was pretty much learning to pattern cut, grade, make, work in factories and learn how to work with a sample room in a factory. Our end of year exam was to pattern cut every basic style of shoe (about 20 I think, incl. mocassins, sneakers, long leg high heel boots etc) and make and last an upper from the patterns that you had cut.
We learned how to work with last makers, heel makers, tanneries, where to place the pattern pieces on a hide, how to pitch a heel.
We still didn’t learn everything though. Am very envious of friends of mine who have worked at Clarks, because they teach their designers how to fit shoes, which is such a useful skill to have.

But I can’t tell you how much I still lean on this shoemaking knowledge. The ability to be able to go into a factory and examine the paper patterns and adjust them when the rookie pattern cutter has screwed up.

Presently 6ing. Hoping to get 2ed once I have a 7 lined up. Would also go for another 4 or 5.

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  1. Make/Fix something for your own use
  2. Get fired
  3. Bring a product to market, with your own money
  4. Start your own consultancy
  5. Pitch/sell an idea to investors
  6. Work corporate
  7. Work in a consultancy
  8. Live/Work in a different country
  9. Teach
  10. Work on a royalty or equity basis

also on my list:

Join/start a startup. I’m sure I’ll wind up teaching at some point. Especially if I can’t manage to make anything of my design career. :wink:

:wink: That is funny. I’ve never been 2ed, though I’m sure there were individuals who wish I was! I hope to never cross that one off the list…

Just for the dinner party conversations or when the random stranger at a bar asks what you do.

Design a “adult recreational toy”!!!

Ohh imagine all the different reactions you get.

Seems to be all the rage these days…designing them of course…never seen one in person :smiley:

Our 3Dprinting and prototyping vendor did work for a company who makes sex toys. They always show iteration prototypes at demos and trade fairs. I always think about how fun that project must have been… you’d have to be pretty comfortable with your team mates…