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

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…

  1. Make/Fix something for your own use
    There is always something to be made/fix any point of time. I have been attending it.
  2. Get fired
    I have never pushed to travel that path.
  3. Bring a product to market, with your own money
    I am trying this one.(side activity) I am hoping that it will work.
  4. Start your own consultancy
    I have done that after my design education for five years. I have worked in various design domains. It was a great experience. However, I have failed to get good growth, good money & good clients.
  5. Pitch/sell an idea to investors
    I pitch few concepts over the net. If somebody gets interested, I will sell it. I know it is not exactly same as intended here.
  6. Work corporate
    I want to do that. Good corporate with established design studio. (No… for design undervalued places)
  7. Work in a consultancy
    I want to do that. I have been trying this for few years. Every year, I apply for 4 to 5 international design consultancies. :frowning:
  8. Live/Work in a different country
    I think - it is a good idea to live & work in a different country. (It worked for me & many great designers :wink: …)
  9. Teach
    I have started sharing my thoughts, resources. I am not there yet.
  10. Work on a royalty or equity basis
    I have designed few products for that. But it is a subjective thing, in terms of getting accepted for the royalty.

Fire a client : Last year, I have walked away from the project.
My client was kept demanding more concepts without commercial re-framing.

There are some good ideals on this growing list. I shall try and add some new or slightly tangent:

Completely assemble one of your own design in whatever factory alongside the actual assemblers. As slippy says, curse the day you decided to conceal the fasteners, and you can enjoy your bleeding knuckles when you learn about tool clearance.

Create an image reference library. Inspiration can be hard sometimes.

Patent something.

Write an article for publication, any venue is fine.

Take a continuing education class in something like law, accounting, project managment.

Volunteer help produce a conference, seminar, class.

Be tested by a value: the inevitable classic is to be asked to copy something or design something unsafe.

Go to a graduate show and actually engage the students in interested discussion. Although, probably you should do this more than once.

Have a meaningful talk with a CEO, CFO, about business, not just hiring.

Have a humbling experience somehow related to your work (for me it was a young guy explaining, after I had made what I thought was an innocent comment on advancement, that he would be perfectly happy to work in this factory for the rest of his career.)

Give your mother something you designed regardless how esoteric it is.

I love the idea of this, as sometimes the harshest critics are the ones closest to you. Probably best to not give her some of the ‘adult toys’ that were being discussed though…

A few of my own to add to the list:

Live with a design every day - rather than just try it out, try to live with something you have designed using it every day. It makes you consider the lifecycle of a product in much more depth.

Work promoting a design you’ve worked on - trying to sell a design based on ‘marketing reasons’ rather than your own philosophy behind the design

Build a house - because you can

What do you think would be worse, getting fired intentionally or just packing a box and walking?

neither is the professional thing to do.

R

I don’t think she can use a pregnancy tester. At least, I hope not. :open_mouth:

nice one IAB

I thought of another: Hire a company where you had formerly worked for design services, reversing the relationship

  1. Make/Fix something for your own use - Yes
  2. Get fired - Yes
  3. Bring a product to market, with your own money - No
  4. Start your own consultancy - Yes
  5. Pitch/sell an idea to investors - No
  6. Work corporate - Yes
  7. Work in a consultancy - Yes
  8. Live/Work in a different country - Yes
  9. Teach - Yes
  10. Work on a royalty or equity basis - No

Seven out of ten. Not bad at this point in my life :slight_smile:

Exactly the same thought that popped into my head. What high opinions we have of our ma’s eh…!

burnsie :open_mouth: