Top Tips I Wish I Had Known When Studying Design in College

Hello there, my name is Donna and I’m a graphic designer here at Babelfís. I have a great passion for design and find myself very fortunate to be doing something I love every day. Working in design can be like a roller-coaster, full of ups and downs while constantly learning new things… saying that, I have learned a lot from my time studying visual communications, so I have outlined below some of my top tips.

Let’s get straight to it…

Explore & Experiment

College is the perfect opportunity to start exploring and experimenting with different ideas, styles, and techniques. My advice is to not be afraid to try stuff out, even if you think it will turn out bad. This is the time to make mistakes and you will learn more from them!

Research is Key

Research is the key to expanding your knowledge and awakening those creative juices. Use your time wisely and gather information on everything design!

Find Balance

It is easy to get caught up in the work overload college provides but it is important to have other things to do outside of design. It’s important to make time to socialise, enjoy hobbies, and make new friends and memories. If you find/create a method of working that suits you, following it will help you get your work done in order and faster.

Practice, Practice & Practice

Design will forever be constantly changing so being open to adapting and moving with the times will benefit you. Constantly work on improving your knowledge and skills, think of it as training – you need to practice to progress. This will stand to you by the time final year comes, as you will be able to identify your strengths and weaknesses and it will become more apparent what type of designer you want to be.

Accept the Good & the Bad

Design is not black and white, there is no one answer. Design can go so well for you one minute and the next it can feel like it’s a disaster. Learn to accept that you can’t control everything and understand, some days are not going to be your days and be kind to yourself. When you are struggling take time to reset and then try again.

Take Everything on Board

Putting time and effort into something you’re working on can make it personal for you as you care about it. So, when someone is questioning your work, it is natural to feel defensive. This is all character-building in college as it will test you on how you handle/receive feedback. On these moments remember, it is not a personal attack, it’s purely on the work that happens to be yours. Take a step back and view it from their perspective as if it was someone else’s. You will need to be able to take on board any kind of feedback as it is part of being a designer and it will happen every day. You will need to listen and understand the person’s point of view.

What You Put in You Will Get Back

A saying I go by all the time is… “Hard work beats talent, when talent doesn’t work hard”. I believe being creative or having a great skillset is one thing but it’s another thing to do something about it and act on it.

As a graphic designer here at Babelfís, I am always looking forward to the next creative job, no matter what it may entail! If you’ve got a potential creative project, you have been sitting on for a while, do not hesitate in getting in contact with us!