Signs of a Good Designer

Sarah Camp — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 19:03:53 +0000

Of course, everyone has different tastes and styles that they prefer. Designer A may be good at one thing, while Designer B could be good at another, and they are both still considered good designers. I’ve taken all of this into consideration and created this completely objective list of things that I think make someone a good designer, leaving the actual design of things – their taste and talent – out of it. These are things that are usually known or assumed, but I have elaborated on their meaning and how they can apply.

Perfection: It’s in the Details

A good designer will always be aware of the small, minute details and they will not rest until everything is perfect. They will see things that may go unnoticed by someone else. For example, the height of lines of text and how that affects legibility, spacing between objects, how one color may fight with another, or a stretched image. They notice when there are too many fonts, or when the font just isn’t the right one.

This is not to say they will always be perfect. Everyone makes mistakes, and there is something to be said of being immersed in a project and having difficulty removing yourself from it. However, a good designer will care enough to constantly be, at the very least, striving for perfection.

Always Learning

There is one major thing that sets a good designer apart from the rest and that is that they realize that there is always more to learn. Unlike some professions, the world of design is always changing. The tools and technology is always improving and there are new, better ways to do things. Not only that, but the need to stay on top of trends is immensely important as well.

Although time consuming and still requiring effort on the part of the designer, Twitter and RSS feeds bring the majority of this information right to one’s doorstep, making it relatively easy to continuously learn.

Not Afraid to Leave Their Comfort Zone

A good designer will push themselves. They’ll notice when their designs are starting to look the same, and they will break the mold and try to shape their designs into something new. A good designer will always be striving to do something better and different. This will ensure that the website, logo, or other design that your designer creates for you is not a carbon copy of the one they do for another client!

Plays Well With Other Designers

Designers should be able to work and function well with other designers. They should be able to learn from others and improve themselves, seeing others’ strengths and using that to improve their own. Being a part of a design community can help designers in more ways than one, by providing inspiration, ways to learn, and support. A design community will also be able to provide objective and professional feedback to help a designer improve their designs.

Can Take Criticism

A good designer will be able to take criticism, so don’t be afraid to criticize.

Just be careful on exactly how you say it. In an episode of “Cake Boss,” a girl, unsatisfied with her wedding cake, decided she would just color it herself with icing to “prove a point.” This, of course, hurt the cake maker, because although he was willing to take her initial criticism of the cake and was, at the time, going to his employees to find out what he could do for her, he came back to someone ruining a work of art that he had put a lot into. So, criticize but be respectful of the work that the designer has already done. Just because it may not be perfect for you does not mean that it is bad or ugly.

While sometimes, as designers, we feel that some may not be fully qualified to completely criticize our work, designers still appreciate opinions and helpful comments on how we can improve things.

Improves With Criticism

This goes hand-in-hand with always learning. If a designer can take criticism and feedback and improve upon things, they’ll always be working towards being a better designer.

Listens to Clients

If your designer does not do an initial set of questions before starting on your project, something is wrong. No one can just start a logo design with a couple of words and have it be successful. There is a lot of information that must be gathered prior to the design process so that it can be taken into consideration in the design. Information about the company, demographics of the target audience, personal preferences etc.

Not Afraid to Stand Their Ground

Paralleling the above, a good designer also is not afraid to stand their ground. There is a fine art to knowing when to listen to clients and when to put one’s foot down. The client must keep in mind that they hired the designer for a reason: because they are a professional who is versed in design and knows what they are doing. If they didn’t hire the designer for that reason, then they probably hired them for the wrong one and will not have a successful design. Trust is a key part in the design relationship, and the client must trust that the designer will always do what is best for them.

Remains Transparent

A good designer owes it to their client to always remain honest and open about the project. This builds upon the required trust in the design relationship. It doesn’t stop there, however. The designer must also be honest with the other professionals that s/he works with, setting a good example, and making communications smoother and more efficient.

Knows Their Strengths and Weaknesses

Finally, any good designer should know their own strengths and weaknesses, and should accept them. They should be constantly improving on their weaknesses. And, if they are weak in an area that is not always required, then they should be willing and able to hire designers who have strengths in those areas when projects call for it.

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