From designer to cool designer

At the moment, the labor market in the field of design is quite a large selection. There are a lot of designers, not very good ones, freelancers, like uncut dogs. Almost everyone who owns a profile program, such as Photoshop or even an illustrator, considers himself a designer. But the problem is that this is not enough. I want to find out who the designer is and how to become a cool designer.

There are different types of design: web, printing, interiors, industrial, landscape and many others. I am engaged in web design and branding, so it will mainly be about people like me, but it is possible that the material applies to other areas.

First, let's deal with the term “design”. What does it mean? There is an opinion that design is creativity, art, which is impossible without art education. In part, of course, this is true, but I believe that, first of all, design is a solution to the problem. Especially when it comes to commercial design, where the main thing is to sell a product, earn dough. Ornamentation, little thingies and other nonsense, of course, help to achieve the desired, but they are secondary. No one needs a beautiful microwave, whose power button is on the back.

Good design: reliable, logical, functional, beautiful, pleasing (strictly in that order).

Now about the person who calls himself a designer:
• 2 legs that bring him to work.
• 2 hands with which he presses the keys, drives a mouse or pen.
• The head with which he thinks looks into the monitor and into which he puts food for lunch.
• Accounts for dribble, behance and elsewhere for inspiration.
• Some hobbies outside of work, for a change.

In principle, he is a normal " SPECIALIST " (keyword) in his field, it is quite possible to become one. How to pump a lot of specific skills, I will not describe them. To do this, you can go to some educational institution, or you can learn yourself, with the help of books, the Internet, practice, practice and practice again. I am interested in much more, I am interested in the cult of personality of a cool designer: why is this necessary, what is interesting, how to become one.

Why is this needed?

I want to be the best, I want to leave something behind me. Let them not write about me in textbooks or poems, I don’t need this, but I have to be sure that I’m living this life not in vain. My work should benefit not only me, but also those around me: my clients, the clients of my clients, and even the children of the clients of my clients.

What is interesting cool designer?

So, a cool designer, he is also a “MANAGER” (again the key word), in some respects the art director (the difference between the designer and the art director ) is aware of:
• Design is a sales tool. In an era of market relations and an abundance of goods, everyone buys beautiful pictures and beautiful things. Aesthetics and a sense of beauty will help the designer to do the selling things.
• Beauty is secondary, of course, he does not deal with ugliness, but in the foreground there are working mechanisms that bring results to the project (the fashionable term is usability).
• Design is not art; it is measured, for example, by conversion. Sometimes elementary design changes can lead to better results.
• Design - a compromise between requirements, goals and ways to achieve them.
• Communication skill must be perfected to perfection. Communicating with colleagues, clients and in general with other people helps and not only on working topics.
• Design trends must be known, even if they are not always worth applying.
• Knowledge or understanding of the work of related industries: layout, programming, seo-optimization, marketing and more.
• Interaction with designer colleagues (if any). It is necessary to help, ask for help, advise, train, listen, correct.
• Delegation of authority. Not everyone has such an opportunity. Thanks to this, you can concentrate on the main goal, and oversee other things.
• A global approach to solving problems: analysis of competitors, market leaders and related industries.
• Healthy perfectionism.
• Responsibility for the result. But how else if the stakes are high?

How to become a cool designer?

This is a good question, and each designer should answer it for himself, because everyone has different opportunities, everyone has different resources. You can draw up a clear plan and follow it. Self-analysis helps to achieve the goal. In this matter, it is important not to sit idly by, but to do, do and do, because the path is thorny and long