The Tribune

Besides creativity and passion, what makes a graphic designer great? Some believe creative geniuses are born, while others feel creativity is a learned behaviour. But taking passion and understanding into account, there are many other factors involved in becoming a top-notch graphic designer.

Creative graphic designers are known for their ability to adapt to all kinds of situations, while not allowing criticism or opposition to leave them short. Here are some characteristics that all successful designers need:

Highly Motivated

Creative graphic designers are motivated by the task at hand rather than material rewards. They find motivation in the challenge a task presents, rather than allowing the material benefits to dictate what they do.

Imaginative

They stand out from the crowd. The creative graphic designer seeks inspiration in themselves and everyday things.

Honesty

Self-criticism is a quality many people fail to balance. They either end up being too critical of themselves or become over-confident about being the best.

Being brutally honest with one's self requires asking the right questions throughout the creative design process, which is one of the leading traits of successful designers.

Passionate

Passion tends to be the main driving force behind creativity. Unless you are passionate about what you do, you will not completely focus on the task and can easily become bored.

Adore Challenges

Creative graphic designers do not shy away from challenges. They allow their curiosity to get the best of them, enabling them to ask questions and discover things most people overlook. Their curiosity intrigues and challenges them, and they are able to complete their task directly.

Manage Time

Time management can become a challenge for many graphic designers, who commit to multiple projects but fail to deliver on time. A good graphic designer would assess his/her current workload, and is realistic in their approach so that every project can be given due attention.

Balance

Creative designers know how to strike a balance between play and organisation. They recognise how to use fun to experiment with various concepts, yet are serious enough to implement them professionally. Combine carefree fantasy with the right amount of reality-based perspective.

Good Communicator

Being a good communicator plays a major role in the success of any designer. Prompt interaction with the client, and keeping them informed regarding developments and new ideas, is critical to a project's success. Doing so will help strengthen your designer-client relationship.

Professional Attitude

Good graphic designers know there is a fine line between being confident and arrogant.

Criticism

Criticism is just another person's opinion. Learn to take criticism positively, as it contributes towards growth and understanding - a part of the learning process not to be taken personally.

Learning

Designing is actually a lifelong process, and not something learnt in a few months. As the industry continues to evolve, only the ones who keep up with developments can stay relevant. When you decide to quit learning is when you sign up for failure.

Push their Limits

Pushing your boundaries, thinking outside the box and allowing yourself to experiment are all part of the learning experience.

All these traits are part of a successful graphic designer's personality, and play a critical role in transforming an individual into a high-quality professional.

Finally, let us not forget to place intuition in this list. It is a prominent trait among designers, since design should always fill a need. Most designers trust their feelings, and can sense their clients' needs in most situations. Always be tenacious and persistent in your pursuit, and never forget to enjoy the journey. Until we meet again, fill your life with memories rather than regrets. Enjoy life and stay on top of your game.

NB: Columnist welcomes feedback at deedee21bastian@gmail.com

ABOUT COLUMNIST: Deidre Bastian is a professionally-trained graphic designer/ marketing co-ordinator with qualifications of M.Sc., B.Sc., A.Sc. She has trained at institutions such as: Miami Lakes Technical Centre, Success Training College, College of the Bahamas, Nova Southeastern University, Learning Tree International, Langevine International and Synergy Bahamas.