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I N T R O D U C T I O N What makes a successful designer? How do they stay on top of things? What keeps them going? Do you ever feel like some designers have just got it sorted? They don’t simply get by in life, they constantly raise the stakes to create bigger and better designs. Their client base is always growing and yet they always manage to keep ahead of their workload. What’s their secret? This eBook can finally give you an answer! We surveyed graphic designers from a range of different industries – not-for-profit, entertainment, retail etc. – to learn about their work habits. We wanted to see if there are any common trends that could shed some light on what makes a successful designer. Thankfully, our survey produced some rather interesting results which we’re excited to share with you today. Read on as we count down the top seven habits of a highly effective designer. From constantly searching for inspiration, to asking your clients the right questions, discover what it takes for your freelance design business to thrive.
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“Always look for inspiration everywhere. Take lots of pictures and relax about coming up with new ideas.” Marty Furgal, ABC Creative Group
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A
ny creative individual will tell you,
59% of respondents said they look for
inspiration is essential to producing
inspiration online
good work. Working without inspiration
41% said they find inspiration offline,
is like playing cards and persistently
such as in nature, magazines, and books
getting dealt bad hands – you’re in an
Of that 41%, 20% said that they find
uphill battle to make any sort of progress.
inspiration from other designers Rather than searching for inspiration for each
100%
individual project, it can be more effective to
59%
top up your inspiration bank as and when ideas hit you.
50%
95%
41%
of designers in our survey said that they look for inspiration
more than once a week
0%
most
The most common online sources named by
unexpected sources - that’s why it’s important
our survey respondents included: Pinterest,
to remain open to it, to take note of the
Creative
things which impress you and make you feel
Interestingly, when we refine the results to
amazed. Sometimes, however, you do have to
those with the job title “Owner”, the percentage
go looking for it.
of people who search online jumps to 87.5%.
Inspiration
can
come
from
the
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Bloq,
and
Behance.
“Be open to change. You can’t be precious about your work. It’s a tough world out there for designers but by putting your client’s interests first you’ll be likely to succeed. Be patient and take on board negative feedback and move forward positively from it.” Karrie Brown, Karrie Brown Design
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