The design industry is perpetually appealing to many individuals. It also has the advantage of offering plenty of career options, especially for people who want to design for the web.
However, competition is fierce, so it’s not always easy for others to recognize the talents of emerging designers. Read below and find a trio of suggestions that can help you showcase your strengths as a new designer and stand out from the crowd:
Network and Find Your Niche
Having a focused career can help you understand how to appropriately market to potential customers. However, there’s nothing wrong with also experimenting, too. Network with others who are also pursuing design, but in a different capacity than you. It’s also helpful to get instruction from an accredited college. Even if you take classes that aren’t related to design, this type of training can develop natural talent and help you learn to work in ways that meet others’ expectations.
Develop a Portfolio
In some industries, employment is secured when a person offers an impressive resume. The same is sometimes true in design. But in place of a resume, you’ll often be asked to show a portfolio instead. Don’t be misled into thinking you can only fill your portfolio with work you did for clients. While these materials are important because they show that others have trusted your services, you should think in a broader sense as well.
If you suddenly find yourself casually designing something purely for fun but end up loving the end result, there’s no reason not to include that piece in your portfolio. People usually like to see a breadth of work. So by showing off random inspirations along with pieces requested by clients, you’ll have a better chance of strongly representing your capabilities.
Keep Up With Industry Trends
There are many similarities between the entertainment industry and the design industry. One is that both have evolved rapidly in the last several years. Students in the Music Industry program at James Madison University are strongly encouraged to keep up with developments by reading trade magazines on a weekly basis. Like the world of design, the entertainment business requires people to have a proactive attitude. Professors feel that being more aware of trends is the key to adapting and excelling while others might fall behind due to lack of knowledge.
You can strengthen your position by reading design industry magazines and even attending conferences while you’re still in the process of launching a career. The more you know, the easier it’ll be to recognize whether current efforts to grow your skills are worthwhile, or you need to adjust.
If you build a good basis for a design career, the payoff can be rich, both in terms of opportunities provided and money earned. Use the tips above to gain momentum and make your design aspirations more than mere hopes!