What makes a successful graphic designer?

As a designer, I’ve often wondered what makes a graphic designer great.

Is it all about mastering the tools? Is it about being on the ball with the latest design trends? Or is it now about leveraging AI to stay current?

Over my career so far, I’ve found great design goes beyond just these things. 

In this blog, I’m excited to share some of my top tips on what I believe makes a designer truly stand out. 

Whether you’re just starting out in your career or looking for some inspiration, I hope these insights inspire you to be a great designer.

Think, think, think again

When creatives approach a brief, an easy trap to fall into is the obvious solution.

Take the classic brief of rebranding a coffee shop.

If you asked 100 graphic designers to design a new logo, I’d bet over half of them include a coffee cup or a coffee bean. It’s a visual trigger we think we need to include as its symbolism is so connected to the business. I know, I’ve been there myself!

Ask, is this the right thing to do?

It may feel like it makes sense, but when you look at the wider context the logo would be lost in a sea of similar visuals and – unless its offering something distinctively different – this wouldn’t feel innovative, and it most likely would fall flat.

This is where designers need to think, think and think again.

Whilst there is nothing wrong with having a logo that uses symbolism with a strong visual connection, as creatives we should be aspiring to do things differently and bring a fresh perspective.

Ultimately, we need to be asking what will make our end customer (or employee) want to associate with a brand.

That’s what makes a graphic designer a great graphic designer.

Put yourself in the shoes of your audience.

How would they react? How would they feel? What feels different and unique?

Think through the lens of the challenge, think through the lens of the market, and think through the lens of your audience. Go back to the brief and your insights and test your thinking. Think, think and think again!

Sometimes you’ll be in an agency or consultancy where you have a strategist to fall back on. Even if you do, as a designer your job is to work with them. To keep asking questions.

Be a sponge

This is one mindset I can’t recommend enough! Be a sponge and adopt that ‘Yes man!’ mentality.

As a creative, we can’t do the same thing or work in the same ways and expect to keep coming up with fresh thinking and innovative ideas. It doesn’t work like that!

Gaining as much experience as possible is like gold dust for a creative. If someone asks you if you want to try something or attend an exhibition, or see another creative at work, the answer is, ‘Yes man!’

The more you’re exposed to different environments, different types of people, and different challenge, the more you’ll gain a fresh perspective and see things in new ways.

And being a sponge is all about soaking it up and enriching your mind.

One thing that has completely transformed my thinking this year is being part of the One Minute Brief community over on X (formerly Twitter).

It’s like an itch I must scratch every day, and it makes my brain feel alive first thing in the morning.

OMB is a platform that puts out daily briefs to the community. The diverse community is made up of designers, copywriters, aspiring creatives – people with a shared passion for creativity. Seeing how other people approach the same brief from an entirely new perspective is fascinating.

Challenges like OMB will open your eyes to ways you can approach a brief and push the boundaries. Activities like this help you come up ideas that raise the bar.

Don’t sweat the small stuff

We’ve all been there. We create something we love and think we’ve smashed the brief… then BAM! the feedback comes and we’re back to the drawing board. Our creative hearts crushed a little.

Don’t get too attached to your ideas, particularly in the early phases.

Design is still a subjective discipline – and everyone will perceive things in their own way. Insight into why a client has rejected an idea is key and a little piece of extra context from the client can completely shift the direction a project will go in.

Agency life has taught me that creative journeys are like fast running rivers that can weave thick and fast.

It’s like hopping on a train and not knowing what your destination is.

At first you may find this overwhelming, but you will soon learn how exciting it can be. Especially when you have an awesome team with you on the ride.

Of course, data and insight is also your friend. If you have the proof to back up your ideas, then that will go a long way towards convincing a client.

Be ready to adopt an agile creative process – embrace frequent iterations, reassessing and being open to adaptation. For me, it’s the most effective way to approach a brief. It allows a team to move forward in the right direction towards the best outcome.

Working in this way makes you feel less attached to ideas, and you start to champion innovative thinking over personal attachment to ideas.

Find your niche

One key difference between a good graphic designer a great graphic designer is passion.

You can sense it straight away in a creative’s portfolio – it’s like an energy you feel when you look at their work.

Most great designers have a strong niche in a certain skillset or discipline. And that was most likely born from having a passion for it.

Whatever you are as a graphic designer, hone your craft.

Practice, practice, practice.

And if you have found something you love doing – lean into it! Pair that with the sponge mentality, and it really will take you far. Build your portfolio around this and showcase your skills.

If you haven’t found it, ask yourself what brings you joy? What makes your creative soul shine?

Part of this journey is trying new things and gaining experience. Connect with people who interest you, and experiment with practice briefs to find what you love doing.

Once you find your niche, it will click into place.

As I have learnt, part of this process may also take you down paths that may not feel right for you. And that’s okay – as creatives we embrace the highs and lows.

Trust your gut and lean into what brings you joy.

And, it’s not just design

Being a graphic designer doesn’t mean designing 100% of the time. Realistically it’s probably around 75% of our time. We’re also communicators, project managers, organisers, administrators: the list goes on.

Tightening up the way you work to be efficient as possible will add heaps of value when designing. It not only benefits us, but also those we work with.

As laborious as it may feel, file those emails, fill out those timesheets, communicate efficiently and stay organised.

This will remove any extra stress so you can fully focus on being your best creative self.

Keep moving

Being a great designer is a continuous journey. We must keep up to evolve with the ever-changing world.

The three lessons I would leave you with are the following:

• Immerse yourself in the subject. Look around you. See what others are doing. Read about what people think, feel and do in the face of the design challenge you are faced with. As designers, we are here to change hearts and minds. That need deep thought.
• Challenge the brief and challenge yourself. Make sure you are led by clear insights and don’t get fixated by ideas or lock onto the first and most immediate idea. Experiment.
• Hone your craft. Say, ‘Yes man!’ when opportunities to learn, observe or try new things appear in front of you. Keep looking for your niche and loving the work you do.

Connect with me on Linkedin if you’d like to chat or share your tips on what makes a great graphic designer!