The Five Digital Design Career Hacks

The rise of computational creative, where creative output is driven by data, code and in the future even AI, has the potential to make traditional graphic designers obsolete. In a world that now requires unique, crafted digital experiences at speed and scale, skillsets must be vertical, horizontal, reactive and multi-disciplinary. In a chaotic age that is throwing traditional advertising values and structures to the winds, there is one role that can emerge from the ashes – the multi-disciplinary designer. But it is not enough to simply design beautiful pieces of communication, here are five key skills to be mastered in order to stay one step ahead of the competition. 

1. “I'm like a circus standing on two legs.” - Nuno Roque

Present and perform: You can have the best idea in the world, it can be exemplified with beautiful mock ups and responsive prototypes but if you can’t present your idea to a room full of people and bring the concept to life then no one is going to buy it. Graphic designers can be some of the worst verbal communicators; we’re often introverted, self conscious, closed to criticism and external opinions. But learning to speak plainly, telling a coherent story and entertaining your target audience are the bedrock of success. Ask to be included in important meetings so you can see how agency leaders communicate their ideas. Create a bespoke presentation that aids storytelling, insight and your client’s goals. Practice makes perfect, bore your besties until they know it better than you do. Work through the pain and awkwardness of presenting and performing until it becomes your core strength. 

2. “The universe is made of stories, not of atoms.” - Muriel Rukeyser

Words are the number one tool of visual communication. Embrace them. Experimenting with different options will immediately inform or derail your entire piece of communication. If you’re designing an ad, spend time thinking of your own headlines rather than shoving in Lorem Ipsum. Different copy can show you how well your design is working. If the user journey can become confused depending on the explanatory words you choose, perhaps your design needs to work harder functionally. It’s normal for a designer to explore hundreds of visual variations before landing on the ‘perfect’ design – try the same thing with words and see how many more ideas you come up with and how much more streamlined they become.

3. "Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships." - Michael Jordan

Despite implying that you have to learn every discipline under the sun to be successful, it’s not actually all up to you. As you progress in your career you’ll realise that you and your colleagues are part of a bigger ship. But it’s your responsibility to be part of an excellent one, with a diverse and talented crew. That means surrounding yourself with the absolute best you can find. It’s easy to feel threatened or intimidated by people with a specialised skillset that might seem more in demand or technically superior to your own. But an outstanding UX specialist will have a wider halo effect, and your clients will thank you because of it. When interviewing potential new team members and collaborators it’s vital that you choose people that will elevate the team, bring new skills to the table and be as open and adaptable as you are.

4. “Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose a response.” - Viktor Frankl.

As much as we would all enjoy defining ourselves as bespoke specialists that spend hours and hours meticulously crafting pieces of unadulterated creative perfection - the reality is very different. Design is business and businesses move fast. Briefs come out of nowhere, with tight turnarounds and all at once. There will always be more work than time so it’s important to realise which of these briefs to dedicate time to and which ones to just get done. If you try to dedicate 100% of your energy to every job you’ll be surprised how quickly it becomes too much and you burn out. It’s time to put on your war paint. It’s time to start picking your battles. Spending quality time on the briefs you know are actually good will let the best ideas come to realisation and shine. You, your team and your clients will thank you for it.

5. “Wherever there is number, there is beauty.” - Proclus

Numbers inform practice. Applying numbers and data to your ideas can spark some really amazing outcomes. Trigonometry can be used to create illustrations and emblems out of mathematical shapes like circles and exponential curves. Learning about numbers and their multiples has proved vital in data visualisation and algorithmically informed pattern design. Software like Framer, After Effects and Blender are littered with variable number fields where a mathematically informed mind can predict the results of visual experiments and utilise them to great effect. One of the most exciting things we’ve ever pitched revolved around the creation of personalised, 3D printed, data-driven crystals – an idea formed by digits, not design. With the ever growing trend of machine learning and digitally informed mass production it’s vital that you work with numerically informed technology and not against it.

There is however one constant – the role of the designer and more importantly the role of the human. The need for real human truths is imperative. The combination of surrounding yourself with inspiring people, a clarity of communication and a willingness to learn new skills and embrace new technology will keep you at the top of your game and creating the most original pieces of work. The power of the human-centric designer is here. The rise of the multidisciplinary creative is now. 

Ben Harwood is Creative Director at Feed