Last 8 Myths of Design

By: Samantha Werry

As promised, I have returned with the four other graphic design myths! If you haven’t yet read the first four myths, scroll down to my blog post right before this one and you will find all the information you need. These final myths are just as important as the first four, so make sure you read both posts!

Myth #5: Clients Realize that the Designer Knows Best, and will Give them Freedom to Design

I know what your all thinking, people hire designers for a reason so they have to trust what you do. NOT true! Yea they will trust you to show them what they are wanting, but they will always think that they can do just as good as you can even though they are not trained to. They think they have the same amount of skill set as you and know what they want. They think it will turn out just perfect if they have their way. They will direct every detail and revise your designs into the ground. There is only so much advice you can give to someone who is stubborn with what they want.

Once you are working with a paying client, you need to do anything you can to make them happy in order to get paid. You need to figure out ways to make the impossible work and make them happy even if you hate the end product. It is not your job to create something you love; it’s your job to create something your client loves. The client will always have revisions, believe me. And when that happens, use it as a test to see how talented you really are. Make it work. Take it as learning how to further yourself based on testing what you can do for your client.

Myth #6: Designers Can Easily Start their own Company right out of School

From what I have seen, students in VCD tend to double major in VCD and entrepreneurship. Yes, this can help students start their own company, but not right away. I’m not saying it can happen, it is just highly unlikely. Most students haven’t taken any classes about finances, how to keep the company afloat, and more. They only have the design classes. People should have some experience dealing with companies.

We learn a lot in school, but not everything we need to understand that you learn on the job. You’re not going to learn how to deal with clients, how to handle contracts, estimates, and billing, or how to hire illustrators and printers at school. You are also not going to have a reliable network of people right out of school. You are not going to know how to run a meeting, how to set up a conference call, or how to keep track of hundreds of open jobs. It is important to build a foundation for yourself with professional experience before you venture off on your own. The best thing for someone who wants to own their own business is to start off somewhere small where you can get a lot of hands on experience in all the departments of the company. You will learn a lot that way.

Myth #7: Anyone Can Do It

As I have said it before, I will say it again; clients think they can do just as good of work as you can. As designers, we get a lot of “Oh, my cousin is a designer,” or “My friend is a designer,” just to find out that these people know a little Photoshop, or create invitations with Word. People think they are designers because they can remove red-eye or add a sepia-tone to photos. Let me tell you, design is a lot more than just that. These are the people who are on their way to a second career in Graphic Design with no degree. These are the people I am up against when a client says, “ I have a neighbor who will design my website for $50.00.”

Do not let these individuals affect you. Do not drop your prices to meet theirs or become overly competitive with them. People can enjoy design as a hobby, but they will have to go through all the work you have to be able to obtain a full time career. Do not let it frustrate you. You will hear it all the time. Just let your client know that your work comes with a degree and the skills of someone who knows what they are doing. Stay professional and offer them a quality job.

Myth #8: There are Plenty of Dream Jobs to Go Around

I know in my classes, a lot of us share the same dreams. We want to work at a design company doing print design anywhere in the world. Your dreams may be different, and that’s probably good. The problem is, some of us are so set on these dream jobs that they forget to make themselves marketable just in case they cannot land their dream jobs. Try to be realistic and expand your skill set just in case. Do not close your mind to other possibilities. Who knows, maybe your will end up loving doing something totally different like Website coding or package design. Try everything out at least once so you know what you want to do for sure.

information from http://www.creativeopera.com/2009/8-common-graphic-design-myths/