designfeedr

This is a guest article by designer and illustrator Scott Pollard. In this article, directed at students, Scott encourages the soon to be designers to take a good look at themselves and sheds some light on the reality of the design industry.

You have enrolled and are spending some well earned time down at the student union bar. Life is pretty sheltered in education where deadlines last three years and extensions are just common place. This is all fine for the while until that last years looms over you, almost like a countdown. From my experiences in education and from people I have spoke with there seems to be a cut off point between education and really working in the industry. That ever elusive search for a job, the rushed portfolio update before the interview and the unanswered question of “why has that studio not gotten back to me about my application�. These may very well be thoughts you are having right now.

So what causes this to happen? It would be easy to blame the education you enrolled to do. “They didn’t teach me that at college�, “I thought my course would ready me for the industry�.

This tends to be the case but just before we picket the fences of our local college/university demanding real life skills. Ask yourself the following : “are you being proactive about making yourself ready for your chosen career�?

With hindsight I would have been a lot more active within the industry during my study. Instead of allowing myself to be suddenly released into the wilderness of design I would have tried to make a more streamlined entrance. I found the design industry very hard as most designers probably do. At time’s your under great pressure from the expectations of your clients and employers. For that reason it is very important to gain that experience as soon as possible. This way you can start to build up your confidence and build immunity to the stresses and strains placed on your creativity.

When your career is in full swing it gets harder and harder, as in any career. Budgets become bigger, deadlines become tighter and your ideas have to come thick and fast. A lot of the time your full creativity has to be compromised. A nice and highly detailed illustration may just be too much work for the budget. You have to let them have what they are paying for sometimes just so you can keep to the deadline. Obviously you can add some flair and a tiny bit of extra to secure the repeat business however your clients should have limits just has you have been given.

I can only offer advice and guidance however I would say “seize the day�. Get a work experience placement… even do it for free if you have to. Because when that final day comes, at the end of your education, you’ll be at the chosen point of your career. Then is the time to enjoy, embrace your creativity and sell sell your work!

We’d like to thank Scott for his effort and hope you enjoyed reading the article. If you’d like to see more from Scott you can check out his portfolio or read more of his postings on his blog.