The newbie designer trap goes something like this: You go to graphic design school. You study all the “famous” designers that your teachers tell you are great. Then you head straight into the workforce designing to please your boss and your clients. And through it all, you somehow forget yourself in the process. You forget to ask yourself, “What do I think? What kind of designs do I like? What kind of designer do I want to become?”

And that’s exactly what happened to me. By the time I left my first graphic design job, I had lost all sense of myself as a designer. I had been so completely in the mindset of working to please others that I had left myself entirely out of the equation. Unsure of my next steps or how to proceed with my future career, I decided to attend the AIGA SF Portfolio Day (a.k.a. one-on-one feedback with experienced, talented designers, creative directors and principles of some of the best design firms in the country) held at California College of the Arts (CCA) in San Francisco. I was hoping their feedback would help bring some clarity to my situation (I also secretly fantasized I would score interviews with my dream design agencies, they would love my work, and hire me right there and then).

To say it didn’t go exactly as planned is the quite the understatement. Yes, I met with several creative directors whose work made me drool. But there was no rave review of my portfolio. And there was definitely no hiring on the spot. The interviewers were actually a bit harsher than I had hoped…or I was more sensitive than I thought. I saw exactly how my work compared to other designers and exactly how I fell short. One acclaimed designer whose work I adored literally took my portfolio and placed it right next to another girl’s book. Then she turned to me and said, “If we needed to crank out a project, I would hire you. If we had a project that required special attention to typography and aesthetics, I would hire her [the other designer].” I was crushed. But I at least had the good sense to put those feelings aside for just a moment and really hear and see what she was saying. (I think it’s important to note that just because some “award-winning” designer doesn’t like your work, doesn’t mean they are right. They could be having a bad day, wearing super tight underwear, or dealing with acid reflux. You need to judge for yourself if their critiques are accurate). And that’s exactly what I did.

After the review, I wrote down all the feedback I had received that day to help me process and make sense of the information. I discovered consistent patterns in the designers’ critiques of my work. But even more importantly was the insight that I had gained about myself that day. The reality of the designer that I had become (which was as plain and as lackluster as the pages of my portfolio) was not at all the designer who I wanted to be.

I decided to change that. I took several type classes specifically to hone my typography skills, redesigned my portfolio, created several new pieces, and devoted my spare time to discovering and studying designers whose work I truly admired. I focused on finding my own voice as a designer and reconnecting with my passion for why I went into this field in the first place – for the love of creative ideas!

The results paid off big time: along with a job offer at Goodby, Silverstein and Partners, as well as several other outstanding creative firms throughout the Bay Area, I created a highly successful line of clever greeting cards available in hundreds of stores nationwide and established my own successful creative firm, Orma Design.

May 30th 2009 is the next AIGA San Francisco Portfolio Day review. I highly recommend you go. At the very least, you’ll meet some incredible designers. At the very most, it could have a profound and lasting impact on your career. And, of course, be sure to dress appropriately (thick skin, big ears, and all!) For more information visit: the AIGA SF website.

This article was originally published on the examiner.com

1 Comment

On 29 Apr 2009 @ 9:44am, 9:44am Mike wrote:

Awesome advice. Thank you.