As I come to the end of my three years as a design student I ask myself 'what have I learnt?' Typography comes to mind, kerning, leading, letter spacing, composition and layout, use of white space. This led me on to thinking about things to come and what else will I learn. Where will I go and whom will I meet? All these questions inspired me to search for some answers, as my own are not apparent yet I looked to other designers to learn from their experiences.
While reading through an essay by Milton Glaser, designer of the ‘I Love NY logo’, I came across some useful advice. Glaser comments on how in his early life as a designer he couldn’t wait to become a professional, he soon realised that as his professionalism grew it became a limitation. As a young designer myself I relate to this, wanting to reach a certain level of professionalism. To me this means knowledge, experience, money; something that as a student seems constantly unattainable. After graduation one thing that every student wants is a job, a career, stability. As more design students leave education one question remains, are there too many design graduates?
Throughout our time at university we are constantly told how the design industry is a competitive market and how difficult it is to get a job but no matter how many times this is said it is hard to imagine what to expect. We try not to get discouraged and hope that we are one of the lucky ones whose talents and perseverance gets them through. Some may argue that the competitiveness of the industry, with creative industries accounting for 7% of the UK’s economy, is a good thing and that without it quality would suffer. These people are obviously not students. To some degree this is a valid point, as it must be said that the jump from education to the industry often does separate the weak from the more able.
One thing that is essential for graduates when leaving university is that they are persistent and don’t give up. There may be 11,000 design students but over 70% of these do not get jobs in design. Within every design company potential employers view many different portfolios, no two employers will have the same opinions about the work they see so patience is a virtue. It is important not to give up if this is what you want. Talent and determination will make a difference when graduation arrives.
Many of the designers I have spoken to have said that it is important to carry on working on personal projects whether still a student or after graduation, it is essential to keep on looking at everything around you for inspiration and ideas whether these be used straight away or stored for later. Each person is different and the things they notice aren’t always the same so it is important to keep a record of things that could later be used when working on a project either personally or in collaboration with others.
It is often said that art can be learned but as David Airey notes after viewing a students design exhibition ‘students from the same college, same badge with the same graphic design lessons did not come up with equally remarkable work’. It may be true to some extent that a non-artistic individual can be taught the steps of good design but it is questionable to whether this design will ever be great.
As I look back at the practitioners that I have spoken to throughout my education I think back to the advice they gave. One thing that I think every designer would agree with is that the contacts you make within the design industry are extremely important, whether this be while you are at university or after you leave. To keep good contact with these designers may at some point benefit you and give you an otherwise missed opportunity.
As it is often said design is a lifestyle choice not just a job. In many cultures, particularly African groups they do not have art. It is part of their everyday lives. Form making is just something they do it is part of them and is used to express emotions and thoughts. I feel something can be learned from this, art and design shouldn’t be separate from your everyday life. Among the Balinese culture there is no word for art, they say ‘we just do things the best we can.’
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