There are some details that we often ignore. They may be small details but if we take them into account we can save a lot of time and we can focus our work towards an optimal result. As you know, yesterday we saw the first ten proposals for Timothy samara (to which you can access from this link), and today we are going to continue with our second part.
Do you miss any? Would you add any new tips to this selection? Tell me in a comment, don't be shy!
You have to be universal; remember: your job is not for you
Throughout your career as a graphic artist you will learn many things, but perhaps one of the most important is your ability to adapt to the needs of your client. You should be able to adapt to different trends, demands and projects, but this does not mean that you should do without your style, on the contrary. The real challenge is to maintain your own identity but knowing how to adapt to the client, what they want and above all what they need.
Compress and separate
It has been proven that the reading process becomes more fluid if we learn to dose the information. At a graphic level, this has a lot to do with the use of white spaces and respecting some empty areas that help our composition to breathe.
Make sure there is a wide range of tonal value
Although it is not something that should always be given, since it depends on the type of work we are referring to, in most cases having considerable depth at the expressive level will be important. The range of tones as well as the transitions and the way to combine their situation and combination will determine the final result and expressive power.
Act confidently: do it conscientiously or don't do it
It is something that you should be clear about and meditate before getting down to work. During the development of your work, numerous obstacles will arise and you will have to make a large number of corrections and restorations until you find the result you are looking for. This is a considerable amount of time and effort so you should seriously consider if you are willing and if it is worth it. There are projects that have a much shorter life span than others. Surely more than once an idea has come to your mind that has been great but the next day it has turned out to be a mediocre idea or at least not good enough so you end up discarding it. Make sure your work revolves around something that really motivates you, otherwise you will end up doing it in any way or leaving it incomplete.
Measure with your eyes: Design is visual
Try to be objective. Many times we work following the reference of an abstract idea, something that in many cases cannot be faithfully represented in a sketch. It is important that during the work process we learn to analyze what we have at an objective level, what we have done, not what we see in our mind through what we have done, which is different. There is a moment when we feed on ideas, on inspiration, but once we have managed to undertake material work based on those ideas, we have to meticulously analyze what we have in front of us. Self-criticism and, above all, precise observation will help us to perceive errors or even to design modifications and implementations to the current design.
Do what you need yourself
Whenever possible we must learn to develop every last component of the construction. From the vectors, the sketches, the conceptualization, the post-production ... This idea is desirable, however it is true that there are many occasions when we are faced with a project that we must deliver on a deadline and due to time issues it is physically usable impossible to develop all the elements so we resort to a resource bank or even templates that we take as a reference and help us build a working base. However, it is recommended that when we work on projects that are totally ours, that is, that are not for an external client, we develop all the necessary material and components.
Ignore the fashions
Remember that trends are temporary and change over time. Taking them as a reference and obsessively following them can have a counterproductive effect on our work since in this way we are reducing creative possibilities and lines of development in our work. What it is about is that you break with what is imposed on you from the outside to guide you by your own convictions and your own criteria.
Static comps are boring
There are compositional rules and numerous studies that will provide you with strategies to add dynamism to your constructions. Of course you must bear in mind that this is relative because depending on the concept we are working on, we will need more dynamism or statism, but in general terms, dynamism has greater effectiveness and aesthetic capacity.
Search history, but don't repeat it
If you haven't had the chance yet, wander through the history of graphic design. You will be surprised to find great characters who developed innovative and surprising ideas, but you must learn to manage that feeling of admiration and channel it towards your own lines of development. By copying or trying to imitate the voices of others, we lose our identity and therefore our work loses much of its value. Take the opportunity to document yourself in pre-production, more knowledge and references will provide you with advantages.
Flee from symmetry
Symmetry is not convenient because it loads our content with redundancies and therefore there is a lack of substance. Also for this it provides statism, lack of visual play, depth.
