About graphic design

Hello everyone!

I just read the Teacher’s post, so I've thought how to relate the topic with my experience.

Considering my experience in this career and what it takes to be good in it, the first thing that came into my mind was the drawing skills. Yeah, that’s what everybody thinks about Graphic Design when they don’t know the career very well. Like me, when I got in.

I thought I would be a brilliant student because I have drawing skills. But that’s a mistake. It’s a very useful skill, but not completely necessary. I know a lot of people who has survived without being truly talented. It’s a tool, a very helpful one, because it’s the first thing you can do to translate an idea from your mind to the paper (or directly to the computer).

But the most important skill is creativity, knowing how to apply it to specific communication needs. A Graphic Designer is not an artist, but a visual communicator. That’s what I’ve learned.

It’s also important to be sociable. We designers work in groups almost all the time in many projects.

And of course there’re other things needed to be a good professional, just like all the other areas and careers. These are: organization, discipline, perfectionism, rigorousity, patience, etc.

I think these skills can perfectly be learned, and it may be difficult, but it’s possible. Even creativity. But this is a fact: there will always be people more talented than other.

In the University almost all of our professors try to develop our skills. But the greatest things I’ve done these last years in graphic design, have been by my own. And it bothers me sometimes not to have all the support from our professors. Well, they make us believe university is the most important thing in the world… but of course it’s not.

Despite all that, I’m quite happy with my career.

I believe that my professional development will be done thanks to my work outside, but supported by all the tools I’ve received here.