How many your friends you’ve heard that they are professional graphic designers? How many of them declare that they know Photoshop and call themselves a designers just because they made corny invitation to the birthday party?
Sure, you can be self-taught designer but to be ‘designer’ there is a lot more than knowing Adobe products.

It’s surprising how many people think they are a graphic designers just on a basis of knowing how to use Photoshop.

Knowing Software

Nowadays people have access to any kind of software in a blink of an eye. Even so common software like Microsoft Office provides us with a few options of manipulating a clip arts, colours and so on. Some people believe if they could learn these options they can stick to themselves a ‘designer’ title. This caused that many graphic designers are actually frustrated with decreasing prestige of title ‘graphic designer’.
A great designer Mark Buss from Industrial Brands arguments in his article “I’m not a graphic designer” that he deserves better title than graphic designer which will differentiate him from other “graphic designers”.
He says:

Many feel that the word “graphic” refers primarily to pictures and images — not the strategies, concepts, words, sound, animation or any other immersive experiences we may choose to include in the design solutions we produce.

That’s right, you all aspiring to be designers. Creating any kind of design demands a lot more than mix & match of colours and fonts. It includes hours of creative thinking, formulating strategies, analysing concepts, brainstorming, analysing client’s company target market and its competiton and a lot more.
Cheap design can be spoted immediately – good work will always stand out.

It’s being said that there is some creative part in all of us. Parents keep assuring their children of their great creative talent. Sometimes it makes more harm to the design industry than benefit.

So what actually helps noticing a ‘real’ graphic designer from the ones who just call themselves like that?

Training & Courses

Whether you finished University course or you are self-taught designer, you are aware of importance of professional training and courses. If it’s any finished online course or the college one – doesn’t really matter. What matters is constant investing in your skills and talent.

Awards

Surely, the best way to rate how good are you is to participate in creative comptetitions. Whenever you decide to become a professional graphic designer – look around for opportunities to show yourself and your talent. If you are still in a school, participate in any competitions, because you never know where small local competition can lead your future business.
People prefer dealing with experienced designers who prove their outstanding track of work.
Award-winning designers are always better choice.

Experience

You don’t become designer overnight. Like in any business, designers learn from their mistakes and try to eliminate them. Your projects should be build on your wide knowledge of the market and rights ruling it.
If you are starting designer you may look for internships organised by local graphic design studios or advertising agencies. You may find them through job search sites like Monster.com or creative job vacancies search engines on Creativepool.co.uk.
When applying for a internship. remember to prepare your portfolio and speach for the interview. You can also check my article “How to get your first graphic design job” for some tips.
As a beginner you have less chances to be in position of clients actually contacting you for work. To get some work you should ask your friends and family if any of their friends could benefit from working with you.

Creative Thinking

Being a graphic designer and doing a graphic design are two completely different matters. Some people call themselves a graphic designers but they do not actually live designing, they treat this profession as an source of income or something they enjoy doing but do not treat it as a serious matter.
To become a designer you need to show constant creativity, doing things better than your competition and provide unique services. There is no place for from-time-to-time designers.
A true designer live their business, constantly reading, learning and experimenting new ways of design.
To stand still is to move back.

Marketing Solutions

Anyone can create a ‘logo’ or ‘poster’ but will their concept be right for a client’s target market? Or will it only reflect ‘designer’s’ favourite style and concept? Graphic designers produce design concepts and solutions to communicate their clients’ messages with high visual impact.
The main thing you have to know about designers is that:

• Designer is NOT an artist.
• Designers provide strategic solutions to communicate their clients messages
• Designers create strategic plan of action
• Designers are consultants who choose the best available options for their clients (NO unlimited choices for the client because often clients do not know what is good for them)

However big are your aspirations to become a professional designer, always make sure you provide high quality services to your customers. Do not stop on learning how to use basic Adobe software, but constantly learn and expand your knowledge in the creative fields.

How do you value your skills and talent in the creative industry? Do you constantly learn and experiment or stay with secure solutions? What are your feeling about ‘graphic designer’ title? How do people react when you present yourself as a graphic designer?