Backstory
Very recently I was working with a client on their website design and getting into the finer details of their blog. The client wanted their website to start generating revenue quickly and generously, which could be said about any client’s website, but it is no easy feat. So I went online, did my own research, and I brushed up on my SEO knowledge. It can only help to stay current and recognize the ever evolving world of online marketing. To make a long story short, I decided to look inward and examine what I’m doing for my own website in terms of lead generation and driving traffic to my site, and wanted to write a blog on a subject I know well, Graphic Design. I wanted to offer up my opinions about things that Graphic Designers are interested in, and things my future clients would be interested in, and settled on reviewing someone else’s blog and providing my personal take on it.
Introduction
This article was the 2nd highest ranking result on Google for the search term “best graphic design skills to look for” at the time of my search, and was featured on thebalancecareers.com, written by Alison Doyle. After minimal research it surprised me to discover that Alison’s job history doesn’t include any Graphic Designer roles. And that’s fine, it doesn’t mean she isn’t an expert on the subject. It just means that she’s probably never had to interview as a Graphic Designer. So knowing that, it makes sense that the content in her blog seems more generic to job seekers than specific to Graphic Designers. I do agree that the 5 skills she focuses on are extremely important for Graphic Designers to have, and I will touch on each of them myself. I think if I had written it, I would have emphasized different skills, and simplified her breakout lists of supporting skills to more concise actionable focus points, which I will be doing in this blog.
Important Job Skills for Graphic Designers
The first skill I would talk about would be the fundamentals of Graphic Design, which is not mentioned in her list, at least not in the way I mean. She mentions 7 elements of communication (space, texture, color, line, size, form, and shape), but these are not the 7 Gestalt principles that I would have emphasized.
The 7 Gestalt principles all Graphic Designers should know about (as they were taught to me):
– Figure-Ground
– Equilibrium
– Proximity
– Similarity
– Closure
– Continuation
– Isomorphic Correspondance
I won’t go into detail as to what they all mean, as there is an abundance of online resources that can explain them (Gestalt Principles). Employers will likely not bother inquiring about the fundamentals, mainly because they were never taught them, which is why this is the single most important skill. It is how a Graphic Designer brings value to a client, by providing the very thing their clients don’t possess. If the client knew how to design, they wouldn’t need a Graphic Designer.
The first skill Alison highlights in her article is Communication, which I find as ironic because in a way, Graphic Design can be defined as Visual Communication. In other words, the most important skill to have as a Graphic Designer is the ability to design graphics. No, actually she’s not saying that. She goes on to explain that she isn’t referring to visual communication, but rather the ability to sell or pitch an idea or yourself, more or less. She also points out that it works both ways, and that designers also need to know how to listen, or rather how to pull the most meaningful information out of a client. Obvious to me, this is important to all employees in any role. This is good advice when it comes to building a resume and preparing for an interview.
In the real world, in my experience, the only 2 times communication really matters is during the design interview, and as deadlines approach. What employers want to know more than anything is how a designer will act when it comes down to the wire and the stink hits the fan. Are you going to communicate to your team that either you need extra help, or are you going to drop the ball and come up short handed without raising the red flag? Sorry, too many metaphors? Basically, employers need to be convinced that their Graphic Designer is trustworthy. Trust is not a skill, and I would argue that communication is not a skill either, rather it is an act that you carry out. You either do or do not communicate, are you willing to do it? If yes, maybe work on doing it more efficiently. Be direct.
Next, Alison touches briefly on Creativity. You know a question you’ll never be asked in an interview: Are you creative? The sad truth is, employers don’t really care how creative you are. Trust me, if you are calling yourself a Graphic Designer, anyone you talk to who isn’t will think you’re 10 times as creative as they are. What is important is that you have an impressive portfolio to back up your claim.
I will say this about portfolios, they may be the single most important selling point for Graphic Designers seeking employment. It is the most appropriate place they can really express their creativity. Resumes are important too, and I’ll get into that a bit later, but the portfolio is the proof in the pudding. If possible, don’t show school work, or at least make a special place for it separate from client work. If you don’t have client work, you can always make a fake client, and any work you do for them is still real work. Real work is not always paid work. Some of the best work is volunteer. Portfolios can also be a place where designers can show off their other skills, like art, photography, hobbies, interests, basically anything you would share on social media. Employers will check social media accounts, so be sure to add links to digital portfolios, and vice versa. Physical portfolios are more traditional in the Graphic Design community, but unfortunately are often ignored in interviews, depending on the company. Many interviews incorporate a practicum or test of skills, which has always bothered me, to be honest. It always felt like when I was completing a practicum that I was being taken advantage of, like I was working on a project for free. I would discourage employers from requiring practicums, or at the very least make them simple, requiring very little time to complete, like 10 minutes tops. One practicum example I actually enjoyed was a five minute challenge of creating 3 icons on a white board, alone in a room. It was quick, easy, painless, and it was proof enough that I could do the job because it demonstrated that I possessed the fundamentals of design theory.
Technology is listed 3rd, but I would have put it in 2nd place. It’s almost just as important and expected as the fundamentals. A carpenter without his tools is just a person fascinated with wood, not very useful. A Graphic Designer should be highly skilled with the big 3: Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. That’s right, I’m calling it, Adobe won the war. We are slaves to their overpriced and frustratingly complicated software. Maybe 1 out of 1000 Graphic Design jobs will require some other software instead of Adobe, and those are jobs no Graphic Designers are looking for. It’s also a really good idea to be skilled at the Microsoft big 3: Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
She also mentions HTML, CSS, and WordPress, which I would agree are fine additions. We can call those the Web 3 I guess. Come to think of it, this is sort of the place that makes every Graphic Designer unique. Now that is the spotlight question of the year that everyone will be asking in interviews: What makes you unique, or stand out among other designers? For me, it is that I am extremely flexible, and have had to learn such an elaborate list of programs that I’m almost embarrassed to say, but I will share them with you because I’m just a nice guy.
Technical skills Jay knows:
Adobe Creative Suite: Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, After Effects, Acrobat Pro, Microsoft Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Sharepoint, SketchUp, RTI Integration Designer, HTML, WordPress, Wix, AWS, Javascript, CSS, Wireframing, Interface Design, Data Analysis, Content Optimization, ADA Compliance, Brainstorming, Conceptualization, Sketching, Illustration, Digital Rendering, Typographic Theory, Iconography, Logo Design, Brand Identity, Isometric Perspective, Project Management, Quality Assurance, Pre-Press, Print Production, Public Speaking, Presentations, Animation, Video Production, Photography, Fine Art, Sculpting, and Painting in Water-based Mediums.
To be fair, I just copied and pasted that from my resume, please excuse the shameless plug. Some of those skills might not technically be considered technical, but I could bet you that I’m the only one out there with that exact collections of skills, and that makes me unique and valuable. Everyone is unique and valuable, and there is a place out there in the corporate universe that they will fit perfectly into. Most clients are looking for someone they can mold and shape into the person they can eventually call a perfect fit, so let’s all be flexible. That includes both client and designer.
Time Management is listed 4th, and this is another one of those generic skills everyone should have, but it is especially important for Graphic Designers. Just as Alison says, “graphic designers are constantly juggling multiple projects at once.” Furthermore, designers need to know how to utilize their time for each phase of a project. Every project no matter the scope needs a plan, a process, a schedule. Always ask for the deadline the 1st opportunity you have. Storyboarding is especially helpful here, as it will paint a picture of how the final deliverable will come together, and you can put dates on each piece.
Her final skill mentioned is Typography, which I don’t know how that isn’t just part of the fundamentals. I think this blog is better meant for resume building. It is on a career site after all. I think a better title for her blog would be “Best Graphic Design Skills to Include on your Resume,” or “Graphic Design Resume Building Must-Haves.” I would say her audience is aimed more at job seekers than employers, but her title suggests otherwise. Yes, Typography should be in every Graphic Designer’s resume. I have it listed as Typographic Theory in mine, which I consider more advanced sounding. Knowing about a thing doesn’t always imply knowing the theory behind it.
She also includes a catch-all section of random other skills. Maybe she couldn’t decide which of them was important enough to call it the 6th most important so she just went list crazy. They are all good skills to have, albeit maybe a bit redundant in some cases.
If it were me writing this blog, my final list would have been:
- Fundamentals of Graphic Design (mentioning the 7 Gestalts)
- Graphic Design Software Expertise
(mentioning the Adobe 3, MS 3, and then HTML, CSS, and WordPress) - Time Management
- Resume and Online Portfolio
- Sketching
Technically having a Resume and Online Portfolio are not skills, but making them attention grabbing is an essential skill. So here is my advice about Graphic Design resumes: make sure a robot can read it. One of the biggest mistakes I learned from job searching was making my resume too creative. Most resumes don’t even get looked at by real people anymore, at least not at large companies. I found that I got a huge increase in responses from employers after I simplified my resume down a very well organized text-based version, and it’s because I knew how resume readers worked from my expertise in Adobe Acrobat Pro. Top to bottom, left to right. Going through school, they taught me differently, and I’d love to have that conversation with my former professors. My professors suggested that resumes could be more abstract, high level design, with clever or witty design elements. I have since then dismissed superfluous design elements to be included in my resumes, but don’t forget the human element. Humans do like to see a little creativity. Find a balance that follows the rules of tradition and modern trends. And don’t be afraid to sound unique. Let the real you shine through.
Final Thoughts
This is a fantastic article for Graphic Designers, but misleading for employers. It gives very good advice, but I wish employers wouldn’t focus so much on generic qualities, and instead reward candidates for standing out. I like how the article is formatted, and it’s use of imagery is very appropriate. The author is truly an expert in her craft. My advice is, read it. And afterwords, let me know if you agree with me. I love communicating. (chuckle)