We’re living in a competitive marketing world and graphic design and creative work are on their own cutthroat island. So how do designers stand out of the crowd? It’s not enough to have an eye. How are you making things happen in this digital landscape?
In most professions, you have to keep up with trends and industries. With design, you might have to expand whole skill sets. Even having some motion design, UI, and UX design skills are essential. You can probably learn new programs easily, but what about your soft skills?
Here are four soft skills designers need to be great designers:
- Generating Ideas: It may seem like a no-brainer, but great designers are great thinkers. Execution is great, but conceptualizing and big thinking go a long way for designers, especially when it comes to leading teams.
- Effective Communication: Pitches, rationales, and collaboration are all a part of the job. Having good communication skills can come in handy when being a subject matter expert explaining a design concept.
- Writing Skills: Talk the talk. Write the write. Lorem ipsum all day, but don’t overlook copy as a part of design.
- People Skills: Without people—clients, colleagues, and especially audiences—what is design? Having a way with people gets you far in any industry, but designers need to be able to connect with their teams and clients for delivering more effectively on briefs and projects.
Staking a claim in your own design career path means mastering these soft skills. You’ll dominate projects and have that edge above peers. For more details, check out the full Creative Boom piece.
