Anna’s Professional Development

 

Dream job: Graphic Designer

A study has shown that creative jobs are the most likely to persist in the future, because a creative mind and the human imagination cannot be replaced through automation (Dodgson, 2017)). That being said, pen and paper is not enough anymore, and in order to compete, Graphic Designers must adapt to changing requirements. There are not only traditional Graphic Design jobs but also new roles, developed through the recent changes in the creative industry. I am confident there will be even more career paths to explore in the future, currently unknown to us. Some of the roles available now include art director, photographer,  logo designer, brand and identity designer, typographer, illustrator, animator, freelance designer or even teaching through online tutorials  (example: Sara Faber)

The creative industry is constantly changing. This is not only due to new emerging styles and trends but also the growth of the industry and its market value. There is a high demand on creatives as businesses look to maximise their sales, market to their target audience and extend their reach. In times of over-stimulation and competitive markets businesses need to stay current when using new mediums and appealing visuals, which is why Graphic design jobs are readily available across different sectors.
Graphic designers not only need to be skilled in their specific craft but are expected to take on more than one role, often managing the project and covering multiple disciplines.
Graphic designers must also stay current, especially with the latest software innovations that equips them with the ability to generate unique content quickly.
This highlights, that a Graphic Designer in 2019 is held to a high standard when it comes to being a multi-disciplinary, a creative mind, a life long learner, and a tech native, all while creating unique high quality content and delivering results to brief while obeying deadlines.

Therefore, a Graphic Designer needs to be able to seek inspiration and be creative in a timely manner, have a distinct style, or in some cases be able to adapt to a wide range of styles. Sketches need to be digitalised and in order to be applied to different formats and mediums. This type of work requires a dedicated person with an open mind and willingness to learn. Comparing this to the past, it becomes apparent that the job of a Graphic Designer has evolved and now goes hand in hand with modern technology. Some people may see it as a source of evil, which poses a threat to certain jobs, disrupting the established workflows of the creative industry. I think it enables the creative to generate outstanding content with their own ideas in mind and inspires a whole new generation to create.
Personally, I am inspired by freelance illustrators and designers who showcase their work on social media platforms, such as Instagram. They showcase their work to a large audience on a powerful platform and compete to be seen to gain exposure. This allows people to develop a distinct style, which they can explore and refine over time. These illustrators establish themselves and sell their designs in the form of pins, cards, prints and stickers online. I see how they improve and companies commission them based on their unique style.  I aspire to be part of the illustration community and stand out through my art style and receive acknowledgement from brands. The opportunity to design something in my own style for media personalities or companies is exciting to me and due to the fluid nature of this industry, I see no end to the creative possibilities. One illustrator I admire is: Ju Schnee, who is based in Berlin, Germany.

Below is my Personal Skills Audit using the SWOT Analysis:

Strengths:

• Creative ideas, eager to learn, ability to adapt, passionate about illustrating, experienced networker, approachable personality, enthusiastic, project focused, mission: to make the world brighter and pinker, I am a millennial who is familiar with contemporary pop culture and relevant topics and trends, aware of target audience, eye for illustrations and colour combinations, imagination, playful style that draws people in and has a personal feel to it

Weaknesses:

• Limited time (full-time job), need to build skills in design software and formatting, limited professional drawing skills, lack of knowledge of the business administration side of the creative industry, inexperienced in social media for business use

Opportunities:

• I work at Adobe and can use my position to receive advice and tutoring, I can attend networking events and engage with fellow creators on social media, get involved with online challenges to build a platform, such as “Draw it your style”-challenge, I can utilise my LinkedIn Learning access through work, I live in a creatively inspiring city, I have access to the Adobe CC and own an iPad and Magic Pen, which is the basis of digital work.

Threats:

• Time management skills, a very competitive market with highly talented fellow freelance artists

I will reflect on skills that I think are necessary before showing you my Weekly Development Plan.
Instagram is a great platform to start on, because it is accessible and widely used. I would need to build a following. Some people with amazing work do not have the amount of followers they deserve, which means it is about cracking the social media success code. It is all about using the right hashtags. posting frequently, engaging with the audience and other creatives on the platform and participating on challenges. In addition, time management and commitment is key factor and the ability to expose myself to opportunities. This creates the need to learn how to self-promote, because if I don’t, who will? This would entail being more outspoken and confident about my work and conducting some research on markets like the Dublin Artfully Market to see how other designers present their work to the public.
Simultaneously, I will need to develop my style and technique, as well as learn new software to produce high quality content. This is a continuous learning process.
Regarding long term goals, I would also need to educate myself more on the business side and put certain parameters in place, such as opening an Etsy store, creating a website, contact email etc. I would also be interested in exploring a new style or medium, which I have not tried yet at all. This would help me to broaden my horizon, to keep an open mind and to define my style better. Something that would come to mind are bringing illustrations to the photo medium. I first came across it on YouTube (example: Vogue YouTube) and then found examples of digital portraits and photo edits on Instagram (Af Illustrations).

Personal Development Plan To-do list:

In my first week I focused on tutorials and absorbing as much information as possible. LinkedIn Learning was a great platform for that I found the courses worthwhile. I took notes and tried to practice and follow their tasks. I learned short cuts, new features and had the opportunity to study a professional workflow. This helped foster my skills and encouraged me to illustrate more. I uploaded my work to my Instagram and used hashtags to make them more discoverable.

I maintained this throughout the project and it helped me gain a followers and people engaged with my post through the comment section. The book that I read helped me to get an overview of all the things I need to keep in mind when illustrating and intending to have a career as an illustrator.

For the second week I decided to move away from ‘just’ posting online and to have a printed piece in my hand with my illustration on it. The opportunity presented itself when an Arts and Crafts market (in week 3) was announced at my church.  I decided I would print 5 different designs to see what kind of feedback I will receive. The print process was  simple; I sent the files to my local print shop via email. At the market, people were pleased with my illustrations and I made several sales. Many asked how I made them and complimented the bright mix of colours. Although I was nervous, the positive feedback was a great reward and confidence booster and I enjoyed being able to give a printed illustration to someone. I also went to the Artfully Market in town at the weekend to have a look  and talk to designers. Everyone was very eager to share how they first started illustrating. I realised that many feel that they were ‘still a work in progress’ but were trying their best to establish themselves. It was amazing to see so many great works and talented people.

I plan to be a participant at one of the  market events this summer. I researched cheap quality print options in week 4 to not only print postcards but also stickers, pins and totebags. I noticed that finances and budgeting play an important role when it comes to producing art for sale. Hence, I decided to put a certain amount of money aside each moth to realise products with my designs on them. Aside from my instagram page and engaging with other designers I tried to be generally more open about the work I do. A  series of circumstance lead to my work being noticed by a local coffeeshop owner, who offered to exhibit my art on one of his walls. I felt honored, excited and, of course, nervous. This is the first time my art has been publicly shown. I picked some of my favourite illustrations, framed them and hung them in the coffee shop.

The owner was pleased and I can still not believe my work is up in one of Dublin’s cafes.  

The coffee shop owner gave me the opportunity to fill the whole wall with my illustrations and to put down my business cards. This shows that self promotion and engaging with people around you can lead to amazing opportunities. I will work on more designs and fill that wall in the next coming weeks and start designing and printing my own business cards. This feels like a huge step toward becoming a freelance illustrator.

Draft business card

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In week five I wanted to experiment with a new design style, illustrative photo edits and digital portraits. I looked through some Instagram accounts I followed (example: Af Illustrations)
Here are some examples:

I enjoyed this exercise and will continue to explore new styles and techniques. In the same week I decided to participate in the “Draw it in your style”-challenge on instagram, which provided me an opportunity to engage with fellow designers. This is a fun way to learn new skills and push me out of my comfort zone:

(Left original by @anaiscrdesign and right my illustration)

The book I read in week 1 also had useful information about the importance of self promotion. As suggested, I let my instagram followers know that I am open for commissions and after a few days I received my first request and completed my very first paid illustrator job for an online store.

My first commission work

I was over the moon and tried to be as professional as possible. The client gave me creative freedom and after carefully researching their audience and listening to how they want to use the image, I came up with this design for their 3000 follower giveaway. For the future, this experience taught me to have certain parameters and workflows in place to assure am easy and clear ‘transaction’ in case I would be juggling multiple projects and deadlines at once.

The 1-2-1 Illustrator session with my friend helped me learn basic and more advanced features.  After seeing how much I could learn within an hour of tutoring I will practice on my own and implement newly squired skills in my work.

Made with AI CC

Finally, I applied for the ADOBE WESP programme, a shadowing programme for Adobe employees to experience working in a department you are interested in. It is designed to support employee’s professional development. I got the exciting news that I was accepted and will be able to see the routine of an Adobe Product Design Evangelists in Adobe San Jose in September this year.

On reflection, scheduling tasks for yourself and setting goals and paths how to achieve them, helped me grow personally and professionally.

Going forward, I will dedicate my time practicing my illustration skills. I will do so by following online tutorials and taking on private projects to experiment and ultimately improve my skills. I will also sign up for an actual drawing course to improve my basic drawing skills.
On top of that, I would like to be more active online and post content on a regular basis. This will not only enable me to showcase my work  and engage with the community is also a opportunity to receive valubale feedback.
Furthermore, I will make a plan to create products with my illustrations on it and set up an Etsy store to have a platform to sell them on. This will take dedication and I will have to evaluate what my audience would be interested in buying . Hence, I will need to budget accordingly and work on my illustrations. I have already looked into a weekend course, which gives you advice and insights into steps that need to be taken to set up your own small business successfully (business plan etc.). The business side of freelancing is a completely unknown aspect to me, which I think a course ike that will be of great help.
Moreover, I will conduct more research on the illustrator scene in Dublin in order to participate on events and mingle with fellow freelance illustrators.

At this point this may be needless to say but: I am excited for what the future holds.