Ask Nubby #31: How Do I Know If I Am Good Enough To Be A Designer?
I’m a graphic design student at the Hartford Art School. I keep wanting to drop out because I haven’t been getting the best feedback. How do you know if you’re capable of being a designer? We’ve been doing a lot of business logos and I just feel like I’m stuck in this uncreative bubble. Lastly, how much should I listen to my teachers? Design is so subjective. I show some people my work and they love it, while my teachers were overly critical about it. I could use a lot of advice so I can feel motivated again.
First of all, take some relief in the the fact that you’re not the only designer who feels this way. At some point, every person in a creative profession wonders if they’re good enough. It’s human nature to question whether you ‘measure up.’ And, that is so much more admirable than just thinking that you’re the greatest designer that ever lived. Being humble will get you way further anyway, I promise.
But, you’re still wondering if you’re ‘good enough.’ As you mentioned above, design is so subjective. This is where things get tricky. Step back from your teachers and peers. Do you think that you’re good enough? Do you love sitting in front of a computer all day and bringing concepts to life? Do you feel like you can handle constructive criticism and listen to what a client (or teacher) wants, even if you disagree? It’s okay to disagree but are you still willing to give their idea a shot?
School Is a Test
School is meant to prepare you for the real world. As a designer, you’re often creating work for public consumption and if you want to get paid, you have to buckle down and please clients. The views of your teachers and fellow students regarding your work may differ in part due to age and views. While a teacher may encourage you to keep your work timeless and to drop unnecessary content, your peers may love the fresh new technique you just picked up from a tutorial.
Do your teachers ‘hate’ your work or are they just making suggestions on how you can improve? Is their feedback constructive or are they disregarding the outcome altogether? If your teachers are good, they will be critical. They simply want to push you to be your best. Sometimes, they see potential in a project that perhaps you don’t. Teachers understand design principles in ways that a new student might not and it’s true that if you want to break the rules, you have to learn them first.
Accept That Someone Is Always Going To Be Better Than You
Stop comparing yourself to everyone else because it will only make you miserable. I had only one year of community college design courses under my belt when I started interning at my first ad agency. I was surrounded by guys with a minimum of 5 years experience each and sometimes it was intimidating. At times, I felt overwhelmed but I also knew that I wanted to be as good as them someday. Everyone has to start somewhere and the people that you admire were probably in your shoes once. Even if you’re naturally talented, it takes years of hard work. If anything, rubbing shoulders with people who are better than you will push you further faster.
Learn to Accept Feedback, Both Good & Bad
As a designer, you’ve got to develop a tough skin because people love to tell you what they think, good and bad. It’s never easy but over time, it does get better. When you’re still in school and experimenting and developing your style, it’s natural to be unsure about what you’re doing. But as you get more experience, you can more clearly judge if your work is measuring up. I spent nearly two years at agencies where I got constant feedback from art directors and I never took it personally. It’s their job to push you to make the work look its absolute best for a client. A fresh set of eyes can see things that you can’t when you’ve been staring at a screen all day. In school, your teachers are the equivalent of an art director.
Not Everyone Is Going To Love Everything You Do
Work usually falls into one of four categories:
1. You love the outcome of a project. Your client loves it. The public hates it.
2. You love the outcome of a project. Your client is unsure. The public loves it.
3. You loathe the outcome of a project. Your client loves it. The public hates it.
4. You hate the outcome of a project. Your client really hates it. The public loves it.
If you can manage to make everyone happy, including yourself (and get a portfolio-worthy piece out of it), relish that moment!
School Is Not Supposed To Be Easy
Life at an agency (or wherever you end up) isn’t easy. Getting pushed hard in school is a huge benefit in a way because it helps to build a solid work ethic for when you hit the job market. Someday, you may actually look back and miss the carefree (in comparison!) days of school. Knowing what I know now, I sure do. Take feedback in stride. School, just like everything else, doesn’t last forever.
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13 People have left comments on this post
My boyfriend and I actually just started listening to the audiobook of Malcom Gladwell’s Outliers. He says that to be really good at something, it takes 10,000 hours of practice. That’s full-time for almost 5 years. I’d heard it before we started this book, and I think about that a lot when I’m comparing my own work with others’.
I don’t necessarily believe it takes 10k hours to become an expert in *everything*, and there are definitely fields where it might not be enough. But I think it’s safe to say that after 10k hours, you’ll have some proficiency, at least, even in the absence of any natural talent.
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Great post.
I am a design student and I have to say, I trust the opinions of my tutors and lecturers more than I trust the opinions of my peers. Firstly because these people generally have a lot more experience than the students; secondly, because the tutors and lecturers are the ones who mark your work. Getting great positive feedback from your peers is definitely encouraging, but it will not necessarily get you great marks, nor does it mean that your design is necessarily great.
Of course, tutors can be biased and favour a particular design approach or aesthetic more than another – but in my experience, tutors are open-minded about what works and what doesn’t, and if they don’t feel your design is heading in the right direction, they will tell you so, and help you to correct it.
So I think you should definitely listen to your teachers’ advice. Of course, design is subjective, and it’s okay to disagree – but part of the reason you do design courses in college/uni (as far as I’m concerned) is to learn from others, like your tutors and lecturers, who have more experience than you do. It is important to be humble.
I really hope you decide to stick with your course. If you really love design, don’t let people talk you out of doing it. I think you are the best judge of whether or not you’re ‘capable’ of being a designer… don’t let anyone else judge your capacities for you.
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I’m a graphic design student too and yes, feeling not good enough is quite normal in this profession. Being a graphic design enthusiast made me decide to explore more on the field that’s why I decided to go to school. Before that, I get projects for poster and some layouts and even if I deliver what my client usually wants, I strongly feel that I need to learn more that what I know and what I strive to learn by myself is not enough, so yes school is very helpful indeed.
I still have work projects right now while I’m studying and on my case my professors feedbacks are very helpful, I get to apply what I learn from school to the projects I’m doing. I’m usually my most cruel critique and sometimes I wonder if I do that to torture myself, but I’ve recently learned that once you really see a satisfying outcome base on your taste, it’s not at all bad to critique yourself. There’s always struggle and doubt but it also comes with a great deal of learning and love for what you do.
Btw, this is like my first comment here and I’ve been reading this blog for a year or two already. Nubby you are such an inspiration for me, I always visit your site when I feel low on the creativity pill and you never fail to inspire me and continue to pursue my dream. THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
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I’m sorry I can’t contribute more to this conversation BUT just a heads up… you’ve forgotten to close a or font size tag somewhere, your font has gone teeny small after one of your images in this post. It affects the entire page. I did this about two weeks ago myself!! D’oh!
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Great advice! I’m studying architecture and I’ve been struggling with similar thoughts myself, althought I have started getting used to all the critisism it’s never easy… Thanks a lot for this post, it’s been a good motivator to keep trying!
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So glad you posted this one Nubs! I definitely had a lot of those feelings in college of being sub-par and unsure and sadly they don’t go away in the real world. But you have to learn where you can, keep plugging away and most importantly find a niche or place where you feel you can be challenged and excel too. I especially love your 4 areas a project falls into, couldn’t be more true – but you’re right, you have to relish those magical ones where everyone ends up happy!
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My boyfriend is a design student and he does lots of outside of class reading. When we go to the book store the first section he goes to is art and design. Try different ways to practice or study that will improve your technical skills and creativity. You should know you tried your very hardest before you quit something.
Nubby is definitely right in saying that thinking you’re not good is better than thinking you’re the worst. It should inspire a drive to become better though, not to give up!
You should set up a meeting with your professor(s) and talk to them about your portfolio or your range of work. Explain to them that you feel like you’re really struggling, and that you feel like you’re not reaching the standards they expect. Ask them what you’re doing right, hearing some positive feedback will hopefully make you feel like you’re not a total failure. Also ask them what concepts or areas you need the most improvement on, and really really work on them!
Sometimes the school is just not the best fit the student, another environment may be more conducive to your style of learning.
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great post ! I have been working as a graphic designer since october last year, and trust me, school is the time to learn how to deal with feedback both good and bad. Don’t feel bad or think you don’t measure up… if you love graphic design you should stick to it. Don’t feel like you have to be the best right away.
one of the best things I learnt at design school was how to accept criticism and make changes to my work to please the client, after all they are the ones paying you for it. Tutors seem to do a good job of being the client, they are just trying to prepare you for the working world.
haha loved the 4 categories of work, Nubby! so true.
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Good advice nubs. I would also ad that I went to a 4yr Bachelor program for design and I had NAZI teachers who i eventually learned to love because I realized that they pushed me and tested me for a reason. I got a worse grade on a project than someone who didn’t care and I simply asked the professor for the reason. It was a typographic exercise and I had excelled up to this point and the professor responded “You have to realize I grade you as individuals. You need to focus on why YOU received a lower grade and not why they received a higher grade. You put more effort in but did you really do your best?” and that’s when it really hit me. He noticed that I cared and held me to a higher standard. It made me a better designer and prepared me much better for my first real design job. In college just don’t leave anything on the table or take anything for granted. You pay for your education and you get out what you put in.
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Very good advice in this post. I feel like I am in the opposite boat she’s in because I’m a self taught photographer and I am searching for someone to critically look at my work and tell me where I need to improve. It’s hard to get a critical review from my fiance/friends/family because they love anything I do or don’t know what to look for. I once got critiqued by this random dude who worked in a clothing store. I don’t even know why I showed him my portfolio but he basically told me what he liked and didn’t like. At first I was pissed but then I was thankful because no one has done that for me before.
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Thanks everyone for all of the thoughtful comments and feedback! Your advice for this student is spot-on and I really hope this makes them feel like they aren’t alone and that though we all hit rough patches along the way, there’s always hope! Thanks again! — Nubby
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My designer teacher during my final year at college was incredibly discouraging.
Given, he wasn’t a very good teacher at all and I went to a “rich kids” college and my peers weren’t helpful either. It was a pretty snobbish atmosphere and a part of me felt discouraged.
Now, I’m working as a graphic designer for a well-known magazine and I’m doing great. Even if your school seems discouraging, if you don’t give up and just keep your eyes open for those doors to open to different opportunities, you will be where you should be as a creative force. This is what I believe.
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I have been an admirer of your blog for so long, and I always love reading all the content especially content about design. I’m currently studying at Academy of Art University, and I just finished my first semester. I’m really thankful for the professors I have, and though they were tough, and often critical, i valued their advice a lot. Anyway, just wanted to say, I admire you and your work, and your journey that got you where you are! Thanks for always updating with fresh content.. my favorites i look forward to every week are link love, typofiles, what i wore, ok – let’s just say everything!! Thanks again for your blog, and for the inspiration!!!
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