5 skills you should have as a graphic designer

Photo by Andrea Jaccarino

As graphic designers, we constantly have to wear multiple hats and perform a number of different tasks for certain projects. This is especially true if you are a freelance designer. Often, clients don’t have a budget to hire multiple people to get a project done and they expect the designer to do all that’s necessary for a given project. It’s very important for freelance designers to gain knowledge of certain skills that go hand in hand with design, so they don’t have to send a client away just because they don’t know how to do something that’s closely related to design. Below is a list of only 5 of the many skills that a graphic designer should acquire:

• Copywriting

Although designers are visual people and deal with mostly images and graphics, sometimes a dire need for having a catchy headline arises. Instead of having to hire a copywriter, some clients would want the designer to come up with something amazing and this is when designers who have experience in copywriting will have an edge over the ones that don’t.

• Photography

Learning photography and the ins and outs of the techniques used to capture something comes with a lot of knowledge and practice. It’s very important for designers to be able to photograph well if the need arises, which is very likely in freelance work.

• Basic illustrations

Most designers are comfortable with sketching ideas for concepts but when it comes to doing illustrations, we might not be so comfortable. Well, it’s important to get rid of that fear and jut go for it. If you sit down with a pencil and a drawing pad and start practicing for even 30 minutes everyday, it can drastically help improve your skills to illustrate something by memory or reference.

• Calligraphy

It’s not very uncommon that designers will come across clients whose business will require a logo or a design element that needs calligraphic treatment. Getting familiar with the art of calligraphy will definitely open gates for more business and will expand your opportunities in the future. As we get more into a time period where just about everything is done on the computer, hand done lettering is and will be appreciated more and more.

• History of design

If you’re a designer, you know how important it is to constantly get inspiration. Inspiration shouldn’t just come from what’s going on in the design world today but also from what has already happened. There have been some powerful design movements in the past and some eye-opening design. We should be aware of the legendary designers of the past and their work in order to get inspired by them. This inspiration can make the biggest difference in your designs, if absorbed correctly.

Apart from helping with freelance projects, displaying these skills on your resume can tremendously boost your chances of getting hired. When there is a lot of competition, it’s wise to gain more skills which will set you apart, without losing quality, of course.