What you need to do to improve your design skills on your own

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Hello, my name is Yuichi. I am a designer in Japan.

This blog is an English translation of a blog written in Japanese. Please note that there may be some incorrect grammar.

Dear Reader

If you have ever thought about becoming a designer at one time or another, you have probably been self-taught at more than a few points in your life.

When I was a student, I didn’t know any designers, so I was more concerned with self-study, or rather just how to use Illustrator, and rarely bought books or otherwise studied.

However, since I started working for a design company, I realize that I have improved so much compared to my student days that I wonder how much I was missing.

In this issue, I would like to introduce a few things that I think you should do if you are going to study on your own so that you will not waste your time studying on your own like I did. I would like to introduce a few things that you should do if you are going to study on your own.

1. know the four principles of design

The four principles of design are proximity, alignment, repetition, and contrast, and are the basis for organizing elements and conveying information in an easy-to-understand manner. Each of these is introduced below.

Proximity

Proximity is the grouping of related elements closer together.

For example, when multiple products are introduced in a flyer, by placing product images and product names closer together, it is possible to instantly understand what the products are called.

Also, by leaving space between unrelated products, it is possible to recognize at a glance that they are different products or different information.

Alignment

Alignment is the process of aligning and arranging elements according to a set of rules to make the whole look more pleasing to the eye.

By combining alignments, it becomes easier to intuitively understand the relationship between elements.

In addition, some layouts are often created by breaking the alignment, but this can often be done successfully by following the sequence of “align once, then break”.

Repetition

Repetition is the use of consistent colors, fonts, icons, etc. for related elements to create consistency in design.

For example, in the case of a website, repeating the same layout will create consistency and reduce the burden on the viewer since the information can be viewed in the same way.

Also, by daring to include non-repetitive elements in a repetitive layout, the elements can be emphasized and the overall look can be more gradual.

Contrast

Contrast is the process of making elements appear stronger or weaker, and changing the way they are seen.

For example, in the case of a flyer, the title can be shown in the largest size, the price of the product in red to make it stand out, and so on, to create a design that intuitively conveys the priority of the information.

2. Analyze others’ productions

Look at other designers’ creations and constantly analyze what you don’t have, such as why they did what they did and why they are so highly regarded, and incorporate what you need to increase what you can use as a weapon.

What you look at can be anything, whether it is a book, website, or museum, but I recommend that you look at something that has a good explanation.

Most things do not have explanations, but without explanations, you can only guess from the appearance, and in the beginning, your analysis will end up being inadequate because you do not have enough resolution to guess for yourself.

For example, when thinking about what ingredients are needed to make a curry, if the average person can only think of carrots, potatoes, onions, meat, roux, and so on, a cook can think of more detailed information such as where the vegetables come from, where the meat comes from, and what spices are used in the roux.

By knowing that much, the chef can finally think about what is needed for a good curry! This will allow you to differentiate your curry from others.

Look at other people’s explanations and try to find something that makes you say, “I didn’t know they used this kind of element in their curry! and look for the ones that are “I didn’t know they incorporated these elements!

3. Create a lot of productions

No matter how much knowledge you have, if you don’t make it, you will not improve. To be honest, there are usually people, even university professors who teach design, who are not at all as good as private designers. There are many skills that can only be acquired through experience, such as what you need to be able to do, what you do not need to do, how to make it more efficient, and what balance is needed for a beautiful layout.

In any case, gain experience and get into the habit of always thinking.

4. Seek feedback

Feedback from others is critical to improving your design skills. So who is the best person to ask? It should be someone who is a better designer than you. Preferably, it is a designer best who is working as a professional.

Because, first of all, people who do not design have no evaluation criteria. As for the first impression of appearance, you might talk about the “four principles of design” thing on the spot as an idea, but sometimes the invisible information is more important to make the design better.

For example, “What is the client’s primary message?” What is the client’s objective? How is this reflected in the design? They will give constructive suggestions from perspectives that would not come up unless they are designing as part of their job. The more experienced the designer is, the more accurate he or she will be.

If you are asked by a client for an official project, do not ask someone who is not involved in or interested in design because he or she is your friend or senior colleague.

5. Make it a habit to always look at new information.

As far as design is concerned, as long as people continue to create something new, open a new store, etc., there will always be something new. By continuing to look at such things, we can get a sense of what the “current trend” is. Of course, this does not mean that we should ride the wave of the trend, but the birth of a trend also means the birth of something “out of date.

And this is also a difficult part. Sometimes, even if you bring a trend that was born in Tokyo to a local area at the same time, it may still be too early.

In this regard, please consider the direction of your design while confirming the type of environment in which the person who requests your services is located.

Finally

What you need to do to improve your design skills on your own. How was it?

Progress in design takes experience and time. You can’t just get good at it tomorrow.

You have to think, think, think, create, actually use, check the results, reflect on them, and make the best use of them the next time. The more you repeat this process, the higher the quality of your design will be.

In order to make the most effective use of your time, please do not stick to your own way of doing things, but try the methods I have introduced here.

That’s all for now.

Thank you very much for reading.