Self-Taught Graphic Designers
Why you should not ignore them?
There will be constant debates between self-taught individuals and those who have undergone proper training at school. Each point raised by both parties will indeed be valid. There will be circumstances that prove that getting a degree and getting verified and certified by schools will manifest better and successful results. While on the other hand, we cannot deny that self-taught individuals have proven their capacity to excel and produce great results. Their passion for continuously thriving provides clients great satisfaction. In recent years there have been a number of breakout graphic designers as young as 16 years old. Google has shelved the standard of hiring only people who had a degree in a four-year course.
Although most companies still view four years of study as a sign of quality work experience and professional communication skills, they also find that college graduates often lack the necessary professional skills after being hired. Mastering book information can make a student an excellent student but not an excellent employee. Employers often say that freshmen often lack the initiative and entrepreneurial skills to benefit the team. According to the World Economic Forum, critical thinking, complex problem solving, and personnel management skills are essential for young people entering the working class, as these skills will create and destroy businesses.
Self-taught or autodidact individuals have developed and practiced important soft skills that clients may need to consider highly. Innovations are fast-paced, we can’t foresee what the future holds, and the ability to adapt and learn is a key factor. These individuals are willing to go into the depths of matter to learn and provide satisfactory results.
1. Creativity and innovation
The best graphic designers can come up with creative and unique ideas for a project. The best people can innovate in new ways that influence others in the industry. Graphic designers must have the initiative to boost their artistic and innovative thinking capabilities.
2. Collaboration
Collaboration helps determine and maintain standards. In most circumstances, it enhances great ideas. By reviewing the design, we can pinpoint areas of the designs that might need to be altered or improved, which is how you and the graphic designer reach the desired output. Combining great ideas often results in an exemplary design.
3. Communication
Communication is the key to running any business in any industry. This is the only way to achieve significant results and complete projects on time. It is no different with design work; every graphic designer needs to know how to communicate with his employees, customers, management, and other people in the company. To create something that adds real value to your business, your graphic designers need to reach out to their employers, management, and other team members for their opinions and perspectives.
4. Time Management
Constantly being in creative mode and working with visuals in front of a bright screen can quickly become very tiring and monotonous, so designers need to be able to organize their time in such a way that they get their work done while being open to new ideas and possible changes in the project. Because let’s be honest, goals and requirements are constantly changing.
5. Active listening
We often found ourselves in the routine of half-listening to provide a proper response that will impress the client. What you need to look for in a graphic designer is one who listens carefully to your goals and wishes. Hire a graphic designer who listens to truly understand the problems that need to be solved, the wants & needs of the client to come up with a successful design.
Below are a few of the many self-taught graphic designers that prove as a client, you shouldn’t pass on portfolios submitted by a self-taught graphic designer.
Raymond Loewy (1893-1986)
“It would seem that more than function itself, simplicity is the deciding factor in the aesthetic equation. One might call the process beauty through function and simplification.”
Wally Olins (1930-2014)
“Overall, because branding is about creating and sustaining trust it means delivering on promises. The best and most successful brands are completely coherent. Every aspect of what they do and what they are reinforces everything else.”
Gabrielle Bonheur “Coco” Chanel (1883-1971)
“Simplicity is the keynote of all true elegance.”
These people have proven what motivational speaker and entrepreneur Jim Rohn was noted for saying, “Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune.” They earned respect and acknowledgment they truly deserve in their respective fields. So before you make a pass on portfolios by self-taught graphic designers, think again.
Resources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/quora/2019/01/30/are-businesses-ready-to-embrace-people-who-are-self-taught/?sh=355363f811ff
https://www.selfmadedesigner.com/famous-self-taught-designers/#rand