6 Overlooked Qualities of a Standout Graphic Designer

Communication makes us human; it is one of those things in our lives that truly defines who we are.

Apart from representing our traits and personalities, communication also helps facilitate the exchange of knowledge and information. Communication is truly the essence of life as it helps us build relationships and connect. Throughout history, humans have found different ways to communicate with each other; however, one way of communication that has always been considered the most ideal is communication through graphics.

The Rise of the Graphic Design Industry

Humans have come a long way in visual communication, from stones and tools to digital tablets. It is a fact that humans consume information faster when it is visual. Since we live in this modern era of technology, the easiest way to exchange information is with the help of graphic design.

Today, graphic design has become such an important part of our lives that it is almost impossible to imagine a life without it. In the past decade, we have not only seen the rapid growth of technology but also the massive surge in the graphic design industry, and the reason for that is that almost all businesses have moved online in such a short span.

The Increasing number of Graphic Designers

From posters to billboards and magazines to advertisements, graphic design has grown massively. With its expeditious growth, the graphic designing industry has also produced some of the most creative and talented individuals. Throughout the world, graphic designing is seen as a leading profession. Only the U.S alone generates annual revenue of $11 billion with graphic designing only.

It is extremely easy to find a graphic designer; however, finding a great one is still quite difficult. The reason for that is that most people are in the profession. After all, it pays good, but if you are someone who is looking to hire a graphic designer or want to become a great graphic designer, then you have come to the right place because, in this article, we will present you with a list of some overlooked qualities of a standout graphic designer.

What Does a Graphic Designer Do?

However, before we dive deep into the topic, let's look at what a graphic designer does. The basic job description of a graphic designer is to create appealing visuals that communicate with the targeted audience. Still, if we look at a graphic designer with an open mind, we would see an artist who not only creates art but also combines it with the latest technology.

A graphic designer is someone versatile enough to do different creative things, such as work with digital media or print media. Graphic designers can also involve various design elements to create exquisite art pieces while keeping up with the latest trends.

Now that we know what graphic designers do, let's look at some of their standout qualities.

1.Creativity

The first and the most obvious trait of a graphic designer is creativity; creativity is one of those qualities that help a graphic designer stand out from the crowd. Great graphic designers are often imaginative because all creativity comes from imagination; however, being imaginative is not enough, as applying that imagination is also the key. One of the best things about creative people is they don't do what everyone else is doing; unlike other professionals who follow the crowd or follow different trends, a great graphic designer always finds inspiration in the most basic objects.

2. Time Management 

Time management is one of the most overlooked qualities of a graphic designer; a professional graphic designer can stick to tight deadlines. These deadlines are not only for one project or client but an expert graphic designer can juggle between different clients and different projects. It is said that the field of graphic design is the toughest when it comes to time management because designs always have some room for improvement, and designers are often tempted to keep tweaking their work to perfection.

3. Appreciating Constructive Criticism 

When it comes to overlooked qualities of graphic designers, we cannot simply forget about this trait. When they hire a graphic designer, most people want them to be creative and create appealing pieces in the given time.

However, most clients don't appreciate how graciously a graphic designer takes criticism and works with them to improve the work because, honestly, no one likes to have their work picked apart. To be a standout graphic designer, you must have thick skin to take criticism without being defensive and be always ready to share your work with the client and your team to accept positive feedback.

4. Passion and Drive

In every profession, it is very important for a professional to be ambitious and have that drive to work harder and better. A graphic designer must be passionate because people who are not passionate about their work don't usually end up in a creative industry.

Being a graphic designer is extremely tough as they have to put in late hours, work on constant changes, do major edits and follow confusing guidelines, so if a graphic designer does not have passion for his work, then he is not made for it. This is why a graphic designer's passion for art is also a highly overlooked quality. Passionate graphic designers are often tough to find; however, if you want a passionate and quality graphic design, you should check out Quality Graphic Design - Artisticore.

5. Patience 

A problem with art and being creative is that sometimes you hit a mental block and cannot see outcomes. Most graphic designers face these situations, and you can separate a great graphic designer from an ordinary one. A great graphic designer always stays patient in such situations and keeps trying out different alternatives before getting to the result.

6. Storytelling Ability 

Last but not least, the storytelling ability. Storytelling is among the most overlooked abilities of a graphic designer, and this is because a lot of people don't know how it works and why it is important. In the visual industry, if you want your audience to connect with you, you want them to feel a spark with your visuals. Catching and holding your audience's attention is quite challenging, but a graphic designer can easily do it with compelling stories. Good graphic designers are often good at storytelling and capturing their audience.

Final Note

Graphic designing is not a piece of cake as it is a field that requires continuous learning and practice; however, one thing also plays a major role in making someone a great graphic designer is how much they experiment and take risks. Graphic designers who take more risks and experiment more are often more successful.