Published on | Prototyping: From UX to Front End — Medium Dakota Berg

I’ve been working since I was in grade school, had my first paid graphic design client in 8th grade and have since graduated from a four-year university and held multiple full-time, part-time and contract design-related positions. I don’t preface this post to brag, just to point out that although I’m only 24, I’ve experienced enough to develop a core set of 15 concepts that I have learned through my design education and career thus far. Although success is measured differently for everybody, the best measure of success, in my opinion, is doing what you love. I believe these core 15 concepts will help lead anybody towards the path of success if followed thoughtfully, which is why I try to live by them myself. As they say, “Practice what you preach.” Honestly, you’ve probably heard all of this shit before and you’ve probably just been too lazy to actually put it to use. I’m calling you out.

1) Always start with too much & narrow it down.

It’s better to be able to scrap bad ideas than to not have came across the best idea. Remember, vectors are free. Explore. It’s cool to fail here. Save copies as you go so you can go back and see your progression or revisit an earlier idea. More often than not the best idea seems to spark from an iteration of another one that didn’t work.

“It’s cool to fail here.”

DKTB Identity Package

2) Use pen & paper to get ideas out quickly & to take notes during meetings.

I may sound like one of your grandparents, but pen & paper is still one of the best tools in your graphic design toolbox. It’s quick. It’s free. Even if you suck, it’s a little liberating. But here’s the thing… it can’t do everything. It has its limits. You don’t need to sketch a high-fidelity, high-detail logomark, you just need to capture the essence so you can finesse that idea later when you’re at your computer. If you use paper to its strengths, it’ll become your best friend forever and you’ll keep a little notebook in your back pocket all the time like me. Plus, it acts as a little butt barrier if you sit on a cactus or something.

“Even if you suck, it’s a little liberating.”

3) Don’t show a concept you wouldn’t be happy with the client choosing.

I picked up this tip from Aaron Draplin. This may seem obvious, but with time restraints and other reasons, you may feel obligated to present the options you have “done”. Quickly you will find out that a lot of clients will inevitably pick your least favorite option. So instead of giving the client an opportunity to choose a logo you don’t like, just don’t present designs you don’t like. Boom.

4) Stay true to your commitments.

This isn’t always possible, life does happen. See the next point for more on that. But you have to do your best to follow through with things you say and commitments you make if you expect clients to stay with you or employers to continue to invest resources into you. Set realistic deadlines and hit them. If you absolutely have to push a deadline back, do it ahead of time so everyone can prepare accordingly. Nobody wants to get hit with a surprise right before a big meeting where they needed a key document or presentation deck.

5) Don’t over schedule yourself, but take every possible opportunity you can.

This is a tricky one. It is in your best interest to take every possible opportunity you can, but you don’t want to spread yourself so thin that you can’t maintain your obligations. In my experience, you can find time for just about anything if you really want to. More often than not, “not having the time” seems to translate to “It’s not high enough priority right now”.

DKTB Logos & Marks

6) Know when to say no and know when to walk away.

In contrast to the point above, you also need to know when to say no and when you need to walk away. There are times for both, so you’ll need to learn each of them. Sometimes the “project fit” isn’t right, sometimes the “client fit” isn’t right, sometimes the budget isn’t right, sometimes you don’t have time. There are countless reasons why you may not want to or be able to accept a client or proposal. People are defined by more than just their appearance and the same is true for brands. Remember, the people you do business with define your brand.

7) Don’t let your age or experience be a barrier. Learn to sell yourself.

Whether you are a recent graduate, a seasoned vet or somewhere in between, learning to sell yourself is easily the best skill you can obtain. No other skill can provide as many long-term benefits as being able to convince others why you are the one for the job or project. Your age is just a number. Prove yourself with a solid body of work, the ability to present or sell yourself and the ability to think critically and you’ll be set.

“Learning to sell yourself is easily the best skill you can obtain.”

8) You determine your rate. It’s your job to convince them of your value.

“Junior Designer”, “Senior Designer”, it’s a load of crap and it’s just a title. I have like a dozen. Your age doesn’t matter, see point above for more on the age barrier. Remember that you are worth what you can convince them you are worth. It’s as simple as that. If they value your work enough, they will pay your price. Don’t lower your rate unless you expect them to barter with you at every step of the way. Are there times for pro bono or personal projects? No doubt. But don’t get in the habit of doing free work. Also, your portfolio better be on point. None of this, well it’s a work-in-progress bullshit.

“Also, your portfolio better be on point.”

9) Remember to factor in file prep & delivery when you make a quote.

This can be easily overlooked. Remember when you design a logo (or similar project), you’ll be required to provide somewhere between 20–200 unique files depending how many orientation and color variations are required. This takes time, patience and if you mess up or they ask you to change one thing, you may have to redo it all over again. Try to only do this once and make sure to factor it into your budget. Also be prepared for previous clients to approach you months or years down the line looking for design files. Keep an archive, it’s quite inexpensive now-a-days.

DKTB Headquarters

10) Dress how you want to be treated.

You’ve heard this one before, but it’s true, especially if you’re younger or have less experience. Don’t make it obvious that you are over-dressing, but make sure you wear clothes that are appropriate for the occasion and present the image you want to. If you’re meeting someone for the first time, remember that they don’t know you from your past and you can be whoever you want to… but don’t lie. People can spot your starchy new cashmere vest with that brand new neck tie jabbing you in the neck from a mile away.

11) Prepare for the occasion.

If you’re going to meet somebody, do some quick research before-hand. It never hurts to have a little background. If you’re going to be speaking or presenting, take some simple notes to keep you on-topic. If you’re going to be at a networking event, take plenty of business cards. You generally won’t regret being over-prepared, but you will certainly regret being under-prepared.

12) You either win or you learn.

The idea here is that you never really “lose”. Even when you don’t win, you’re learning. Embrace failure because from every failure comes new opportunities that you can learn and build on. Behind every success story, there are dozens of failures along the way. Keep going.

13) Learn from the people around you, good and bad.

Some people around you will be great life-long mentors. Others will be good examples of what you don’t want to be like. Every larger company seems to have at least one. You know who you are. Observe everything. Learn from the good and the bad. Then don’t repeat the bad.

14) Don’t be afraid to try new things.

Go. You generally won’t regret trying something but you most certainly will regret not trying something. Learn a new skill. Try out a new tool. Explore a new country. Go meet people. Try something. Just go.

15) Don’t be afraid to just go for it.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned from losing people close to me, you never know when it’s going to be your last day, so live now. Go, just go. Nobody else’s opinion matters. If you want to do it, do it. Do you. Fuck ’em. Haters’ gonna hate.

BONUS: Don’t half-ass shit.

Don’t take it on if you aren’t able to give it everything you have. As you take on more responsibilities your time may get spread thin, but if you commit to something it’s your job to give it your all. Life is too short to half-ass shit.

“Life is too short to half-ass shit.”

About the author

Dakota is an entrepreneur & designer from the Pacific Northwest. Founder of DKTB Design, Partner at Black Hatchet & Lead Designer at SportsCastr.

15 Concepts I Learned Through Design That I (Try To) Live By was originally published in prototypr on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.

15 Concepts I Learned Through Design That I (Try To) Live By

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