12 Traits of a Seriously Creative Graphic Designer

By Mehreen Siddiqua , Jan 13 2012

Featured Image Source: iStock/FANDSrabutan

Some believe that creative geniuses are born, while others believe that creativity is a learned behavior. Your attitude and the way you see things are two aspects that contribute to what makes you creative. You’ll come across many bad habits of graphic designers as well but you should only embrace these good qualities I’m about to share.

Creative graphic designers are known for their ability to adapt to all kind of situations and not allowing criticism to render them short. They have a multitude of qualities that many lack.

Blog Update: 27 July 2015

Here are twelve traits of seriously creative graphic designers:

1. Highly Motivated

 
Highly Motivated

Creative graphic designers are motivated by the task at hand rather than by material rewards. They find motivation in the challenge that a task presents rather than allowing the material benefits to dictate what they do.

2. Very Imaginative

 
Very Imaginative

They stand out from the crowd. While others follow the latest trends and find inspiration in other people’s work, the < a href=”https://www.zilliondesigns.com/users/designers”>creative graphic designers find inspiration in everyday things and themselves.

3. Brutally Honest

 
Brutally Honest

Self criticism is a quality many people fail to find a balance in. They either end up being too critical of themselves or become over confident about being the best. Being brutally honest with oneself requires asking the right questions throughout the creative design process. This is one of the leading traits of successful designers.

4. Truly Passionate

 
Truly Passionate

Passion tends to be the main driving force behind creativity. You have to love what you do in order to do it well. Unless you are passionate about what you do, you will not be able to completely focus on the task at hand and soon get tired of it.

5. Adore Challenges

 
Adore Challenges

Creative graphic designers do not shy away from challenges. They let their curiosity get the best of them, allowing them to ask questions and discover things most of us overlook. This curiosity gets them intrigued by challenges and they are able to tackle them head on.

6. Manage Time

 
Manage Time

Time management can become a challenge for many graphic designers who take on multiple projects and fail to deliver on time, leading to a lack in creativity. A good graphic designer would assess his/her current workload and is realistic in his approach towards work so every project s/he takes can be given its due time. Designers can also enhance their efficiency by adopting time management strategies, such as using time tracking software, prioritizing tasks, and implementing time blocking.

7. Find a Balance

 
Find a Balance

Creative designers know how to strike a balance between being play and organized. They know how to be fun enough to experiment with various concepts and serious enough to implement them professionally. They combine the carefree fantasy with the right amount of realty based perspective.

8. Good Communicator

 
Good Communicator

Being a good communicator plays a major role in the success of any designer. Prompt interaction with the client and keeping them in the loop regarding the developments and new ideas is critical to a project’s success. Doing so will help strengthen your designer-client relationship.

9. Professional Attitude

 
Professional Attitude

Good graphic designers know that there is a fine line between being confident and being arrogant. They don’t let their confidence get the best of them and are open to suggestions and ideas given by the client.

10. Can Take Criticism

 
Can Take Criticism

Criticism is just another person’s opinion. Learn to take criticism positively as it will help you grow and understand things better. Successful graphic designers know how to accept criticism and understand that it is part of the learning process, not to be taken personally.

11. Keep Learning

 
Keep Learning

Designing is a lifelong process. It is not something you can learn in a few months or a couple of years. As the graphic design industry continues to evolve, only the ones who keep up with the developments can stay ahead in the game. The minute you stop learning is the minute you sign yourself up for failure.

12. Push their Limits

 
Push their Limits

Pushing your boundaries, thinking outside the box and allowing yourself to experiment is all part of the learning experience as a creative graphic designer.

All these traits are part of a successful graphic designer’s personality and play an imperative role in transforming an individual into a designer extraordinaire. Can you think of any other trait a winning graphic designer might have? Be sure to drop in a line. We love to know your opinion!

*This post was originally written by Alexis Stone.

Images Source: Freepik

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My spirit lies in the distant past that I never saw with my own eyes but wish to reveal it to the world there is wisdom in the old adage. My heart lies in a future that is filled with imaginative art, technological advancements and scientific discovery in tomorrow-land. In my present, I want to bring about positive change through simple innovative ideas for businesses, brands, visual graphic designers and the world community at large.