all this sitting around indoors while pondering our digital presence can easily bring on a bout of solipsism. There is a simple way to fix this: go out and find some like-minded people to talk to. Never hesitate to attend exhibition launches, award shows or festivals. In the days before Facebook, events like those served as networking hubs and that role still persists. They are overrun with creative types, many of whom you could work with or for.
Archives
Blog for self motivation
If you have a lively blog with interesting content, it can be a real winner in more ways than one. Let people see the projects you’ve been working on and the different ways you’re working is a great idea. Use the show and tell process as a catalyst for new work and experimentation. This, hopefully will create a virtuous circle as people keep coming back for more.
Be in the competition
Granted, you might put in a lot of effort and get nothing in return, but that’s the nature of competitions. You never know who might see the work and which drunk creative director you can talk into looking over your portfolio as he staggers around the after-show party! Plus there is a school of thought that believes there’s something to be had from taking part. If that’s too much of a stretch, you can always rant about the unfairness on your blog.
Engage with others
Sign up to design blogs and comment on other people’s work. There are lots of design forums out there and plenty of ways to get involved with the design community. Not only with this keep you up to date with what’s going on, it will help to create awareness of your opinion. The more your name and web link is out there, the more likely people are to see it and visit it.
Do good work
Give your time, skills and work free for charitable causes. As well as the obvious benefits for the cause this is especially useful for meeting new and influential people. These types of projects often enable you to have more creative freedom and won’t harm your reputation or conscience. Do a good job here and not only will it warm your cockles, it might bring you some attention of the financially liquid parties in need of some design advice. It’s a classic win-win situation.
If you must blog, do it well
Despite appearance to the contrary, blogging is not about telling everyone what you had for breakfast. It should inspire interaction, just as any other piece of work should. Boring people is worse than having no effect at all. Inspiration is fine but don’t make a rod for your own back by showing everyone how many better designers there are than you out there. Be funny, charming, entertaining and informative at all times.
Speak 1,000 Words
Use words as well as images when presenting your work. People enjoy reading interesting editorial content and it helps demonstrate your abilities as a good communicator. It is essential that you are able to communicate effectively through some medium other than visual. Whether emailing clients, writing a blog or explaining your work as part of your portfolio, thoughtful stimulating and grammatically correct writing really shines through.
Keep Them Coming back
It almost goes without saying that a website is an essential first point of contact these days. However, it’s not good just sticking a few pictures up and forgetting about it. Your website needs to look good but it also needs to be dynamic. People want to feel your presence behind that storefront, always busy, keeping them enthralled.
Promote yourself
The difference between a good designer and a successful designer is self promotion. Churning out innovative, high quality work is important, but making sure the right people take notice of it and remember who it’s by is even more crucial.
Self promotion doesn’t mean selling out, though. Clever mailers a well-stocked blog, quirky gifts and memorable business cards all help shape Brand You.
Go on the social
Blogging is just one short step from the world of social networking. Social networking is an important and easy-to-use tool in the whole game of self-promotion. Twitter, Flickr, Facebook, Behance – they all give you a platform to show off your work to like-minded people in an instant. And some, such as Twitter, still offer a direct route to commissioning editors and other potential clients.