{"id":1759,"date":"2024-11-12T05:06:51","date_gmt":"2024-11-12T05:06:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/?p=1759"},"modified":"2024-12-02T05:47:25","modified_gmt":"2024-12-02T05:47:25","slug":"why-new-graphic-designers-seek-mentorship","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/careernavig8r.com\/blog\/why-new-graphic-designers-seek-mentorship\/","title":{"rendered":"Teaching Graphic Design: Why New Designers Seek Mentorship"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Graphic design mentoring can be an incredibly powerful way to help junior designers find their feet. While universities and colleges are great for teaching the fundamentals, there\u2019s a lot that can only be learned on the job. As such, the role of a graphic design trainer is less about artistic principles and more about practical applications.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So with all that being said, let\u2019s talk about how to teach graphic design with a focus on practical applications and the areas junior designers often struggle most with.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learning Visual Languages<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

All graphic design is, in essence, about communication through imagery. Good graphic design, in turn, is often about being able to lace as much meaning as possible into images that feel simple. In order to do so, graphic designers often rely on visual shorthand – signifiers that the viewer will innately understand.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Of course, any junior designer would know this principle but this is where the gap between theory and practise<\/a> really comes into play.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem with visual languages – or any language for that matter – is that they\u2019re a very loose medium. Ideas are communicated through association. For example, we all know that red means danger because we associate it with blood. When those associations change however, our communication becomes far less clear and this can lead to big problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One well-known case of this is the popular – and now somewhat infamous – typeface Times New Roman. Originally commissioned by The Times<\/em> newspaper, this typeface used to be associated with broadsheet journalism. It was a sign of professionality – of text that took itself seriously. Then came personal computers and desktop publishing. Suddenly everyone had access to Times New Roman and it became many people\u2019s default, go-to font.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The problem is that this creates a split audience. For many this has made it feel cheap and dated, especially when compared to more \u2018internet friendly\u2019 san-serif fonts. For others the meaning hasn\u2019t changed at all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now, there\u2019s no one-size fits all solution to a problem like this one. While many designers have chosen to abandon Times New Roman, other dated signifiers – such as the floppy disc that is still universally recognised as the symbol for saving a file – have stuck around.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A lot of graphic design mentoring is about encouraging junior designers to understand these distinctions, especially where they intersect with demographics. It\u2019s about teaching them to stop asking \u201cwhat does this communicate?\u201d and start asking \u201cwhat does this communicate to my audience<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But how can you best define your audience? And how can a graphic design trainer teach that skill?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understanding Brand Identities<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Brand identities are, in many respects, all about understanding your audience and your methods of communication. They\u2019re also very tied to the here and now –  particularly if your company is aiming to feel modern and up-to-date. All you need to do is look at how tech startups have chosen to brand themselves over the last decade and you\u2019ll see just how quickly that visual language can shift.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That being said, while the method changes, the core audience often doesn\u2019t. You might use different fonts and different colour schemes<\/a>, but you\u2019re still trying to communicate the same fundamental ideas.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is where an experienced graphic design mentor<\/a> can really help. If you want to teach someone graphic design then teaching them how to update a brand\u2019s image while retaining their identity is a must. As an experienced designer, you\u2019ll have seen trends come and go, and developed an instinct for which design elements might be kept and which might be changed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That instinct might be based on principles but it also relies on experience and application. Graphic design mentoring is a chance to kickstart that experience and get junior designers thinking along the right lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mastering The Iterative Process<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s hard to underestimate just how valuable an iterative design process can be. One mistake many junior designers often make is trying to get it right the first time rather than offer a range of ideas. Although this also can depend on a company\u2019s willingness to invest in multiple stages of design, more often than not the best designs come out of a process of narrowing in, gaining more feedback at each stage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When all\u2019s said and done, although they may be inexperienced, junior graphic designers certainly aren\u2019t stupid. Many of today\u2019s young designers are avidly searching for ways to improve and develop faster and that\u2019s what brings them to mentoring.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re an experienced designer who knows how to work with brand identities and communicate using visual language that your audience will understand, then you\u2019d be the perfect mentor<\/a>. Find out more about how you could monetise your experience by signing up to Career Navig8r!<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Graphic design mentoring can be an incredibly powerful way to help junior designers find their feet. While universities and colleges are great for teaching the fundamentals, there\u2019s a lot that can only…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":1760,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1759","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mentoring-101"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n3 Reasons Why New Graphic Designers Seek Mentorship<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Are you an experienced graphic designer? 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