I love this article and plan to go back and read the whole thing at some point. I love the way the author breaks things down. It’s refreshing to see a graphic designer who by most would be considered an artist, who is comfortable enough to pull back the curtain.
His section on how to win a design competition is great. I don’t plan on entering any design competitions any time soon as I’m not completely delusional, but I can appreciate what he’s saying here. There are just some facts that if understood, can help someone win a competition. He talks about making things big. This is a hilariously simple tip but considering he has judged many design competitions, I can only assume that he knows the conventions.
The fact of the matter is that these competitions are not the most important things going on in these graphic designers lives. They are not usually taking a personal stake in the outcome of the competition and really don’t care who wins. They are coming in, looking at the work displayed before them, and choosing pieces that spark an interest in them or that they enjoy.
His take on fame was also interesting. Graphic design, and really most fields are not Hollywood Acting. There are not hundreds of thousands or millions of people vying for the opportunity to be famous in your particular field, especially on a local level. The people who are successful are those that involve themselves and get their names out there.
Social media has created great new opportunities to find local or even worldwide fame in your particular field. Everyone now has access to everyone through things like Twitter and all it takes to start to make yourself relevant is to participate in conversations and add intriguing ideas and thoughts. If you do this frequently, people will come to recognize it and you will gain access to other people who think the same way.