And here, without much ado, are three qualities I recommend cultivating for any designer (but especially those working in-house).
—
Be Funny.
To be funny is to be surprising, and a good designer should be able to surprise. Being funny doesn’t make you a good designer, but it does mean that your mind works a little sideways, and can make connections that don’t come readily to other people. That kind of lateral thinking serves you well when designing, because it means you’ll surprise your clients — hopefully in a good way. By the same token, a dour, humorless designer is more likely to create the first layout that comes readily to mind, to be overly literal, and lack vision for the big ideas that will change a business. Be funny.
Be Hungry.
A stagnant designer is a soon-to-be-useless designer. Be less comfortable with the idea of a “style,” whether that’s your house style or your personal style. Seek to evolve, push, grow. Your client may hold you back, but that’s their job — they’re hiring you to show them something outside their box so that they can know the boundaries they want to stay within. Read. Watch. Experiment. Fail. Learn. And don’t assume that the next growing edge for you is trying out a new design that scares you (although that never hurts) … be hungry for your career, push your boss to push you. If you’re not in danger of failing, you’re too comfortable. Be hungry.
Be Humble.
Designer ego is BS. Sure, you want to have enough self-confidence to sell … but that doesn’t mean you’re allowed to act like a high priest of a secret order. Design is all about communication, and ego shuts down real communication faster than almost anything. When it comes to design, stop and realize that it’s not actually about you at all. Your work isn’t a subjective reflection of your personal value — it’s an objective tool for business purposes, and as such, it needs to be critically evaluated. Get better by listening, learning, and taking criticism well. Be humble.
—
Hope that was helpful.