Our best advice

Sharing tips for careers in graphic design

On Thursday, May 15th, our Director of Design, Irina Lee, brought design students from Senior Project + Portfolio, a capstone course she teaches with Graydon Kolk, in the Farmingdale State College, School of Business, Visual Communications Program. The students are graduating, so we had a great opportunity to talk with them about beginning their careers as design professionals. (See photos on Instagram @bureaublank.)

In addition to providing an overview about the design process here at Bureau Blank, a few members of our team shared our best advice, lessons we have learned (most often the hard way), and even our favorite books for jumpstarting a creative career.

Here are some of the highlights from event, featuring insights from Derick, Dan, Adrian, Josh, and John:

It takes more than great design to be a great designer

Design can be a tool for both problem solving and storytelling. There are two practices that take design from good to great: research and presentation.

3 reasons research is important

1. Immersing yourself in the context of your client’s work and why it matters helps them see you more as a partner than a vendor, making it easier to convince them of your ideas

2. Thorough research makes creative briefs clearer and aligns everyone’s expectations before the work begins

3. If you hit a wall in your creative process, research gives you the ammunition you need to easily explore other paths

3 ways to use your presentation to your advantage

1. Tailor your presentation to address your client’s key concerns. Focus on what your design accomplishes for the client more than what it looks like.

2. Whenever possible, present your work in person or over the phone instead of sending via email. You can respond more quickly to their reactions and provide prompt resolutions to any issues that arise during the presentation.

3. Rehearse your presentation to build your comfort level and plan ahead for any questions that your client will have.

Quotable Advice

For the workplace and company culture

“Be prepared to talk to everyone.”

“Under-promise, over-deliver.”

“Stay in your lane and build allies.”

For the learning process

“From growth to making mistakes—it never ends!”

For the creative process

“Collect inspiration as you go.”

“When you hit a wall, don’t overdo it. Do something else.”

For your career

“Focus less on the title you want and more on the experience and skills you need.”

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