Missing the tech train.

Print is dead.

I know this sounds radical and print might not disappear completely, however, this is a warning and a wake-up call. I’ve been noticing for a while now that there are plenty of creatives peers who are getting complacent. I have made this same mistake too, specifically in the recent past. The worst thing was waking up from my pleasant sleep, and realize that we have missed the train. There are two common situations for graphic designers.

Are you still in school?

You are still learning the basics of graphic design and working, mostly on print projects. The big issue is that most art institutes, academies or public colleges with design programs suffer from a print focused curriculum. Digital oriented work is scarce and not promoted for diverse reasons. It’s not even well taught in most cases. You encounter that the real world demands a bit of a different set of skills. This happens to a lot of fresh graphic design graduates. Let’s face it, most of us couldn’t afford to go to Parsons, RISD or Art Center. So we are stuck with what we got. However, that is not an excuse for not improving on your craft on your own. The good news is that the foundation you are learning in school is still extremely useful. Learn how to learn.

Are you getting comfortable using the same formula and tools to complete the same type of projects?

I’ve been stuck on this one. Mind you, work has to get done and establishing some kind of automation is the way to go but as a creative you need to work on personal projects and also improving your process. Learning new software in order to make your work easier and faster is a must. If you are not careful, you can burn out. It happened to me. One day you decide to check some design blogs instead of checking memes on social media and notice that the industry have moved on and you are stuck with what you currently know.

Don’t Panic!

If you are reading this and feel frustrated or in panic, don’t be. It happens to all of us. I’m in a path to recovery from a similar situation and it’s the reason why I’m writing this. What can’t happen is you refuse to adapt and learn new tools and skills. The task of a designer is to keep up with these changes in other to do work that is relevant and effective. The basics are always going to be there. They are the foundation and are never going to change. Mastering principles of design is extremely valuable.

Now, what happens when technology is not your forte?

I have bad news and good news. The bad news is that new technology is implemented at a faster pace than you can learn it. We’re heading into Sci-Fi levels of technology. Machine learning, augmented and virtual reality are just examples of that. This might seem like a huge headache and alarming, but bare with me. The great news is that you learn what works and keep up with what is coming. Learning something new just takes a lot of patience and practice.

What can we do then?

The key is to specialize in an industry while adopting new technologies and new media. For instance, traditional advertising is no longer relevant therefore, you need to focus on branding and strategy. This is the new way your potential clients will sell their products or services. If you want to specialize in Logo and Identity then, make sure that you make your work dynamic and compatible with digital technologies. Basically for anything you want to specialize in, pick the design category and acquire skills for different type of media formats(Smart watches, Mobile, tablets, Screens, VR, AR, Video/Film, Print, Spaces). Print only just doesn’t cut it anymore.

What do you need to learn?

After you choose your focus then you get acquainted with the tech at your disposal. Don’t be a crazy lunatic like me and try to learn everything all at once. Just dedicate time to learn what you need and try to be the best at it. Then move to the next skill you want to learn.

Increasing your toolkit helps you enhance your work’s reach and capabilities. Think on what it is available that can help you produce something flexible and scalable. Going back to branding, identity systems to be more precise, doing static logos and business cards won’t get you the bigger client that you want or help a client or improve their product/service. Agencies like Sagmeister & Walsh, and Pentagram have been working on dynamic identities for quite a while now. Dynamism and adaptability are two keywords in developing identities. Most, if not all, brands are being discovered on the web and mobile devices first these days.

Keep all this in mind and keep learning you’ll get more opportunities. Let’s commit to be our better selves every day.

Cheers.