How to find yourself and style as a graphic designer.
One might say that as a designer, you are doing yourself a disservice by having a "design style." A graphic designers job is to service the client and tend to their design needs, and having a style is counterintuitive to this ideology. By having a style, you are ultimately servicing yourself & not the client.
I disagree. All designers have a style. Without this, what separates us from the designer sitting next to us? Your style will dictate the type of clients you attract, making aligning with the right clients much easier.
Here are some examples of designers in graphic design history with distinct styles.
Shepard Fairey
Susan Kare
David Carson
Paula Scher
Paul Rand
Barbara Kruger
These designers have made significant contributions to the field of graphic design and have developed unique and memorable styles recognized and respected throughout the industry.
How to find your style as a graphic designer?
Before you find your style as a graphic designer, you first have to find yourself.
Who are you?
What do you love to do?
What are you good at?
What do you think the world needs more of?
What topics and subject matter resonate with you the most?
If you have difficulty figuring out what those things are, ask a long-time friend or family member, someone who knows you better than anyone else.
When meshed together, these things give you a sense of self-identity. When you're passionate about something, you will naturally develop a sense of self around it. Your style should be a reflection of who you are. Your identity, coupled with your curiosity for design, will help you define and develop your style as a graphic designer.
Now that you have found yourself, here are seven things to focus on when trying to develop your style.
Define your target audience
Understanding why and who you design for is essential, knowing what resonates with you and the people around you. Think about how you design for the commonalities between you and those you resonate with the most.
Study Graphic Design History
Studying the key elements that characterized various graphic design movements within art history and the leading designers within those movements will help you figure out what aspects of design you are most interested in. By understanding the origins of designs, we can develop a better understanding of our creative process and create more efficiently.
Jan Rosicky & Jakub Michalek have a great graphic design timeline outlining events within the history of graphic design.
Keep up with the trends, but don't limit yourself to them.
Trends in graphic design define what's popular within our current industry. Everyone finds themselves designing with inspiration pulled from some aspect of design that resonated with them at some point in time, the same can be said for trends. Trends become popular because people resonate with them.
It's always good to stay updated on the latest design trends, but don't limit yourself to them, don't be afraid to change. If you still need to find your design style, your goal should be to study design history and try out the trends, pull the necessary elements you resonate with, and evolve from there into your own style.
Focus on developing your tropes.
Try and notice the common patterns in your most successful work. These are your tropes, the things you are known for, and the things you enjoy doing the most. Developing your tropes will naturally happen as you gravitate toward the things that interest you. Concentrate on creating, and the development of your style and the cornerstone elements of your design will happen naturally.
Be open to critiques and feedback.
Being open to critiques and feedback is vital in learning and improving. Don't take constructive criticism personally. Remember that it is only meant to help you grow and learn.
Find and document inspiration in everyday life.
Keep a physical sketchbook to document your design inspiration and explorations. During my first year in college, one of our exercises was to find inspiration, print it, glue it into our sketchbooks and write about it. Doing this will help you determine the design aspects you enjoy the most.
Experiment with different design techniques and mediums.
Experiment with incorporating different techniques into your workflow.
You can get hands-on with an analog approach
collaging
printmaking
mixed media
scanning in textures and elements
Utilize 3D software
photography
digital illustration.
There is no right or wrong process. It's also important to consider how your developing style adapts to different mediums. Magazines, posters, billboards, packaging, identity, and advertising, how does your style translate across these varying formats? And what can you do to make your designs more successful?
To summarize it all:
Define your target audience
Study Art History
Keep up with the trends, but don't be restricted by them
Focus on developing your tropes
Be open to critiques and feedback
Find and document inspiration in everyday life
Experiment with different design techniques and mediums
Practice these things regularly, and not only will you find your style in graphic design, but you will find out what truthfully draws you to the field, what you love about design, and what interests you the most. I hope this helps you in your design journey. Peace!
