How to become a successful graphic designer in Nigeria
What is graphic design?.
Graphic design is the art of using visua elements to convey a message to the targeted audience. Such elements include shapes, typograpy, colors, layout, and images. Graphic design examples includes creating a logo for brands and businesses,designing packages for products, designing a magazine, creating posters, designing mobile applications and websites, branding for events etc.
Graphic design is used as a medium of transmitting information that is hard to understand into simpler units or layouts that are easier to understand. exampe oof such is a create a well designed infographics to present information or data. graphic design is applied in different fields such as advertising, marketing and publishing Industries.
Graphic Design is used to create unique and memorable visual identity for brand. this helps people or audience to differentiate a brand from competitors and make it recognizable to consumers. Graphic design is also used to represent emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger or excitement making it memorable experience for the people.
Types of graphic design
1. Brand Identity Design
2. User interface design
3. Motion Graphics
4. Packaging design
5. Art and Illutration
6. Game Design
7. Publication and Typography Design
8. 3d Animation
9. Architectural Visualization
10. Environmental Graphic Design
Who is a Graphic designer?
A graphic designer is a skilled and creative individual that uses shapes, colorrs, layout, images, nd typography to communicate messages. a designer creates meaningful and functional visuals using professional design softwares or programs. Graphic designers create images and layouts for some of the following: Company brand identity (logos, typography, and color palettes), User interfaces on apps and websites, Books, magazines, newspapers, and other publications, Product packaging, Advertisements and commercials, Signage for stores, transportation, stadiums, and event spaces, Video games.
Steps to becoming a successful graphic designer in Nigeria
1. Getting the right education and training: the fist step of becoming a graphic designer is by getting an education on what graphic design is, learning it’s principles, and the softwares that are used to create graphic design such as Adobe Illustrator, photoshop, figma, CorelDraw among others. Graphic design can be studied in higher institutions and obtaining qualification. it can also be learned through online courses and tutorials.
as it is good to have tools and programs you need to become a graphic designer but dont be an all gear with no idea.
2. Build a Strong Portfolio: to be a graphic designer, a person needs to work on creating a collection of real world case studies that solves. a portfolio is used to showcase best works and what exactly you can do as no one will give you work to do as a graphic designer without seeing or oing through your impressive and profesional work in your portfolio.
But being a graphic designer is not about creating eye-catching designs but about solving problem. problem solving is what differnciates you from being an artist.
so a person willing to hire you needs to see a problem you solved and the aproach you used to solve that problem. Most graphic design courses includes a porfolio section where students are taught on how to create a standard portfolio in prepAration of possible job interviews after completing the course.
3. Network with other successful designers and professionals in the field: networking is plays a vital role in the graphic design industry. Networking with designers will help you learn new things (trends), find oppurtunities. Atteding conferences and events related to design such as NGDX is an excellent way to expand your network as a graphic designer.
This types of events brings togther like-mided peope getting oppurtunities to meet designers , veterans and potential cliemts. By conversing or discussing and exchanging ideas during design related events can birth fruitful network (connections). Joining design related groups or communities online and engaging helps you as a designer to get more netwoork as you can have fruitful interactions and corresctions and critics to your design their by adding more knowledge.
4. Market your services to potential clients: Marketing yourself as a graphic designer includes creating a strong online presence such as having a well designed website and being active on social media.
a designer can also use the strategy of offering free consultations about design during which you can introduce yourself to potential clients and learn more about what they need. In this consultation, you get to talk about the services you render and how you can hel themp achieve their goals.
Running targeted ads on online advertising platforms to specific demographics is a great way to reeach potentil clients who are damn in need of your service.
5. Provide excellent customer service: This entails actively engaging with your clients by being responsive and communicative which is keeping them updated on the progress of their project and also be avilable to answer their questions. Be willing to work with your clients to meet their expectations and also open to feedbacks and suggestions.
Deliver all projects ontime. always go the extra mile for your clients. This could include offering them discounts on future projects or providing them with additional support and resources.
Tips To Become a Successful Graphic Designer
- Stay up-to-date on the latest trends and technologies in graphic design: This involves getting to know about the latest developments in the graphic design industry and using them to create aesthethicaly pleasing and functional designs.
By keeping eyes on trends in typography, shapes, colors and layout as well as getting to know about new sotwares and hardware tools. to be abe to stay up to date with such, the designer needs to read blogs and magazines, follow top designers on social media, listen to podcasts, attending design related events and also exploring new softwres and tools. - Be creative and innovative: a graphic designer needs to have the ability to come up with new and unique ideas that solves problem and communicate messages effectively and efficiently.
- Be able to work independently and as part of a team: when aspiring to become sucessful a graphic designer, you need to learn and adapt working together with a group of designers or allied professionals as the project requires.Working as a part of the team requies you to collaborate with other designers as well as other professionals to communicate your ideas clearly a bring out a positive soution to the task or problem givem. when you work independently, this ives you the oppurtunity to manage your time amd work load and also be able to stay on track. A designer is required to be organized, self-motivated, and prioritising task.
- Meet deadlines: a graphic designer should be able to plan projects carefuy and deliver tje work on time or before the agreed deadline as this will help you buid more trust with your clients and also helps you stay on track. when working on aproject, try to avoid any distraction as much as possible and also take breaks to help you stay focused and productive their by making you to become a successful graphic designer.
- Be professional and reliable: to become a succssful graphic designer, one needs to respond to client’s inquires prompmtly and professionally. treat your clients with respect at all times and also be polite and professional in your communication with them. dont wait for your clients to come to you with problems or concerns, always reachout to them regulary check in and see how they are doing
By going extra mile, you can build strong relationship with clients making them know tht you are valuable asset to them.
Useful Resources to Become a Successful Graphic Designer
- If you wish to learn graphic design the professional way, consider taking this course: Graphic Design Masterclass
- Alternatively you can consider visiting youtube channels like: Piximprfect, Photoshop Training Channel, Forever Dansky, Phlearn and others to learn graphic design softwares and for Learning the principles and trends in graphic design, here are some channels: Nachristos, Satori Graphics, Flux Academy, Designer Fourteen, TheFutur.
Becoming a successful graphic designer requires a combination of education (learning), creativity, networking, marketing, and staying up to date. Jouner to success in graphic design is not only about creating visual appealing designs but also solving problems and effectively communicating messages through the use of ypur creativity
