The Free Creatives

January 14, 2010 in How To, Inspiration, Lifestyle by Crystal

Every web designer has that one designer above them that they look up too, whether it be for their accomplishments, the style of work in their portfolio, or their success in some other way. We consider these people experts in the field, at least to our own judgments.

By idolizing those certain designers so much, though, we can get sidetracked with improving ourselves, or feel as though we’ll never reach their level. Yet, everyone has to start somewhere, right? We are each at different skill levels and professional levels; some of us already experts, but most of us probably not quite yet. In this article we’ll look over the seven essential steps one needs to go through to finally become the expert they’ve always aspired to be, and finally get deserving clients as well as the self-respect!

1. Define Your Niche

Sure, you’re a web designer, but what do you actually want to do? What do you want to spend most of your working days on? Design? Development? WordPress themes? Or something else? Surely you’ve spent countless hours playing around with different mediums; seeing what meets your fancy best. You most definitely have things you like doing more than others, regardless of whether you know how to do everything in the book or have just a few special skills. So find that one area where you actually enjoy work, and spend the majority of your time and energy on that.

Furthermore, what’s your style? Do you prefer certain color schemes, interface styles, or wireframes over others? Are you more the standard wireframe with extensive details type, or the earthy-toned think-outside-the-box-creative type? Beyond defining what you want to do technically, define your niche in terms of your design style as well.

2. Tutorials and Walkthroughs

You may already have your own way of doing things, and you may think you’re excellent at something. However, there’s nothing like a great tutorial or walkthrough that can get you thinking in the eyes of another designer. Do tutorials regardless of your own perceived skill level and pick up on new techniques, as well as new (and perhaps more efficient) ways of doing things.

By doing so you can expand your knowledge within your specific niche. This is, of course, opposed to doing what you were probably doing before: learning new things for the sake of learning them, but having those skills in such a broad array that you never really got anywhere with them. Sure the Jack of All Trades is nice, but you can’t be perfect in everything! Focus the types of tutorials you read and work out every little detail you can within your niche.

3. Test Your Limits

Have you ever seen a technique that you’re fond of that you’ve just never implemented because you’re not sure how? If something appeals to you, it can be defined within your niche of what you love to do, so learn how to do it! Don’t ever avoid anything because it looks daunting or boring to learn. (However do avoid it if it looks boring to do professionally!)

The only way to grow is to step outside your comfort zone, and this applies to all areas of life including web design.

4. Embrace Your Personal Projects

Personal projects are essential for the growth of a web designer. Without them, we have limits to our own creativity and personal growth. Personal projects allow us to do the ‘how we want, when we want’ in our profession. Start a blog, join a community, sell some templates — whatever you’d like to do. While doing it, test the limit of your skills too to improve!

In addition to filling up your free time, contributing to your own thing can help define who you are as a professional and get you noticed as an individual. By doing so you can build your brand, network better, and overall improve your reputation.

5. Start Networking More

You can’t become an expert in anything if nobody knows you’re doing it. Get around in the community. Others can help promote your work, find you more clients, find you new and interesting types of projects, and when you become talented enough, look up to you.

The point is that you can be excellent at something, but what’s different from many talented designers to the ones you and I look up to is the fact that our ‘designer role models’ are well-known.

6. Be Unique

Try to not follow trends. While they can be useful, always be sure to do your own thing once in awhile. The only way someone can be remembered for something amazing is if they do something that is original, the first of it’s kind, and something that shows talent. Harness your own set of skills to create your own look, set of talents, and portfolio.

7. Be Patient

Nobody made it to the top overnight. All experts in the field, no matter how they’re success is defined, have taken years to get to where they are today. The one thing they did right were the above steps, as well as constantly learning. Work when you’re inspired, and stick to doing what you love, and there is no way you can’t make it to the top.

Over time one can start charging more, be referenced more, and know how to do more within the niche. Define what success or ‘expert level’ means to you personally, and strive for that goal over the next few years.

Share Your Thoughts!

As always, we love to hear the opinions of our readers. What do you think it takes to become an expert in the web design field? What do you think it takes be become an expert at anything?