Joe Stewart worked his way to the top of digital agency Huge. Here he offers his advice for designers who are starting out.
We asked Joe Stewart, global creative director at digital agency Huge, what advice he had for aspiring designers. Here's what he had to say.
3 tips for budding designers
"I think the number one thing I would like to impart on young designers is the idea that design is important. It’s very, very important.
01. Design is important. It’s very, very important
"Almost every object in your life that you love has been designed: your spoon, your pen, that light bulb, your phone, your favourite website, it’s all a product of design. Design changes the world every day. Design, as a medium, has the power to make people’s lives better, easier, more connected, more enjoyable. Never forget that design counts.
"The reason I bring this up is that design is hard. And there will be a lot of times when a young designer will want to give up. We all go through it. It’s a tough fate to have to solve a newer and bigger and harder problem every single day, day after day.
It’s worth it when an answer you’ve created works, and that answer changes people’s lives for the better
"It never gets any easier, in fact, it gets harder – the competition gets smarter, the market changes, customers and technology evolves – and yet designers have to be ahead of all of that and propose new and better solutions constantly. It’s exhausting, sometimes. But – it’s worth it. It’s worth it when an answer you’ve created works, and that answer changes people’s lives for the better. It’s very satisfying. I believe design is good for the world and a noble pursuit to improve its quality and people’s lives.
02. Do what makes you happy
"The money and title and all that stuff will come with time, just make sure you’re satisfied with what you’re working on. It’s a long career – take your time – you’ll get a lot more out of creating something you love than having a bigger paycheck.
03. Be nice. Being nice is an amazing way to get people to support your ideas
"You will need a lot of help to realize your ideas. The idea of the ‘prima-donna creative’ is bullshit. Listening to your co-workers, your clients, your customers, means they’ll listen to you. It’s a very small world, and you are guaranteed to run into the same people over and over: be nice to them. You will be more successful as a creative, and more of your ideas will be produced. In the end, all you want to do is have your ideas be out there, and if being nice is one of the things that will get you there, then do it."
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