Find a Niche
The design market can be a crowded one. Don’t
try to know everything. Develop a niche. If you
are a great web designer or WordPress theme
builder, go with it. Or maybe your speciality is
print or developing a branding strategy.
Market yourself in a way that works with your
skill-set, and take on projects that encourage
you to do what you are good at.
2. Learn a New Skill
While finding a niche is a great way to work on
things you know well, gaining confidence along
the way, learning a new skill can go a long way
as well.
Take a class at a community college or online.
Read a book. Pick up some new computer
software and hit Tuts+ for a few tutorials. Identify
something that interests you when you are
looking for something new to try. If you hate
video, an editing class won’t be all that
beneficial. But if you love cool lettering, maybe
learn calligraphy or how to create a custom
typeface.
By developing a new skill, you will get better in
all aspects of your work. You might even find that
it makes you work more efficiently and creatively.
3. Be Honest About What You Can Do
One of the biggest problems designers tend to
have is overcommitting. “Sure, I can do that.”
“Yes, I can have that in one week.” Sound
familiar?
Don’t commit to do more than you can handle. Be
realistic about how long something will take to
finish. Be upfront about time and cost
considerations with your boss or clients.
4. Network, Network, Network
It is important to give and receive feedback on a
regular basis. Getting that feedback from design
peers can be more honest about the design than
from clients.
Clients may not like something because it does
not match their ideas of what is desired, or
conflicts with standards for the brand. But that
does not mean a design is bad; it just means it
did not work in a certain situation.
That’s when looking for unbiased feedback can
be helpful. The design may have really been quite
nice, even if it did not work for a particular client.
Join a meetup group in your city, post
conversations on online forums or even chat with
other designers and share ideas on social media.
Just as receiving feedback is good for helping
you grow as a designer, so is giving it. Find a
younger or less experienced designer and work
with them as well. There’s nothing like explaining
and teaching concepts to make you feel like you
really “get it.”
5. Take a Fun Job Every Now and Then
It’s called work for a reason, but do occasionally
try to take a few fun jobs as well.
By handpicking an enjoyable project, you will feel
more in control, and in turn, confident. These
jobs may not always be the highest paying – or
even paying at all. Some of the most fun you can
have with a project can be the creation (or
revision) of a personal portfolio, blog, or
business card design for a friend.
Regardless, having a little fun can make you feel
great about design again when your confidence
might be shaken.
6. Design with Purpose
Have a reason for each design decision you make
and be able, and willing, to back it up.
Things should not just look great, they should be
based in a little science. Become versed in design
and type theory, so you can explain the logic of
why something is pleasing to the eye.
Support design choices with facts or research. Be
able to communicate those choices clearly.
Designing to make something pretty is not
particularly useful. But making specific choices
that contribute to a certain project can go a long
way.
By explaining those decisions to a client, you will
become more confident in your knowledge of
design theory, and able to support your choices.
You might even convince someone to take a
design risk they would not otherwise!
7. Create and Work Toward Goals
At the beginning of every project, set realistic
timeliness and goals. Every checked off item is an
uptick on the confidence meter.
Check off accomplishments and don’t be afraid to
celebrate successes. These small victories can
make you feel like you really are getting
somewhere on a project. This can be especially
important with large-scale design projects or
projects with lots of revisions and “moving
parts.”
In addition to project goals, set and work toward
long-term goals. Where do you want to be in five
years? What kinds of projects do you want to be
working on? Where do you want to work and
live? Take on jobs and projects that will help you
get closer to the things you find important.
8. Update Your Portfolio
Designers tend to judge themselves by the last
completed project. If it goes well, things are
good; if it goes poorly, it’s another story.
By keeping and up-to-date and complete
portfolio, you can regularly keep track of
successes and things you are proud of.
It’s a good idea to get on a portfolio update
schedule so that you can see your own
accomplishments on a regular basis. (It also
keeps portfolio updates from being super time-
consuming.) Once a quarter, make a point to add
your best new projects to your portfolio.
Also consider a public portfolio platform, such as
Behance, where users can comment and favorite
some of your work. Those little mentions can be
great pick-me-ups when you most need them.
9. Enter Contests
Most designers don’t complete a project thinking
about contests, but creative competition can be
another great way to help build your confidence.
Contests also help you plan, work toward
deadlines and better pay attention to and follow
very specific rules. This planned structure can be
a good exercise for creatives that sometimes
think a little outside the lines. Try to enter
contests that match your type of work and
experience level.
And a win always feels good. (Personally, I count
getting the entry done as a win as well; some of
them can be monsters when it comes to the
rules!)
10. Get Paid
Nothing boosts your confidence like getting paid
for your work. Whether you work at a firm, have a
strong client base, or design on a freelance basis,
getting paid is a sure sign of success. (Especially
when you are creating something that you are
proud of.)
The creative business can be a fickle one, and
failed projects sometimes come with cut rates
and refunds for work. Take a minute to applaud
yourself for every project that gets finished on
time and paid in full. To get there you had to do
things right. Use those successes as examples of
how to work moving forward.
Conclusion
There are a lot of things that can shake a
designer’s confidence – a new job, new client,
unsuccessful project, conflicts in taste or style
with a client – but what will make or break your
career is how you recover.
If you stumble with a project, get out there and
try again. Work in a way that helps you build
confidence moving forward. Understanding what
you are good at (and where you struggle) can
help any designer get better and gain confidence.
What other things have you tried to boost your
confidence level as a designer? Share your tips in
the comments.