I know I’ve written about all these ideals, but I am still implementing them myself. My head buzzes with “Do this” and “Don’t do that” and “Try it this way”. I must keep in mind the client's needs, make sure the website looks amazing and functions well, rephrase this sentence so that they don’t misunderstand, explain why they should want ‘this’ instead of ‘that’, think Positive! Positive! Positive!

Despite this mantra talk, the most important standard that I’m still training myself to uphold is confidence in my ingenuity. I know I’m a great designer and I love my job, but after so many nit-picky criticisms from clients, however constructive, I noticed that I began to limit myself, decreasing the imagination and experimentation of my designs, unconsciously thinking that because they weren’t used before, they won’t be used in the future. Very wrong.

An essential part of being a successful designer is to lean so close the edge of trends that you’re always on the cusp of innovation, always one step ahead. I was sticking too close to the client's expectations instead of testing the limits and pushing the envelop of design. Sometimes I would even build a tentative template with wild and crazy designs just to get it out of my system, then hide it away before I began working on the real template. I forgot that usually the client has unclear or unspecific ideas about what they want and that it’s up to me to present to them all the limitless possibilities that their website can go towards. If the initial design you present is too experimental for them, then make something else that is more traditional. Don’t reject it before even allowing the client the chance to decide if they like it or not. It’s always better to have too much than not enough.

This has been a growing process for me. I started out as a green graphic designer, mostly working in print and harboring very little experience with web development. I learned quickly, bit by bit, eventually establishing myself as a talented designer. And although I continued to expand my knowledge of the field, I seemed to have peaked, my projects quietly plateaued, neither rising nor falling. The change was so steady that I hardly noticed it. I did finally notice however, and after practicing everything that I’ve written so far, I was able to step back, as if viewing the larger picture and confidently return to my original goal: design great, innovative websites. And now I’ll get back to it, ever rising.

Hopefully this rambling will bring inspiration to you as it has to me by writing it. So, all I’ll say now is Go Forth and Conquer!

Image Source: www.deviantart.com.