Think about your favorite designer or illustrator. What specifically captivates your attention about them? It’s highly likely that their distinctive artistic style is what grabbed your interest. Embracing your own individuality and unique style as a designer won’t just foster personal growth but potentially grab the attention of recruiters and future employers! Here’s some tips on finding your unique design style:
Gain Inspiration and Create a Vision Board
Platforms such as Dribble and Behance are great sources for designers to showcase and share their work, but most importantly, to source inspiration from.
Pinterest is an online platform that acts as a visual discovery engine and visual pinboard. It has a feature for you to “pin” posts and save them into a personal collection of your own. Keep this digital visual board for your reference, and continue to add on to it through time.
Explore topics that may interest you- such as culture, nature, travel, music, etc.! Keep looking for inspiration beyond the design field.
Take Design Courses and Attend Workshops
Hone in on your design skills and participate in workshops in your local area that offer an enjoyable and informative experience. For specialized design courses, platforms such as Skillshare provide a wide range of options. However for a more accessible and cost-effective experience, YouTube offers an abundance of design tutorials and projects to explore.
Try it in Your Style
Here’s a really fun project suggestion: find a design or artwork you really admire and recreate it in your own unique style. You can try redesigning an album cover for your favorite band or artist, explore #DrawThisInYourStyle challenge tag on Instagram or Twitter, or even develop a new feature on an existing mobile application of your choice.
Practice Your Craft
You’ll keep improving if you stay consistent with practicing your craft. Not only does practicing help you refine your technical skills, such as proficiency with design software, but it also allows you to gain confidence necessary to bring your artistic visions to life.
Seek Feedback and Input
Speaking of improvement, seeking out feedback from friends and professionals can be extremely beneficial to your growth as a designer finding your unique style. Engaging in conversations with other designers about their design styles can be inspiring and broaden your creative horizons! Others can also introduce you to more resources towards discovering and honing your own distinctive design style.
Remember, finding your unique design style is a journey of self-discovery and growth! Embrace the exploration and enjoy the exciting journey of finding your voice that sets you apart as a designer.