Dive into the Design Community

Great design is perfecting your individual style. It is using the ideal tools to produce the latest design techniques and formatting, using the best of the creativity that is within each designer. But it is more than that – without being a part of a design community, all of that creativity goes to waste. Yes, having relationships with clients is essential…but building rapport with like-minded creators brings an added level of insight to the table.



Have you considered attending local conferences or seminars in your city? Going to collaboration events can assist a new designer (or even one who has simply not been present within the design community for some time) in building up a network. Walking among booths and attending seminars in a new environment is specifically geared to shape fresh ideas and gather knowledge.

But don’t forget – promoting your work is as important as being great at what you do. More important, even, because without that promotion, no one will know to look for your portfolio. The web makes it exponentially easier to upload existing work, setting the framework for future engagement. Understanding the importance and usefulness of marketing should become as natural as breathing to web designers.



More than simple promotion, ensure that your work is strong – the chances of establishing great, meaningful leads (those that become conversions) will be heightened by your displayed expertise. Your own competitive edge. Web designers are a dime a dozen – what can make you stand out is how you are perceived by your audience, differentiating with class, style and professionalism.



It takes years (and a lot of patience) to build up that significant presence. Reputation is most certainly an investment. Finely crafted portfolios and content generation requires months of building relationships with your own work and with the ones who will be directly benefiting from it. Daunting? Don’t be afraid to collaborate with others to gain the most insight and advantage.

Designers, pros in their industry, are more than willing to share any tips that they’ve acquired through experience. Providing that information can spur a new creative cycle that ultimately generates value for the future – ideas lead to ideas, a never-ending wealth of useful, positive innovation!