It's a misplaced belief that being a great designer is all about what you bring to the table- that somehow a company or client will *discover* your great talents. Many inexperienced designers that long for greatness underestimate how important relationships and businesses are to furthering their careers.
If we look at the chart to the right, many young designers put themselves at the center of the orbit hoping that their companies and clients will understand how they want to achieve greatness. The problem is that it rarely works this way.
Timelines, schedules and opportunities are not dictated by an *inexperienced* designer- which means greatness won't happen on their terms. It's a recipe for disaster.
At ZURB, we try to flip the orbit around. By focusing on the specific goals of a client, the collective knowledge of an experienced team and the long term goals of a new designer, we can actually help a designer get closer to greatness. Good things happen when a designer makes this shift in thinking:
- Their skills start radically improving with the help of a supporting cast
- New opportunities start flowing from their work to create larger challenges
- Attitudes and egos are brushed aside for team success creating a fulfilling experience
Are you a designer? Remember that you can be great by
leveraging relationships and talents around you. No designer is great in a vacuum. Do you have designers working for you? Make them great by
creating an environment where they can build you and your team up, and build themselves up in the process.
