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Marcus H
4,267 PointsGraphic design newbie, any area's that need big improvement?
Hi
The designs below are mock-ups I made in Sketch over a time period of about 3 months. Can you guys see sufficient improvement since I've started learning about design? Some of the designs have been iterated a few times so if you scroll bottom to top you'll (hopefully) see improvements.
Before (wow this is bad lol)
http://i.imgur.com/IbAs3YW.jpg
Latest (oldest to newest)
https://www.behance.net/gallery/17127175/Arsenes-Invincibles
https://www.behance.net/gallery/17292349/Book-reviews
https://www.behance.net/gallery/18518277/Github-page-redesign
https://www.behance.net/gallery/18778567/Spartan-Fitness-(Concept)
My newest 2 designs
https://www.behance.net/gallery/18906979/Portfolio-Design
https://www.behance.net/gallery/18080299/AF-Redesign
Do you guys think my 'design skills' are coming along sufficiently in the months I've been learning? Are there any clear area's in which my skills are glaringly lacking?, if so do you have any advice on how I can improve and specifically what areas?
Thanks,
Marcus
4 Answers
Ricky Catron
13,023 Points(Not a designer in the least) But I think you still havn't quite found YOU yet is you understand that. You have obviously tried a ton of designs and work very hard. I think you have made great progress so far and learned a ton. I would say color contrast is your weakest point right now (maybe check everything in grayscale or blurred).
Try a bunch of new things find all the features and ideas you like and use them in new and different ways. The sites look great and proffessional. The Spartan one really stuck in my mind. The others however didn't they just lacked that wow factor. A site shouldn't overwhelm the user but it should make them remember it, whether it is your content or your design they user should go wow I want to go back to that site.
Overall I like your work but it feels like something I have seen before on other sites. Find YOU, be unique, and make me remember your work!
Matt Spiel
2,617 PointsMarcus, you should be proud. There is a remarkable difference between the design work you were doing 3 months ago, and the work you are doing now.
At this point, I would encourage you to focus on and try to improve on the supporting elements in your designs. Things like the photography you use, the icons, etc. Those are all aspects of that can make or break a design.
The other thing you should think about doing if you haven't already is to come up with a process for designing. Your process will help you consistently deliver strong designs. It may change and adapt over time, but that is good. The best designers are always trying to grow, improve and refine how they work.
Here's a bit of how my process works for websites:
- Set over all objectives
- Sitemap the pages
- Work on content for pages & look for supporting elements (photography, icons, etc)
- Wireframe and/or design it with full detail
- Code up the design
- Launch it!
Last bit of advice: Start looking for inspiration outside of graphic design. You'd be amazed at what you can do if you look to other disciplines and fields for inspiration.
Keep up the great work! You are on the right path!
Marcus H
4,267 PointsThank you for the kind words.
That's a good shout about improving individual elements, I've only very recently been able to incorporate images in my designs and make them look 'right' so I think I still have so much to learn in that regard. Also I really think I need to learn more about colour, especially the 'why' rather than the 'what'. I have been reading about grids lately and its really interesting how a design can change dramatically with a bit of visual hierarchy and an aligned layout.
I have a very ridiculously basic process in that I just gather the assets I need and then head straight to the blank canvas (in Sketch) so I fleshing out that process with a few more steps would be hugely beneficial going forward. I've recently been gathering some nice designs from Dribbble & Behance and study then to try and train my eye to what's beautiful and why. I think I will try and adopt your process into my work because I am missing quite a few of those steps especially the site-mapping (can't say I've need it so far as all my designs have been single page) and wire-framing.
Since I've started designing I think I have been looking at everything in more detail and appreciate the aesthetic more than before. I watched The Secret Life of Walter Mitty recently and was amazed at the beauty of the cinematography and I can't say I've ever noticed landscapes in movies before this. Also I tend to gravitate towards to more prettier apps on my phone/tablet these days rather the ones with the best utility but that's probably not a good thing ;-)
There so much I want to learn now and it's quite an extensive list, such as :-
Learning to draw
Logo design
Icon design
Development (HTML, CSS, jQuery etc)
Marketing
SEO
The list goes on...
Marcus H
4,267 PointsI have a book on colour theory so I think it's high time I dive head first into it and get learning. I have noticed that I tend to look at things a little deeper these days and appreciate good design more than I did before. I find nav bars quite difficult to design and be creative with but in time I should get better. Somebody else had the same opinion as you in regard to finding inspiration in everything and going forward I'll try to look at everything through a designers eye.
I too hope that one day my designs are good to have a signature style to them, I hoping good rather than bad style lol.
Mauricio Zambrano
14,849 PointsGreat work getting better everyday I hope every designer do that everyday, keep working keep getting better
Marcus H
4,267 PointsMarcus H
4,267 PointsThank you for your comments.
I agree and understand what your saying, I think at the moment I am still learning the basics and some of the best practices of design. I've started to look at other designs recently to try and take some inspiration and I think over time I'll develop my own style.
Right now I'm just starting out and it'll be a long road ahead and hopefully I can implement some of that wow factor in the near future, what that actually is I have no idea ;-)
Ricky Catron
13,023 PointsRicky Catron
13,023 PointsGoodluck! Personally I like earthy colors so thats usually what my websites lean towords. I also like fun nav bars so my sites rarely have similar navigation as I try out new concepts.
It is a long road and a unique design and wow factor is something you develop overtime. The goal is that one day I can see a site and think this looks like something Marcus designed.
A last bit of advice is don't limit yourself to the web for design inspiration. A painter doesn't look at paintings for inspirations. They look at people, things, nature, animals. I hope one day I see a great design, check the meta data for the author, and see your name. Again goodluck!