This past week, I got an email from a new(ish) designer looking for some advice on getting started in the field, what to expect, that sort of thing. Of course I answered it (I try to respond to every email I receive), and when I finished I realized that it was exactly the sort of feedback I’d have been curious to read when I was starting out. So I’m going to share the exchange with you (after removing personal details, etc.) in the event that you might find it helpful.
His email
Ian, it’s nice to meet you. Thank you for taking time out of your weekend for me.
I have a few types of questions and hope you don’t mind.
The first couple deal with the business side of web development since I’m not completely familiar with the lay of the land. I am wondering if you would tell me a little bit about what to expect once I market myself as a junior web developer. Things like what a reasonable pay rate is and what kind of projects to expect at first. Maybe some things that you wouldn’t know about the industry upon entering it.
Eventually I want to focus on community or people oriented projects, but don’t expect for that to happen right out of the gate. Do you have any tips or resources to mobilize in that direction?
Even though I am really excited to work with code more, I know it won’t be fun or fulfilling at times. Can you tell me what you think some of the downsides of the job are?
Thanks for considering my questions, Ian, and for reaching out. It’s great to meet you and I am looking forward to your insights!
Joe Schmoe
My reply
Hi Joe —
I’m sorry, but I don’t have much experience or advice about what to expect as a junior designer because I’ve never been one. I spent the first several years of my career as a legislative aide and communications director in state & local government. I was rather an amateur designer before I became an expert inNationBuilder themes (http://nationbuilder.com), and later turned that into a so-far successful design career.
I am reluctant to give advice, because I don’t know enough about your unique background and circumstance to feel confident in giving it, but I will say what’s worked for me. I’ve found limited success — I believe — for the following reasons:
- I’ve developed skills and had experiences beyond design and development that help me empathize with my clients’ needs and circumstances (primarily political and nonprofit organizations);
- I’ve spent years soaking up design wisdom and best practices, so many of them come to me unconsciously. That doesn’t mean I’m an expert at any of them, but my instincts are getting better and I’m always learning new questions to ask myself;
- I have become an expert in a niche skill set — NationBuilder ’s community organizing system and liquid markup — which has helped me to position myself to succeed. If I had to start making WordPress or Expression Engine themes tomorrow, I’d likely find myself unemployed; and
- I’ve built up a lot of relationships — both online and offline — that have yielded good leads for projects. Many of these have been friendships with folks at NationBuilder that I developed naturally (I used to work there.) and which could only have grown organically.
It’s worth saying that I’ve always been rather jealous of folks who’ve had experience working at an agency, etc., because I often feel like I have no clue how to do “real design.” My process might seem totally backwards to someone who’s worked as a “professional designer” before, and I often find myself wondering what I don’t know. So I’d hate to try and generalize my experience to you, because it was a very unique and unorthodox one that I wouldn’t necessarily repeat if I had the chance.
If you want to move in a given direction with your work, the best thing to do is to look for (or create) opportunities to do that sort of work when you can. I’m not a great fan of unsolicited redesigns (because you don’t always know their goals or constraints, which are key in the design process), but side projects can be a fantastic way to get experience and notice in your area of interest. Pick a problem you’ve always wanted to solve and try to solve it, or a platform you love and build on top of it. Something. Anything. But if you’re doing work you love, it’ll naturally help open doors to more of that sort of work.
Now, as for the downsides of the job, I’d say that what I hate the most is (a) getting bogged down in email and (b) having to build mockups in Photoshop. I’m happiest when I’m making things, and I am a “design in the browser” sort of guy. So whenever I find myself spending a lot of time on email, project management, etc., it just sucks the energy right out of me. I want to be building, and if I’m doing something else I’m frustrated. But that’s part of the job and you’ve got to take the good with the bad. It is — after all — a job.
Anyway, that got way longer than I’d anticipated. I hope you found it helpful. (It was certainly a bit cathartic to write.)
— Ian