10 things to remember about graphic design

10 things to remember about graphic design

1. Communicate

 

Graphic design is about relaying your message well. "Form always follows function," said Navarro, who learned this during a project for "Credo," a concert of the Company of Ateneo Dancers (CADS), of which she was a member.

 

 The concert was inspired by nine phrases, which Navarro interpreted into nine different posters, one of which involved taking a photo of paper planes that she and her brother flew outside their house. "It was more special because it was handmade," she said. The designs were also turned into tickets, pins, and stickers.

All her efforts were worth it, as people kept the tickets after. "Usually after the event, you just throw it away. It was cool because the people used the tickets as a souvenir," she said.

 

2. Know your people

 

Consider your audience. "You have to know who your project is talking to. What language do they speak? You have to speak the same language and be able to relate it in your work," said Navarro, who had to adjust her style for another CADS poster.

 

"I had to be cool and hip-hop with this. Kailangan medyo neon, medyo ghetto. You are talking to dancers, sila 'yung audience ng concert. So I had to make it attractive to them," she said.

 

3. Do your research

 

Tedious as it can be, research is necessary. "It's not just to come up with something pretty or something you feel like doing. You have to solve a problem, and you have to come up with solutions that will address those problems," said Navarro, who learned this when she redesigned the Bible.

 

"I had to illustrate the content in the Bible. I had to draw maps, and I had to make it appealing to my targetMARKET according to my research," she said.

 

4. Edit, edit, edit

 

Revisions are also necessary. Navarro warned against too much clutter. "Kapag may nakita kayong material, sige pasok lahat, dagdag lahat, pero kailangan ba? Kapag hindi, tanggalin niyo na," she said, showing a logo she made for wedding photographer Jaja Samaniego. 

 

"Ito 'yung sketches namin at the beginning... sobrang pangit. So edit kami nang edit talaga, hanggang sa ito na 'yung final artwork," she said.

 

5. Define your style

 

Finding your style means attracting the right projects and avoiding stress from clients who want something else. "'Yung magpapagawa sa 'yo ng clean when your style is actually magulo, or when you're a maximalist and your client is a minimalist," she said.

 

Because she kept doing handmade designs, the people who contacted her wanted the same. "They always refer back to my style," she said.

 

6. Be organized

 

Having a system makes you efficient. "Kasi 'pag medyo cluttered ka magtrabaho, mauubusan ka ng oras," Navarro said.

 

When it comes to designing wedding invitations, the process begins with sketches. "Don't render anything yet, kasi sayang lang 'yung effort mo kung hindi naman nila gusto," Navarro said.

 

7. Serve everybody well

 

Designing is a business, and good service will keep the clients coming back. "They're going to be loyal to you, and at the same time, ikukuwento ka rin nila sa ibang tao. Just serve them well. Kahit mahirap, don't complain," Navarro said.

 

She shared how she and wedding photographer Jay Jay Lucas couldn't agree on the studies for his logo. "Sobrang tagal naming ginawa, mga one month ata... I presented to him 11 sketches of different logos... from the 11, he chose four, and the four became that," she said, showing the final design.

 

The work paid off, because Lucas and his wife later got Navarro to do their wedding invitation, which led to around 50 other couples wanting her to design their invitations.

 

8. Collaborate

 

While having your own style is important, it's also good to learn from others. "Just collaborate with people," Navarro advised, showing one project she did with her boyfriend Gian Aguilar, a graphic and web designer.

 

"Ako usually magulo 'yung style ko, and because his style is so clean and minimalist and polished, natuto din akong linisin 'yung work ko. So medyo balanced 'yung hitsura niya ngayon," she said.

 

9. Get witnesses

 

It's important to expose your work. "Your work is not valid until somebody sees it or experiences it," Navarro quoted Grace Coddington, US Vogue's creative director.

 

"You have to show people your work. Kung nasa bahay niyo lang 'yan, ano'ng ginagawa niyan diyan? People need to experience it," she said.

 

10. Appreciate and be passionate

 

Appreciate your work, even the challenges that come with it. "Stop complaining. You're blessed to be doing what you're doing. Not a lot of people get the privilege to do what they love," Navarro said.

 

You should also stay passionate, and strive to inspire yourself every day. For Navarro, this means accepting projects that aren't directly graphic design. "Something artsy fartsy, para may happy projects naman, hindi lang client work," she said.

 

10 plus one

 

Ending her talk, Navarro added one more point. "Always aspire and inspire," she said, advising the audience to never get tired of aiming to be better than your previous self.

 

In turn, this will keep you motivated, and enable you to grow. "As you do this, you're going to inspire people,"