How to become a cool designer and learn to work with the client edits

Vladimir Sinitsyn

Head of the "Design and UX" online university "Netologiya".

"To be a good designer, it is better not to be a creative person"

- What they do in the "Netologii" employees of the educational direction "Design and UX", which you lead? What are the challenges you specifically?

- I work as the head of the design department. Create educational programs for people who want to become designers of different areas: web design, game design, a motion and a lot of others. With me, these programs make another seven people. Producers - project managers, they follow the common canvas. Methodists communicate with experts and are working on the content. Coordinators are students who pass the course, answer all the questions.

- How many different trades today unites the word designer?

- In the "Netologii" until we distinguish four areas on which we build educational line. And within these areas are already formed different professions and more niche specialization.

1. Product design. It is the creation of interfaces that solve business problems. We learn to explore, analyze and find a visual solution that is suitable business and solve the user's needs.
2. Graphic design and communication. This is a work with marketing: creation of identity of the company, advertising, corporate identity. Here we give the base digital design, but also tells us how to build a brand, choose a slogan, how to package datasets in infographics.
3. A motion design. This schedule in motion, working with animation. When it is necessary to revive the static graphics and integrate it in the video on the website or in the game. For example, replace the background of the video or add a flying fly.
4. Game design. It describes the rules and characteristics of games. Game designers practically product managers in the gaming industry, they often control the entire process from idea to implementation. Here we learn to create prototypes of games, game interfaces, templates, explain the mechanics and storytelling.

Still there is a cross-disciplinary profession, such as the design and programming of the junction. Suppose, full-stack-designer - is a versatile player. He imposes the page develops design.

You can learn any of these professions. It all depends on the person whether he wants new knowledge or looking at the course as a magic pill. After the formation of the task - to give the system of theory and practice that the person did not run on disparate information channels, where half of the information is based on personal opinion and not the understanding of market needs.

- What was your path to the designer's profession and this work?

- I'm self-taught. He started working in this field for more than 10 years ago. There was no such educational projects, which are now, especially in absentia. Perhaps, in Moscow there was something, but I lived in Astrakhan. There, the reality was a little detached from the world. Internet, of course, was. And here he is keen on me.

It seemed very steep, that on the Internet you can get so much information to tell their stories to people all over the world.

I began to learn how the information is live on the Internet. And I came to the front-end solutions - site.

In parallel, I was engaged in the organization of events and had to deal in advertising: to know how to stand out from others, find an audience. So I began to sink into different graphic aspects and mechanisms of attracting attention. In fact, I took what was done to me, and adapted it for the solution of their problem. It is important to avoid a clean slate and be able to work with the reference design. Much has already been invented for us.

Then I went to the course "Netologii" web design. It was designed for beginners, so I knew more than he gave this course. I began to help with the development of the educational branch. To become a director, I took 4.5 years. As you can see, I started a student and went through all the stages.

"Design requires empathy. You create a product for the people, so I should be able to sink into their problems and context "

- What skills are not directly related to the design, every day to help you in your work?

- I helped a wild curiosity and love for what I do. I am convinced that it is impossible to do well what you do not like, and dig deep where uninteresting. More sociability. I am an open person, feel free to start talking to me, too, you can always come and talk.

Design - is an area that requires a lot of empathy. You create a product for the people, so must they feel well. Good and bad people do not happen, there is a context that affects us. Designers must understand virtually psychologist level.

- What is more important for the success of the designer: specialization and honed skills in one area or generic skills? Talent or experience?

- Who the narrow areas almost no decomposition has great food twigs. But the modern designer - this guy who lives across the sphere. Some people come to the design and think that now will learn how to make Tilda Landing on and start earning big money. And in fact it is just the beginning. We must learn to work with the business and understand that you labor on the result.

The designer is working because a lot of internal issues to come to the external component. Even choosing milk in the supermarket, we first read the how to look different packs. Take the one that we like, and then look at how much it costs, what structure. What we did not like the look, we are likely, even in the hands did not take.

The designer should well explore the field of work, to understand what to look for its users, and to make the right card path.

I do not believe in talent. He is too dependent on the environment and energy, which you invested parents in childhood. In adulthood heavier than something to learn. The first head is turned lazy monkey and then the rational person. The main thing - to start. And the most simple language to explain the current task lazy monkey in your head. When it begins to be produced, something clicks and even your lazy part starts kayfovat. But to reach this stage not all.

- Do I have to be a creative person to become a good designer?

- Better not to be creative, to become a good designer. Designer - this is primarily a designer and a creative act more to feeling beautiful. Creative people all the time go to the artist who shares his inner world. A designer - that's another story. It works within the framework of business objectives.

To be a good designer, you work equate to the user the result. It is important to have a good taste, and find creative ways to solve problems. And that's all you can hone. For example, see the work of other designers or read a book and visualize images. It is necessary to approach everything with an analysis of the position: why do so, what is the point in this is founded and how it helps people.

- How easy is it to move from one design to another profession? For example, start a web designer, go to the UX-design, and then create the packaging and advertising models for FMCG brands?

- Transitioning from one career to another can be. The question, rather, is how to develop vertically or horizontally. We must strive to be a pro in your niche and a good understanding of the neighboring. At the heart of any direction is one goal - to design the user experience and its visualization. For graphic designers that image lives in the world of marketing. For food - in the business world. A motion live video, and game design - in games. You have to understand that if you cool a motion designer, but can not tolerate the computer games, it is unlikely you will be a cool game designer.

But designers often need to borrow tools from the neighboring areas. For example, a food designer understands that a still image of its users will be surprised, and goes resorchit in 3D and a motion, takes something for their product. In any case, the longer you are in the design, the more areas you have time to touch.

- without which it is impossible to imagine your workplace? What gadgets do you need?

- We need a laptop with a good matrix. If you have money, you can buy the software for the job. No - no big deal, there are free solutions. The rest - it is a matter of convenience of each person. Some need a mouse, others like to work on the tablet, the third required a giant monitor or keyboard special color.

- The ASUS VivoBook S15 is qualitatively different from your previous laptop? For you, as a designer, it is important appearance?

- It is easy, it is convenient to carry around with him. In this case, the basic task of creating interfaces it closes. Good screen quality, responsive and easy to use the trackpad, the operating system is fast - enough memory. A, and more importantly it has a cost advantage. Within this budget, he has a good relationship between the parameters, without apparent overpayment for the brand.

Appearance is important in part. Not so much a color as the texture. For example, I need to get a new laptop was a nice touch: less glossy, more matte, rough. And to me, the keyboard is not infuriated reading difficulty. At Asus keyboard has a good move and reading. I would also made it darker.

- There is an opinion that the laptops for designers - it is always a compromise between the large display and portability, performance and size. That, from this point of view, is the ASUS VivoBook S15?

- Everyone has their own comfort zone diagonally. I can work in peace and on the laptop. For me super comfortable diagonal - 15 inches. If there is some big task that requires precision and concentration, it is better to connect the monitor. Laptop - it's more a story about the fact that you can work from anywhere and carry it with you.

To display ASUS VivoBook S15 I have no complaints. He has a good matrix and indicators, it is enough for most basic design problems without calling in history, where the need fine work with color. Especially when you consider the cost of the budget - it is very good value for money.

- For many designers mouse - a tool more comfortable than the touchpad. What do you usually use? And how easy it was to work with intelligent touchpad ScreenPad 2.0 for you?

- I try to work with the touchpad. Mouse do not carry with them. Usually connect it to more delicate work, where the touchpad is not as convenient to use. Plus, the touchpad has its bun: rapid coagulation pages hotkeys. For managerial work it enough. Mouse to attract more serious problems.

ScreenPad 2.0 - a good idea, something fresh to the mass market. Allows you to quickly switch to other tasks or to run the messenger window, where you will not answer, but you need to see what was going on. It's cool.

View that can VivoBook S15

"The final result and the number of edits you need to negotiate beforehand"

- How to respond to customer changes a good designer? When you can and should insist on?

- The first thing to understand one point: you are the designer of a large company or a freelancer.

The designer of the company knows the business and knows what it will bring some visual solution. He must be able to justify why you need to do it in a way that will bring us. Freelance work with the business. Often, he does not have time to understand all the intricacies of the company. Therefore, it may be useful to listen to the customer who knows the business better. If the decision of refuse, it is necessary to discuss and explain why it is preferable to do so.

If you allow yourself to push and challenge your skills as a specialist - it's bad.

One option - you have done the project on my knee, I thought that ride, but no. Second - this client you simply can not handle. A good designer should discuss in advance the number of revisions and the final result. One should always look for a compromise communication. Business given the comments that you do not like them, but after them the customer was satisfied. So you need to shut it down, and for that he hired you and.

- What are the proven personal experience advice would you give to beginners in the design, dreams of a steep portfolio, but do not have class until customers?

- It's easy. If there are no customers - no need to spend 100% of their time on search. By accessing any known site and make re-branding of the selected product. Describe their approach, Vision and spread, for example, on Behance. Such things may work better than the real case. They can run the "word" and everyone in the community will say that some newcomer swung at rebranding Mercedes.

We need to develop a personal brand. It can be long talk on the area that you are a designer, but if Google does not know your name, what you like and do not exist. We must find a social network where people hang out of your scope, and to engage in self-management. Your account in social networks - this is how you will know a lot of people. They may know a cheerful guy with the parties, and may know a professional. You need to walk on designer party, learn, to shovel the Internet, and most importantly - do not wait, and do.

ASUS VivoBook S15 - light notebook with the original design. It is suitable for those who love bright and stylish technique and wants to be able to comfortably work from anywhere. At ASUS VivoBook S15 has an additional function screen - touch touchpad ScreenPad 2.0. It allows you to run multiple applications and work in multitasking mode. Model an affordable price.

Learn more about the Asus VivoBook S15