Cultural awareness and communication

One interesting point from How to be a graphic designer, without losing your soul is to take interest in everything that goes on around you. By doing so, one will increase their appreciation for design and advertising techniques along with realizing what campaigns work and which ones don't, and why. Cultural awareness is vital for the modern designer. The more a designer scans, scrutinizes and absorbs the world around them, the better their knowledge of design will be. It seems to me that by making mental notes of good design in the community, you can better influence techniques and ideas in your own design, making it more successful.

I also thought that the reading gave some good tips concerning presenting your ideas, your work and yourself as a designer. As far as personal traits, good communication, moral principles and personal integrity seem to be high up on the list. Communication is a major factor when working with potential clients. The way designers present ideas is as important as the ideas themselves. The story of the designer presenting the ideas for the radiator in the middle of a block of ice proves this to be true. Because he was able to vividly describe his ideas and intentions with confidence, the client approved the idea without any visuals. The reading suggests that being a good listener and not over promoting yourself and your work can prove to be successful. It also suggests that when referring to your work, remove the personal from the equation. I felt that there where many good points in this reading that are key for designers to know and practice.