Yeah, even in the past year, I can notice a huge difference between my earlier work which shows just how much you do improve over time. I am thinking of doing a post showing this. Would be quite interesting.

Krupa,

You’re welcome, enjoy the ride.

Szabi,

A good way to combat that is to try to work on things you haven’t done before. It’s a great way to learn and yeah life long learning for a designer. Just the fact that we work with so many other industries ensures this is so.

Ian,

Analyising designs that are “better” than your own is a great way to improve and like you said is part of the learning experience.

Jetgirl,

I don’t think eventually they will stop… it’s a recurring circle. There will always be someone ‘better’ or ‘worse’ than you, it’s just a fact of life.

Abbas,

Budgets are another spanner in the mix, obviously there are pros and cons of each. Interesting statement too… “An intimidated designer becomes an easily influenced designer.”

This is why you see many designers (myself included), who’ve spent years working for agencies, go freelance to try and wrestle back a bit of creative freedom. You should really think yourself lucky – I know I do. It’s easier to get your ideas across to a small company.

I believe that any decent designer worth their salt could equal any outcome of an established agency/designer if they were allowed the amount of time and money that’s dedicated to a certain project.

An intimidated designer becomes an easily influenced designer.

Just means you gotta try harder, cuz eventually they will stop.

Once you get beyond that, the whole of experience of listening to such people becomes more of a learning experience.

That’s the beauty of designing, it just becomes better everyday,and there’s always something new. What say?

‘Best’ is very subjective but it doesn’t mean you can not use the term, for example I could use it for my own personal opinion. Glad you liked the post.

Alex,

Everyone is talented, just in different areas and I suppose we can not be good in all areas, that would just be unfair however there are some that come bloody close and that’s where the intimidation comes in.

Peter,

I don’t try to come across as intimidating and I know you meant know harm by it, but yeah what you said “Don’t rest on your laurels but don’t forget to count your blessings either.”

Mike,

Jacob not Jason (don’t worry you’re not the first). And yeah, sometimes you think you are better than you really are. For example, looking back on work even just one year ago, I realise how much I have improved (yet my work is still far from perfect).

Jason,

Pretty difficult thing to do, especially with the net but interesting analogy with the ducks.

Robin,

Oh certainly, there is a lot of mediocrity out there as well. Good tips about how you phrase yourself and also of how you analyse a piece of work rather than just saying “wow”.

Micaela,

Yeah, sometimes a short list like that can be quite useful. Thanks for your comments.

Brandon,

Nice points and yeah a two sided sword, but like Robin said, it’s great to analyse a piece rather than just staring at it.

Aaron, Paul, Kim,

Thanks to you too and all the best.

In the end I try to remember the fact that everyone starts somewhere, and it’s encouraging to read the advice again here. Nice point. =]

One thing I found that worked really well. I made a specific decision to try and eliminate certain phrases from my writing and speaking, and ultimately from my thinking. Instead of saying “I think I’m good” I say “I am good”, instead of “I might do that” it’s “I will do that”. When I look at great designs now I don’t worry about how I didn’t think of them, I work out how they’re done (if it’s a technique I don’t recognize) and make sure that my next piece of work incorporates that added inspiration to improve.

Good ideas, as the expression goes, get pecked to death by ducks. Little change after little change which often end up creating a result that is a sad shadow of its former self.

I mean, look at what you have achieved in the past few years? I have been in the industry longer than you and am nowhere near to where you are in terms of work and influence of the design industry!

Don’t rest on your laurels but don’t forget to count your blessings either.

it’s good because it gives you a drive to try that much harder to get to that point.. and yeah, practice practice practice, but have fun while you’re at it

Well said and yeah, same goes with areas that you don’t have many skills in. I know I have so have so much to improve on, but that comes with time and practice.

Fabian,

Yeah I also do a few ‘fake’ logos however I tend to upload them to LogoPond and not my portfolio. I wasn’t trying to bring up the discussion of fake logos again as that has already been talked about (as linked in the article) but rather, use it as an example for something I can relate to. And certainly, practice does improve yourself as a designer.

Shawn,

Like I said, I guess it is just natural. It happens everyday and not just in the design world – everywhere.