Core77

Things Every Designer Should Do at Least Once in Their Career?

By Rain Noe - January 29, 2013

in Design Business

Over on the Core77 boards Richard Kuchinsky, boards moderator and "Directive Creator" of The Directive Collective design consultancy, has posted an interesting topic: What ten things should every designer do, at least once during their career? Writes Kuchinsky,

Been thinking lately about what life experiences would make the best designer (skills aside).

A not too serious list, for discussion (in no particular order)-

1. Make/Fix something for your own use 2. Get fired 3. Bring a product to market, with your own money 4. Start your own consultancy 5. Pitch/sell an idea to investors 6. Work corporate 7. Work in a consultancy 8. Live/Work in a different country 9. Teach 10. Work on a royalty or equity basis

Thoughts? These are just off the top of my head, nothing too serious or meant to be all encompassing. I can't say I've done all myself, and not sure how many designers have, but think at the very least it's an interesting thought experiment and maybe a start of a life guide for designers to consider how those experiences other than the usual skills/jobs can affect a designer's outlook.

Presented with a list like this, the inclination of some is to tally how many they've got under their belt, while others have added their own suggestions for must-do items. My favorite add-on is Michael DiTullo's assertion that "all designers should go to visit an Asian factory. Going to the factories 3–5 times a year for 8 years taught me so much. It is one thing to intellectually understand a manufacturing process, and another to observe it in person. Also to understand the labor that goes into finishing and assembly." Obviously the "Asian" part is interchangeable depending on where you intend to produce--Chris Anderson, who recently quit his post as Editor of Wired to go into consumer drone production full-time, manufactures in Mexico—but the merits behind DiTullo's thinking are clear, and much echoed in the subsequent posts.

Down the line, by the way, Kuchinsky adds a ballsier item to the list: "Fire a client." The pleasure center in my brain is lighting up at the thought...

So, what are your add-ons?

o

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jim

11 years ago

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Really interesting idea- from what I have been seeing with young good designers , they very will have already done these by age 30. My adds would be to start a school, hire and fire a team, sell everything you own and start over.
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Gary Pennington

11 years ago

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Visit a country you are not excited about visiting! Five years ago I knew little of South America and in my previous 30 years on the planet had paid little attention to Bolivia.

My partner dragged me along and I had the most enlightening life experience which completely influence my thoughts on design, materials with which I wanted to work and style of products I wanted to produce.
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BOB

11 years ago

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I would also say to deliver the exact opposite of what an amateur client asks for just to calibrate them
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enjinear

11 years ago

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"All designers should go to visit an Asian factory". Definitely agree with that. Having done so early on in my short career has open my eyes and given a huge insight.
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Nicholas Sharp

11 years ago

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This is implied in number 3 but perhaps it could be its own point.
11. Pay for some design services and experience being the client.
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