There are challenges in graphic design every graphic designer must have experienced either while handling a personal project for their portfolio or a project for clients. Whichever the case may be, these challenges are inevitable because they are inherently present in graphic design.
However, you should also be mindful of how these graphic design challenges occur often, it could affect your creative health if not given proper management.
If you are just starting up your graphic design and you don’t want to be caught in the web, I think you should take note of these challenges graphic designers face and try to avoid them throughout your career.
Finding the right client
Finding graphic design clients is one of the biggest challenges graphic designers face, especially graphic design rookies who haven’t yet gotten any reputable publicity or a stellar graphic design portfolio to showcase their skills and abilities.
However, just finding clients to offer you design jobs isn’t enough, you should consider looking out for valuable clients that will make your work worthwhile. There are bad clients with a toxic nature. They make your work frustrating by dictating and wanting to make you break your professionalism.
Another common type of client that gives challenges to designers is “Red flag clients”. This type of client makes things hard for you due to a lack of planning on their side, thereby making things difficult for you. They demand an immediate delivery of work within an unattainable period of time.
Avoid such clients by all means because they only try to please themselves and displease you in the end. And yeah, these types of clients always come with a cheap budget.
How to overcome this challenge
Getting the perfect client that fits you is like butter on the bread and it also gives you a more enjoyable work experience. Firstly, if you want to get graphic design clients, these are things you must do from your own side as a designer:
- Be clear on your value: It’s important to understand and communicate the unique value you bring to your clients. This includes your design skills, creativity, and any specific expertise you may have.
- Be clear on your work terms and conditions: Define your working terms, such as project timelines, revisions, payment methods, and any other expectations. This clarity helps prevent misunderstandings and disputes.
- Make sure your portfolio is the best it can be: Your portfolio is your showcase, so ensure it highlights your best work and the walkthrough of the design process to give valuable insight and show it as proof to clients. It’s a key tool for attracting clients and demonstrating your design capabilities.
- Always secure upfront payment (50% before work policy): Requesting an upfront payment before starting a project can help protect your interests and ensure clients are committed to the project. Clients sometimes are unpredictable making this a job policy will help make sure that your time and hard work aren’t wasted.
- Showcase proof of previous work: Share examples of your past projects to build trust with potential clients. Demonstrating your experience and quality of work can instill confidence in your abilities.
- Have a quality network of other designers: Networking with fellow designers can provide support, insights, and collaboration opportunities. It’s a valuable resource for problem-solving and professional growth.
- Get featured on a popular design platform such as Behance, Dribbble, and 99designs: Being active on popular design platforms can help you gain exposure, high reputation, attract clients, and stay updated on industry trends. It’s a way to market your skills to a broader audience.
- Have a stellar design portfolio: Your design portfolio should be a collection of your best and most diverse work. It’s your visual resume and the primary tool for showcasing your skills to potential clients.
Missing deadlines
“When will my logo design be ready?” This is a question often asked by clients and your reply will depend on how much time consumption the project will take before delivery or maybe some other circumstances surrounding the project.
This is one of the graphic design challenges that occur frequently, in fact, there is no designer that hasn’t been found guilty of this challenge at some point in time in his career. One of the few reasons why graphic designers face this challenge could be because of the few reasons:
- Poor time management
- Excessive project compilation
- Procrastination from your side
- Excessive revision from the client side
How to avoid this graphic design challenge
Set realistic deadlines
Begin by carefully assessing the scope of the project and your available resources. Establish deadlines that allow for sufficient time to complete each task, taking into account potential challenges and unexpected delays. Avoid setting overly ambitious deadlines that may be difficult to meet.
Break down the project into smaller tasks
Rome wasn’t built in a day, but it was built one brick at a time. Break down your project into manageable chunks and create a detailed task list. Assign specific deadlines to each task, ensuring they are achievable within the overall project timeline. Breaking down the work helps you stay organized and allows for better tracking of progress.
Prioritize tasks effectively
Determine the priority of each task based on its importance and its impact on the overall project. Focus on completing high-priority tasks first to ensure critical elements are delivered on time. This way, even if unexpected issues arise, you will have already addressed the most important aspects.
Communicate regularly
Maintain open and transparent communication with clients or stakeholders throughout the project. Provide updates on your progress, discuss any challenges you encounter, and keep them informed about any necessary adjustments to the timeline. Clear communication helps manage expectations and prevents misunderstandings.
Practice effective time management
Develop strong time management skills to optimize your productivity. Create a schedule or use time-tracking tools to allocate dedicated time for each task. Minimize distractions, avoid multitasking, and focus on one task at a time. This helps you work efficiently and meet deadlines without compromising the quality of your work.
Staying true to design fundamentals
Staying true to design fundamentals is crucial for graphic designers as it provides a solid framework for effective visual communication. This graphic design challenge can be avoided by adhering to principles such as clear communication, visual harmony, and problem-solving, designers can create designs that effectively convey messages and engage the audience.
Design fundamentals also contribute to visual balance, ensuring that all the design elements are arranged in a cohesive and aesthetically pleasing manner.
Additionally, design fundamentals offer timelessness and longevity to designs. By relying on enduring principles rather than fleeting trends, designers can create work that remains relevant and impactful over time.
Consistency in design, achieved through adherence to fundamentals, helps establish and maintain a brand identity while building trust with the audience. It’s important to strike a balance between staying true to design fundamentals and embracing flexibility to adapt to evolving trends and technological advancements.
By doing so, designers can create designs that are both rooted in solid foundations and open to innovative approaches
Disrespect to your profession
One of the common challenges in graphic design witnessed by every designer can relate to is disrespect from clients. Clients acting disrespectfully to a designer’s work is one of the most infuriating challenges in graphic design that every designer has experienced at one point in their career. Let us keep the moneymaking aspect aside. Some clients absolutely have no idea how much brain work, late-night candles, and years of study it took to achieve your professionalism.
Disrespect from clients is one of the common challenges graphic design faces. For this reason, I advise you to learn to grow thick skin as a designer and not let your client’s infuriating manner get the best of you.
However, upon early realization you find out a client tries to disrespect or depreciate your work, it is better you back out or give them a refund and simply walk away.
Times like this are the reason why graphic designers should send out work policy information to their clients letting them know their work nature, the limitations, and the tolerance that goes into your work as a professional graphic designer. They chose you because they trust you to be the right guy for the job so they should give you room for your creativity.
How to avoid this graphic design challenge
Establish clear expectations
Before beginning your client work, be certain that you and your client are on the same page about the scope, timeline, budget, and deliverables. Use a contract to secure the agreement made by both parties. This will knock off any misunderstanding, scope creep, or argument. If the client demands additional service outside the agreed contract, an additional charge will occur.
Communicate your value
One reason some clients may not appreciate your work is that they don’t realize how valuable it is for their business. To fix this design challenge, you should explain your worth better. Show them how your designs can help them reach their goals, solve problems, or meet their needs. Share success stories, real examples, or your past work to prove you’re skilled. Clarify your design process, why you make certain choices, and how it fits their vision and brand. Don’t hesitate to charge what you deserve, and confidently explain why your fees are justified.
Set boundaries and feedback rules
One of the common challenges in graphic design is failure to set boundaries for your clients. The earlier you give your clients a defined boundary of their service, this includes the number of revisions they can ask for after final work, how payment should be made before and after job completion, and how much feedback you can receive in a week or after job completion. doing this will save you the time and energy that will be needed for the next project in queue.
Teach your client
At times, clients may not fully appreciate your work due to their limited knowledge of graphic design and industry norms. In such situations, you can take the initiative to enlighten your client and enhance their understanding of your work. You can offer them helpful resources, tips, or best practices to boost their grasp of graphic design and its advantages. Additionally, you can clarify common design terms, concepts, or trends in the context of their project. Educating your client not only builds trust and rapport but also establishes your credibility.
Terminate the contract
If your client is very challenging and isn’t giving you pleasurable work experienec as expected, you can can decide to quit or fire your client. Before you break up with your client, make sure you have fulfilled your contractual obligations and politely tell them you wont be working with them anymore. Maybe they should try the designer nextdoor.
Creative block
Creative block is one of the challenges in graphic design that is inevitable and also a natural ingredient that is found in your design process. A creative block is a phenomenon best described as an overwhelming feeling of being stuck in the creative process without the ability to move forward and make anything new.
This is a common challenge in graphic design experienced amongst designers both beginners and professionals alike. As this may cause delays in design workflow and delivery as well, it can also be used as an opportunity to craft new ideas for your work.
How to avoid this graphic design challenge
Put your ideas(Good or bad)down on paper
Ideas pop up unexpectedly anytime, it could be in the shower, at the park, while watching TV, or any place. For this reason, we advise you move around with a notepad or any other means of putting ideas down so that when you get that idea pop up, you put it down ASAP whether the idea makes sense or not
Take a walk
As a designer, It’s a normal graphic design whenever you experience a creative block in the middle of a design. Most known as a serial challenge graphic designers encounter when they feel too pressured or have run out of inspiration.
When you find yourself in this situation, simply taking a break and having a walk short walk can significantly ease things up and get that creative juice flowing once more.
Note down inspiration as it strikes
Inspiration can be obtained from various sources on the internet. Taking a break to browse through various inspiration sites like Pinterest, Behance, and dribbble can help shake up the inspiration. But note that good designers steal and do not copy ideas from other sources.
When you get inspired by a design, it means you can generate your own idea with the help of the reference idea. The trick here is to use the reference design as a jumpstart to help you create something unique and not make the design mistake of recreating the exact replica.
Switch your scenery
When graphic designers face a creative block, it often stems from a lack of inspiration as a result of being stuck in a repetitive routine. By having a change in scenery, you can expose yourself to new environments, cultures, and landscapes, which can serve as a catalyst for fresh ideas and inspiration.
You may visit a new cafe, a stimulating shared workspace, a refreshing park, or traveling to a different location can stimulate the senses and provide a break from familiar surroundings.
The new sights, sounds, and experiences encountered during a flight can spark creativity and help designers see things from a different perspective. Being exposed to diverse cultures and architectural styles, for example, can broaden their visual references and influence their design thinking.
Furthermore, the process of traveling itself can offer opportunities for reflection and introspection. It can significantly remedy the challenges you face as a designer.
The downtime during a flight allows designers to disconnect from their daily routines and immerse themselves in their thoughts. This can lead to mental clarity and allow ideas to flow more freely.
Creative Burnout
Creative burnout is a condition that arises when individuals engaged in creative pursuits, like graphic design, experience profound mental, emotional, and physical exhaustion. It is a normal design phenomenon that emerges due to extended periods of intense creative thinking, brainstorming, and problem-solving, which drain an individual’s creative energy and motivation.
One of the challenges of being a graphic designer is experiencing creative burnout.
Posed as a challenge in graphic design, other professionals in diverse creative fields, including artists, writers, designers, musicians, and even those working in corporate environments that demand innovative thought, can be susceptible to creative burnout.
How to avoid this graphic design challenge
Take regular breaks
Allow yourself time to rest and recharge. Take short breaks throughout your workday, step away from your computer, and engage in activities that are unrelated to design. This can help refresh your mind and prevent mental fatigue.
Set realistic goals and deadlines: Avoid overwhelming yourself with an excessive workload. Break your projects into manageable tasks and set realistic deadlines. This way, you can maintain a sense of accomplishment without succumbing to constant pressure.
Explore new sources of inspiration
Seek inspiration beyond your usual design sources. Explore different art forms, visit museums, attend design events like Adobe Max events, or browse through books and magazines. Exposing yourself to diverse creative influences can reignite your passion and spark fresh ideas.
Collaborate and seek feedback
Engage with fellow designers in your field of work, join creative communities where ideas will be shared from all level of designers, and participate in design forums. Collaborating with others and seeking feedback can provide valuable perspectives, inspire new approaches, and remind you that you’re not alone in your creative journey.
Practice self-care
Prioritize self-care activities that promote physical and mental well-being. Get sufficient sleep, exercise regularly, eat a balanced diet, and practice stress management techniques such as meditation or deep breathing exercises. Taking care of your overall health will contribute to your creative energy and resilience. Having a poor diet won’t contribute positively to your design. So here is the deal, always make sure you exercise regularly to help enhance your mental strength, and have a good meal to help boost your creativity.
Experiment and diversify your work
Break free from the routine by experimenting with different design styles, techniques, or mediums. Explore personal projects or side gigs that allow you to pursue your passions and take creative risks. This can reignite your enthusiasm and prevent stagnation. You never can tell where your next big inspiration may be found.
Establish a supportive environment
Surround yourself with supportive and like-minded individuals who understand the creative process. Believe it or not, it is more challenging to develop when you find yourself around people who undermine your confidence. Share your challenges and seek encouragement when needed. Consider finding yourself a good graphic design mentor who can offer guidance and insights based on their experience.
Disconnect from technology
Take intentional breaks off from your digital devices and social media. Constant exposure to screens can contribute to mental fatigue and distract you from your creative process. This is one problem I personally struggle with, you might intend to spend a few minutes on YouTube, and in the blink of an eye, an hour or two is gone. Always engage in activities that allow you to disconnect and be present at the moment.
Poor creative control
Graphic designers could experience poor creativity control from dictatorial clients who tell designers what to do and what not to do in a domineering manner. Managing such clients can be challenging, as they tend to insist on their own vision for the design process while overlooking the valuable expertise of the designer. They are always authoritatively demanding or suggesting the designer to apply absurd and unprofessional ideas to designers.
Yes, the client own the design job and have more influence on how the design style should look by choosing the color, font, and imagery and all the necessary decision that goes into the design. But, the designer is the hand that brings the idea to life. They have the right idea needed to make the design functional. That is the reason why most design fails to achieve their purpose.
However, this poor creative control from over-controlling clients is very challenging to the graphic designer and causes the designer to end up breaking the fundamental principles of graphic design that every design upholds.
How to avoid this graphic design challenge
Number of revisions
Define how many revisions will be included in your contract. By doing so, clients won’t display a presumptuous mindset making them feel they have all right to demand for as many revisions as they desire. After they have exhausted the number of revisions stated in the contract, demanding extra revisions will attract an extra charge.
Design parameter
Define the parameters of the agreement and articulate the process so the client is clear on the process.
Sufficient information
Gather as much information as you can about what is important to them in how the design represents what they are expressing. Information can be gotten through the client design brief or a one-on-one session can be held with the client and you ask them design questions about their brand.
Listen to your clients
Just because they may not be a designer does not necessarily mean they don’t know what they want or don’t know how to express the vision they may have about the design they are looking for. Just need a little guidance from someone who could vividly interpret their blurry dream.
Clients often know more about what they want than you may think at the first conversation. So professional you give them absolute listening ears.
Staying unique
Known as one of the common challenges in graphic design, simply having a unique design style can help you stand out from the crowd. Graphic designers face this challenge especially amateur designers and designers who want to be a jack of all trades and good at none.
Developing the habit of staying unique as a graphic designer is how clients filter inexperienced from experienced designers who can handle diverse design styles yet have their signature style embedded.
Unfortunately, not everyone can fight the tempting gaze they get from a design they saw online and try replicating it with just subtle differences for their client. Let’s admit it, copycatting is one of the challenges in graphic design that so many creatives fall victim to.
How to avoid this graphic design challenge
Develop a strong personal brand
Define your unique identity, values, and visual style to establish a distinctive brand that sets you apart from others. Building a brand is one of the challenges of being a graphic designer, reaching out to other prominent industries, making sure your portfolio is up to date, and speaking at design events. In fact, it is simply fulfilling the mission and vision statement made by your brand as long as it solves the problem of clients as a designer.
Embrace storytelling
Use your designs to tell compelling stories and evoke emotions. This can make your work more memorable and distinguishable. Using storytelling earns you good engagement with viewers who then share your content with other social networks. This makes your brand go viral thereby earning you growth.
Incorporate handmade elements
Integrate hand-drawn illustrations, textures, or other handmade elements into your designs to add a personal touch and stand out in the digital world.
Experiment with unconventional techniques
Explore alternative design techniques such as collage, mixed media, or experimental typography to create unexpected and eye-catching visuals.
Push the boundaries of typography
Experiment with custom lettering, unique typefaces, or innovative typographic layouts to create distinct and memorable designs.
Integrate diverse influences
Draw inspiration from a wide range of sources, including different cultures, art movements, historical periods, and even subcultures, to bring a fresh and unique perspective to your designs.
Be concept-driven
Develop strong concepts behind your designs that communicate a clear message or idea. A thoughtful concept can elevate your work and make it stand out from purely aesthetic-driven designs.
Explore new technologies
Stay updated with emerging design tools and technologies, such as augmented reality (AR) or virtual reality (VR), and explore how you can incorporate them into your work to create unique and interactive experiences.
Collaborate with other creatives
Engage in interdisciplinary collaborations with photographers, illustrators, writers, or other creative professionals to bring diverse perspectives into your work and create unique synergies.
Take risks and embrace failures
Don’t be afraid to step outside your comfort zone and try unconventional ideas. Taking risks can lead to innovative and unique designs, even if some attempts don’t succeed. Prominent designers like Paula Scher failed, she believes failure is the secret to artistic success. “You have to fail in order to make the next discovery,” says Scher. “It’s through mistakes that you actually can grow.”
Continuous learning
Stay curious and invest in your professional development. Keep up with design trends, attend workshops, conferences, and online courses to expand your skillset and stay ahead of the curve.
Finding resources
A graphic designer is incapable of producing any design work without the availability of the necessary graphic resources. To be able to communicate a message or promote a brand’s vision, graphic designers will need to use images, vectors, illustrations, fonts, and templates to make it possible.
Graphic designers are faced with the challenge of getting the necessary resources needed to create the style of design that fits the client’s brief. Sure, there are free graphic design resources but sometimes the type of resources required to create a design for a client may be off the free shelf and may need payment before you can download and use them in your designs.
While this may not be a challenge for graphic designers who have deep pockets and extra bucks to spare in purchasing these resources, on the other hand, it can be quite difficult for a designer who hasn’t started making money from graphic design to afford.
However, designers who aren’t able to afford premium resources can download free graphic resources from various charitable sites.
Poor client budget
Known as one of the common graphic design challenges faced by designers regularly, graphic designers face this challenge of handling low-budget clients One of the main difficulties is managing client expectations by educating them about realistic possibilities within their financial constraints.
Limited budgets impact the scope of the project, requiring designers to prioritize essential elements and find creative ways to meet client requirements while staying within budgetary limits.
Time constraints become a significant hurdle, limiting the designer’s ability to explore options and iterate on the design. Effective resource allocation and clear communication about the value of good design are crucial.
Additionally, designers must manage scope creep by defining project boundaries and obtaining client approval for any additional costs. By navigating these challenges, designers can deliver quality work that meets client needs within a limited budget.
Conclusion
We have reached the end folks. If you are an aspiring graphic designer who is considering taking a lifetime decision to become a graphic designer, this will help you stay wary and expect these graphic design challenges as they come.
How you handle them will influence how good or bad you will become.
Becoming a graphic designer doesn’t happen instantaneously. You can learn how to become a good graphic designer by reading our previous posts. They will help you with the basic graphic design knowledge needed.