Taking a shaping step

Hello there and welcome back into the space of Maria’s design introspections.

There are a whole multitude of existing products moving in the background of my day to day life. But those products must have had their sources somewhere. An established brand or singular creator who wasn’t afraid to share their ideas with the world. It is magical to understand that each of the surrounding us products was once created by someone with a vision. Someone who worked either for themselves or for a bigger brand. But how does one reach this part in life when they have the freedom to create outside of laboratory conditions of design education. How does one have a breakthrough? How can I break through? How can I be the one that’s wanted and desired as an asset on a project or in a company?

Well my dear, that’s what I’ll  be trying to answer by writing this blog entrance. Imagine yourself even two years from now, entering the world as a fresh out of collage designer. What do you see as a prospect? Is it a company already waiting on you with an open door and warm position or is it a possibility of spending your time on linkedin and other platforms looking through open design positions in your area. Well it could be either. The soft fog of the unknown the future holds is not going to be uncovered that rapidly. But looking at all that, I think you also begin to realise how crucial it might be to kickstart your career as a designer and put yourself out there as soon as possible.

And that is essentially what it is all about. Taking the first step. And a good first step for a designer who’s going to enter a workspace or even just a student applying for an erasmus semester abroad is creation of a portfolio. So simple, yet so complex if you’re to actually look into the process. A portfolio is a reflection of oneself, a character display with the qualifications and interests outlined in a form of designs. A sales brochure if you might feature the skills and designs as products the potential customer might be interested in. To me portfolios seem like good catalogues showcasing the possible benefits of putting a trust into the brand (persona) standing behind them.

And so the tedious work to create one's portfolio starts with identifying their projects and the companies they might be suitable for when applying for a job. I might be interested in conceptual, research, fashion and material design, but maybe your focus is laying in the automotive industry or technological designing. I am not one to read your mind, my reader. And so by identifying this stage it allows for an unexpected possibility to once again unleash creativity. Because the development of one’s portfolio is a design process on its own. You need to create a page spread and layout that will work for you then put in all of the accumulated resources and make sure it’s breathable and fairly brief as well.

Similar process to this one was actually accompanying me the past week when I was preparing myself to present at the All Ireland Conference of Undergraduate Research (AICUR). And through the process of putting together my research presentation I was also able to explore and experience (alongside the creation of a sample portfolio project) the possibilities that brief presenting of your work carries with yourself. It was an interesting experience being able to once again submerge myself in the process of design research I worked on last year and seeing, analysing and presenting the results. If you’d like to see more about that project I would encourage you to look at the recording of my conference presentation which you can access HERE.

But creating a portfolio or a presentation is not everything. It will only get you so far, the actual crucial step is to actually put yourself out there. Take a step outside your boundaries and put yourself in an uncomfortable position, in the spotlight. If I hadn't made the decision to take part in the conference, the creation of my presentation would have been for nothing and all the effort I put into it would have been completely wasted. It is the step of courage, the bold notion that allows you to stand out from the screeching mass of other designers. Do not be afraid to bring your own ladder and help yourself get up to the next stage of your career or self development.

And with such I’d like to present you with a new designer problem of the week: When you signed yourself for a new experience but now are getting eaten up by doubts in your ability to properly execute it.

This problem however doesn’t have to be permanent. Remember if you got accepted you are already one step ahead and you do in fact have the skill to rise to the challenge. So stand bold, take the necessary steps forward and don’t let yourself be consumed by fear even if the path ahead seems to be scary, we are all living our design lifes for the first time. What we can do with them is push their boundaries further.

All the best,

The one and only Maria K.