Friday, June 24, 2011

10 lessons for young designers



John C. Jay is a big ad man. He started from nothing, learning English from television ads. His parents weren't fond of him drawing on their walls growing up. He got his first design job not because of his experience but because of his passion, there something is to be said about that. John C. Jay is a multifaceted guy; influencing culture any way he can through his designs, ads, fashion, industrial design, and the list goes on.

These are his lessons for young designers:
1. Be authentic. The most powerful asset you have is your individuality, what makes you unique. It’s time to stop listening to others on what you should do.
2. Work harder than anyone else and you will always benefit from the effort.   
3. Get off the computer and connect with real people and culture. Life is visceral.   
4. Constantly improve your craft. Make things with your hands. Innovation in thinking is not enough.   
5. Travel as much as you can. It is a humbling and inspiring experience to learn just how much you don’t know.   
6. Being original is still king, especially in this tech-driven, group-grope world.   
7. Try not to work for stupid people or you’ll soon become one of them. 
8. Instinct and intuition are all-powerful. Learn to trust them.
9. The Golden Rule actually works. Do good.   
10. If all else fails, No. 2 is the greatest competitive advantage of any career.

Words to live by.

courtesy of  http://www.aiga.org/design-journeys-john-jay/

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