Speaking to our resident creatives, we’ve asked them a simple two-part question; what is one piece of practical advice, and one piece of creative advice, that you’d want to tell young designers? Some long, some short, the resulting answers live up to our season title, as their powerful, insightful responses highlight the realities of the industry and the role of young creatives within it. We invite you to read below and soak in their wise words. Be it a pragmatic take on payment terms or getting to know your creative heroes, there is undoubtedly something within these answers to inspire, intrigue or interest.

Over to you, team!

WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF PRACTICAL ADVICE, AND ONE PIECE OF CREATIVE ADVICE, THAT YOU’D WANT TO TELL YOUNG DESIGNERS?

Jennifer Whitworth

PRACTICAL

If freelancing for a studio – 1. Get a contract 2. Read the contract. It sounds really obvious, but it’s helpful on so many levels. One of the main reasons is it’s really good to know how long a studio wants you for so you can plan around it. Otherwise, the studio has every right to notify you at the last minute that they don’t need you anymore, which is really hard financially and leaves you potentially without pay until you find something else. It’s also good to spot any clauses you’re not sure about so you can clarify it with them and double-check that you’re ok to talk about your involvement with a project. If there’s a clause saying you can’t share your involvement, you probably should get back to them and charge more, as this is a really important part of the exchange between freelancers and studios in most instances. Also, if nothing else, the contract and this negotiation can be really helpful for your integration into the role, getting a feel for how they treat freelancers and what the studio culture is like.

If you’re working for your own clients – Make a contract. It doesn’t need to be a massive one, but you’ll want to lay out some ground rules ahead of starting. This might include things like the terms for the rights to your work, how quickly feedback should be given in order to work to your timelines, what the agreed design stages are, what the agreed deliverables are, and also making it clear who pays for any production costs. Making sure your client understands these terms, and smoothing out any uncertainties early on (much like with design studios) just helps things get off on the right foot, so you don’t hit any misalignments later down the line.

CREATIVE

This is tricky for me as I would very much consider myself still in the process of figuring out my own. But I guess in that sense, to be open to yourself and the waves that life will take you through. To understand that evolution is inevitable, and more so than that – essential. Accept where you are right now with curiosity and understand that perfection will never really exist. Everyone sees things in different ways, and as long as you are gaining even a microscopic insight into yourself through your work, nothing is wrong, bad or wasted.

Sthuthi Ramesh

PRACTICAL

Know your worth, and do not work for free.

CREATIVE

Keep Looking, Keep learning.

Lauren Harewood

PRACTICAL

Get yourself an accountant asap and don't just write down your timesheets on scraps of paper that you then just lose, so you dial down your days because you can't really remember the exact days you've worked. Trust me.

CREATIVE

PERSONALITY!!!! It took me so long to find my voice as a creative, I tried desperately to make work like everyone else and sound like everyone else around me because I thought that would help me to fit in and get work. When standing out is what I needed to be doing, It sounds so obvious now! I used to make work that didn't reflect me and write portfolio bios that I thought people would want to hear. God I was so vanilla. My advice to myself then would be to do what fits you, even if the everyday work isn't hitting, work on some personal projects that do. Showcase your passions, your interests. It doesn't matter if you don't look or sound like everyone else, never be afraid to add a bit of spice.

Adam Morton-Delaney of KesselsKramer

PRACTICAL

Buy a church...

For a little more context, google KesselsKramer office Amsterdam, or look here.

CREATIVE

The most important thing is to make work that excites you enough that you want to tell your friends about it. If you’re doing this, you’re making work you care about, or just boring them to death, but they’ll tell you if that’s the case.

Creative Directors Julie Vander Herberg and Anna Vander Herberg of Vanderbrand

PRACTICAL

Be upfront and direct about quoting and costs — this will get you to where you want to be financially. But more importantly, understanding the intersection of business and design is fundamental to your success.

CREATIVE

Be confident and believe in your ideas. Even if it's a small idea, something else can grow from it and be created from that single idea.

Studio Lowrie

PRACTICAL

Absorb everything. Try everything. Always try to have some sort of physical outcome/conclusion to anything you try. It’s a great way to map progress on your journey.

CREATIVE

Read books and blogs. Go to events, exhibitions, talks, and workshops. As many as possible! Even if you just use these to find out what you don’t like, that’s good! It was quite late in my second year of university before I really understood what I liked and where I wanted to work, and it all came around visiting a lecture from Bibliotheque Design. I had no idea who they were, and I was quite hungover, but a friend persuaded me to attend. I fell in love with their approach to design and ended up working there for 6+ years.

Barkas

PRACTICAL

Ensure that you always scope a project realistically in terms of time and resources needed, and make sure you allow for buffers in the different phases of the project. When it comes to creative work, the process is not linear and you should be able to take detours that will make the final outcome the best it can be.

CREATIVE

Know your heroes. Try to find out what you like and why you like it. A person's creative voice is shaped by all the inspiration and learnings you pick up along the way; therefore, it's a balance of staying curious and open but also knowing what you like.