6 Skills Every Professional Designer Needs.

To be a great designer, you need to be creative. But did you know that along with the technical composition skills you may have (such as composition, color theory, and software proficiency), you need something called "soft skills"? Yes, they are a real thing! Just like knowing your way around Photoshop, they are critical to your success. Soft skills are like your personal traits and interpersonal skills. Beyond your raw talent, they are the aspects of your personality that make people want to work with you. The good news is that these skills are mostly already ingrained. Even if you're a new designer, you can use the soft skills from your past life experiences and roles. Others may not come naturally, but if you want to grow both professionally and personally, they can and should be worked on. We've put together the most important soft skills you can use to take your freelance design career to the next level.  

Soft Skill #1: Communicate efficiently and effectively

Design is fundamentally a form of communication — whether it conveys ideas through text and visuals, or solves complex problems with colors, shapes, and forms. But good design doesn't stop at the deliverables themselves. Running a freelance design business requires effective communication from start to finish, and often involves dealing with many different (opinionated) stakeholders. So how do the most successful designers stay cool and communicative? It starts long before the project begins, by making sure you fully understand your client's needs early on. Find out exactly what you're delivering and when by creating a scope document outlining feedback milestones, deadlines, and other specifics. At the same time, you must clearly state your own terms and requirements. These can be your normal working hours, your preferred method of gathering feedback, or any of the best methods for your client to reach you. By setting the tone and expectations up front, you'll make it easier to address issues later. And you'll look professional as heck! Win-win. As Top-Level Designer FriendlyLabel says, "Only we designers, with effective communication, can truly understand the assigned task and at the end of the project deliver a great 'product' — a logo, a catalog, a website, or any other product that 'speaks the language' of that brand and sends the right message." The takeaway? Clear communication, clear in every meeting, email, or call, will ensure you have everything you need to do what you do best: produce excellent design.  

Soft Skill #2: Be an incredible collaborator

We've all been there: difficult clients we dread phone calls with, revision requests that seem to come out of thin air, stakeholders who come out of the woodwork at the last minute, and team members who don't deliver what they promised. Ugh! But while other people are being annoying, you want to make sure you remain consistently professional. There are also things like delivering on time and short notice. But don't shy away from being respectful to people. Remember, collaboration across time zones and through screens isn't an easy feat. It takes patience, understanding, and ultimately experience. And most of the time, everyone is just trying to do their best.  

Soft Skill #3: Use your confidence responsibly

For your development as a designer, confidence is an incredibly important soft skill. Above all, it means knowing your worth so you can charge the prices you deserve. When unreasonable demands are met, it's the confidence that gives you the power to push back. 99designs Top Level Designer 3AM3I reminds us that "you must respect yourself and your work, and if you think your time isn't worth it, you shouldn't go below your limit offer." Finally, confidence allows you to push yourself out of your comfort zone and experiment (reasonably)! Now Executive Creative Director at IBM iX, Kimberly Bartkowski (via Medium), says: "It's easy to be intimidated as a kid […] If you can learn to accept fear and be okay with it — because it's not unique to you, everyone has been there — you'll be free to try new things. To contribute to brainstorming. To throw ideas out in the hall. To break up meetings. To share something funny." You're getting paid not just to do what you're told, but to bring your experience and expertise to the table, so do it.  

Soft Skill #4: Give and receive valuable feedback

It can be painful when someone critiques work you've spent hours on and passionately believe in — but it doesn't always have to be. You can train yourself to welcome constructive feedback by changing your mindset and reminding yourself that every critique is an opportunity to grow and learn. It's not enough to just be good at receiving feedback; you also need to be comfortable giving it. How about forming a group together to review design trends and ideas outside the scope of a paid project? It's a great and low-cost way to practice giving and receiving valuable feedback. It also lets you ease into discussions you might otherwise avoid, develop your design vocabulary, and build a network you trust. As Kevin Sharon, Creative Director of National Design Service (via Medium), notes, "A skill that designers rarely know intuitively but can easily learn is to feel comfortable giving and receiving feedback. When receiving feedback, I recommend that people simply assume that those giving feedback have good intentions about the project and are not undermining their hard work." At the end of the day, most of our anxiety comes from the idea that critique is "bad" or "good." Don't let this distorted thinking hold you back. Instead, remind yourself that critique is necessary to make your work and future projects better.  

Soft Skill #5: Stay curious and humble

Even the most experienced designers never stop learning. Everything changes, trends shift, and every project presents different challenges. So go with the flow. Only by setting your ego aside can you truly open your eyes and mind to unexpected perspectives and possibilities. You never know where it will take you. Web designer Brad Frost (via Medium): "The most important skill everyone should strive to master is learning how to learn. Nobody has all the answers in an industry that changes daily, so the ability to efficiently search for resources, information, and solutions is critical to expanding your knowledge." Stay informed about the latest design trends and techniques by subscribing to newsletters, reading relevant articles, and maybe finding a podcast or two to listen to. If something really speaks to you, dive in! And ask questions! Now Creative Partner at The Big Know (via Medium), Rett Martin, points out the importance of "being humble, listening to others, and then voicing your egoless opinions and beliefs after gathering the facts." Simple. Be open to others' opinions and stay curious; that way, you'll stay on your toes in an evolving industry, and have fun in the meantime.  

Soft Skill #6: Practice resilience

Running a freelance design business is hard work. Even when you feel you've reached a certain level, new challenges may seem to appear out of nowhere. But it's the small moments that make the journey worthwhile (the freedom to create and an ecstatic client at the end of the day). One aspect that will help you along the way is being patient. Top-Level designer Freshinnet says, "I think the most important skill in working with clients is patience! It pays off in the long run." Successful freelancers accept the inevitable challenges and choose to focus on the bigger picture instead of dwelling on every perceived setback. Educator and designer Jason Tselentis (via Medium): "How well do you bounce back from a failed design? Crushed, perhaps a critique of the work? How will you handle a long night with little or no sleep to meet a deadline? What about challenges with tools, technology, or even vendors? Resilience helps you persevere, and now as a design educator, I find myself constantly reminding myself how valuable that is." This may just be the most critical soft skill of all. So take a deep breath, lean on your support systems, and keep your head held high. We'll be cheering you on right here. How many of these soft skills do you feel confident in? Where do you see opportunities for growth? Think about what's missing in your soft skill toolbox and look for ways to practice so you can become a stronger and more successful designer.