Dear Design Student
Advice on design from people who work for a living.
Follow
Following
You don’t need to be called a designer to be a designer.
latest
You don’t need to be called a designer to be a designer.
The job matters more than the word.
Ross Floate
Mar 31
Your Friends Are the Reason You Are Boring
Your Friends Are the Reason You Are Boring
Q: I know I should be networking and finding a mentor, but what else do I need from my professional community?
Arjun Basu
Mar 17
Two Weeks Notice Is for Sandwich Artists
Two Weeks Notice Is for Sandwich Artists
Q: I’m about to quit my job. Is two weeks notice the right thing to do?
Mike Monteiro
Mar 14
How to Have a Professional Conversation
How to Have a Professional Conversation
I’m looking for work and instead of a real interview I was offered an “informational interview.” Should I go? How do I prepare for it? Do…
Juliette Cezzar
Feb 29
How to Pitch a Project
How to Pitch a Project
Q: My partner and I just started our own firm and we’re pitching our first big project in a few days. Do you have any tips?
Mike Monteiro
Jan 20
Parents Just Don’t Understand
Parents Just Don’t Understand
Q: As a design student, my parents don’t seem to show much support whenever I tell them about my plans for going after internships and jobs…
Juliette Cezzar
Jan 12
Dealing with an Absent Decision Maker During Times of Review
Dealing with an Absent Decision Maker During Times of Review
Q: How do you deal with decision makers not being present in the design presentation?
Greg Storey
Jan 5
Dear Design Student in 2015
Dear Design Student in 2015
In March of this year, Dear Design Student launched to provide advice for designers by designers. A small, diverse group of designers with…
Greg Storey
Dec 23, 2015
Doing the right thing the wrong way
Doing the right thing the wrong way
Q: You’re always going on (and on and on) about how designers are responsible for what they make. Do you think everything out there is a…
Mike Monteiro
Dec 21, 2015
Failure, Fault, And Forward
Failure, Fault, And Forward
Failure is not an option, it’s a necessary part of learning.
dave hoffer
Dec 21, 2015
Latest
2015 Design in Review
2015 Design in Review
Q: What happened in 2015 that excited you as a designer?
Dear Design Student
Dec 17, 2015
Ethnography = Better Design
Ethnography = Better Design
Q: I hear a lot of people talking about ethnography and product design. I took an anthropology class in college, and I sort of remember…
Charles Pearson
Dec 13, 2015
Ignorance Beats Empathy
Ignorance Beats Empathy
Q: I’m trying to be more empathetic towards the users of the things I design. Do you have any useful advice?
Mike Monteiro
Dec 8, 2015
Never Write a Contract using Cut-and-Paste.
Never Write a Contract using Cut-and-Paste.
Q: I’m from the [country name] and I’m having a hard time drafting a contract. Most of the resources on the web only take into account US…
Greg Storey
Dec 3, 2015
Stay on Target: No One Forgets a Designer Who Quits
Stay on Target: No One Forgets a Designer Who Quits
Q: While consulting, have you become so interested in a project, that at a point, you wanted to ignore the client and make it your own…
Greg Storey
Dec 1, 2015
Q: I don’t think my client likes me anymore. What did I do wrong?
Q: I don’t think my client likes me anymore. What did I do wrong?
A: You can be a hard person to like.
Ross Floate
Nov 20, 2015
100% Clever, 0% Hired
100% Clever, 0% Hired
Resumés are communication documents that gain nothing from the addition of sparkles, graphs, and your little big data
Greg Storey
Nov 16, 2015
You think you signed up for the 100 meter dash, but you actually signed up for the 110 meter…
You think you signed up for the 100 meter dash, but you actually signed up for the 110 meter…
Q: How do you get really good work done if clients keep telling you to change it?
Mike Monteiro
Nov 11, 2015
Why is so much of design school a waste of time?
Why is so much of design school a waste of time?
Q: My teacher hates everything I make, even though I spend all this time working on it, and gets mad even when I follow his advice…
Juliette Cezzar
Nov 10, 2015
To Code or Not to Code…
To Code or Not to Code…
Q: How [much] necessary is coding for a design student?
dave hoffer
Nov 5, 2015
Biting Off More Than You Can Chew
Biting Off More Than You Can Chew
I’ve accepted a job with little knowledge of the client needs and it has become a scope freak. I feel like getting out but I’ve spent so…
dave hoffer
Nov 2, 2015
Can Design Change the World?
Can Design Change the World?
Q: I’ll keep it simple: can design change the world?
Mike Monteiro
Oct 30, 2015
How To Read a Client E-mail
How To Read a Client E-mail
Q: I still get anxious whenever I get an e-mail from a client. Especially an e-mail with feedback in it. And the weird thing is — I’m the…
Mike Monteiro
Oct 27, 2015
Math is not God: Do not fear, do not worship
Math is not God: Do not fear, do not worship
“What I always liked about math is, there’s no bullshit.”
Tim Brown
Sep 30, 2015
What Are You Excited About
What Are You Excited About
A round table
Dear Design Student
Sep 25, 2015
The Greek Problem
The Greek Problem
Q: What’s wrong with using lorem ipsum placeholder text?
Erika Hall
Sep 24, 2015
Stop Adopting Other People’s Anxiety
Stop Adopting Other People’s Anxiety
Q: I just got off the phone with a client who sounded really angry. He’s worried about the project we’re working on together running late…
Mike Monteiro
Sep 23, 2015
Snowflakes and Snowballs
Snowflakes and Snowballs
Ten Things to Remember About Client Relations
Arjun Basu
Sep 22, 2015
When did you know you wanted to be a designer?
When did you know you wanted to be a designer?
Round table
Dear Design Student
Sep 18, 2015
Designers are Boring
Designers are Boring
But you don’t have to be.
Liam Campbell
Sep 17, 2015
You know it’s time to quit your job if…
You know it’s time to quit your job if…
Q: How long should I stay with my employer? The old way of sticking to one company for life feels too long but the new way jumping from…
Jennifer Daniel
Sep 11, 2015
What if I don’t want to be a CEO?
What if I don’t want to be a CEO?
Does this mean I’m not ambitious?
Ross Floate
Sep 10, 2015
Faster Contracts, Kill Fee
Faster Contracts, Kill Fee
Q: I’m drawing up my first contract with a client. How do I ensure the client doesn’t walk away from the project through no fault of my own…
Mike Monteiro
Sep 8, 2015
Do you have any professional regrets?
Do you have any professional regrets?
A round table
Dear Design Student
Sep 4, 2015
Give me a place to stand, and I will move the world
Give me a place to stand, and I will move the world
Changing the world without disrupting it.
Liam Campbell
Sep 3, 2015
About
Dear Design Student
Advice on design from people who work for a living.
More information
Followers
11.4K
Elsewhere
More stories →
About Dear Design Student
