The Community:

The Web Design community literally takes that old Nokia slogan “Connecting People” and makes it happen. Everyday, literally thousands of talks take place via social networks connecting more and more designers with the same interest and views.

There are hundreds of amazing portfolios, top quality blogs, rich showcase websites, etc. where you can certainly loose endless hours looking, getting inspiration and tips…and that’s a good thing right? Well it certainly is if you can manage your time and focus well, otherwise, trust me, it can be a real problem.

The Problem:

When you are starting out, everything is new, everything is fresh and everything is brilliant. The flow of different case studies and work examples doesn’t stop and you can get lost really quick, ending up with too much on your head blocking you from stopping and finding your own path.

Tips and Solutions:

If you feel like this might happen to you, learn that it is important to stop and focus! You don’t need to see all the new entries in every css gallery or all the blog posts showcasing every website out there. Take in small amounts of time to gather ideas and inspiration but stop and focus on yourself.

This will allow you to produce your own examples and work. Try to re-create the little details you loved on that website, or the amazing navigation from that other one, re-do, re-think, invent! Find your own way of passing the desired message to your target audience.

Practice!

You might be starting out and not have a real client yet…don’t worry! Create your own briefs or try to do some practice work for a friend or relative. Start your portfolio! You will learn from the experience and get better after every project. Get better by doing, failing, re-doing, creating…Practice!

Don’t get discouraged!

After seeing all the amazing work delivered by experienced design teams of top agencies, don’t let yourself down. Work hard and put real effort into it to reach your goals!

Filter information!

Don’t visit every blog and gallery out there. Save some favorites (tip: use categories) for your daily visits or you will spend way too much time just wandering around.

Stop and Focus! Find your own way and good luck!

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