How to Succeed as a Professional Invitation Designer

Everyone wants to be successful in their career, but for those in invitation design, the road to success can be hard to find. Schools offer design courses for advertising and websites, but not so much for invitations. So, where you can go to learn more about this specific type of art, and more importantly, to get some advice on how to succeed in this profession?

To help you create a blueprint for your road to success, here are a few tips from a veteran in the industry: 

·         Start early – You don’t need to wait until you have a job to start your online portfolio. Start in school, then expand it with internships, and even consider taking on small clients like friends or family. The more experienced you are, the more appealing you are to a potential employer and to clients. Practicing your skills will also help you develop your eye for trends, typography and layout, allowing you to grow your abilities.

·         Keep the customer in mind – When you’re creating an invite, think about what the customer would like and what they may be thinking. Is the person shopping likely to be a bride, a mother, a grandparent, or someone else? What’s the occasion? What message might they want to convey? By considering and anticipating their needs and desires, you may find more success connecting with customers and in turn selling more invitations.

·         Push the envelope (pun intended) – Stay in tune with your customers, offer them choices, accept critique, and continually evolve to exceed their expectations. Don’t just follow the trends; set them.

·         Keep up with industry developments – Inspiration is everywhere. Reading industry blogs and other websites may provide the spark that ignites a great idea and brings your next creation to light.

·         Surround yourself with success – It may sound corny, but the people you surround yourself with affect your personal development. Create an environment full of creativity and positive people who really care about design, and you may find it easier to bring yourself to the next level. Even if you’re working on your own, you can join an online community or read industry publications to get insight into the minds of others who are successful.

While the tips above are no guarantee of a great career, following them will surely help put you on the right track. Above all, though, remember that drive is the most important element of design. An internal need to grow as an artist and explore the boundaries of design can set apart a great designer from a good one and in turn a stellar career from mediocrity.

Payal Kripalani is a designer with Checkerboard. Invitations and announcements from Checkerboard are available at fine establishments throughout the country and online at Einvite.com.


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