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Oh well, I would like to start off with a small comparison, in terms of intensity
I would take this opportunity to comment that Designers get immersed in design to the extent as that of one being in a state of having Marijuana (it’s that difficult to come out of it) be it architects or interior designers and I may not be wrong with this
We fail to see the edge beyond that and it is made to sound so astronomical that we lose the complete essence
This answer is very simple, Schools injected this ideology and we followed it
We lacked the quality to question of what would be the outcome of any decision taken
The real world demands something completely different from what it is being taught at schools and there is a huge gap created between the profession and the formal education
Nonetheless, even I was the scapegoat of the same and things are pretty hard to unlearn
Here are the top 3 skill loopholes we need to master
1. Business skills
Gone are the times where word of mouth was the ultimate source of work
Times have changed
People have become smart
Competition is spreading like fire
We can’t stand in a desert and say “Oh yeah, the right client will find me” or “People will come looking at my design”
Design is ultimately a business
When you treat it like a business it will treat you back like a business
Business requires the coordination of Mind and Heart
Business cannot be done without Mind and Heart
Design should be thought through your heart
Business should be done through your mind
For running a successful business you should get into the habit of networking
Tim Sanders rightly points out “Your network is your net worth”
The idea of networking today in this digital world is getting diluted
Network doesn’t only mean liking and posting pictures on social media
Check this out what Google has to say on networking
So networking is a process of interaction
An interaction in which there is a value exchange
Be it Social or Professional interaction
Social contacts are the friends that we often hang out with
Professional contacts are the people who get attracted through some value exchange
It’s very obvious that Professionally People will only get attracted to you only if they see value in you
Therefore, your identity is very important, both personally and digitally
Both the identities should be equally compelling
And the identity which will make you reach out to maximum prospects is termed as the “Internet Identity”
Crafting your very own unique identity is widely left out skill in the school books
A strong identity will act as a face for your brand
So your brand value can become your face value
2. Communication Skill
Most often the common pattern that is observed is that “I will not speak, my design will speak for me”
This is the most bullshit statement which is widely heard from designers
The design process makes us so blindfolded that we don’t feel the need to effectively communicating it
An amoeba like envelope of design is formed around us
Day by Day and year by year it only tends to expand
And there is where the problem kicks in
Our voice starts getting dumped as the amoeba of design expands
The silence is the killer here
A lot of time, energy, efforts are put into the ideological process of any design
These ideas have caused a lot of sleepless nights to crack that one idea
The viewer seeing your design, at any point doesn’t realise the sleepless nights that are gone to establish that one top idea
He only wants to know your narrative behind that idea
He wants to understand the way you have handled the problem
He just wishes to listen how the end user can benefit from it
A good design backed with a strong narrative is more potent as compared to good design with an average or no narrative
Communicating with the right hook words will keep his attention
It’s all about getting his undivided attention towards your design with some powerful hooks
The game is not over until yet, the strong narrative continues to engage the viewer and ultimately selling him that great idea.
Ideas may not be great, but can be made by communicating well
It is not a skill that you develop overnight, but gets better as you master it with time
It is rightly said “Better late than never”
Sooner you master it better it will be for you to persuade people to buy your ideas
Sadly, it is a truth and we can’t get over this skill
There are too many stake holders to handle and be answerable to in the game
So this remains one of the top notch skills we can’t get over without
3. Time Management
Time is the enemy of any designer
Because it is said that “Ideas have no boundaries”
We start to take it in literal way
Rather it should be balanced equally
Once you master the balance between time and design you have mastered it all
You can run way ahead than your competition
Because very few designers have these two qualities balanced
Some of them are very good in design but fail to manage time and vice versa
If you observe carefully the top 4% architects/ interior designers in the industry today are rich with these qualities
It is not other architects and interior designers lack in design but time sets them back
Time management has become a skill today
Robin Sharma says, “Time Management is Life Management”
It is as simple as, the one who leads time, leads competition
Gradually it becomes important to master the skill of buying time
Time has an impact on our health too
The effects of time are not only on our career but our health too
Lack of time management can lead to over working, over stretching yourself beyond a limit, especially during design submissions
I remember, Once someone asked Shahrukh Khan what is the top skill that is going to get paid the highest in 2050, and his answer was simply human management
Because,
By 2050 the technological advancements would be at such high peak that people will forget living the normal way
They will require people to do the job of managing time for them
Efficient and effective time management is the key today
So, Be a smart investor of your time
Conclusion
There are many more such skills that require to be highlighted, but amongst all these 3 are the most important skills which we can’t live without today
Faster you get on to practise these better it would be and by the time you are on field for starting your practise you will be rich in these which will help your business grow and scale
Well, do let me know below in the comment section the top quality skills that are necessary according to you which are missing in the formal education system
