A design student emailed me from United States today and asked me the following questions.
What do you most enjoy about this industry?
Currently I am a Professor of Graphic Design at the Universidad Metropolitana del Ecuador. So at the moment I enjoy to see the development of the students. I also have a big passion for creating social posters and I love going to different places around the world to see my work.
What do you do in a typical day or week?
A typical day is getting up at 6am (I am not a morning person) and arriving at the university just before 7am. On average I would have about 4 hours per day teaching the students. I like to make my lectures engaging and interesting for the students, so that everyone participates and is active in discussions and analysing each others work. Then another 5 hours would be at the office preparing lectures, homeworks, events and research.
What skills are most critical to your success?
You could have all the talent and creativity in the world but if you have no passion or determination then you have very little chance of being successful in the design industry. There are so many designers throughout the world now and many are good designers. However what separates a good designer from a great designer is hard work and making things happen, this is paramount to any successful designer. Of course you need to live, breath and love design. It is the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about when I go to sleep at night.
What are the most valuable skills in your job?
To show enthusiasm and patience to my students and also be friendly to everyone I meet.
What are the common misconceptions about working in this field?
Generally students think this industry is very easy and also being a master on the computer is important. They also have this illusion it is quite easy to get a job in design. These 3 things could not be further from the truth. Obviously you need to be extremely creative and not stuck in front of the computer all day. But more importantly it is about wanting to become a designer which is the essence of what can make you become successful in what you do. The design industry can be very harsh at time so you need to have thick skin and never be afraid to say your own opinion and thoughts.
Is there anything else you think would be helpful as I consider this field?
For me social networking in particular plays a vital role in the career of a young modern designer. It has so much power and potential. Believe me I would not be where I am not without Mr. Zuckerberg. Competitions also are important for any student or graduate. Not only does it look good on your cv but you get to meet other designers and your work can gradually becomes more recognisable with the international design community.
And finally…
NEVER
EVER
GIVE
UP.
Questions by Naomi Mekeel
If anyone has any questions they would like to ask me. I would be happy to reply as soon as I can.
email them to csgraphi@hotmail.co.uk
Christopher Scott 
Leave a Reply