This month, HMA’s Head of Design Matt Pearce shares his top ten tips for design:

  1. Don’t be tempted to rush into the ‘colouring in stage’, take your time and plan things first.
  2. If you see something good, take a photo, bookmark it, write or sketch it in a notebook.
  3. Never stop learning, try and take time out of your day for some quality research and development.
  4. Learning on the job might be frightening but it is often the best way to learn new skills.
  5. Don’t be afraid to find inspiration from others.
  6. If things aren’t happening and you have designer’s block, keep calm, don’t panic, take a break, leave it until the next day and sleep on it if possible!
  7. Don’t over complicate things, keep it simple. Great design is as much about functionality as it is about form.
  8. Know your limits both in your ability and how long it will take to do it. There’s nothing worse than over quoting on something and even worse not being able to deliver it.
  9. Collaborate, get opinions, feedback and learn from others.
  10. Don’t take negative feedback personally, it’s only someone else opinion.