@PaulTrani
The Skills and Tools You Need to be a Successful Designer

@PaulTrani
Sr. Creative Cloud Evangelist, AdobePaul Trani

@PaulTrani
Absolutely anyone, with the right skills and tools
graphic / UI / UX / web / motion
designer
can become a successful

@PaulTrani
It’s estimated that 70%* of millennials have “imposter syndrome” at work.
*International Journal of Behavioral Science
An inability to internalize accomplishments
and a persistent fear of being exposed as a "fraud".
Take the test: http://paulineroseclance.com/pdf/IPscoringtest.pdf

@PaulTrani

@PaulTrani
“I am not a writer. I’ve been fooling myself
and other people,” John Steinbeck
“I always feel like something of an
impostor. I don’t know what I’m doing.”
Jodie Foster
"I have written 11 books but each time I think 'Uh-oh,
they're going to find out now,'" Maya Angelou

@PaulTrani
Worry more if someone
tells you they've never felt
like a fraud. Ultra-confident
people may simply be too
incompetent to realize how
incompetent they are.
DUNNING-KRUGER EFFECT

YOU PROBABLY HAVE THE SKILLS YOU NEED
Even though you might not think you do

TECHNICAL SKILLS

Design Skills
Photoshop
Illustrator
InDesign
GRAPHIC DESIGN

WEB DESIGN
Photoshop and/or Illustrator and/or Sketch
Understanding of JavaScript + frameworks etc.
Proficient in HTML + CSS
Responsive design
Familiar with new apps

MOTION DESIGN
Photoshop + Illustrator
After Effects
Premiere Pro
Optional: 3D software
Design Skills

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Have you ever “embellished” on your resume?

@PaulTrani
57% Embellished skill set
55% Embellished responsibilities
42% Dates of employment
34% Job title
33% Academic degree
26% Companies worked for
18% Accolades/awards
58% OF EMPLOYERS HAVE CAUGHT A LIE ON A RESUME
The other 42% weren’t caught
CareerBuilder.com

"If you sell your expertise you have a limited repertoire. If you sell your
ignorance, you have an unlimited repertoire. He was selling his
ignorance and his desire to learn about a subject. The journey of him
going from not knowing to knowing was his work.”
Richard Saul Wurman, founder of TED, about Charles Eames’ approach to life

EMBRACE YOUR INNER IMPOSTER

TECHNICAL SKILLS ARE FLEETING

What skills were you using five years ago?
TECHNICAL SKILLS ARE FLEETING
which ones are you still using today?

DESIGN SKILLS

@PaulTrani
Color

@PaulTraniThe Elements of Color by Johannes Itten
Yellow 1/4 Violet 3/4
Orange 1/3 Blue 2/3
Red 1/2 Green 1/2
Color
Intensity

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Composition

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Composition
What is your first read?

@PaulTrani
Don’t use too many typefaces.
Don't pair fonts from the same font classes.
Use all caps sparingly.
Watch out widows & rivers.
San serif fonts generally do better for web reads.
No more than 65 characters for paragraph text.
No more than 35 characters for paragraph text for mobile.
Use hanging quotes.
Use size, weight, color, contrast and position for hierarchy
Don’t use crazy themed fonts
Don’t distort a font from it's natural from
Careful when using gradients for the color of the font
Avoid justified paragraph text
Be careful when using small text for web, add good letter-spacing
Use good contrast for legibility
Give good white space and don't clutter content
Writing should focus on what the user can do with the application.
Use "we" to represent the system, it's more personable and human
Write in the present and not the no past tense, ex: message sent
For ui, use numbers in sentences over words.
The purpose of typography
is to convey information in writing.
Typography

@PaulTrani
Typography

Design fundamentals don’t go out of style.

It takes more than just good looks to be successful.

SOFT SKILLS

Interpersonal people skills that enable people
to effectively navigate their environment.
SOFT SKILLS

Interpersonal people skills that enable people
to effectively navigate their environment.
SOFT SKILLS

@PaulTrani
There is a gap in workforce skills
That gap is soft skills
44% lack of soft skills
22% lack of technical skills
14% lack of leadership skills
14% lack of computer skills
https://www.adeccousa.com/about-adecco-staffing/newsroom/press-releases%20/lack-of-soft-skills-2013/

@PaulTrani
Work Ethic
Dependability
Positive Attitude
Self-Motivation
Teamwork
Organization Skills
According to HR Professionals
TOP SOFT SKILLS
73%
73%
72%
66%
60%
57%
http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=4/10/2014&id=pr817&ed=12/31/2014

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An Overwhelming Majority of Companies Say Soft Skills
http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/aboutus/pressreleasesdetail.aspx?sd=4/10/2014&id=pr817&ed=12/31/2014
Are Just as Important as Hard Skills
If Not More Important
56% Soft Skills 44% Technical Skills

@PaulTrani
The problem is, the importance of these soft skills is often
undervalued, and there is far less training provided for them
than hard skills. For some reason, organizations seem to expect
people know how to behave on the job. They tend to assume
that everyone knows and understands the importance of
being on time, taking initiative, being friendly, and producing
high quality work.

@PaulTrani
Ontario College of Art and Design | Tuesday, May 23rd
adobecreativejams.com

MOST IMPORTANT SOFT SKILL
Being able to adapt

THE FUTURE JOB MARKET

CODE-FREE WEB DESIGN
where anyone can make a website
The rise of

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Tools that Design for You
Helping designers (and anyone) create good design

@PaulTrani
Hybrid Designer Sara Shields
Print/Brand/Web/Mobile/Social Media/UI Designer
Patrick Washington
UI/UX Designer
Sandy Harris
Print/Web/Social Media

FUTURE TRENDS

@PaulTrani
1. SEMI-FLAT DESIGN
2. CINEMAGRAPHS
3. 3D
4. ANIMATIONS
6. GEOMETRIC SHAPES
7. COURAGEOUS COLORS
8. INNOVATIVE SCROLLING
AND PARALLAX
10. COLOR TRANSITIONS
5. LANDING PAGES
9. COLOR TRANSITIONS

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Movement/Animation
GIFs (cinemagraphs)

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Project Felix
3D for Designers

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3D Printing
Prototype to production

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Multi-Color Fonts / Emojis
The laughing emoji was the word of the year in 2015

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Futuracha by Holy
Context-Aware Type

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Futuracha by Holy
Context-Aware Type

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Virtual Reality
Project Dali

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“Researchers from the University of
Oxford are claiming that approximately
47% of all currently existing jobs have a
high chance of being taken over by
machines within the next 20 years”

@PaulTrani
“Engineers are efficient problem solvers. Business people think short
term. Designers want things to be elegant and beautiful. All three need
to create and collaborate in harmony, and honor the value each other
brings. There needs to be a new kind of ‘multi-dimensional’ approach
to design that is yet to be invented.” Linda Holliday @lmholliday

@PaulTrani
CONCLUSION
Have the hard skills to get your foot in the door.
The soft skills to get the job.
And understand design and technology
trends to keep that job well into the future.