Being a designer is not only about pure creative process. Design is also about communication with colleagues, managers, clients and experts. This connection can be done not only in the flow of current projects but also at a variety of design events held all over the world. And, as the famous author and speechwriter James Humes stated, “The art of communication is the language of leadership” which works prominently in creative spheres of human activity. So, today let’s briefly review what are the key benefits which designers can get from attending specialized events like conferences, meetups, workshops and so on.
1. You absorb knowledge and inspiration from experienced designers
If you have had the chance to read about art education a couple of centuries ago, perhaps, you learned the stories how great masters started their path from apprenticeship for masters of that time. It was the way which in the case of appropriate diligence and patience could open the door to the world of genuine great art. Centuries have passed, generations have changed, but this way still hasn’t got lost in time: we learn the secrets of the job from those who have already got them through practice. That is one of the reasons to attend the design event, especially for those who only start their career in the field. Some of the speakers will give you useful tips on design tools while others will share their experience in methods of time management and collaboration. Some of them will tell you about new trends in design while others will show the flows of real projects. There is even a chance that there will be speakers who will show you the methods and ideas you’d never like to try – and even this result is positive at it saves your time and effort for testing all them by yourself. Don’t waste the opportunity to take what they are ready to share. Surely, to get the chances of positive experience higher, it’s advisable to check the program of conference or meetup beforehand.
You may like recognized designers more or less but remember: they ARE already well-known and successful. That means there always exists something you can learn from them. Analyze, get inspired, try to see the best features so that you could get the technique. It was effective hundred years ago in old-school art education and it still works now.
2. You get live communication with experts
Reading the thoughts provided in the previous point, it’s easy to argue: why would you need to attend the real event if tons of them can be found via the Internet in videos, photo workshops, podcasts, articles, and books? The reason is simple: all those ways of getting professional knowledge and training are great and helpful, but none of them can fully replace the experience of live communication. The precious moments when you can ask the question right in the process of live talk flow are irreplaceable. Moreover, make no mistake: conferences and meetups are the places where everyone, including speakers and organizers, is ready and open to communicate with you while in ordinary days full of creative search, management and loads of current tasks they do not plan their time to answer the questions from other designers. Cool if they can do it but it happens not so often whereas for the professional events it is a natural state of things: everyone goes there to communicate.
One of the upcoming local events of that kind called Shuba Design Conference will be held in Dnipro, Ukraine in the late May. Its philosophy is all built around the idea of providing the space for effective and fruitful communication of creative people both in form of the speeches from the experts and live brainstorming with colleagues. This year the motto of the event is “Design beyond the borders” setting the new perspectives and new flows of creative energy in the sphere. Furthermore, the organizers bring out the opportunities for designers to participate in the contest of posters “BORDER STUDIES” and express their ideas in the artworks which will be accepted until 14 May. If you are interested to know more, check the details here. Let us know – we’ll be happy to get in touch!
3. You can get the qualified feedback on your work
While most design meetups set the platform where experts share their knowledge and experience, some events also create the foundation for getting live feedback on design portfolios. One of the founders of this movement worldwide is Behance, the well-known design platform for portfolios in a variety of creative directions. Behance Portfolio Reviews held in different corners of the world let every designer get a professional and objective review from the local design community. This is one more upcoming design event we are looking forward to this May – Behance Portfolio Reviews Dnipro inviting young designers to present and discuss their portfolios.
4. You set new business contacts in design sphere
One more big reason to attend design events is directly connected to business issues: this is usually the fruitful ground for making new contacts useful for your career. It works the same as at any other specialized event: you can get in touch with other designers for collaboration on complex projects as well as you can meet new potential clients or investors. Again, live communication and real impressions make a considerable impact on decisions which can change the prospects of individual designers or even design teams for better.
5. You get refreshed from your routine and check the trends discussed at the moment
Last but not least is the reason of refreshment, actual for professionals from any creative sphere. Getting dip into specific tasks and working on several design projects simultaneously, artists really need that breath of fresh air which will reboot their creative energy and give new directions of vision. So, if you see an event with interesting speakers or themes actual for you, don’t hesitate to give yourself a moment of new experience: it will take you away from your current work for some time, but it will let you get back with new ideas and impressions absorbed from the design community.
