Being an Entrepreneur Today: Workshop Challenge
As we get nearer and nearer to the end of this module, this last brief is about the last part of starting a business, the actual beginning. Day Zero if you will…
Like in any business, one needs a set of skills and qualities in order to succeed. That being said, no one should be discouraged of giving it a shot, given that there is a feasible and sustainable plan in place. The design business is no exception. Many people think that it is all about the craft, but it is much more than that. Being a good design is obviously a big advantage for you will be delivering work of a high standard, but a lot more elements are in play when it comes to handling a business. This includes qualities such as empathy, good communication skills and being resourceful.
This was the theme of this week’s task. We were asked to create an infographic where we outline what it takes to be a design entrepreneur these days. It was a really fun exercise, and I took the opportunity to whip out my fancy paper and felt tips again. It had been a while since I did something of the sort. Probably it was back in Module 1…. But anyway. The way I went about it was a sort of comparison between a designer and a typical entrepreneur and in the process the supposed differences are really similarities. From the research, it turns out that designers do have a lot of skills fit for an entrepreneur. Whilst business-oriented people may be analytical, as designers we love to prototype and test things. In addition, we always try to push the envelope further – meaning that even though some things are obvious, we still try to find if there is a way of altering it. Also, we are natural empaths.
On the other hand, one skill that all creative people seem to excel in, is that of problem solving. Not many are aware, but design goes deeper than the visual aspect of things. If you look at any design job, clients always have some form of ‘problem’. Or even in some cases, the designer’s role is to identify the problem itself prior to coming up with a solutions. In addition to this, being people who express themselves visually, means that we are better at visualising our ideas and thoughts regarding a business. We can turn dreams into plans and make them “reality.”
I really enjoyed working on this task. It took a lot longer than expected but I am very happy with how it turned out. Below is the whole design combined as well as a slideshow of the infographic panel by panel.
