Karim Rashid: Networking



Photo from www.gorenjegroup.com

Hello All!

This article was written a while ago but it wasn't until now that I've discovered it. This article brings up a few interesting points I want to discuss. During the interview, Rashid states

"I don’t believe in networking. Talent and hard work is the way to succeed."

Photo from afflante.com

While I don't find this hard to believe (coming from an internationally known designer), I am not 100% convinced about this belief.

I would love to believe that in this world, hard work + talent = success. It's more like determination + talent + luck = success. In this day and age where everyone knows a "designer" and everyone is a "designer", it's even more competitive now in the world of design than it ever has been.

Photo from Sketch*Karim @Duuplex

As I learned from my Design History class, there are more famous designers now in the 21st century than before. The advancement in technology and variety in styles have opened many designers into international superstars. And television makes design so much more accessible to the everyday person.

We've built such a competitive society, that any edge over the competition could mean getting hired/choosing another applicant for the job.

Photo from Sketch*Karim @Duuplex

What is that special edge? Is a spectacular portfolio? A unique personality? A je ne sais quoi about your work that speaks to the human subconscious and can save the world? Nope. It's who you happen to be friends with. This applies especially to beginning designers who need a first or second project to launch their careers.

It sounds cynical I know. But I'm only a student and from listening to designers who have been in the field for some time, they've all advise me to network; Join design committees or volunteer. It seems mandatory if you want a head start in this field.

I hope I'm wrong.

Sources:

Article

 

Let's Start Something Special

Let's start today off with something I've always wanted to do.

I've always told myself that I should start a blog. But not 

because I really want to. It's because I should.

I post way too much random crap on Facebook and it's gotten to the point where it's beginning to bother the unlucky souls tagged in my posts and myself. Here you'll find everything that I find interesting but mostly design stuff (photos, projects, assignments, sketches, OOTD, artsyfartsy things) I create that I want to share with the world. 

Here's a quote I just made up (like 30 seconds ago). 

To learn is to fail. 

In order to learn something new, you must first fail at said new thing. Failure holds back everyone and prevents the cultivation of new ideas, skills and perspectives. 

To not fail = playing it safe. 

So this is it for my luke-warm "Welcome". I'm currently putting my portfolio site together and I've been sitting here for the last 12 hours (why does Wix have to be so glitchy?!?). I promise I'll have a warmer welcome/more exciting post very soon!