You’ve probably heard the saying that graphic design is everywhere. It’s on social media, you see it in the coffee shop that you frequent, it’s even found in the museum. Being able to find graphic design everywhere you look is inspiring! It’s amazing to think that no matter where you are at any moment you could be looking at the work of a graphic designer. With so much graphic design around, you might wonder why it can be so difficult to find projects to work on or get past a spell of creator’s block. Graphic design is like a muscle; if you don’t use it, it will eventually deteriorate and weaken. That’s why it’s important to flex and strengthen your design muscles. Here are some tips for incorporating graphic design in your everyday life and strengthen that design muscle.

1. Look For Projects That Solve A Problem In Your Daily Life Or Routine

The best way to stretch your design muscles is to create designs as frequently as possible. One of the best ways to find more projects to create is to look for problems that can be solved by using graphic design. For example, I created custom covers for the notebooks I used in class. I bought some generic notebooks from the store and used Illustrator to customize each notebook for its respective subject. This saved me some extra money, and it was much easier to identify which notebook I needed during each class. Other suggestions for graphic design are creating your own business cards, designing your own apparel or even working on projects that solve problems for your friends or family members. Think of some problems that can be solved by using graphic design, and get started on those projects immediately.

2. Use Graphic Design To Promote Your Upcoming Designs And Portfolio Pieces

Another great way to incorporate more graphic design is to post your designs on social media. Create custom designs for each social media platform that you use to share your work. Posting your designs on social media has multiple advantages including forcing you to stretch your design skills by creating new content regularly, giving you a platform to promote your work and upcoming projects, and providing an outlet for expressing your creativity and trying new design skills that you may not have tried otherwise. Social media is powerful for networking and selling products, but it’s also an excellent way to experiment with new trends and design styles. By experimenting on social media, you can a chance to see what works and what doesn’t work without the risk of cluttering up your professional portfolio.

3. Help Organizations And Causes That Are Important To You

Helping out groups and organizations that are important for you is a great way to add more graphic design to your life. Volunteering comes in a variety of forms, and offering your design skills can be very beneficial to a local group or organization. Professional design work is expensive, and most small groups and organizations don’t have enough money in the budget to hire a full-time graphic designer. A well-designed poster is an effective way to market a product or get some community involvement. In addition to helping with the design work, you can also offer to teach a few design skills to the person that manages the social media accounts for your group or organization. It’s not equal to hiring a professional designer, but knowing a few basic skills can go a long way when creating content for upcoming events or social media posts.

Incorporating graphic design into your daily routine is easy with a little bit a creativity. There are so many opportunities to use graphic design to solve problems and enhance the experience of others. You can customize your personal objects, use graphic design to promote your business or portfolio, or even volunteer for a group or organization that you believe in. There is an infinite number of ways that you can use graphic design each and every day. Put your skills to good use, and be a leader in your community. You never know where your graphic design skills may take you, or what doors you may be able to open for someone else.