Design Feast Series: Designer’s Quest(ionnaire)

Heidi Cies

Graphic Designer and Founder of Creative For A Cause

Primary design concentration:

Visual communication for both print and web, for a balance of corporate and nonprofit clients

Most preferred tool for designing:

My keen observational skills

1. How and why did you choose to become a designer?

I don’t believe I so much became a designer, but more accurately was destined for the profession. As far back as I can recall, design has always intrigued me. I was drawn to its various aspects and how it related to and affected my life. Luckily, an instructor in high school put a name to my destined profession of graphic design, and directed me towards a suitable institution of higher learning.

2. Challenges you encounter as a designer and how do you deal with them?

Everything can be challenging, from accommodating budgets to meeting deadlines, from obliging a variety of personalities to managing quality control. It takes an equal balance of creativity and logic to remain both inspired and focused on the long-term solutions. If I find a situation too challenging, it is often time to reassess my goals and move on to more rewarding affiliations.

3. Your definition of an “elegant solution,” that is, good design?

An elegant solution is one that is succinct and effective in concept, messaging and execution that you “get” immediately, yet are compelled to contemplate over and over.

4. From skills to values, what makes a designer successful?

Success can mean different things to different people. My ideal of success is a proper balance of work and play. I’ve never looked to design as a means for fame or fortune, but rather as a means to obtain quality of life. The ability to earn a living while working on projects that both inspire and challenge me on many different levels equates to success in that regard.

5. How do you stay motivated and grow personally and professionally as a designer?

Education has helped me stay motivated, both personally and professionally. Being trained solely in print design, I returned to school in the early 2000s to learn web design and development, which helped grow my business and remain marketable in the industry. More recently, I was accepted into a masters program that allowed me to travel both nationally and internationally, and meet and work with some of the most creative leaders in our field. It’s very difficult to become stagnant when your mind is constantly expanding.

6. For those aspiring to become a designer, whatever the discipline,what is your advice?

Often the easiest or most direct path isn’t always the most rewarding, engaging, stimulating or life-altering. Be open to new experiences, constantly expand your comfort zone, and enjoy and learn from the journey. Don’t be so focused on the destination, as the destination may change.

7. What is your quest in design?

Educators of visual communications are a catalyst for helping young designers make a positive difference in our world. My quest is to provide educators with solutions to integrate the concept of social responsibility (civic engagement, ethical actions, and sustainability) into their coursework, hence my side project Creative For A Cause.

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