Alan Tyldesley

Fashion brands need a strong brand aesthetic, language and brand strategy to really do well in todays world. If you are a graphic designer who makes it their job to deeply understand the customer, what motivates them and how your work can appeal to them, this not only makes you an excellent designer but it also opens up roles in brand strategy as a Brand Director or similar. Being a designer who designs purposefully with objectives and commercials always in mind is often a gap that is hard to fill.

This is more important than ever before when physical connections are less frequency than a few years ago. Your network are you guiding voices - on who you are and where you're from, and where you aspire to be. Networks are also incredibly varied voices, which means when seeking insight, feedback or collaboration, you get perspectives that can completely challenge the way you think. IRL networking is my preferred approach - there's no substitute for real life connection.

Seeking (or at least receiving) feedback is how we all grow, for good and bad. It's not just about learning from mistakes, it's about learning what you do that has impact to those around you. I've been in situations before where I've worked incredibly hard but it's not noticed or not having the desire impact, so seeking feedback ensures that you aren't wasting your time. When it comes to creativity & innovation, seeking feedback from others with a different perspective is incredibly exciting for me, because it can often mean your ideas take on new energies from the fresh perspective, and if it's delivered the right way feedback can be where truly original ideas are born.

It all ladders up to your "why?". If you are one of the lucky ones who has found their purpose in their professional career then that is your motivation, and you won't need to find quick hacks to keep it up because the enjoyment you get will make everything seem effortless. If you haven't found your purpose yet, a good starting point is to really think about what you can do more of at work that you are good at, that you enjoy, and that you can be paid for. Do more things that hit all three of those criteria, and your motivation will sky rocket.