1. It’s real work
How to Improve Design Skills by Viewing the Best Works
Only by treating the studying of designs as work will you be able to achieve great results.
It’s not the amount of time you spend exercising that matters. Much more important is the regularity and purposefulness of your efforts.
Spending hours on Dribbble or Behance viewing designs until your eyes start bleeding is a waste of time. You need to have a purpose. Obviously, newcomers and experienced designers will have different objectives. Ask yourself, “What is it that I’d like to do better? What skills should I try to improve?” You can write down your objectives on sticky notes or a whiteboard to keep them in view and not get distracted with irrelevant stuff.
Designer vision is acquired through reflection, not through memorizing tricks and techniques. The most important skill in studying designs is learning to analyze a design’s visual and functional potential.
Don’t limit yourself to viewing designs only. The principles of harmony and beauty are universal. The more you look around, taking in the world’s colors, shapes, harmony, and perfection, the more your mental and creative abilities grow. Studying talented artworks in all realms of human activity will help you develop good taste, designer vision, and creative potential.