My Top 5 Tips For Undergraduate Designers
So, you’ve taken the leap. Bags packed, laptop charged, caffeine levels dangerously high. Welcome to university life as a design student. And if you’re anything like I was in my first year, you’re probably equal measures excited and slightly terrified about what lies ahead. I remember wandering the corridors of the Atrium in Cardiff, convinced I was pretty handy with software… only to realise on day one that I’d brought a butter knife to a sword fight.
Having scraped, sketched, and caffeinated my way almost to the end of my degree, I’ve had time to look back on the things I wish someone had told me at the start. So, I’m sharing my Five Essential Tips for Undergraduate Designers. This is practical, nuts-and-bolts wisdom that would’ve actually saved me time, embarrassment, and the odd all-nighter. Whether you dream of running your own studio or just want to survive your first group project without losing your mind, these hard-fought lessons should give you a proper head start.
Why This Matters
Creative industries are famously competitive, and design degrees don’t come with a map telling you which detours to dodge. The jump from ‘talented student’ to ‘valuable professional’ is bigger than most realise. Mastering visuals is only one part of it; businesses want designers who can solve problems, use the tools their future colleagues rely on, and understand what makes an effective visual.
If you set off without these foundations, you’ll waste hours untangling file formats, battling collaboration nightmares, or chasing vague feedback that boils down to “It just doesn’t feel right.” Worse, you’ll graduate into a field full of people who have solid fundamentals and wonder where you went wrong. That’s not scare tactics, just the reality check I wish I’d had at nineteen.
Common Pitfalls
Here’s the honest bit nobody puts on the prospectus:
- You think mastering the one piece of software you used at school/in college will see you through.
- You focus on crafting beautiful work, but when someone asks why you did it that way, you shrug.
- You ignore real-world design jobs “until after graduation,” so your portfolio is all mock projects.
- You send endless emails to agencies and hear… nothing. Not even a polite “no thanks.”
- You say yes to every project or dabble in every design type, then can’t explain what you’re actually good at.
If any of these sound familiar, trust me—you’re not alone, and every single one is fixable.
Step-by-Step Fix
1. Get Comfortable with Industry-Standard Software BEFORE You Arrive
Let’s be honest: nobody wins a group project by waving around their “Serif Draw Plus” expertise. I’d used that faithful old program since year nine. I even knew all the keyboard shortcuts, but as soon as I arrived at uni it became painfully obvious that everyone was talking in “Adobe.” Not knowing the industry tools makes every collaboration, hand-in, or file sharing three times harder than it needs to be.
If you’re not already familiar with Adobe Creative Cloud—think Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign—now’s your moment. You don’t need to take out a second mortgage, either. Students get hefty discounts, and tech support lines exist for a reason.
Practical approach: Pick one new tool each term and set yourself a mini project, such as a digital poster, animated logo, or portfolio PDF, so you get hands-on experimenting rather than just watching tutorials.
YouTube is an absolute goldmine, but not all tutorials are created equal. Look for creators who show their actual process, mistakes and all, rather than just the shiny final product. And give yourself permission to make a mess. Nobody expects perfection on attempt one; the main thing is building muscle memory for the essentials: layers, text styles, exporting. Master these now and every group project or freelance job later will be a thousand times smoother.
2. Make Problem-Solving Your Superpower
Here’s something I learned the hard way: design is equal parts art and strategy. I used to think a good design was one that got “Oooh, shiny!” from the lecturer. But when I started working with real clients, I realised… if you don’t solve their actual problem, it doesn’t matter how fancy your layout is.
Start with the brief—not your moodboard. Every choice needs a reason. Why this colour? Why this font? Why this illustration style? Ask why until the answer stops being “I just thought it looked nice.”
Tools like Simon Sinek’s “Start with Why” (yes, the TED Talk is worth your 18 minutes) can genuinely change your thinking. Design works best when your skills fix something: make information clearer, help businesses stand out, turn confusion into action.
Print out your project brief and grab a highlighter. Mark every objective or challenge, then write next to it how your design answers each point. When you come to critique sessions, you’ll have solid reasons for your decisions (and lecturers love that stuff).
3. Freelance Early and Learn to Juggle Like a Pro
Sure, stacking shelves or pulling pints pays the bills. But if you can land a small freelance gig, you get paid to practice your craft, build a real portfolio and learn what deadlines feel like when clients, not tutors, are on the receiving end.
Start small. Family friend’s business card? Local shop’s flyer? Instagram logo for an up-and-coming band? Take these on and you’ll learn more about project management than in any classroom.
But this is key: stay organised. I learned the hard way that “I’ll remember to do that later” is the freelancing equivalent of “the dog ate my homework.” Use the tools that work for you: for me, Outlook’s calendar and a giant wall to-do list kept my stress levels (mostly) below red alert. Some mates swear by Trello boards, others love classic sticky notes. Find your rhythm.
At the end of each week, physically tick off what you’ve finished. There’s something deeply satisfying about seeing your workload shrink, and it makes facing a jam-packed Monday feel much more achievable.
4. Approach Agencies the Smart Way and Stand Out
When you’re ready to find work or placements, it’s tempting to fire off a hundred emails and hope for the best. Agencies receive that every day. Your message arrives among the competition and gets overlooked.
Try this: use LinkedIn. The platform is far more than a place to upload a CV. Most students overlook it, which means your message is more likely to be read and remembered. A short, friendly introduction, a clear ask (“Would you be open to a chat about placements?”), and a link to your best work is all you need.
Another approach is to comment thoughtfully on their latest project post first, so when your name lands in their inbox, you’re already on their radar. Thoughtful messages genuinely make you memorable.
Customise every message. Mention a recent project the agency posted, or a value from their ‘About’ page that genuinely matches your interests. Nobody likes generic copy-and-paste emails. Personal messages make a stronger impression.
5. Find Your Focus and Avoid Spreading Yourself Too Thin
Early on, you’ll be given a smorgasbord of design challenges—from branding, motion graphics, web, print, to exploring user experience. It's exciting, but can quickly become overwhelming.
While it’s helpful to have broad skills, the best designers develop a primary focus. Identifying your passion early helps you build skills that actually get noticed and valued in the market. For me, motion graphics and branding are what I care about most. If I’d spent less time chasing every new format, I could have gone deeper, faster.
Once you know, adjust your portfolio. Approach agencies who specialise in your field instead of sending applications everywhere you see an opening. This approach reduces stress in interviews and means you’ll enjoy your work more.
Every couple of months, review what you’ve made—not just what you had to make for class, but the side projects you enjoyed the most. Patterns will jump out. Use those clues to shape your next steps and say ‘no’ to stuff that doesn't match.
What Most People Miss
Here's an important detail: design is as much about your attitude as your technical skills. The most successful students and professionals create their own opportunities and keep asking “why?” They constantly seek feedback and connect their classroom learning to what’s happening outside the “design bubble.”
When setbacks happen—like missed deadlines, criticism, or missteps—they look for lessons and consider what they could change next time. Maintaining this willingness to learn, even when it's uncomfortable, sets apart those who keep developing from those who stay stuck.
The Bigger Picture
Mastering these habits early leads to better marks, a strong portfolio, and genuine readiness for the world beyond university. You’re preparing for real-world challenges, client demands, and teamwork—environments where avoiding responsibility is not an option.
Being confident with industry tools, thinking strategically, managing your own time, building connections, and specialising early all build momentum. You arrive at graduation already a step ahead, well-prepared for professional life.
Your future boss, client, or collaborator is looking for someone who’s confident, proactive, and passionate about their area of design. Start now, and you’ll have more interviews and more opportunities to work on projects that genuinely interest you.
Wrap-Up
Looking back, I’d trade every all-nighter and panicked deadline for a bit of honest advice at the start. So take it from someone who’s made (almost) every mistake going: get stuck in early, ask embarrassing questions, focus on solving real problems, and don’t be afraid to reach out or specialise.
Need more hands-on help or want to see how these lessons look in practice? Drop a comment below, share your struggles, or check out my latest portfolio pieces here. (You’ll spot plenty of rough edges—I’m still learning, too.)
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