What Makes a Designer Enterprising?

My thoughts on keeping up with the fast-paced world of commercial success and an account of my personal experiences of the same.

Friday's lecture saw Diana Pasek-Atkinson deliver a talk on NTU Enterprise, freelancing and business development. Having signed up onto The Freelancer Club, I see that having an enterprising and entrepreneurial mindset holds equal value to having good design skills. The ability to sell oneself to prospective clients and potential employers is a learned skill, and one that can make or break a career.

Diana Pasek-Atkinson defined being enterprising as having a strong need for achievement, leadership, seeking opportunities and making good use of available resources, self-confidence and an innovative mind.

In my professional journey so far, a strong thirst for achievement and realization of my dreams is what fueled me to keep going, especially during situations that seemed like dead-ends. Seeking new opportunities opened up dozens of avenues for learning, collaboration and reaching milestones. Applying for this MA course is an example of this instance - it helped me find myself as a designer. Believing in myself and my abilities was the toughest aspect of this journey, owing to my background in a different field. I dealt with this issue by converting my perceived weakness into a strength, by applying my knowledge of science in design. Another thing that helped me develop my entrepreneurial skills was taking up short, online courses on Coursera and Business of Fashion. I intend to do the same on The Freelancer Club, as there are a number of interesting courses that provide valuable insight into entrepreneurship.

Developing business acumen is crucial to the success of a brand. Although some designers shy away from this, being prepared with a strong foundation of entrepreneurship will ensure the all-round success of a brand.

In conclusion, developing business acumen is crucial to the success of a brand. This is specially true for creative individuals, as storytelling and branding is an important aspect of being good at what we do. A combination of strong design skills and entrepreneurial skills is a sure-shot way of making a mark in the world.