For those of us just starting out in the business of graphic design, it’s links like this that I will pass on to as many other students as possible.

Adrian Shaughnessy just finished a new book about graphic design, but also posted some great insightful comments over at Design Observer. Here is one that I wish every other student would read and think about:

For designers, verbal skills are as important as visual skills.
Since graphic design should be self-explanatory, designers might be forgiven for thinking that the need to provide a verbal rationale for their work is unimportant. Surely the work should succeed on its own merits without requiring a designer’s advocacy? True. Except there never was a client who didn’t want an explanation for every aspect of every piece of creative work they commissioned. If we can’t talk about our work in a clear, rational and objective way — free from all jargon — then we can’t be surprised when we meet with rejection.

For the other 9 ideals head over to Design Observer.