Emmy Winning Designer SHARES 3 SKILLS To Go From An AVERAGE To GREAT Designer (Part 1of3)

[@wishah1]

I just come back to Chris Do videos just to listen to something relavent while working and everytime I realize "Why haven't I watched these videos before? it's so gooood"

[@thefutur]

Thank you. Why you not listen everyday? Haha.

[@yanaalo]

Tired of lowballing myself and staying average, I'm ready to be a great designer.

[@aransiolaferanmi]

Chris just makes things easier for us in the design space. You chunk down tons of value into small and really relatable videos. I appreciate all that you and the team are doing. Once again, thanks!

[@marufbinmaksud6454]

My name is Maruf, and I'm an Bangladeshi graphic designer that taught myself! I adore your videos; they're incredibly handy.

[@UXMurt]

I feel like the unsaid skill is confidence and a sense of self worth to be able to apply this advice.

[@designstinamarshmallow9868]

I'm not a graphic designer, but this advice is advice for real life situations. Listening to your "client", asking questions to get on the same page, is crucial to any kind of collaberation or working in groups or even with yourself. Ask yourself questions, if what you're doing is on the right path, and find your answers. 🤗🥰👍🏼

[@unmexicanodeclasemedia-baja]

Can't believe this info is open for everyone! Thanks for all your efforts Chris, and thanks to all thefutur team for presenting it in such enjoyable way ❤

[@thefutur]

My pleasure

[@abeeralkhalaf7065]

As young designers, its terrifying to ask many questions or to say no. Thank you guys for the great content!

[@VasylRos]

Hello there. On beginning of my journey, thank you Criss for supporting ❤

[@babyshmay]

i appreciate that you're talking about design skills (although i also love your business/strategy content). I also had to jot down the point you made that was something like: if someone with less skill/worse execution is making more money than you then its time to work on sales/marketing and is a good thing

[@asherriyaal]

On my 2nd (or 3rd) listen, this reminded me of Steven Covey’s “seek first to understand, then be understood” principal. There’s a genuine and honest core of relationship building here, and so much value in these lessons. Listening to others has value way beyond business to all relationships. Thank you Chris, Mo, and every one @thefutur 😊

[@JacobKim-nc3wu]

Once I realized listening was the key to a lot of design, that unlocked a lot of things for me.

[@Adwe_mubi]

Hi i am a university student from Malawi. Thanks alot 🎉🎉

[@PentaDankGaming]

I'm A CEO Gamer who is from Pasadena, CA and I love watching the futur as it had made me greatly a happier person. Thank you Chris, Mo and The Futur Team

[@lifelonglearnermahir]

1) Be a great listener Plus ask question at the start. Asking question help them diagnose what they really want. And helps you know if you can deliver on that.

[@lifelonglearnermahir]

Plus+ Don't give the clients 100 posts on 10 ideas. They have to make too many choices. Give the client 2 posts on 1 idea. They have to make one choice. "Is this what I want? "

[@paulanyama]

Mo has a nice voice, good diction, clarity and pronunciation.

[@melanyartz7565]

I am from Argentina, my name is Melany and I am a self-taught graphic designer! I love your videos, they are really useful

[@thefutur]

Thank you and welcome Argentina.

[@coffeonnn]

Wow, I feel like I'm in the right place again. Thank you Futur and Chris

[@TylerSkervin]

You are a gift from God for the design industry and business as a whole, insightful as always

[@isaacedomobi3204]

Chris has his way of delivering classic ideas. Man is just unbelievable. As an aspiring brand owner working on some ideas, i find your contents really helpful. Thank you,boss.

[@thefutur]

Thank you 🙏

[@mark.daniel]

Asking the right questions is seriously a superpower as a designer. Nothing else reveals how much you understand the potential project and what will be involved than the questions you ask ... AND how you ask them.

[@bLueBerry-ek4vj]

"Make sure you're facing the right wall" Really useful, I've had personal experience working with clients, not asking them any questions, just trying to jump into the creative part; and that leads to so much stress and confusion, and even the relationship with the client gets kinda bitter. Can you please give some tips on how to ask the right questions in order to maximize the information that we get from the client. Also thanks for the great content that you put out for us

[@kavinkacreates]

I'm a copywriter and presenter from Sri Lanka and his advice applies to my craft too, not just design!

[@designerelton]

Hello, Designer Elton here, I am from Jinja City, Uganda. . 🇺🇬

[@alexandralacheva]

I am from Sofia, Bulgaria / people don`t usualy know where is it - it is between Romania and Greece/ The design community here loves The Futur

[@elenakr9039]

Fear of failure is holding me back from being a better designer 😫 trying to overcome that and learn new skills

[@aliankhan-q9s]

Keep it up

[@russelrealeza5252]

Getting lots of value from Chris Do. I believe what matters the most in any type of industry is how you present yourself even through high caliber clients with such confidence. Asking the right questions is very crucial as well so that you can save more time for the client and for yourself. It's a win-win situation for both sides.

[@TrinityElle]

Thank you so much for all of your help.😌👐🏼

[@marjorietolentino2127]

I really agree with the idea of being a great listener. Some people have the misconception that designers are just there to "make things look pretty", forgetting that many designs serve a function. And to me they're functional if you're truly addressing what the client needs. That goes beyond the micro level of the project itself and extends to their overall goals, knowing where the design piece should fit into that. That can help us make better decisions that help them hit the target.

[@drewrivera9405]

The type of listening you start with will determine the type of process you work with. Easy or Hard! This was crucial for me to learn early on.

[@mugen8studios]

im self teaching me design, rebooting my life. and all i have to say is thank you a LOT! much love from brazil!!

[@thefutur]

Obrigado

[@chaitanyabidkar]

Love the clarity you speak with Chris. I aspire to reach this level of clarity in my communication

[@thefutur]

Thank you

[@kshiteejpatil305]

From the start of my journey in design as a student until now as a working professional, I've seen The Futur grow and myself grow as a designer. I always love watching your content, as it always provides valuable nuggets of advice for designers of all levels. I just wanted to thank not only Chris but also all the people who are part of The Futur, as well as those who were previously part of it. You guys have really helped me grow as a designer. Keep up the fantastic work! ❤️ (Just a text to keep the algorithm working for you guys 😂)

[@christinacyanide8919]

I've outsourced a company that said they could do things that they couldn't and the only thing that saved me was total honesty to my client: "I can't do that but I know of someone that can" to "That someone lied, they tried and failed" and the client understood from the start that it was an outsourced job. They appreciated that I still took full responsibility by saying "I chose the wrong person for the job". I will never work with or refer anyone else to the outsourced company again but I've kept a good relationship with my client and still frequently get work from them that they know I can do and I do well. If I had lied and said that I can do what they asked for and then still outsourced a company that made the same lie to me, I would have lost one of my biggest clients. The outsourced company closed shop a year later.

[@thefutur]

Transparency for the win

[@devilingism]

8:06 So true. The same thing happened to me. When I told a client that I don’t have the expertise in logo design but glad to help them find someone, they insisted on hiring me for the logo since I will be doing other work for them anyway.

[@melanietirrell1081]

I’ve actually had that happen where a client said, even though I didn’t feel like I could fulfill everything that they needed, they said they still wanted to work with me. And that took away so much stress from me knowing they knew my limits up front. Then when we ran into an issue they went beyond those limits, they were so good to work with when we needed to bring someone else in. Such good advice! It’s a hard thing to say, especially when you’re starting out and needing clients. But so worth it!

[@thefutur]

Hard things make strong people.

[@RenatoStupar]

Thanks a lot! This was very inspiring and helpful. There is one sentence that I remember from my secondary school at the first day of Croatian language course that I'll never forget. The professor came and wrote on the school board: "Listen to hear, look to see!". Afterwise he said to us to wrote down this sentence on the cover of our notebook. Instead of just writing it down to the notebook cover, I memorized this and used to apply it since then. This happend 22 years ago and now I'm applying it in my work.

[@raged_chicken4986]

I'm a designer and I need inspiration again and new projects to work on that doesn't revolve around where I work

[@SaqibHussain]

What I love about your videos is that, even though I'm not a designer myself, I get to learn a ton of useful things as a brand strategy professional. Keep doing the good work, Chris and Co.!

[@thefutur]

Thank you for tuning in

[@SaqibHussain]

@@thefutur you bet!

[@Komikal-]

Getting better at asking questions is definitely on my to-do list.

[@victorylaurelproductions]

Listening really does help and it puts the ball back in their court. Accountability is everything.

[@buddygzus]

I’m from Puerto Rico 🇵🇷, thank you for sharing your experience and knowledge with us ✌️

[@mgoodkin]

I like this video. I'm in The Future Accelerator Program, designed to help my web design business grow. After 2 months, I have a capabilities deck, some case studies, and completely redesigned my website. I'm now ready to email out leads to my dream clients. I recommend this program for creatives who need to ramp up their business.

[@thefutur]

Thank you

[@phoegon12]

Another example of Chris's amazing words of wisdom

[@134ar]

Respect from 🇧🇩... Thank you so much Chris and the team

[@thecreativebeacon]

Wao, Great video Chris! I learnt that... ✦Develop great listening skills ✦Engaging with the client through questions is essential for creating meaningful work. ✦Replace design exploration with dialogue and questions ✦Knowing upfront if you are not the right fit for a job is better than realizing it later. ✦Being honest and ethical about not being a good fit can save you from heartache and potentially plant a seed for a future relationship. ✦Listening and asking thought-provoking questions are key to building client trust. ✦Being genuinely interested in others makes you more attractive ✦Asking better questions and listening leads to better outcomes. Pretty cool it's more of the soft skills (people skills) you've mastered that makes you go from aVERAGE to GREAT!

[@tuams]

I'm always with open ears when Chris talks.

[@SallyLebante]

From Palawan, Philippines. This video helps me a lot. Thanks thefutur team!

[@BurningBushcraft]

Love the content, learning a lot from your talks

[@joanclaire9026]

Hi Futr team! I'm from Asia and I'm an aspiring illustrator; I'm still learning the ropes of the business side of creating, and your videos help me a lot! Keep up the good work!

[@thedesignergamer]

Listen, be honest, and direct. Got it!

[@Werqspace]

From Ethiopia. Enjoying as always.

[@sam.barcelos.d]

I really don'y know why I haven't found your content earlier. I feel like I lost so much time. Thanks a bunch for it, Chris! From Brazil!

[@jeanlupascu7676]

Let's give some likes, this is gold

[@spectersoulx]

Listening skill can be used by any creator while working with client, not just designer. Which is awesome.

[@olemayple1877]

It all comes back to asking better questions and listening

[@pranaymo]

This video series is perfect for an intermediate designer to understand what it takes to level up their position.🙌

[@thefutur]

We appreciate that! Let us know what other designer content you would like to see.

[@pranaymo]

Would love to see Chris in a podcast with Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel from Y Combinator@@thefutur

[@hamsayoung]

Chris you always make things easier for us to understand with your real world experience Thank you so much

[@thefutur]

My pleasure!

[@daviddaywon]

Here from Nigeria, thank you Chris for sharing valued Content

[@chuckleupen]

Great video!! Love the ideas of Asking Questions and Building Rapport.

[@notesaver]

"Make sure you're oriented in a right direction" - I love how all the things Chris teaches us can be applied to any aspect of life Thank you for your valuable content! No I'm getting back into the video :)

[@arthur.b.hill2]

The level of insight gained from these videos is so immense. Sheesh!

[@drea7529]

I believe in angel numbers and saw 444 on this so thought that was cool. Also, really great advice love your videos. "Instead of going a mile wide you gotta go a mile deep."

[@asherriyaal]

Very solid! Who can argue against listening to clients better! And this applies no matter the craft of the creative/designer. I appreciated Mo's story that clients continue to want to work with him after telling them the original scope/work wasn't a good fit. And the Dieter Rams quote: "Less but better!" at the end Chris! Totally agree!

[@neguscreatives1540]

Hi The Futur and Chris, Thanks for all. I'm from Ethiopia.

[@kunalgawlani]

From India.. lovin the content. Thanks Chris.

[@swadhapardesi3730]

Hey, you guys are the reason I have been able to grow so much, charge more and dream bigger. Lot of Love from India!

[@thefutur]

You rock!

[@jukraoy]

Futur has been a great resource of guidance and continues to be so!

[@thefutur]

Thank you

[@scottericwilliams]

This was insightful. I decided to approach this video with openness and I appreciate the advice. I wish I could afford your classes, Chris

[@Aimen-l6h]

This is such valuable content. ❤ Designers mainly focus on the design part of their career and sometimes forget to consider who they are designing for. Great Listening for the win ✨

[@drewkantos]

I'm in the sound world, but each and every one of these videos is game changing for me and my business. Keep it up Futur team!

[@YoussefElHoulaili]

thank you Chris for your teaching

[@Doom.20]

From Romania much love to you my man

[@Jackson4687]

This is really helping me in my learning process right now.

[@benafrem]

listening is not an easy skill to develop but it is necessary. I definitely need to develop it more.

[@delarae9464]

Hey, from Nairobi, Kenya and I've learned a lot from you guys. Thank you

[@ivan.prosic]

Chris dropping the high value bomb 💣💣💣 Thank you from Niš, Serbia

[@theraymondsjolseth]

Thank you Chris and guests for always delivering so much value.

[@VibesUWishUHad]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge, I apply these simple practices throughout all my many careers and I notice immense difference. I consider you one of my mentors and hope to shift perspective in a positive way as well.

[@akgraphics6861]

Chris is always so insightful. Keep up the great work.

I really enjoy this high-quality design education for free!

[@jordangonzales-watkins3429]

This channel is top tier, so informative, so digestible. Thanks guys

[@TimMitchell-o1j]

Always pull a few golden nuggets out of these videos!

[@NatoriousB]

Looking forward to this series! Thank you!

[@jepb1005]

Appreciate seeing this!

[@MrZMcQ]

Such wisdom here! The work before the work begins.

[@antoinehernandez135]

Thanks a lot for your teachings Chris, long live the Futur!!!

[@thefutur]

Thank you

[@GregoryK-IYA]

Thanks for the value, Chris (and team!)

[@IntoThe_BroomCloset]

Such great advice, as always! But I can’t find the videos for parts 2 and 3 😭

[@mauribazan3520]

So excited to hear about the other 2 skills ❤

[@ramyxcast]

Chris you open my mind everytime i open your video. Thanks, ❤

[@thefutur]

I'm so glad!

[@ashish_captures]

That was really helpful!

[@jotadep]

Hi The Futur and Chris! My name is Junior, I am an Industrial Designer based in Austin, TX and I find your advices and content relevant not only to Graphic Artists and Designers, it is VERY relevant tu us IDs as well!! Thank you and please continue advocating, lecturing and teaching! BTW, I noticed you are a speaker at the upcoming ‘Adobe MAX The Creativity Conference’ in October! Looking forward to it! Thank you 🙏 so much!

[@AP6987]

Solid questions = solid answers -❤from TX

[@RedFox-st1yw]

Good tips here. Questions are great to reach a solution.

[@bismidesignsolutions757]

Great Info. Thanks to The Futur team for these invaluable nuggets.

[@lcoulagency]

Wow. You got me to write a comment. The skill!!! 7:06 Learning more than what is being taught, thanks.

[@san_2357]

More than haappy to drop a comment for your videos to reach more of us.

[@thefutur]

You're the best!

[@Kunda.Create]

On the way to becoming a world-class experience designer. Key takeaways: Ask questions and openly listen to the client's answers.

[@pukstar]

You're awesome, Chris Do!