Advice from the Pros: Marcus Hewitt, Dragon Rouge

We're really excited to share our newest feature series, "Top Packaging Advice from the Pros". We've been talking to top designers in the field of branding and package design to get their top advice. Whether you're a student looking to enter the package design profession, or you own/represent a company that wants to rebrand its product, this column will give you the access to the top design professionals in this field.

Marcus Hewitt debuts the series with his terrific article. Many thanks, Marcus, for kicking off this exciting, new series!

Thinking of entering the design profession? Maybe now isn't a good time. Maybe business school would be a better idea. On the other hand, how about finance - or better yet - real estate...

Um, on the other hand, maybe now isn't such a bad time to consider design after all...

Joking aside, I'm not sure you can be "interested" in design. You're either in or you're out.

If you want to be a serious designer - someone that can play a part (however small) in forwarding the design profession - ask yourself if you like problems. A designer's job is always to make complicated and blurry problems into smaller/solvable bits. Of course, on a good day we can breezily re-frame these problems as opportunities. On a bad day, you'll need determination and grit to protect your great idea from the bruising it's sure to get.

But, at the end of the day (to stick with the day-part analogy) there is truly nothing more satisfying than solving a clients' (or brands') communication problem AND bringing a little visual beauty or integrity back into the world. With that in mind here's my five-step program for someone interested in entering the design profession:

1. If you want to be a professional designer, act like a professional.

Assuming you're currently in design school or about to enter one, don't waste your time. Make sure you get projects done on time. Be enthusiastic for every class - why not? It's your money. Develop a thick skin. If a tutor pushes you hard, don't look for an easier class - this is the tutor that can help you get better.

2. Experiment like a maniac.

Push the envelope and the buttons! Design school isn't the time to come up with a safe solution. If your teacher freaks out, give them two solutions the next time - one safe and one where you go for it! (I'm personally shocked by some graduating portfolios I see with six pieces of work - is that 1 and 1/4 projects a year?) You might not get this chance again.

3. Don't give yourself too much credit for spontaneous creation!

It often feels that we're pulling stuff out of the air (or some other place) but we're not. I've been lucky enough to have worked with some of the greatest designers around. The one thing they had in common, the young ones and the old, was their knowledge of the history of our business. Read books, go to art shows, visit museums, check out the sites, read the blogs. If you haven't absorbed enough raw material, and if you aren't constantly "feeding" your mind - the well will run dry pretty quickly.

4. Grades don't matter.

Did I say that? (There goes my return engagement at SVA or FIT.) Hopefully you've realized this already, but it's all about your book, and it had better be good. It better be full of energy, it should have great typography and it shouldn't have any retro projects (maybe that's just my opinion). In all honesty, you need to be the best in your class.

5. Work for free.

I'm not being literal here. I'm adamantly against free pitches and disappointed by all the recent proposals from clients who require "speculative work" as a cost of doing business. I'm just trying to say that however good you are, when you leave school don't make the salary your only priority when this is the best time to aim for what you really want. On the other hand, don't sit outside your favorite design company everyday and hope they let you in... or maybe that's exactly what you should do?

This isn't meant to be as off-putting as it might sound. I happen to think design is the most exciting world you can enter. Not only do we get to give shape to ideas, but we get that brief sense of achievement that comes from solving difficult problems, and in my experience, we get to work with some of the most interesting people you'll ever meet! 

About Marcus Hewitt

Marcus Hewitt is Chief Creative Officer at Dragon Rouge. Marcus has over 20 years experience as a design leader, building design teams for several of the world’s leading agencies. Prior to Dragon Rouge, he was the chief creative officer and a partner of Sterling Brands. Before Sterling, Marcus worked with Pentagram in his native London, and helped establish the Michael Peters Group in London, Toronto and Los Angeles.

As well as his work with Dragon Rouge, Marcus has lead major new identity and packaging programs for clients including: Burger King, Givaudan, El Paso Energy, American Architectural Foundation, Philips, The Getty Museum, Toyota, Unilever, Gillette, Pernod Ricard, Port Canaveral, The Hartford, Cablevision and SAP.

He is an active member of the AIGA and a past NY board member. His work is recognized in the press and has won numerous prizes. Marcus commits time and energy to non-profit groups and believes designers have an essential role to promote responsible design. He is an adjunct professor at FIT and SVA, where he shares his passion for intelligently simple design.