Be true to yourself! Only create designs and art that you believe in. Don't participate in false advertisements or promote wrong ideas only because you can.
Let your designs be of your own origination and style.
Visualize the color wheel as a 3-D sphere. Make sure to include colors from the northern and southern hemisphere. If your colors are not just so, nudge your colors to conform to the color wheel's dyads, triads, and tetrads. For more information about the color wheel, go to: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-theory-basics.html
The colors you choose have both emotional appeal and symbolic meaning. Make sure to choose colors which will support the visual meaning and message you wish to convey. For more information about colors, go to: http://www.color-wheel-pro.com/color-meaning.html
When designing, have the wisdom to know when to stop.
First learn what the design principles are, then learn how to break them.
As a designer's knowledge and skill level increases, more complexity and design elements can be brought into each piece.
There are times when designers have to walk away from their work to clear their heads. Often times, design solutions come when you least expect it.
Make a habit to ask others what they think of your artwork as you formulate your ideas and design your pieces. It doesn't matter if they have art experience, just ask anyway. Others have different perspectives and valuable ideas.
When great creative ideas wake you up from your sleep, quickly sketch them out and go back to sleep.
Experience has taught me that it is not the tools that create great work, it is the talent behind the tools.
Build a personal library of artistic magazines and books, and use them as your foundation. Designing is not done strictly from the heart, but it is built upon knowledge of design principles which dictate how design elements are composed.
Debbie Jensen, Photographer, Graphic Designer, and Web Designerhttp://www.debjensendesigns.com