I want to get better as a designer. Like a lot better. Clients i’m currently on only allow so much pushing of their brand standards. Any online courses, pseudo BFA/MFA-style, strictly focused on becoming a better visual designer?

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I don't know at what level you are currently, but for me most courses I looked into wouldn't help me to become a better designer.

I'm self-taught and have learned everything on the go. What always made my work better was working with people that inspired me/ pushed me.

But I felt that because of being self-taught, I lacked a solid foundation and vocabulary to help me sell my work and defend the things I sometimes did intuitively. I looked at a lot of courses that could help someone at the director level to get better, but they either focus on the business side of design or it was too basic.

take a look here thought, it was the best I could find and not crazy expensive. https://www.aprender.design/en

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I think rather than technical skillsets or tools you learn,

You want to look at persuasion, business communication, strategy type skills.

Sounds like you want to extend their brand but are falling short in convincing them.

I dont think this is a technical skill limitation.

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When I hire a junior, I hire them for something that I can see they are excited about, and that has potential for them to grow in. With time, they will learn how to fight for what they love. The goal is to keep them going in that direction and keep them passionate enough to present to others confidently.

When someone reaches a point where they are no longer happy with what they are working on, it becomes harder for them to find the energy/passion/confidence to sell it. I've been there.

Of course those skills are important. But you said, "rather than learning technical skills," do that, and that's bad advice. You can make good work even without clients. Just find a problem and solve it. That's our role, ultimately. So, selling it is not the most important skill to be good necessarily.

It's important when you get to director level. But cross that bridge when you come to it, I've always been a socially awkward designer but when I love what I'm doing I won't shut up about it, it comes naturally.

I'd hire someone who is bad at presenting with a good book, a good presenter with a bad book, I'd rather not.

Maybe start some personal projects? You can join groups to get feedback on them. It’s hard when you are at the mercy of what clients want. You don’t always get to change it up much.

Do things just for yourself, just for fun. Come up with an imaginary client/ project and design for that. Be creative. Look at the work of other, talented designers like Paula Scher, Paul Rand, Massimo Vignelli, design firms like Pentagram, Wolff Olins, Lippincott, Brains, SDCO, etc.. copy them.

Buy design books and read them. Learn about typography. It’s the most glaring marker of a junior designer. Learn about type anatomy and kearning, tracking, leading, cleaning text rivers/rag, widows/orphans, and other more general formal elements of design (color theory, composition, balance, harmony, etc)

Most importantly, seek out design critiques. You don’t know what you don’t know.

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