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I'm 16, from India and I really want to be a web/graphic designer.I'm good with coding, Illustrator, Photoshop etc. Problem is, I only KNOW how to do stuff, like, I see a design and I can confidently say, I can recreate that. But how do I think of something new, something beautiful? I see posters and ads everywhere like 'we can create your website for Rs.50' or 'Making a website just became easy' and it really upsets me. I think how am I better from them? Who will want to work with me when they can easily work with people like them? Moreover I participated in a few contests in 99designs and i got eliminated in the first round 12 times

People always comment not good enough, not what we are looking for etc etc.

Should I just quit because I can't think anything, I can just copy things. Should I just go back into trying to be a lame engineer as my parents want?

I'm even embarrassed in asking a question like this in a place where people talk about some serious design work. Please Help.

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  • You might try this question: graphicdesign.stackexchange.com/questions/2167/…
    – Scott
    Commented Jan 20, 2014 at 15:24
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    I'd suggest you not give up. There are classes, books, and mountains of materials you can read on design. You should start there. Contest sites will never help you. There's no feedback, no discussion, no input. Therefore no way to know what you should improve.
    – Scott
    Commented Jan 20, 2014 at 15:26
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    Do not give up. You are 16, there is so much more to learn. You have mentioned that you are good with Photoshop, Illustrator and coding. This is a lucky combination. The how to think part though a broad topic,can be looked at through a simple lens. Look at what others are doing, create your own work - listen to music while you do. Join a community like dribble or deviant art to interact with people and their expectations of 'creative'.
    – Jenna
    Commented Jan 20, 2014 at 15:29
  • Thank you for the positive reinforcements guys... Sometimes i say these thing to myself but hearing it from others help. But sometimes I can't deifferentiate between inspriration from other's work and stealing a part of it. I see a design, immediately download the font used, save the colors in my palette universe and make up a design. But then someone can just come up to me and say I saw the same thing in another design. How can I say that I thought of something and created it myself?
    – InVaDeR
    Commented Jan 20, 2014 at 15:46
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    Stop copying things. Make notes of what you like. Not font names and colors specifically, but "I like the use of the sans serif typeface in that way. I like the overall color scheme here." You should mentally note what you like and dislike, but not copy anything.
    – Scott
    Commented Jan 20, 2014 at 15:55

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People always comment not good enough, not what we are looking for etc etc.

I think you are looking at this wrongly.. Don't look at this as negativity look at it as inspiration or a learning tool on what they are saying and ask why..

Should I just quit because I can't think anything, I can just copy things. Should I just go back into trying to be a lame engineer as my parents want?

Not trying to be rude but fact is quitting will never get you anywhere in life. That said I think you may be looking at it too hard and you may want to re-consider your thought process. Example: Look at something and ask yourself how I can do it my way, unique, or try creating spin-offs/interpretations of work which would help in your techniques and could leave in being more creative.

Some possible ideas that come in mind from what you say you are good with:

  • Take a static site and add your interpretation of it being dynamic which could help your coding skills and you could possibly pitch it to the client.
  • Same above with it not being responsive.
  • Look at a site and think what I would do differently.

Surely you have an idea on what you want and how you want it.. You're young and youthful. You could even be burning yourself out over complicating things. Just try and look at things differently your way because the design world is not a textbook area.

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