In the ad agency business, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a lot of designers. From interns to seasoned veterans. And I’ve realized there are several different qualities that a designer can have. None of which has any impact on whether they are great or not.

Some look like the average person you’d see on the street. Others are more eccentric. Some are extremely organized. Others can have things strewn all over the place. Some are calm and peaceful. Others moody, feisty or temperamental. Some are highly educated. Others self-taught.

But what quality really makes a designer great? I have watched carefully, and believe there are two:

The first, and most rare, has the ability to see a design in their head, before they put a pencil to paper, or a mouse to a screen. And I’ve met a few who have this gift. They lay something out on a blank canvas in their mind, and can move things around on this mental screen until it all fits together perfectly.

The second type, which is a little more common, have some sort of vision in mind, but even more so – the determination and passion to bring it to completion. They have an idea of what they want, some experience with what works and what doesn’t, and are willing to fight it out to the end to make it happen.