tips on learning Graphic design

[jade65]

I am thinking of buying the video professor, learn photshop?

Do I have to got to school,can I lean from tapes & books?

Can you name some good tips to start with.

Is this a good field ,I will be happy to start as a jr making 25,35,000 a year.

Give a newbie some good tips please!!!

[morea]

lol, it's not as easy as all that. This field is way overcrowded and it is hard to find work, even with experience. For example, I recently found a job asking for 5 years experience in design and prepress and the starting salary was $9 per hour. And sadly, that's not terribly uncommon, at least around here.

Don't do it if you want money, you will be disappointed. But if you love design and want to pursue it for that reason, then you are much more likely to enjoy it.

Check out the frequently discussed topics thread, here:
http://www.graphicdesignforum.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7892

[Misslive]

You don't really need to go to school...but you would be missing out on excellent opportunities and several classes that books can't teach you. Those classes give you the extra edge to get a stable career, not necessarily the salary you want but something that has substance and can take you where you really want to go.



If you want to learn it by yourself here’s some tips:



Photoshop - only use it to edit pictures / DO NOT USE IT FOR FORMATTING, big no no! Trust me!



Illustrator - Only use it for vector images and small publications, such as brochures, business cards and letterheads.



Quark and Indesign - learn both (most firms and press still uses Quark) to be used to put everything together and to format large bodies of text.



...and most importantly, don't start right away on the computer, for the love of design please take the time to do brainstorms and thumbnails - it's all about developing a unique a personal style to give everything you do that little something that will blow away your clientele!



Well good luck, take your time don't rush it....and remember if you go to school you'll probably be more confident, meet lot's professional opportunities!



P.S. I'll be more than happy to help you on any issues you have with your Photoshop learning.

[rainbow2bryte]

in my personal opinion, school was a waste of money.

perhaps it depends on where you go, but I did NOT learn jack-action about apps. until I was out of school.

I had a lot of other 'art' training prior to college though, so that may have been my reasoning for feeling like i didn't LEARN $30k worth.

I WILL say, i just attended a photoshop seminar for $200 and it was worth EVERY penny! I learned years of knowledge!

GOOD books are a great source as well.

wow, my 'comments' didn't help a damn thing, did they?
GOOD LUCK!

[Misslive]

In many cases your right about school being a waste of time, however I have to say this:

The knowledge of softwares is not the only thing that a Graphic Designer needs! Photoshop is so over rated!

The quality is in the creator not the computer.

Having education in the arts is a major plus!

Take it from a professional who has her own desgin firm!

[Drawing a Blank]

Don't get caught in the trap of believing that just because you can use Photoshop, Illustrator, Indesign and Quark that you have all the tools you need to be a graphic designer. There is a lot of theory and history to learn about as well. Learning the applications is important, but they are only tools. I own a hammer, mitre saw, band saw and drill press and I know how to use them all. That doesn't make me a home builder.

Learn any way you can. You will get different opinions about school depending on who you ask. It is a decision you will need to make for yourself eventually.

[patkennedy78]

I WILL say, i just attended a photoshop seminar for $200 and it was worth EVERY penny! I learned years of knowledge!



What was it? Where did you find it, if it's that great, please share your experience. Maybe start a new thread for it?


But back to the OP.

No, you really don't need school to learn the programs. Get books, talk with other users, invest some time. I know plenty of people who are killer at photoshop and illy who never took a class. That being said, there are just as many hacks who never took a class. But, for all of our sakes, learn typography. Know why Comic Sans is bad, and that anyone can go into photoshop and Filter > Stylize > Solarize. Learn how to apply an effective gradient. These are some things that you most likely won't get out of the books.

IMO, Graphic Design, in the true sense, is communication. A good school will teach you how to talk to your audience effectively. Learn that nothing starts without a concept.

[rainbow2bryte]

the seminar I attended was put on by Skill Craft or something.
???
I'll try to remember to look this weekend and grab a link to post.

sorry all you guys, I just think that 'school' is so overrated.
you can learn on your own, by reading, learning from others
etc. college DID help me to improve my realistic drawing skills and
color theory. I just bitter about MY education.

and i fully realize that JUST b/c you know the apps doesn't mean you're
a designer. HOWEVER, knowing the apps is extremely helpful in exectuing what you have in your head and being speedy!

everyone's different. what works for some, doesn't for others.

there MAY be cases that stinkin' Comic sans is useful.

AND some people may do better going straight to computer. I know peeps that do. I prefer not to, but that's me!

[frankster]

In a lot of ways design school as with all higher education usually is most useful for teaching you *how* to learn. I've taken all the research skills and logical thinking skills that were honed in my physics masters and been able to put them to good use in teaching myself various graphic art related subjects, whether it be styles used in the past or techniques associated with specific programs. It seems that if you have been to school you often look at the facts you learnt as a waste but forget to look at the mental processes you refined during that time. Mind you I went to Uni in the UK, so only have 8K in british pounds of student debt after a 4 year physics and Astrophysics masters.

[YNOT]

Schooling isn't a must, but I'm sure it would be very helpful. Problem with the world today is that 'everyone' has a computer so 'everyone' just assumes that because they know how to 'place' a picture into a word file that they are instantly a 'Graphic Designer'...not so!

I myself am self-taught. I'm 36 years old and I've been in the industry for 15+ years now. I've had experience with the old-school paste-up, pre-press filmwork, design both off and on the Mac and much, much more.

Let me just say that, because of my lack of schooling, I used to think that I wasn't knowledgeable enough to do this kind of work and doubted myself all of the time...I still do, in fact. But...I have seen so much work come through my company from outside agencies...high-end places that should be pros, right?? I turn out way better work than 95% of the stuff I've seen come through here. I don't like to toot my own horn, but I seriously am amazed at the lack of attention to detail that these high-end agencies provide in there design services...stuff that I wouldn't even turn out for a sample...let alone provide it to a customer as a final piece.

So, I guess what I'm getting at is, school or no school, learn all you can from anywhere you can. Be observant of all 'graphical' things around you and soak it all in. Then, as you learn, develop a style that is your own and perfect it the best way that you can. Anyone these days thinks they are a graphic designer sop you need something about you and your work that make you stand out and get recognized.

Good luck and I hope that my babbling has helped you in some way.

[YNOT]

Let me add one more thing for you to ponder...the pay does suck! Which is specifically why I have started my own side-business doing auto-related design. It provides me a little extra spending cash, but more importantly, it allows me extra experience doing something that I'm VERY passionate about, thus giving me a greater pleasure than any money can buy.

I seriously can wake up every day and be happy that I am doing what I'm doing even though I can't afford half of the things that my friends have. My career choice was the perfect one for me as far as 'happiness' goes. My day-job, while frustrating is good, and my side biz makes me happier than anything could...well, next to my wife.

So, again, good luck with your decision!

[The_Black_Knight]

Mind you I went to Uni in the UK, so only have 8K in british pounds of student debt after a 4 year physics and Astrophysics masters.You would probably be interested in the Bad Astronomy/Universe Today forum, (http://www.bautforum.com/index.php) with an education like that. While they're not as entertaining as the people here, some of them are pretty darned smart and have interesting things to say (it's about the only forum where I hang out on a regular basis). You'd probably also have a lot to offer on that board.

Okay, end of threadjack.

[frankster]

You would probably be interested in the Bad Astronomy/Universe Today forum, (http://www.bautforum.com/index.php) with an education like that. While they're not as entertaining as the people here, some of them are pretty darned smart and have interesting things to say (it's about the only forum where I hang out on a regular basis). You'd probably also have a lot to offer on that board.

Okay, end of threadjack.

Hey thanks BK, I already found out something cool after only a minute browsing. I had no idea that Jodrell Bank had won a BBC cometition for the most overlooked national landmark. I did my final project based there, building a small radio telescope for tracking sunspots. Thanks for that link!

[The_Black_Knight]

Hey thanks BK, I already found out something cool after only a minute browsing. I had no idea that Jodrell Bank had won a BBC cometition for the most overlooked national landmark. I did my final project based there, building a small radio telescope for tracking sunspots. Thanks for that link!You're welcome!

You built your own radio telescope? Dang. I bow to your smartitude.


EDIT: Okay, this time I really am ending the threadjack. I mean it.

[budafist]

in my personal opinion, school was a waste of money.

perhaps it depends on where you go, but I did NOT learn jack-action about apps. until I was out of school.

I had a lot of other 'art' training prior to college though, so that may have been my reasoning for feeling like i didn't LEARN $30k worth.

I WILL say, i just attended a photoshop seminar for $200 and it was worth EVERY penny! I learned years of knowledge!

GOOD books are a great source as well.

wow, my 'comments' didn't help a damn thing, did they?
GOOD LUCK!

I disagree. School not only taught me how to use applications, it helped me with theory of design. Theory is hard to learn outside of a learning environment unless you actively read books, magazines and go to seminars. You learn to think critically about aspects of design and you learn how to learn. I'm not saying you can't do this yourself, but you may spend a lot of time going to shit seminars, buy and read time wasting books until you get the right ones.

Too many courses I see churn out computer operators, but not designers. Sure you learn about what tool does what and how to work some lovely filters, but until you know why something that colour, or why you use that font for that job, you'll only be copying existing design.

I was lucky enough to get a full scholarship to university, but had I not had that, I would have paid for it myself.

[peder]

I'm barely learning anything about applications in school, but rather things like how to think about the production process and target group. It's useful, but I think 90% of the people that don't do things related to design in their spare time aswell will find that they're far from ready to go into work. So I'd say school is good, but you'll need more.

[budafist]

School will never take the place of real life work experience of course! I have to say, 1 year at work I have learned more than 3 years at Uni. Saying that though, 3 years of Uni I learned more than reading up on design by myself.