Guys i just started designing do you have any tips for me?
My number one tip for someone just starting out would be to find another career. Seriously. I would not try to talk any of my own kids into the field. AI, crowdsourcing/contest sites, template sites, software subscriptions, stock sites, tools allowing would be clients to take a DIY approach ⊠these have all undercut the value and decreased the demand for professional, qualified designers. On top of that, there is an absolute flood of folks whose sole experience is watching YouTube videos that â if they can find paying clients â work for pennies on the dollar. I think there will always be a place for talented designers, but you have to do work that stands out from the crowd in order to succeed. And then, your days are numbered due to ageism in the field, so you need to have a viable career path forward.
I agree with everything @Steve_O said, but I want to elaborate a little on the following since he wasnât quite bleak enough in his assessment.
Yes, there will always be a place for talented designers, but here in the U.S., even that isnât enough. In addition to natural talent and ability, a 4-year degree in design is nearly mandatory. Along with that, various internships are usually needed to gain practical experience. A masterâs degree and a charming personality will boost the odds, but even that is no assurance anymore.
If you manage to find a job once youâre done with your expensive university design program, youâll be starting out at the bottom with wages to match. If you survive ten years in the field (few do) and work your way up to an art director position, youâll be making OK wages. Even so, once you hit your 50s, youâll find yourself unemployable and replaced by the next batch of design graduates willing to work for nearly nothing.
Now, if all you want to do is mess around with designing art stuff and have a little fun, Iâd recommend drawing (digital or otherwise) or painting; itâs more personally satisfying.
My advice:
Get into learning pre-press for the printing industry, youâll have a secure future knowing your pre-press skills will pay your salary over being a graphic designer, which AI will most likely take the place of.
Itâs sobering to hear these perspectives, but itâs not all doom and gloom.
Graphic design is a broad field. Some areas, like branding, UI/UX, or motion design, are still thriving, and specialised expertise can set you apart. For instance, UI/UX combines design with user psychology and tech, making it less vulnerable to automation. Similarly, motion graphics and animation have high demand across entertainment, social media, and advertising.
AI and templates may make basic design easier, but creativity, strategy, and problem-solving are harder to replicate. Focus on learning design principles (like typography, colour theory, and layout) and how to apply them to solve real-world problems.
Learning pre-press, as mentioned by DannyD, is a great example of this. Other areas to explore: Copywriting
Coding (basic HTML/CSS or even advanced skills like C++, Python, JavaScript, SQL can set you apart)
Marketing and brand strategy
Internships and side projects are invaluable, not just for building skills but also for meeting people who can help you grow your career. Networking can help you uncover opportunities that arenât crowded with competition.
While the bleak outlook on ageism and AI in design is worth considering, diversification is key. Many designers transition into creative direction, marketing, or entrepreneurship as their careers progress.
Technology and trends evolve fast in design. Keeping up with industry changes (new tools, techniques, and design trends) ensures your skills stay relevant.
Finally
Yes, AI and other challenges are real. But design is about more than just execution, itâs about ideas, storytelling, and connection. If youâre passionate, willing to learn, and ready to adapt, thereâs still space for you to make your mark.
Animation and motion graphics are under attack by AI as well.
Proprietary content though will probably be around a while longer.
Pre-press is a learned thing. I got lucky and had the most awesome mentor while growing up with the wide format industry itself. We pushed the machines to the limit the whole time as materials evolved and the machines got wider. I still laugh remembering the first flatbeds and going to a big-box building supply store and filling a cart with everything we could lay hands on that we thought would print. A window shutter, a door, ceiling tiles, plywoods of all kinds, lots of various wall finishesâŠYou name it, we tried it. Ah, the fun old days!
Yeh itâs really cool back in the day with flatbeds and materials I guess it shows the spirit of innovation and curiosity that was driving creative industries forward to come up with these processes.
âFun old daysâ shaped a deeper understanding of the tools and processes, something AI will have a hard time replicating.
Youâre absolutely right animation and motion graphics are facing AI disruption too, but proprietary content and highly creative or strategic work might hold their ground for longer. Thatâs why I think itâs crucial for designers today to lean into the parts of the process that require a human touch, strategy, storytelling, and problem-solving.
Pre-press is an incredible field, I myself was trained officially and went to college to study âOriginationâ.
PD, your origin story litterally highlights how mentorship and real-world experience is a game-changer.
For someone just starting, great advice on learning pre-press or getting involved with printing houses is a good solid mention.
However, the person hasnât said what field of graphic design they want to do.
I was originally a screenprinter - a job I fell into after school when my friend got me a job through her Grandmother who worked at the local Textile factory that had their own screenprinting, it was supposed to be a summer job, and I was supposed to go to college after it - but I loved it so much, it paid well, and I had karate tournaments I needed to go to around the world, so a job that was fun, paid well, and let me hang around with my mates and travel was amazing to me at that age.
I then did a course in DTP because I wanted to know everything, I was already making screens, washing screens, ordering stock, and could do everything, and I wanted to learn the creation process.
So I learned it.
Again, I fell into prepress - no idea it was even a job. I literally printed off 50 CVs, got 50 envelopes, hand-wrote 50 addresses from the Yellow Pages of printing companies near me that I found, posted 50 CVs with 50 personalised cover letters and got about 30 job offers.
I took the one that offered me a Degree through College placement 50% in college 50% on the job experience, all because I felt like I missed out on college by taking the screenprinting job.
Thatâs cool!
Thanks!
Great!