Thanks so much for all the responses, I appreciate it so much. I will reply properly when I get a moment…
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Thank you for your honesty. That’s so refreshing in a world of lies such as “You can do anything you put your mind to” (no you can’t). I’m not doing this for money; I just want to prove to myself that I apply myself and become competent, even though I’m middle aged. I’m doing it to improve my self worth. I just want to be able to make better designs than the average unqualified person and, if I can ever get a paid job, that will be a bonus.
Unfortunately not. I’m okay with photography and I can do abstract drawings which look somewhat impressive but they are 2D.
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Thank you - this is honest. What I do best is, to be honest, quite boring.
So, in your career, did you come up with entire advertising campaigns for big companies? I wish I could do that. I think I can manage the words but it’s my visual abilities I want to work on.
Thanks so much for the info.
Yeah, learning to see is what I need. I did a photography diploma in 2001 and that helped me quite a lot. I got 92% for my B&W film pictures but I had an easy subject. I’m a cyclist and I’ve been exploring by bike since 1993. I chose garbage as my subject: Junk and litter that I see on my explorations. Seeing something visually appealing and capturing it - I believe - is much easier than creating visual appeal from scratch. But I’ll get there…
Okay, I bought the book
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Thanks so much to everyone for the valuable info.
Where can I go on this forum to view and discuss designs?
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Then if you draw even with abstract drawings it means that you are an artist !
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Hey RyanB,
It’s never too late to start thinking in pictures! One approach that really helps is to spend time analyzing visual work intentionally—pick a piece of art, a poster, or even a website, and ask yourself why it grabs your attention. Look at composition, color balance, contrast, and how elements guide the eye.
Also, try doing small exercises like recreating simple designs or abstract patterns just to get your visual “muscle” working. Over time, you’ll start noticing patterns and principles intuitively. Talking to other designers, getting feedback, and even just sketching ideas regularly can accelerate that process.
You’re already on the right path by combining courses with real-world observation and practice—keep at it, and you’ll start “thinking in pictures” more naturally than you expect!
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A better exercise might be to pick a piece of art, a poster, or a website that doesn’t appeal to you and figure out why it does appeal to the demographic client it is aimed at.
The world of Graphic Design is never about YOUR art. It’s about what sells what your client is selling. Your Art might be all puff balls and cute kittens but if a death metal band is going to pay you $xx,xxx to come up with a tour campaing for them, it better be appropriate to THEIR audience.
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images of a death metal band with a cute kitten in the front man‘s arm pop into my head
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Thanks so much for this. I tend to look at advertisements in print, or logos, and if I immediately think “That’s rubbish”, I try to put into words why I think that.
But I’ve got a question: How does one keep confirmation bias under control? If I see a design and immediately like it, only to be told by a professional designer that it is not good, I could probably come up with a long story explaining why my initial positive response was justified. I could cherry pick components of the design which enforce my position that the design is, in fact, good.
Do you think it’s just a case of learning the theory and practicing as you described above?
Thanks. I keep forgetting about target audience
Confirmation bias? As in tending to agree with those who agree with you? That’s easy. Set aside your personal preferences in favor of objectivity and an open mind.
However, based on the context of your questions, I don’t think that’s quite what you’re asking.
An important point that I think you may still be ignoring is that art and design are not the same thing. They share similarities, but the differences outweigh these commonalities.
Art is about self-exploration. In other words, you pursue what you want to pursue and attempt to achieve whatever objective you set out to achieve. Others might judge your work in whatever way they see fit, which may or may not agree with your perspective. I could explain further, but this is a design forum, so I’ll focus there.
Design is driven more by placing function before form. For example, if the goal of an ad is to sell widgets, the success of the design is how well it helps achieve that function. Aesthetics, personal preferences, and style play a supporting role, but the primary objective is to sell widgets, ideas, services, and so on. A designer might love wedding script typefaces, but if that designer is working on a sales brochure for power sports equipment, a wedding script typeface has the wrong personality.
I have my own personal preferences for certain designs, and I’ve generally turned down or reassigned work to subordinates when the job is too far away from what I could relate to. I have a good idea for the personalities and emotional qualities needed for outdoor recreation publications. However, if someone approached me about designing collateral materials for new mothers and their babies, I would struggle to find the internal compass to steer me in the most appropriate direction.
Let’s consider an analogy. I’ve read where some (perhaps most) actors research the roles they play. They don’t just memorize the script and fake the part. Instead, they spend a great deal of time adjusting their mindset to match that of the character they’re playing, and they draw on their experience to add a personal touch to the portrayal that they believe would be appropriate and genuine.
Likewise, good designers place themselves in the mindset of the target audience. Suppose the project involves designing the visual identity of a new brand of oatmeal. In that case, good designers will research the problem and, perhaps, place themselves in the role of a likely consumer, imagining how attractive and resonating that package would be when displayed alongside all the other similar products in a supermarket aisle. This understanding of the audience provides the internal compass that helps the designers know which direction to proceed.
You’d have to print a disclaimer that “no kittens were harmed in the making of this collateral.” 
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