I think there’s a bit of talking past each other here.
Michael, nobody’s saying you can’t become a graphic designer or that Photoshop work isn’t valid. Plenty of people start exactly where you are now, especially through social media work. A portfolio absolutely matters, and building real projects is the right instinct.
What some of the replies are trying to say (maybe a bit bluntly) is that “graphic design” as a profession usually involves more than Photoshop alone, things like typography, layout, vector work, and understanding how designs get used in print or digital products. That’s not a gatekeeping thing, it’s just how broad the field is once clients are involved.
If you’re looking for constructive next steps rather than debate, a few practical ones might help:
Keep building your portfolio, but try adding projects beyond quote graphics: posters, simple branding exercises, social ad sets, or mock client briefs.
Start learning Illustrator and InDesign (or equivalents). Even basic familiarity opens a lot more opportunities.
Look for small real-world projects first, local clubs, small businesses, or online creators, rather than crowdsourcing contests. You’ll learn faster and get better feedback.
Follow designers who explain why something works, not just how to make it.
Everyone here started somewhere, and progress is slow for all of us at the beginning. If you stick with it and keep expanding your skills, you’ll figure out pretty quickly which direction in design suits you best.
When many of us started, we didn’t have today’s online learning ecosystem. We learned through courses, tutors, books, and real-world jobs, sometimes before computers or email were even part of the process.
You have access to an incredible amount of information now, which is a huge advantage. Just be selective about who you learn from. Follow people who explain the why behind decisions, typography choices, layout logic, colour reasoning, not just the steps to recreate an effect.
When I started out, the route into design was a four-year apprenticeship. By the time I finished, that had already been reduced to one year. Times move fast, and the path into the industry keeps changing.
What doesn’t really change is the foundation. Build the why, not just the how. Print and web theory, typography, layout, colour, and understanding why decisions are made will carry you much further than learning software tricks alone. You can’t build a house without a foundation.
And try not to get too caught up in labels or wording when people are offering advice. In this field you’ll hear a lot of opinions, some useful, some not. The important skill is learning to take what helps, leave what doesn’t, and keep moving forward. Separating emotion from decision-making is something most designers learn over time, and it makes both the work and client interactions much easier.
