New to Graphic Design

Graphic Design
#1

Hello, I’m in my first year for my degree in Graphic Design. Any tips anyone can give will be much appreciated! Thank you!

#2

Welcome. And in no particular order, my random tips are:

  • Remember that design is about solving a problem not about creating something that simply looks cool. Bottom line design is about what works not about what one likes.
  • Learning the software is important, but it is equally important to pay attention to and learn about the fundamentals and application of design techniques and theories.
  • Sketch often.
  • Be open minded to all criticism. That doesn’t mean that all criticism is always valid, but listen and learn. As a student, it can be easy to take criticism as an attack especially if you’ve spent a lot of time and effort on a project. So, remain open to it.
  • Learn as much as you can about using typography. IMO it’s one of the hardest things to get right, especially as a student.
  • Start keeping examples of pieces you see online or in person and trying to dissect them to understand what it is about them that works. I’m not saying to do this for every interesting piece you see, but it might be worth literally writing down notes about why they work. Was it the color scheme, the way they handled typography, a photographic style, perhaps just an interesting way of handling the call to action, or a clever way of handling information, etc.
  • Basically, be a sponge. Absorb as much as you can to learn as much as you can.
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#3

LA Film School, perhaps?

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#4

Hello, I started at La Film School for Graphic Design last month. I was just wanted to know if anyone feels like Graphic Design is in a higher demand now since the pandemic?

#5

No, I don’t see any reason why it would create more demand. My gut feeling is that demand has gone down as a result of businesses cutting back on their marketing budgets to save money during an economic downturn. Historically, marketing is almost always the first thing to be cut when a business is hurting for cash. Some of us, like me, have lost a whole lot of work because of Covid-19.

The restrictions associated with the pandemic have certainly changed how the profession works behind the scenes — fewer interpersonal interactions and more of it taking place via phone, Zoom and email.

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#6

4 posts were split to a new topic: Hello

#10

All of these are great tips for someone starting out in graphic design!

#11

@CraigB,
All these are fundamental and amazingly useful tips for any beginner in graphic design.
Thanks a million.

Best

#12