I find it a little odd that you begin by expressing envy at having a graduate degree, then go on to advise against a formal education.
I am afraid I have to disagree entirely. I understand the financial arguments against, a university education, but if you can afford it, a good degree from a good university (not one of those shonk, online ones, where a degree is hardly worth the paper it’s written on) will help you stand out and moreover teach you things (most of) the self-taught don’t know (and their work usually exposes). Of course their are always going to be exceptions to the rule, but in the main every designer I know who has had a long, successful career began by going through the design education system.
Currently, the market is so saturated with under-qualified, mediocre and shockingly poor designers, that the ones with a good education usually stand out a mile. If I were hiring, of course the portfolio is paramount, but unless I was completely wowed by someone without one, I’d always pick someone with a good degree. Aside from the practical differences, having a degree shows a level commitment. Additionally, I’d know straight away, they’d be versed in critical thinking, have an understanding of theory, have some academic knowledge of history, etc, etc, in a way that those who graduate from the university of youtube, usually don’t.
Yeah, I know it can be unpopular to say that out loud, but my guess is that 90-plus percent of the best designers I’ve worked with have university design degrees.
One problem with teaching oneself is that the teacher doesn’t know any more about the subject than the student. People tend to focus and study what they like to the exclusion of what they don’t like as much and probably need to study the most.
There are lots of good online videos and various quick courses in this or that, but short of slogging one’s way through a structured sequence of comprehensive courses in a well-thought-out multi-year program, there are likely going to be significant holes in one’s education.
There’s an unfortunate practical side to a relevant university degree as well — many employers tend to screen out those without a degree before they’re even interviewed. One could have an absolutely stellar portfolio, but it it’s not seen by the right people, it’s not going to carry much weight.
One final difference… I’ve found that many designers who skip the accredited college route tend to concentrate on software skills, which are much easier to master than the more difficult aesthetic judgment, typography and critical thinking skills in which university design students spend most of their time. I’ve said this before, but the majority of one’s learning in a formal design program takes place during the critiques, which are largely absent in a self-directed learning program.
As Sprout said, however, there are exceptions to all of this, but this is a difficult field to break into, even with a college degree. Without that degree, it becomes just that much more difficult.
I can’t tell you the amount of energy I have expended over the years, being irate over both the poor use of apostrophes and, there, they’re, their travesties. Ta-da!
If there was ever an object lesson in not setting yourself on a pedestal, that would be it. Oh, the shame.
Hair-shirts and self-flagellation for you, my boy.
I have found YouTube tutorials sometimes useful for answering specific questions or, in some of the better ones, providing insight into certain areas. I wouldn’t, however, suggest using them as the basis for one’s design education.
Even with some of the better quality tutorials in Lynda (linkedin) and others, I’ve seen some fairly egregious decisions made that make for sloppy output, especially when it comes to logos. No one seems to present considerations for signmaking or wide format printing.
Yeah, that’s a big problem. Beginners won’t necessarily be able to differentiate between the bad and good advice on YouTube. Given that most YouTube videos are made by other amateurs, I’d definitely take any design advice with a huge grain of salt. Advice from an amateur on how to work through a confusing feature in an unfamiliar application is fine. Advice from that same amateur on typography or the various elements of design, no.
There are YouTube exceptions, though. For example, @Pluto has pointed to some Chris Do videos in a few threads that really are rather thought-provoking and insightful, but then again, Chris Do isn’t an amateur tossing together a video in his basement.