How to get started in graphics design?

[sambo.]

$0.02

OK, this is a really brutal opinion that is completely uninformed about youand your personal situation.

If you don't have a natural aptitude for drawing, if you don't 'intuitively' know that certain arrangement of objects are more pleasing to the eye (do you spontaneously rearrange place settings at tables, furniture, pictures on walls?), if your childhood wasn't filled with a compulsive need to draw or paint or sculpt, if you have no background in art, if you have never cut a magazine apart in order to rearange the advertisements so that they 'work' better... give it up.

Graphic design is an art form, not a technical skill. Yes, you can take a 2 year course in design, and learn the rules. But the courses cannot teach the "eye" for design. It's NOT like programming, where the logical process leads to a 'best' solution. Many of my clients are graphic designers, and teachers in design schools. They will tell me privately that 1/4 to 1/2 of their students will never have a career in design because although they passed all of the course requirements, they just don't have 'it' - the visual sensibility and creativity to make a compelling communication concept out of their imagination. Schools are cranking out 'designers' by the 1000's. Many of them will starve - because the choices are freelancing (which you don't eat until you pound the pavement and sell your services to clients) or working as a worker bee in an agency or newspaper for $12 - 16 an hour. A minority of them will be good enough to eventually make a name for themselves as a senior graphic designer.

I know, I have had the computer skills for 17 years, I can make Photoshop sing and dance, I teach the programs, and I would never, never describe myself as a designer. I am a technician, not an artist.

If you have the visual flair, the aptitude and a burning desire to create, if you are willing to get the education, build a portfolio of work, and promote your services to potential clients and employers relentlessly to get work, work well under high responsibility and short deadlines, with often unreasonable customers, have an ego that's big enough to know you can do it, and humble enough to accept that 80% of your best ideas are going to get rejected, can survive 18 hour days then weeks at a time with no income, then graphic design can be very rewarding.

errr, this guy is VERY, VERY right.

i'm a photographer, have been for 13 years now. i meet a LOT of "photographers" with degrees (?) from uni who still can't take a picture. i told my last cadet to chuck the idea and retrain as something else (this after she had finished her cadetship, and hey, she ASKED my opinion, i just gave it) as she just didn't have "it" (Henri Cartier-Bresson described "it" for a photographer as "The Decisive Moment"). she went and retrained as a web-designer and is now powering along, she can add perfectly useable pictures to her range of services.

and thats what i think you should do.

realize that in the "creative" sphere (photographers, graphic artists, etc etc) the ONLY qualification that counts is YOUR PORTFOLIO. as a photographer, when interviewing for photographers, i couldn't care less about your degree or your masters (and i have met people with a MASTERS Degree in Photography who take pictures i would expect any intelligent 14 year-old to be able to come up with) or the nice reference your year 11 Art Teacher wrote you. I want to SEE, YOUR pictures. thats it, nothing else really counts expect that you have decent personal hygeine and don't suffer from Tourettes Syndrome.

finish your degree FIRST. but definatly play with the graphics programs and learn them. FYI: any self respecting designer uses Adobe Pro products. it's the image that counts, so learn the tools in the apps.

freelancing is TOUGH. you eat or starve by your work and how YOU promote yourself.

on tat note, i find that i "enjoy" my photography a lot less having done so much dross work for so many dimwit clients. the photography i still enjoy is the stuff i do basically for myself. same with my graphic design work oh yeah, i multi-skilled too

web design: the more solid programming you can offer back-end-wise, the more you have to offer potential clients.

All the successful designers/creative types I know (and i'll include myself here, but i'm still learning the web-end stuff) have embraced the "new" technology (ok, so when I did MY cadetship, it was B&W prints in the darkbox ("room" is too grand a suffix) at the back of the office.) and learnt as many different areas. if you only know photoshop, welcome to the wonderful world (pit?) of "Production", where ones brain will turn to mush.

for todays UberDesigner, crack design skills, lightning keyboard speed & "that (wo)man is on drugs!" creativity are a given, to stand out, you need great web/backend skills to and a wide variety of experience.

sorry if thats a bit disjointed, but only my $0.02

 

[sambo.]

another $0.02. $0.04 so far this thread....

Sorry but I'm going to have to totally disagree with you there. Design is very much a technical skill.

this guy is right. it's a question of being able to walk before you can run. learning the tools and how they work is very technical. only once you have mastered the basic techniques can you begin to accuratly apply your artistic vision.

as an aside (and i'm a 'tographer originally) amazing how many BA (Photography) graduates have absolutely NO CONCEPT of the technical aspects of photography. if you don't know how to use the tools of your trade, how can you hope to build, for example, a pergola? (to mix metaphores). if you don't know how to use something, how can you use it?

 

[dornoforpyros]

I often wonder just what people learn in 4 your graphic art degrees, because I've met more than a few who seem to be lacking the basics...

 

[iGav]

So what tool in illustrator do I use to trace with the tablet? Brush tool or the pen tool?

Brush if you want the natural, more organic look.

Also is it easier to draw straight from the tablet as opposed to using the pen tool with a mouse?

ooooooooooohhhhhhh yeessssssssss, much easier.

The pen also allows far quicker navigation of the OS and it's functions as well.

I know I'm just a bear with a little brain but I just can't imagine laying out a publication in QuarkXpress with a tablet, somehow.

First thing Monday Blue, you're going to slap down a P/O on your bosses desk for a spanking new Wacom A4 Intuos3.

Trust the iGav... TRUST THE iGav!

 

[cleanup]

Sorry, I can't imagine doing layout or vector with a pen, either. I rarely use my Wacom, because I do mostly vector art.

I realize that I probably have no future in graphics design. I can't really draw, but I do have a good eye for layout, design, colours, etc. But so many other people already do. This is probably just a hobby.

Meh. I'll figure something out.

 

[Blue Velvet]

First thing Monday Blue, you're going to slap down a P/O on your bosses desk for a spanking new Wacom A4 Intuos3.

Trust the iGav... TRUST THE iGav!

Well, it may have to wait until I'm back at work at the end of Sept.

<little spirals in my eyes>
I trust the iGav!

 

[iGav]

I can't really draw(

Neither can I you don't need to be able to draw to be a designer, common misconception.

but I do have a good eye for layout, design, colours, etc

Sounds like a designer to me.

 

[iGav]

Well, it may have to wait until I'm back at work at the end of Sept.

Sod that Blue, email a P/O to your boss on Monday, asking them to have it delivered to your home address so that you can 'practice' for when you go back to work.

 

[superninjagoat]

I know I'm just a bear with a little brain but I just can't imagine laying out a publication in QuarkXpress with a tablet, somehow.

I'm mokstly a mouse man, but for freehand-style things and painting, I do use a tablet. Cool thing is, I'm left-handed, but mouse right-handed. I frequently find myself with a pen in one hand and mouse in the other. I also know all my modifier keys both left and right handed.

It's kinda' weird. When I'm in Xpress, I find I have the mouse in my hand. But when I'm pushing points in Lightwave, the pen is magically there. I honestly don't know when I switch, most of the time.

 

[whiteangel]

Thanks alot !

I am thinking of getting a tablet to play with, something basic, and simple.

I now the brand to go for is Wacom, do I need the latest graphire3, or will graphire2 be equally good? And should I go for the 4X5 or the 6X8 ?

Thanks once again for your kind advice

 

[superninjagoat]

Thanks alot !

I am thinking of getting a tablet to play with, something basic, and simple.

I now the brand to go for is Wacom, do I need the latest graphire3, or will graphire2 be equally good? And should I go for the 4X5 or the 6X8 ?

Thanks once again for your kind advice

2 or 3 is fine. 6x8 is rather important, imho.

 

[marek_tyler]

Hello,
My name is Marek Tyler and I have recently moved to Victoria. I love creating marketing opportunities for art.

I want to make a living as a creative internet marketing designer. I don't know what that means, I just know that my unique skill's are understanding strong creative ideas and platforms, making sure that the right people are aware of the project.

I want to go to school to learn the ABC's of design.

Please contact me at anytime with advice, opportunity, or can point me in the right direction.

Yours,
Marek

If you have the visual flair, the aptitude and a burning desire to create, if you are willing to get the education, build a portfolio of work, and promote your services to potential clients and employers relentlessly to get work, work well under high responsibility and short deadlines, with often unreasonable customers, have an ego that's big enough to know you can do it, and humble enough to accept that 80% of your best ideas are going to get rejected, can survive 18 hour days then weeks at a time with no income, then graphic design can be very rewarding.[/QUOTE]

 

[narco]

OK, this is a really brutal opinion that is completely uninformed about youand your personal situation.

If you don't have a natural aptitude for drawing, if you don't 'intuitively' know that certain arrangement of objects are more pleasing to the eye (do you spontaneously rearrange place settings at tables, furniture, pictures on walls?), if your childhood wasn't filled with a compulsive need to draw or paint or sculpt, if you have no background in art, if you have never cut a magazine apart in order to rearange the advertisements so that they 'work' better... give it up.

I agree. When I used to interview potential artists, the first thing I asked is if they had a background in drawing/painting/photography/etc. The ones who did had a better chance, whereas the ones who didn't but had a good education took care of the more technical aspects.

I was lucky to have skipped art school and learned everything on site. This is the best way to learn the technical side and actually make money, instead of spending thousands on an art school.

You can still work in the field and not really have an art background. I believe they are called pre-press people.

Fishes,
narco.

 

[Plymouthbreezer]

Yikes! All this "design" stuff scares me (not really), as I plan on going to school for architecture - a field which requires much technical skill, but also a feel for "good design." While I'm no Picasso, I do have en "eye" for good design, and can always pick out those who do and don't have the talent. I see so many kids even in my school alone who want to go to art school, but their work looks like crap. Obviously, they won't make it. But yeah, even graphic design requires this talent, as well as the precision and skill with programs such as PS and Illustrator. Currently, my skills on the technical end of this (like actually using PS) are terrible, but hey, I have a few years to get better with 'em! After all, mastering the computer programs is in fact something you learn - unlike the natural instinct you need for the design end of the spectrum.

But definitely an exciting field.

 

[ATD]

OK, this is a really brutal opinion that is completely uninformed about youand your personal situation.

If you don't have a natural aptitude for drawing, if you don't 'intuitively' know that certain arrangement of objects are more pleasing to the eye (do you spontaneously rearrange place settings at tables, furniture, pictures on walls?), if your childhood wasn't filled with a compulsive need to draw or paint or sculpt, if you have no background in art, if you have never cut a magazine apart in order to rearange the advertisements so that they 'work' better... give it up.

Graphic design is an art form, not a technical skill. Yes, you can take a 2 year course in design, and learn the rules. But the courses cannot teach the "eye" for design. It's NOT like programming, where the logical process leads to a 'best' solution. Many of my clients are graphic designers, and teachers in design schools. They will tell me privately that 1/4 to 1/2 of their students will never have a career in design because although they passed all of the course requirements, they just don't have 'it' - the visual sensibility and creativity to make a compelling communication concept out of their imagination. Schools are cranking out 'designers' by the 1000's. Many of them will starve - because the choices are freelancing (which you don't eat until you pound the pavement and sell your services to clients) or working as a worker bee in an agency or newspaper for $12 - 16 an hour. A minority of them will be good enough to eventually make a name for themselves as a senior graphic designer.

I know, I have had the computer skills for 17 years, I can make Photoshop sing and dance, I teach the programs, and I would never, never describe myself as a designer. I am a technician, not an artist.

If you have the visual flair, the aptitude and a burning desire to create, if you are willing to get the education, build a portfolio of work, and promote your services to potential clients and employers relentlessly to get work, work well under high responsibility and short deadlines, with often unreasonable customers, have an ego that's big enough to know you can do it, and humble enough to accept that 80% of your best ideas are going to get rejected, can survive 18 hour days then weeks at a time with no income, then graphic design can be very rewarding.

Exactly.

Design is visual problem solving. It is a visual thinking skill more than a technical skill. Technical skills are only a means to an end. Torn paper and canyons are just as valid as design tools as Photoshop or Maya are. I have been a Graphic Designer for 25 years. If you have an endless passion to create, visualize and problem solve, you are more than half way there.



http://www.atdesignla.com/

 

[p0intblank]

I actually just began to get some clients and design logos for them. This is the first time I am making money with this so I'm pretty excited. The more clients, the better! I want to build up my portfolio so I can eventually create myself a Web site to promote my business even further.

As for having skills, I have to admit: I am not very good at drawing. I do however have a very good eye for designs. I am more a computer artist than an actual "on paper" artist. I understand sketching is required, but this is the technical era we are in now. Amazing things can be done with a computer, so art industry has really come a long way and how we treat art. I consider myself very familiar with Adobe Photoshop. I have been using it for more than a few years now and know the ins and outs of the application. I've been using Illustrator a lot lately to design logos, so I am still learning that application. I'm loving it so far. I do find myself drawing better in Illustrator than I do on actual paper. Working on the computer also gives me more confidence in my work, as I enjoy working on the computer (I am practically on most of the day everyday). But yeah, to be successful in the graphic design field, follow these steps:

- practice, pracitce, practice!
- have a lot of confidence in yourself
- don't think you cannot do something; try it out and see if it works!
- accept other people's advice and suggestions; don't be offended if someone doesn't like your work
- if you are stuck for ideas, just start to mess around on the canvas (whether it is digital or not, the rule still stands) and see what you get
- look around at other people's works; get ideas and use them! (but only to a certain extent, you don't want to "copy" anyone)
- and again, PRACTICE! even if it means just tracing cartoon characters in Illustrator, everything you do will have an effect on your future.

And most important of all, just have fun. Don't start out too big. For instance I have about three clients right now (one is finishing up, that's why I say "about"). Don't get too caught up in the drama of designing for someone else. If they don't like your design(s) at first, then ask what they would like to be different! Take advice and listen. Two of my clients went back and forth with me about making changes. I obviously didn't mind as I get paid for this kind of work. It's what graphic designers do. Your work won't always be accepted by your client. You sometimes have to keep working at it. And just believe in yourself. There are some rude people out there who may say things that will really get to you. Don't let anyone do that. Believe in yourself and keep trying.

I hope all that came together well. It's 2:35 AM over here, so I'm kind of tired. If anyone has any questions about starting out in the graphic design business, feel free to drop me a PM or e-mail!

 

[ATD]

Sorry but I'm going to have to totally disagree with you there. Design is very much a technical skill.

No way. Design is visual problem solving. You can design with lipstick on a cocktail napkin. Technical skills are tools that aid design, not design itself.

 

[Blue Velvet]

No way. Design is visual problem solving. You can design with lipstick on a cocktail napkin. Technical skills are tools that aid design, not design itself.

Yes, but the limitations of the brief and technical skills are inherent in the design process. You cannot tease them apart from the creative process.

Working within that envelope is a crucial part of the discipline. Otherwise, you're an artist...

 

[steebu]

wow... a lot of you guys are really down on design... are you all really THAT insecure about more fresh talent getting in the field?

 

[MontyZ]

.

 

[ATD]

Yes, but the limitations of the brief and technical skills are inherent in the design process. You cannot tease them apart from the creative process.

Working within that envelope is a crucial part of the discipline. Otherwise, you're an artist...

I started in Graphic Design long before computers came into the picture. My design tools back then were a pencil and a tracing pad. Design done before the age of computers is ever bit as valid as design done today. The thought process is the core of design, then and now.

I'm not against technical skills at all and I do believe they are very important tools of a designer. I live in lots a very technical programs. It's just when I see many posts describing design as a long list of computer programs and technical skills or calling design a purely technical skill, I just have to wonder if a very large point has been missed here...

 

[ATD]

Isn't that just doodling?

Not if you are making money at it

 

[Blue Velvet]

I started in Graphic Design long before computers came into the picture...

Likewise, and I agree with you to a point.

But in order to arrive at your destination, you have to be aware of the technical processes, timescales, budgetary limitations and the client's desires o that you are working within defined parameters.

You know as well as I do that there is no such thing as a metaphorical 'blank canvas' to start from...

 

[iGav]

or calling design a purely technical skill,

Just to clarify, I NEVER said that is was PURELY a technical skill.

But to put my original statement in it's original context, I think it is both valid and correct, you are obviously free to differ.

I considered CanadaRAM's original comment that graphic design is an art form and not a technical skill as not only an incorrect statement, but also one that I felt was dismissive of the amount of technical knowledge that is required to be a designer, and offered a different opinion. (credit to CanadaRAM he spent the time to further clarify his initial comments ).

The very foundation of design as a discipline, is that of a technical one (think about it ). It's governed by a set of rules. And a knowledge of those rules is (usually) required to create effective or what some call good design (a saying I don't particularly like myself). Design itself and as a discipline, encompasses so much more than the ability to sit down and draw something, even then... that physical process is a technical one.

As Blue has said, you cannot separate the conceptual from the execution, without one, it is incredulous to consider oneself as a designer.

 

[iGav]

wow... a lot of you guys are really down on design... are you all really THAT insecure about more fresh talent getting in the field?

You know, I was thinking something very, very similar... *shakes head*

Sometimes people make it sound like such... such a dull and uninspired sandal wearing profession.