Have you decided that you want to be a graphic designer, but you don’t want to start a college in the field, maybe you already have a job and you don’t have the time, or you want to be a super-designer in a month? (Spoiler alert: it doesn’t really work like that).
Graphic Design is the process of visual communication and problem-solving through the use of typography, photography, and illustration. Designers create and combine symbols, images, and text to form a visual representation of an idea or message. Graphic design is applied to everything visual, from the traffic signs you pass by every day, to the album cover of your favorite band.
There are two main components you need to know: graphic design principles (composition, color, typography) and editing programs (Adobe suite).
How to learn graphic design on your own without ruining your minds, friends, and money
1.Online courses
There are several online learning platforms, among my favorite ones are:
- udemy.com, here you can find courses of 2 hours/20 hours/200 hours, periodically there are offers, and any course has a single price of 10€,
- On lynda.com and www.skillshare.com you have access to all available courses for a monthly subscription of €26 and $15 respectively.
Extra tip: don’t just watch the tutorial, do everything your instructor does, practice cements knowledge best.
2.Books
What’s more pleasant than a book/kindle in your arms, a comfortable armchair and a cup of coffee? (rhetorical question to set the atmosphere). Design books are not found at every bookstore, plus they are expensive. Online you can find ebooks both free and much cheaper than their physical version, for example www.amazon.com, for which you can also find an ebook version for most books.
Extra tip: there are online reading platforms, such as www.scribd.com, which has a good selection of design books, and the monthly subscription is 9 euros (+the first month is free).
3.Blogs
There are plenty of blogs dedicated to the topic, including:
Create your own set of blogs to follow and when you have 10 minutes to wait at the mail, use them smart.
4.Podcasts
How much time do you spend on the roads? To work/school/supermarket. Instead of staring blankly out the window or honking your horn in traffic, it’s better to listen to an interesting podcast. Among my favorites are: The Honest Designer, The Futur, The Deeply Graphic Design Cast, UI Breakfast.
5.Copy cat
Just for the purpose of learning, replicate the work of other famous/skilled designers, whether it’s a logo, an illustration or a flyer, you will see more details than when you take a simple look, plus it’s a good exercise for practice.
6.Mentors
Did you know that you can have both mentors you know personally and people from another continent? It is important to have a list of favorite designers to follow online to motivate yourself, to see how they communicate, what values they have, how they sell, etc.
Extra tip: A useful exercise is to ask yourself what your mentor would do if he were in situation X.
7.Feedback
Negative feedback is not very pleasant, but there you have to learn from it, as long as it is properly argued. Don’t just talk to people in the field, your end customer is the person to whom the materials you create are addressed.
8. Draw
Ideally, the design starts in the head, continues on paper and only then is transposed to the computer. Most people who pursue a career in design are those who had a pencil in their hand when they were children, who had their walls in the room scribbled and their notebooks full of teachers’ caricatures. Creativity doesn’t come out of nowhere, so you always have a notebook at hand and draw regularly, there is no wrong and right here.
9.Trends
Be aware of the trends in terms of colors, fonts, styles, directions, but take them with a grain of salt, that’s why they are called trends because they change periodically, classic design is always in trend.
10. Battle plan
You need some kind of plan so that you don’t end up with information overload and burnout. Step by step, propose what you will learn this week, this month. You need time and the more and smarter you invest, the better you will get. Easy-peasy.
11.Networking
Graphic designers are said to be introverts; If this is your case, I’m sorry to tell you that you have to get out of the house, go to events of interest, meet other designers with whom you can talk. Maybe you’re lucky and find a mentor with whom you can also become friends.
12.Don’t stop
The learning process is a continuous one. In a limited period of time you can only learn the basics. Successful designers are those who are passionate every day and have knowledge outside the area of design: marketing, psychology, research, copywriting, communication, sales, etc.
Extra tip: pop-culture references can be some surprising and yet familiar details in design, so movies, art and music are also part of the learning process, hooray!
The career of a Graphic Designer is a satisfying one for a creative person with overthinker tendencies, so I recommend arming yourself with patience, handkerchiefs, a punching bag and understanding friends. GO, GO, GO!
