It is not necessary to go to University to learn Graphic Design if you want to have a creative career in the design industry. The most important aspect when applying for creative work is your portfolio and not where you studied. University degrees can often have dated information on the techniques and toolsets that you need to learn. Becoming a self-taught Graphic Designer can be daunting as there isn’t a clear structure to your learning process, however it does allow you to learn all the latest tools and techniques. Once you are ready to go Pro and create a portfolio that shines above all others then a Graphic Design online course can give you the structure, professional work-flows, and advice to get into this competitive industry.
Understand creative industry standards
I have gone through many portfolios of students applying for design jobs and one thing I see again and again from University students of Graphic Design is a lack of knowledge around the basic tools that Graphic Designers use. I believe this is because they are being taught dated information that although is good foundational knowledge it is not enough to get them the job. Without an understanding of today’s industry standards and what is expected of you in a design position, you are putting yourself at a disadvantage.
On being a self-taught Graphic Designer
Being a self-taught designer can often give you a clear understanding of the Adobe Suite and the toolsets within it. Because of the vast amount of tutorials out there you can learn how to make anything and test out different fields of design to see what interests you the most. But the thing that is usually not covered in these YouTube tutorials is the professional side of the Graphic Design business. For example how to break down a design brief, what questions to ask a client, how to manage expectations for the delivery of assets, and most importantly how much should you charge?
Start learning today!
My advice to you if you are starting to study Graphic Design at university or similar is to start self-learning immediately. Get the full Adobe Suite, take online courses and look at the design work that is coming out of company’s and design agency’s and then replicate it. Try to understand why they are doing what they are doing from not only a technical viewpoint but also from a business viewpoint.
What qualifications do I need to become a graphic designer?
Graphic Designers do not need formal qualifications to have a successful and lucrative career in the creative industries. The design portfolio is by far the most important aspect of getting a job and it doesn’t matter if you make the portfolio as a self-taught designer or with a university degree. All that matters is that you can show that you can produce the work they want to hire you to do. Your resume should be up to date and provide a clear look at your experience. It’s best if you show the logos of each company you worked for so a recruiter at a glance can see what your experience is.
So what do recruiters look for in Graphic Designers?
When reviewing potential job applicants the design team or recruiter will initially scan through the resume to see what kind of professional experience this person has. This initial scan of the resume might be over in 20 seconds, so being very clear on your resume of the companies you have worked for and what you did is vital. I tend to put the actual logos on to my resume so at a glance they can see that I have worked for Google, YouTube, Sony, MPC, etc. This small detail will take my resume from a maybe pile to the contact pile of resumes because I have made it easy for them to see who else I have worked with.
What do recruiters look for in graphic design portfolios?
The recruitment team will then review the portfolios – usually at the same time as the resumes. Again you have 20 seconds to make an impression with this team so put your best work right at the top. It can be a good idea to have your portfolio on a quick-to-load website. I would rather a fast-loading website that clearly lays out your work than a fancy website that takes a long time to use and then is difficult to navigate. Remember you only have 20 seconds to impress this team, don’t waste that 20 seconds on loading times and bad user experience.
Recruiters often suggest people create PDFs of their portfolio to send along with a website. These can be good but be careful with file size. If a team receives a 250MB PDF file it probably won’t get downloaded and looked at. Another thing to keep in mind with portfolios is that you want to answer any questions the recruitment team might have about it. So if you are including teamwork then clearly say which part of the design you worked on.
I once saw someone with a film VFX shot in their portfolio that looked awesome – but they didn’t explain what they did on that shot. Was it the story-boarding, 3D modeling, lighting, texture, compositing? This lack of clarity ran right through their portfolio so we didn’t contact them. It was easier just to pick up a portfolio that didn’t leave us with so many questions and contact them instead.
How old do I need to be to start learning graphic design?
If you have access to a computer and a drive to learn then don’t wait until a certain age. I would recommend spending £10 a month on an Adobe Photoshop subscription and start learning from free tutorials on YouTube. There are so many resources available out there to get you started on your creative career and when you are ready to go Pro you can take a Graphic Design course that will teach you how the Pro’s create assets for clients and make this passion into a full-time job.
Can I learn Graphic Design on my phone or iPad?
Even if you don’t have a computer it’s still possible to learn the basics of Graphic Design on your phone or iPad. Adobe has amazing mobile versions of Photoshop, Illustrator, Lightroom, and more. Get these and start playing with them, see what part of the design workflow interests you the most. Do you enjoy coming up with creative ideas? or maybe it’s creating illustrations or even animated design. Either way playing around with the tools and seeing what is the most fun for you can be the best start in your creative journey.
Can I get a Graphic Design job with no experience?
Getting a graphic design job with no experience can be hard. But there are ways around it. One would be to look for graphic design internships within companies or studios that last for 3 months or more. These are a great way to get your foot in the door and give you ample chance to turn that internship into a junior position. Another way is to look for freelance work, this could be around your local area or online but it will help give you that professional experience. Finally reaching out to creative recruiters on platforms like Linked-In can be great to get insight into what jobs are available to you and how you can improve your CV and portfolio to put your best foot forward.
So it is possible to become a professional graphic designer without a university degree. I would say being self-taught can make better designers as they are learning up-to-date information and techniques. It’s good to remember that your path to becoming a Pro will be different from everyone else. There isn’t one sure-fire way to become a Pro, but dedication and hard work will come into play.
Become an Intern Graphic Designer
Find out what Intern Graphic Designers do and where you may fit in the Design industry. Read more about Intern Graphic Designers here.