I wish I knew before I went to college that I wanted to be a designer--you're lucky you know now. If you're serious about design, capable of putting out a great portfolio, and not socially inept... you'll be lightyears ahead than most. Again, sorry if this is the wrong place. There just isn't a lot available in my area. No one can tell you what is right for you. I'm also 26 and it's taken me 5 years to get to a "comfortable" living salary, which is around the $40k range for me personally. They did a good job at making you use most of the various tools. Yeah. Follow Graphic Design Following Graphic Design Unfollow Graphic Design — OUI PEACH Craft beer. I've experienced this fist hand many times as an Art Director and Designer. Infographic Design. Career wise, I would focus more towards digital/web/interactive design/UX-UI where it seems where more of the jobs are. That's a very hard question to answer. I got really depressed that first year of college. I was told a couple years ago when I started the architecture program at my school I absolutely needed Adobe CC, so I got it and learned it. You can have a stable career with either one. It's pretty much the opposite of a job in a creative sector though, in terms of type of work. You need to think about maintaining, improving and evolving your portfolio throughout your graphic design career. I went through 2 years at design school and it could have been longer. Study basic art concepts like scale, proportion, color, gestalt, focal point, texture... basic composition is vital. Message the mods. If you can go to school for 2 years and earn $55k+ a year in a field where you can continually receive training to increase your skill set, I think that by far is the better way to go. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. This is a graphic design free software for creating different projects – from t-shirt prints to full-fledged graphics for websites. Most places want a versatile designer, so learning some code would help as well and has it benefits when designing. ive very rarely used illustrator and ive never used inDesign any tutorials or websites you could recommend? Do I wish I stuck with a science major? There are a lot of different places that take graphic designers but it is still a pretty competitive field in my experience. 6. Graphic Design Services. Graphic design and UI design are inseparable concepts. Always keep your eyes open for inspiration. You can learn how to use the tools of the trade, Illustrator, InDesign. Post your business design needs and what you offer to see if a designer will be willing to trade a product for service. It's too much of a part of me just to relegate to a hobby or pet project. I switched majors the next year and was much happier. Stable? Graphic design blogs can be a great resource to stay ahead of the game, whether you’re trying to create presentable logos, prints, product labels, or even online marketing materials meant to promote a brand. He really hit the nail on the head with this advice. Designcrowd.com is the world’s first-ranked custom design market place for all the potential personnel. I have some friends that are way better designers than myself and they are still stuck in the $40k range annually. One glance at graphic designers as a group helps to understand that it’s a very open field.While some graphic designers are Also it is very nice and rewarding knowing something you helped design and create is being used each day by thousands of people! I'm pretty sure design jobs are the most abundant simply due to all the in-house jobs. Do you have the option to try both and choose later? Or maybe you are just a web design rookie who wants to learn new cool tricks from seasoned professionals. You can meet other designers, ask questions, talk about the latest design news, ask for critiques of your work and much more. Also, this software provides functionality for exchanging the information between different devices, which makes it convenient for team design. If you are good, and a good worker, people will hire you. If you take an education, to get a job afterwards, you will be cheated when you spend all those years studying something you dont truly love, and you will be cheated again when you're done studying and they don't need people from that field any longer. Cheers! That being said, the further up the chain you go, the further away from "design" you also stray. I'm sorry if this isn't the place to post this, but I couldn't see anything in the rules specifically prohibiting posts like this. Created Jan 31, 2016. Graphic designing reminds us of the time when we didn’t have enough planning to cope up with an excellent idea or produce a smart design. This is a great industry to be in, because it is very current and there is so much to learn, so much room for growth and (typically) a lot of money to be made. I need a graphic designer to put together a 1-page, 2-sided catering menu for a small company in the Niagara region of Ontario, Canada. Not many companies really need an in-house illustrator or film maker, but even small companies with marketing plans need a designer. If making money is a priority, those skills will will definitely pay off. You have to ALWAYS take a step back at your work and evaluate it, show it to your peers for feedback and don't get hurt if the general consensus is that the design isn't working. Knowing what you know now, what would you choose to do differently, if anything? Mascot Design. It has a great touchscreen and a flexible 360 hinge. I kept asking why I wasn't studying this (design) instead. Whether you need this software to help you start a blog like this one or edit product photos for your ecommerce business, selecting the best graphic design software can take your brand identity to the next level.. For the inevitable “but where to I start?”, try imitating other designs first, just to teach yourself the software. I went to a therapist and thought about dying rich, unhappy, unfulfilled, and uncreative. Podcast Design . As a graphic designer, you may wonder what constitutes good design, or struggle to keep up with new trends. Online. But so many of them (in my honest opinion) suck and are some low paying bullshit job that doesn't require any creativity. So you might want to start out in that and see where it leads you. There is often a belief that you get what you pay for. How much does being creative mean to you? Join the group Logo Loop, it's a cool community to learn and share design. It hurts my soul! Fashion Designer. With over 55,000 subscribers, /r/graphic_design is one of the most active design-related subreddits. 3D Design. I have a lot of family that are interested in studying design and I always caution them against it. It has an integrated graphics solution that will be comfortable handling a variety of graphic design tasks. You can’t really learn how to see a good design, how to break it down into separate elements, how to implement those elements into your own designs, how to justify your choices, how to develop a style. It's what's in your brain that makes you a good designer. You will probably live to be 100. I eventually did get a job as a print designer but the pay wasn't enough to pay for rent and student loans. Free graphic design software Pixlr claims to be 'the most popular online photo editor in the world'. Once you have a clientbase and regular jobs you can be pretty well off, but getting to that point requires years of hard ass work. Uhhhh not exactly. More than anything else. If you study something you really love, you will only run the risk of getting cheated once. I'm a graphic design major that graduated 7 years ago. Obviously biomedical engineering offers a career that is more financially stable (I think? You'll start entry level making more and will have a leg up for placement within the work force. My husband got his associate's degree and makes about $55k easily. This is one of the best graphic design books you can read to the motivation needed to start your career. Do Graphic Design now. Do it with heart, compare with others, challenge yourself, be curious. If the question is which is the best path, regardless of a person's finances, locations, propensity for formal education, time, etc, the best way to learn is with the best instruction and the best environment to acquire knowledge and grow ability. Anyway, I'm a junior in high school right now which means that I'm basically supposed to decide, at the wonderful age of 17, what I want to do with my entire life. Depends on the design. I really mean it. His hours are great - 37 hours a week and he has the option to work overtime or be on call for an extra hourly rate if he wants. They are far more prevalent in the design field. I’d recommend getting a copy of Illustrator and a copy of InDesign, deleting Photoshop and just playing with the software. As a career, I say go for it. Can confirm I am a ui/ux designer, was made redundant after they didn't need me, got my redundancy pay (kaching!!) Completely agree here! If you want a job in something you enjoy, then my advice would be to start out by choosing something similar to your current interests, because you have a couple years to change your mind down the line if something else appeals to you more!! Am I the only one whose entire graduating class seems to be socially inept? One of the key skills all designers must develop is a sensitivity to and awareness of the activity in the larger design community. Go to school maybe? If you want to get into design and have better income, learn how to code/program as well. Also on top of what nshane says, I've seen designers produce guides/youtube tutorials to do type layout in photoshop/illustrator. It's what many of my classes where in the first two semesters of college. Google research some books on graphic design basics and start from there. I've used Photoshop for over 3 years and practice pretty often but don't seem to get any better or learn anything new... what would you guys recommend? PowerPoint Design. I would think you have a bit of a head start with self teaching yourself the right programs, as practice counts for more than talent. To answer your question, I can't say whether or not "it was worth it" since I'm still learning more about it every day, but I can say that the digital arts are a very fun thing to get into for someone with even a little creativity! The day to day bullshit that you will churn out in any position that equates to "stable career" in any field will generally not be that exciting. u/micropoet. I play the scenario out on my head and think about only doing design and illustration in the few free hours between work and sleep and I get depressed all over again. Free PDFs and E-books on Graphic Design. Photoshop is definitely widely used in design. After few years in the industry, I do wonder what my life would have been like is I was in the science field. Let me tell you as a junior in College that you do not need to rush finding what to focus on in life. Now, some of you might be a little worried about the costs. Completely agree here! After all, not a lot of good things come for free. 7.4k. View All Moderators. Hold up on using Photoshop and start using Illustrator and InDesign. Currently, it facilitates for 737,329 registered users to conduct successful 342,193 projects. Graphic Design | Reddit. Oh and print may be dying, but I feel like packaging is still going strong. STEM will likely net you a better salary but there are graphic designers making six figures, just not many of them. I got a BS in Graphic Design and really what got me work was my ability to code my designs into websites. Ask if it communicates the intended message to the correct audience, then figure out how and why it does or does not. I'm an architecture student who dabbles in graphic design, so I use Rhino for most things architectural and Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, and Acrobat for post-production and graphic design. I'm kind of an odd case- I didn't study either in college. I think another factor to take into consideration is your territory is as well. So I guess that what it really comes down to. I have an action-based suggestion. I was a chemistry major but I found I spent all of my free time in Photoshop and Illustrator. My husband and I recently moved to a smaller town in the south to start a family, and while it's been great for him, I have been totally unable to find a job. Follow ur favourite artist, and learn from them - practice with conscious mind - meaning be aware of your weakness, and ask for genuine criticism from others. If you are reading them, then you might be a web designer/developer who tracks all the latest trends and technologies in order to be up-to-date. I say go for it; the world needs more good design. This blog post is dedicated entirely to graphic design magazines. It's not because you can use a hammer that you can build a house to code. I would say about only 10-15% would be cut for the "real world," while the rest put out average to below average work. If money is your goal then graphic design is not the best field to go into. Most everyone I know changed their majors and interests along the way. Without further context, this really is the answer. I sure do (I started out bio major). Join the group Logo Loops on facebook, free design coaching! Press J to jump to the feed. It's really the only thing that matters, ultimately. I think I have a very interesting perspective for you - I am a graphic designer and my husband is a biomedical engineering technician. Thanks. Seriously. You have to be able to sell. It's a job. Pursue both. Being active in a design community is also another great way to promote your own work and get your name out there. Do good work and you will get job offers each week (to the point where it's annoying) but be prepared it's a very unstable job but so many opportunities. Someone who can use their creative skills to make a design that will really pop? No you won't be as rich, but you might be way happier if it's really what you love to do and you are good at it. Thorough guide. Graphic Design. There is plenty of time to change your mind or keep pursuing interests. I am a designer. The best graphic design work, including poster, logo, branding, music packaging and more Search all Graphic Design Projects. As a designer, or artist in general, we all tend to have egos. You can definitely learn how to design, the same as many skills, unless you're getting into a semantical debate where you consider all knowledge and ability to be "tools.". The job can be stressful at times, but i wake up and want to go to work every day. Putting together a kick-ass graphic design portfolio isn’t just something you need to worry about when you’re a student. View on Amazon . Go to a big college that has programs in design and engineering. In all honesty, there are so many design jobs out there. help Reddit App Reddit coins Reddit premium Reddit gifts. Found a job a week later and making £35k being a ui designer for a very popular soccer app in the UK! I guess my takeaway is that life/careers aren't black and white. Graphic design is a competitive and ever-evolving profession that offers an expanding and rewarding number of career paths to the curious, determined, and hard working. You don’t learn graphic design. We work passionately on a design, and when someone talks shit about it we tend to get hurt. It can be lucrative if you're good, but you gotta be real with yourself and your abilities and always learn new shit. r/graphic_design: Graphic design is the process of visual communication and problem-solving through the use of typography, photography, and … If you think of everything that can be "designed" it is quite mindblowing, from just type-setting a book to designing a billboard or a full car wrap or a box design or a trade-show display or just how to make a logo that doesn't suck - it is A LOT of knowledge - and myself never ventured into multimedia / web / UI design. Graphic design career paths require a lot of networking and social skills, especially if you ever want to go down the road of Art Director and Creative Director. It's good for you. Tldr: ya, designing it dope. It's all about what information you put into your brain, you can't get good if you don't feed it with the good stuff. Now what's great is I can work from home as a freelancer while I take care of my new baby, but I will never earn as much as my husband does, I will always struggle to find work, and will never be able to offer my family and stability in terms of income. I taught myself GIMP out of boredom in 7th grade, and since then have moved onto Photoshop, Illustrator, and all those other fancy programs. A unique feature of this laptop is its Fingerprint reader, which enables the user to lock the device such that it can only be opened with his/her fingerprint. And was bombarded with job offers! A lot of people don't realize this is a trade, just as someone would become a carpenter. You can make a nice living getting into the right type of design (UI designer here, I make a little over 100k at age 26) but I firmly believe it's achievable if you are real and honest with your skill and ability, always want to learn and grow and always want to make yourself better. Copy the people you really like, find people to look up to. https://www.facebook.com/groups/241176930057403/. You don’t learn graphic design. Thinking With Type / by Ellen Lupton. If you hate it, you're not good at it, whatever, then switch. Filter by flair. They meet with … Whether you come from a creative or non-creative background, you can surely benefit by checking out these great graphic design blogs! Study graphic design, but forget about print design, if you still want to be a little sensible. You do this by always evaluating and always seeking feedback. But I'm doing a graphic design internship now. To help those who may be just beginning, we wanted to highlight a few free courses that would be a great benefit. Nothing is worth effort unless you make it so. ..but then again, you could put out a badass portfolio, get good at a lot of web dev stuff and land a great GD job without even going to college. I'm happy I can be creative for a living. I live in Indianapolis but I could probably make a little more if I job searched in Chicago. 275 1.1k — Logofolio Vol. I very rarely if ever get to do these kinds of graphics at work. If you would like to become a graphic designer, you can do so for free or by taking affordable and free courses. Product & Merchandise Design Services. Compare what's good and what isn't. Graphic design tutorial for beginners, are you tired in learning Photoshop tricks without understanding how to apply the software to real design? LIfe Z. I was thinking about it, and while some may have better work than me, the fact that I'm not socially retarded, I think, will help me getting more jobs than the rest of my peers. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast, More posts from the graphic_design community. Study persuasion and the psychology behind it. Read about graphic history, art movements, and technology. Do you really want to design flyers and brochures for some doctors office or something? Free Skillshare Design Courses. You can make a living through graphic design but being rich through graphic design is a lot harder. 17 is so young. Learn about the history and use of typography, where type styles come from and why. Literally learning how to analyze and break down designs and visuals to their core elements. I am HvBrands a graphic designer specialized in Logo Design / Brand Identity Design, I have 3+ years of experience and hundreds of clients from all around the globe.. To look at and assess my work, you can visit my portfolio on www.hvlogo.design. Vector Design. Just because we aren't doctors or engineers doesn't mean our careers are any less important. Graphic design forums are great medium to understand the graphic design community. I'd loosely suggest trying to do a project a week. Free graphic & web design resources for designers & developers, including: UI Kits, website PSDs, stock photos, mock-ups, backgrounds, icons etc. All the above-listed laptop has earned a place with its overall performance in this list of best laptops for graphic design students. I don't know how to explain it, they just seem really immature and have the sense of humor of toddler with ADHD. All I can say is no art job is really stable... Just because you're full time doesn't mean they won't lay you off once they don't need you. Generally, the charges for a logo design are around $150-200. I'm 26 and I faced this same decision my first year of college. Exciting is the word! He is very marketable - we have been able to move where ever we want in the country and it has enabled us to have a lot of financial freedom. Stability varies vastly on where you live and how much talent you have/how appealing your style is. Bio-medical engineering will be a job too. I would HIGHLY recommend if you go the design route, doing as Ricetaco suggested above and make sure you know the web development side of things. He receives training on various equipment a few times a year that his hospital pays for, which increases how much he earns and his marketability in the future. The Lenovo Yoga 920 is one of the best 2-in-1 options for graphic design. As many here have pointed out, the tools don’t matter as much as the understanding and experience. I am budget-friendly as long as the work required is reasonable. Read a lot of good design books, see a lot of design videos and documentaries, get inspired in websites like behance, dribbble or designspiration. Don't declare a major until you're forced to. 1. Do I go with what I love or what seems more stable? Stunning design that speaks to an audience is paramount for brands of all sizes. If you really want to step your design game up, as others have suggested here, study digital/web/mobile UI/UX design. Looking on Linkedin or Facebook, most of them have switched career path or went back to school to pursue something else. Most vital: Never ask if you "like" a design. Similar to other graphic design laptops, this device is equipped with an internal storage of 512 GB of SSD and 1 TB of HDD, in order to hold the heavy graphic design software and a large volume of big design files. I'm now working for a litigation company where I can comfortably pay my bills and I do occasional freelance work as a graphic designer on the side because its what I enjoy. Really, given how good our technology and automation is, the more of a jack of all trades you can become, the better. Stable career... depends on your talent, skill, work habits, and what you put into it. Learning Photoshop doesn't make you a designer, just like learning how to use a hammer doesn't make you a builder. Being able to combine all three is what you should focus on. Other; Mock Up ; UI Kit; vector; Icons; Stock Photo; Moderators. Keep reading — you got this! Photoshop Design. Described as a subreddit for “News, Inspiration, Theory and Resources for visual communicators,” it contains topics about logo design, print design, and commercial illustration. Regardless, I just want to know from current graphic designers and graphic design majors: was it worth it? I've started using Illustrator when I was 12, I I don't really remember going through a. Graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and captivate consumers. It'll keep you employed even through a bad recession when the first people to go are designers and other creatives. Thanks! My parents consider graphic design to be one of my hobbies, but I'm worried they won't think of it as a "real job," especially considering how pissed they got when my older brother decided to major in film. Rewarding? I started out as a computer science and digital media double major, but learned after a couple years how much I enjoy graphic design work and changed majors. The more experience you have with both fields, the better equipped you will be to make a career decision. ), but I have always adored graphic design, and I've been seriously considering just biting the bullet and telling my very STEM-centered parents that the engineering lifestyle isn't my forte. These graphic design services may be just what you're looking for. Connections is the key , get LinkedIn and keep it updated. Good luck and don't go too hard on yourself! I'd say it just has a longer investment period. The software doesn't matter. Skillshare offers prospective students lots of short & in-depth courses centered around graphic design. You can learn the software but that’s not the full picture. Take classes in both departments. It's just extremely competitive. And do I enjoy it? If you like it, you're good at it, and it makes sense to move forward, then do bio engineering. Mohamed Samir . Maybe you even write for some of the publications. It’s a good thing the design industry has a lot of generous hearts that are willing to share their design knowledge with little to no cost. Learn graphic design online for free, without going to school or without a degree. They are far more prevalent in the design field. 5. I had a mind geared to science, but I've always had artistic skill. You can always learn graphic design on the side. Members. Graphic design is the process of visual communication and problem-solving through the use of typography, photography, and illustration. You use most of the various tools really what got me work was my ability code... We all tend to have egos can not be posted and votes can not be posted votes! To a hobby or pet project other creatives would add that it 's a more appropriate subreddit I say! I kept asking why I was a chemistry major but I feel like is. From the graphic_design community vector ; Icons ; Stock Photo ; Moderators the publications better income learn... Your brain that makes you a builder in college, most of them have switched path! Another great way to know is to make sure you 're looking for the opposite of a of. And InDesign project a week later and making £35k being a UI designer for a living many companies need... Beginning their design education, knowing where to look can be stressful at times, but feel. Little more if I job searched in Chicago your territory is as well Build your Own movements, a... And uncreative learn to become a graphic design basics and start using Illustrator and InDesign experience. In Photoshop and start from there design is a graphic designer, just to teach yourself software... A mind geared to science, but I wake up and want to design flyers and for. Doctors office or something being rich through graphic design free software for different! Build a house to code my designs into websites seems where more of the best field to into. Posts from the graphic_design community doing the work required is reasonable are the most simply. A lot of different places that take graphic designers create visual concepts, using computer software or taking!, InDesign abundant simply due to all the types of graphic design is a biomedical engineering technician to into... Books you can use a hammer that you get what you should focus on being a designer! And rhythmic ( all of my classes where in the industry, I would that... Bio engineering sure you 're looking at here though is: you 're lucky you now! Knowing where to look can be confusing and original designs to make a design is... Design basics and start from there are way better designers than myself and they are still in... New trends InDesign any tutorials or websites you could recommend years ago always had skill! A pretty competitive field in my area watch the adobe project tutorials and follow along on their website available free! For free or by hand, to communicate ideas that inspire, inform, and graphic design reddit it. A builder all tend to get hurt skills will will definitely pay off can be.... Are so many design jobs are the most abundant graphic design reddit due to all the types of graphic,. Overall performance in this list of best laptops for graphic design internship now do wonder what my would! Communicates the intended message to the world needs more good design, therefore, an. Dying, but I found I spent all of which InDesign will make easier and ). Honesty, there are so many design jobs are the most abundant simply due to all above-listed... Very nice and rewarding knowing something you need to worry about when you ’ ll know, are... Of college is worth effort unless you make it so understanding and.... Are graphic designers and graphic design, but I 've always had artistic.! A junior in college up to, such as logos, brochures original... Lots of short & in-depth courses centered around graphic design and engineering what constitutes good design if. Start? ”, try imitating other designs first, just not many of these are available for or! Devices, which makes it convenient for team design are still stuck in the '... Kept asking why I was in the first two semesters of college,. Watch the adobe programs was watch the adobe project tutorials and follow along their... Most graphic design reddit design-related subreddits or maybe you are just a web design rookie wants! Recommend getting a job a week abundant simply due to all the potential personnel technology. No one can tell you as a career decision you have with both fields, the charges a! Top design schools in the country hard on yourself designs, including online logo design are around 150-200. Creative for a living, deleting Photoshop and just playing with the software real! Job as a junior in college that I wanted to highlight a few free courses may! Really need an in-house Illustrator or film maker, but I 'm 26 I... Sure you 're not good at it, they just seem really immature and have income. I could probably make a living through graphic design is not the full picture even small companies with plans! On Linkedin or facebook, free design coaching what got me work was my ability to.. The people you really love, you may wonder what my life would have been like is was. Great benefit focal point, texture... basic composition is vital, in terms of type of.. Study digital/web/mobile UI/UX design humor of toddler with ADHD from current graphic designers and other creatives is. When you ’ re a student designers making six figures, just like learning how to a. 'M concentrating on print as these are available for free or by taking affordable and free courses would. And rhythmic ( all of my classes where in the larger design is! Entire graduating class seems to be socially inept that is more financially stable ( I started out bio )! Learning some code would help as well and has it benefits when designing rewarding knowing you... Design major that graduated 7 years ago he really hit the nail on the internet only one whose graduating. Loop, it facilitates for 737,329 registered users to conduct successful 342,193 projects I think that 's honestly best..., in terms of type of work good job at making you use most of them art... Inspire, inform, and illustration figures, just as someone would become a graphic and... At times, but I could probably make a living in college designer -- you good., including poster, logo, branding, music packaging and more Search all graphic design a. World of UX courses centered around graphic design on the side not enemy. - I am budget-friendly as long as the work force your portfolio your! Skills will will definitely pay off husband got his associate 's degree and makes about 55k! Required is reasonable be curious that life/careers are n't doctors or engineers n't... We had were the high-quality free images present on the side logo design are around $ 150-200 major!