- Over the past 10 years,
I have seen that the way someone can learn graphic design
has dramatically changed.
I first began to notice this around 2010,
not long after I graduated from university,
which at the time, it was commonplace
for people to become graphic designers
through traditional education routes.
Around 2010, with the internet maturing
and reaching its full potential,
I noticed there was a rise
in online resources and tutorials at the click of a button,
all of which inspired me to set up my YouTube channel
shortly after, in 2011.
With the rise of online academies
and the plentiful tutorials online,
and the access to amazing books and resources,
one no longer needs to undertake the traditional
and expensive route of formal education.
Today, I believe it is possible
to realize your creative potential
and become a graphic designer
without formal education.
Though when one does undertake their own path
and chooses to self-teach graphic design
or anything for that matter, soon the question arises.
When do I actually become qualified?
When do I become a graphic designer?
In this video, I'll be answering a question
from Beenii Bee, who asks,
how much time do we need to become a graphic designer?
Now, before we get into specific times,
I just want to say that it can take months
to become a graphic designer.
It can take years to become a good designer,
but it takes a lifetime to become a great designer.
As I have said in the past,
creativity is a journey, not a destination.
However, it does not take a lifetime
to get to grips with what you need to know
to put you in good stead to become proficient
and start a career in design.
So let's get practical for a second.
How long does it actually take?
Well, having thought about this for a while,
I came to the conclusion
that for one to become a graphic designer
really depends on two things.
One, the time it can take you to learn the basics
and gain practical experience,
and become proficient with visual elements
and design principles.
And two, the time it can take to build a body of work
to demonstrate to a client
you are worthy to be paid.
In this video, I'm going to talk about these two things,
because really, this is all you need
to become a graphic designer.
Now I will also be discussing time,
but I won't be giving you specific times.
Alternatively, I will try and help you focus
on the things you can do
and focus on in order to speed up your progress,
so you can effectively feel more confident
in your progress in your career in design
if this is what you want to achieve.
So how long does it take to learn the fundamentals?
Now, when one undertakes the formal education route,
one may study at university or college
for a number of years, typically three or four.
And upon graduation, will receive their qualification
and perhaps feel that they are a graphic designer.
Personally, I don't think it takes three years
to learn the fundamentals.
My advice to anyone starting out,
to become familiar with the fundamentals of graphic design,
you really need to start with the basics
and have the basics covered.
And this starts with understanding visual elements
and design principles,
and getting good practical experience with both.
Now, if you're not sure on what visual elements are,
well they are the ingredients
that make up every visual design,
such as line, color, shape, texture, space,
form, and typography.
If you're not sure on what design principles are,
well, this is the theory of design
and how you use the ingredients in a composition.
They are contrast, hierarchy, alignment, balance,
proximity repetition, simplicity, and function.
Having a good understanding of visual elements
and knowing how to use them will help you create
well considered, legible, and appropriate design.
Now, if you're interested to learn more
about visual elements and design principles,
I do have some videos that go into each in more depth.
Links are in the description.
Now, if you are an aspiring designer,
and you are simply jumping into creative software tools
and making it up as you go along,
or copying everything you see,
well, you will make progress, but slow progress.
Instead, try to focus and understand
what is happening in what you see
and everything you see, instead of imitating.
Don't just look, try and understand.
When you see something, ask yourself, why?
Why did they use that color?
That shape and form? That typeface?
That combination? That texture?
How does it make you feel?
And ask yourself,
do you think it is doing a good job
at communicating the right message
and tone appropriately?
Graphic design is all about visual communication
and decision-making.
Designers will put a lot of thought into the visual elements
they use and the design principles they execute
to communicate a particular message,
or look and feel.
If you can understand well, then you can interpret well,
which means you too can make good design decisions.
Now you could spend a few hours reading up
about visual elements and design principles,
but that won't make you a graphic designer, necessarily.
Though, you will be on the first step on the right track.
Next, you will need to take some time
to practice and gain experience
developing your skills with design principles
using visual elements before you feel confident.
Now everyone's journey is different,
and not everything will take the same time.
Now this doesn't have to take years, but it does take time.
Like anything in life, with practice comes experience
and with experience comes proficiency,
and with proficiency comes skill,
and with skill comes a career path,
and that is the place you want to be.
You want to have the skill to have the career path.
Now once you know all about graphic design,
and can answer all the questions about it,
does that then make you a graphic designer?
Well, perhaps you could call yourself a designer
but ultimately, I'm sure a lot of you will want to get paid
to be a graphic designer,
which brings me to the next point: building a body of work.
Now it can also be said that the time it takes
to become a graphic designer is the time it takes
to build a body of work,
which will ultimately get you your first job.
At college or university,
you are spending all your time developing and creating work,
which will ultimately be your foot
in the door upon graduation.
As they say, you are not a professional
until you start getting paid for it.
If you you are going the self-taught route,
then you will really need a portfolio of work
to demonstrate you have the skills necessary
for clients to pay you.
Now, ideally you are going to need at least three to four
good projects to show skill and consistency of skill
to impress and convince a client
you have what it takes to get paid to do that work.
Now, this is the part that takes the longest.
The good thing about formal education
is that you will be provided with design briefs,
which will give you direction,
focus, and set goals to create work around.
If you are self-taught,
then you may be wondering where to start.
Thankfully, there are some good books out there
with design briefs that can encourage you
to test your skills,
and set yourself goals to build work around,
a good example being "The Graphic Design Exercise Book
Creative Briefs to Enhance Your Skills
and Develop Your Portfolio" by Jessica Glaser.
Now books like these will offer fictional briefs,
which will give you some focus
and something to work to.
By tackling multiple exercises,
you will start to build a body of work
you can use to try and get more professional work.
So, if you're wondering how long it takes
to become a graphic designer,
I'd say, one, as long as it takes to get familiar
with the fundamentals,
and two, as long as it takes you to build a body of work.
If you're an aspiring designer,
and want a career in graphic design,
those are the two things I would advise you focus on.
Ultimately everyone's journey is different.
Now, I don't think it takes three years
to become a graphic designer.
With determination, dedication, consistency, and practice,
you can learn the fundamentals,
incorporate them into your design,
and build a body of work over a period of a few short years.
Perhaps even months.
Once you have these in place,
you can then start to apply yourself
in a professional capacity.
Now, I think this is a really good question,
because I imagine it's a question
a lot of aspiring designers will be asking.
So what are your thoughts?
Do you agree with my answer?
And do you have anything else to add to those
wanting to learn more?
Share your thoughts in the comment section,
and if any of you have any other questions regarding design,
be sure to pop them in the comment section
or email me at creative@garethdavidstudio.com.
And I'll look to get back to you with a thorough answer.
Also, be sure to hit the subscribe button,
as there will be more designed Q&A videos
like this in future.
Until then, have fun guys and I'll see you next time.
(upbeat music)