- Hello and welcome to this beginner's guide series
to graphic design,
from what graphic design is,
skills to be a graphic designer,
design theory, education you need,
equipment you need,
to the graphic design portfolio,
and interview advice.
This series is for anyone at any level.
So if you're interested in graphic design
and consider becoming a graphic designer,
then join me as I discuss a series of graphic design topics.
(upbeat music)
So you're thinking about a career change
and getting into graphic design.
You may currently be in a different creative career,
or perhaps you have not gone
through the traditional creative education process.
You don't have any creative qualifications,
and you may be wondering,
"Is it too late for me to be a graphic designer?
"Where do I begin?
"And do I need to go back to school?"
in this video, I'm going to discuss these questions,
and I'll be recommending some approaches
on things you can keep in mind.
In this video, I'll also be sharing my experience
and advice on your education options.
So the path to becoming a graphic designer
can be a long one.
You can spend years learning and a lot of money on books,
college courses, university courses,
and even online courses.
So you may be wondering,
"Is any of this actually necessary?"
Well, part of becoming a graphic designer
is through the traditional education system.
In fact, it's quite the important part.
These are vital years where you get the chance
to practice your skills and study to become qualified.
One of the reasons this is key is because at the end of it
you have a specialized portfolio,
which is the foot in the door to the design industry.
However, in my opinion, I don't think this is the only way
to become a graphic designer.
I believe personal development, talent, determination,
and ambition can be equally as important and valuable.
Most employers today don't look at your education.
They look at the person, the experience,
and the portfolio of work.
So the first question,
is it too late for me to be a graphic designer?
Well, quite simply, the answer is no.
It is never too late to pursue a career in creativity.
The only thing that will ever hold yourself back
is unfortunate circumstances and your skillset.
If you are wondering if you have what it takes
to be a graphic designer,
I recommend you watch previous episodes
where I talk about the practical skills,
psychological skills, and talent to be a graphic designer,
episode 19 through to 21.
If you feel you have what it takes,
you have the passion, commitment, and determination,
then you can reach your goal, but be prepared.
It is by no means easy and will take some time, even years.
So where do I begin?
Well, if you're starting from the beginning,
it will prove harder, but not impossible.
If you take the right steps in the right order,
you can quickly prepare yourself for the industry.
To get started, I would suggest
you undertake six key steps.
and I would recommend you do them in the following order.
Step one, learn and research.
Step two, collect.
Step three, be inspired.
Step four, practice.
Step five, seek education.
And once you are ready, you can apply your skills
in the last step, step six, and apply for jobs.
If you're new to this series,
I have a video dedicated to each step, one through to five.
From episode 22 to 26.
If you've not seen this videos,
I suggest you go check them out
as they give all the advice you need.
Next question, do I need to go back to school?
Well, if you're older
and currently in a non-creative career,
chances are you will not have gone through
the traditional creative education process
and don't have a portfolio of work to show.
To enter into the design industry,
you will need a certain level of skill
and portfolio of work.
Now this can be developed casually in your own time,
but if you're serious about changing your career
to get into graphic design,
I would recommend you seek education in your spare time.
This will help equip you with what you will need
to enter into the design industry.
Now your education approach here will be an alternative one.
Students from a young age will have spent years exploring
a broad creative curriculum.
You may not want to spend years learning,
so you're going to need to be more direct
with your education choices.
Here you can consider taking up some evening classes.
Try and look for evening classes or workshops in your area,
in your local colleges or universities
in subject you really wanna specialize in,
subjects like creative web design,
graphic communication, hand lettering, screen printing,
and so on.
These will encourage you to exercise, build,
and practice your skills,
and help you start to build a portfolio.
As well as evening classes,
you can enroll in various design courses online.
These will provide you with briefs which will change you
and encourage you to produce more work,
all of which will aid you
in the development of your portfolio.
So those are some options you can consider for education.
If you want to learn more about education,
I recommend you watch episode 28,
Education to be a Graphic Designer.
In that video, I discussed education options in more depth
and offer more advice.
So if you're looking for a career change
to graphic design, have passion and drive,
then I would encourage you to go ahead.
It's never too late.
Just remember, take your time
and don't make any rash decisions.
Keep in mind, it is possible to build your portfolio
and skills in your own time
while undertaking another job.
Only when you feel you have a good portfolio
and you're ready
would I suggest you fully commit to a new job in design.
Well, I hope you enjoyed this video.
If you did, hit the Like button on my Facebook page.
If you'd like to see more videos like this in the future,
hit the Subscribe button.
And you can also follow me on Twitter at TastyTuts.
So, after completing all the steps, one through to five,
on how to become a designer,
you should be ready to start looking for jobs
in the design industry.
In the next video, I'm going to talk about the last step,
step six, apply your skills.
So see you in the next video.
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