- Hello, and welcome to this beginners 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 considering becoming a graphic designer,
then join me as I discuss this series
of graphic design topics.
(upbeat music)
Once we receive our formal qualifications,
whatever they may be and at whatever level,
that is not the end of our learning.
I have been in the industry now for over 10 years,
and there is always something new to learn,
and there always will be.
Whether it's learning about design theory,
design history, new technology,
or the latest trend, you can never stop learning.
Design is a lot about ideas.
The more you can enlighten yourself,
the more potential you have to create
original and exciting work.
This can give you an edge as a designer.
Now as you enter into the graphic design industry,
some roles may prove to be more
creatively fulfilling than others.
As graphic designers, our creative outlet
can often seem focused and sometimes limited.
Some commercial jobs may not give us
the creative challenge or opportunity we crave
to create the interesting work
which helps to further our career.
In my experience, this can hold a designer back,
and limit one's creativity and career development.
If you're ambitious, you may be wondering
how you can develop your career.
In the last episode, I discussed how
to progress through career development,
but that's not the only way.
Another key way to progress is through education.
In this video, I'm going to discuss
some of the education options you can consider
to help develop your career.
So here are a few things you can consider.
Take evening classes.
When we studied at school and art college,
we often explored and practiced a range of creative skills.
When we enter into the industry,
we can sometimes lose such skills through lack of practice.
Whether you're creatively fulfilled in your job
or looking to be more creative,
I would recommend undertaking some evening classes
at your local college or university.
Not only are evening classes fun,
but they will encourage you to be creative in other ways
and exercise creative skills,
which will ultimately feed back into your design work.
So some courses I would recommend are screen printing.
If you sit at a desk all day in front of a computer,
then screen printing can connect you
to the more traditional, hands-on
process of graphic design.
Undertaking this course will also give you
the opportunity to create some interesting
and alternative work you can include in your portfolio.
Photography, photography is not just
about how to use a camera,
it's about how we look at things and see things.
Photography can teach us composition and focus,
a vital skill to build on as a graphic designer.
Life drawing and painting.
As designers, we can never be too good at drawing.
Drawing and painting is the most pure
of visual communication.
Life drawing encourages us to practice
and become more confident at drawing.
It encourages us to see and observe.
Painting will help us bring to life our imagination.
Sculpture, as well as being fun and hands-on,
sculpture makes us create, design,
and think in three dimensions.
Software courses.
Knowledge and ability in creative software
can empower you to reach creativity in various ways.
Consider broadening your horizon.
If you're typically used to working in 2D,
take your skills to the next level!
Learn how to create motion graphics or learn 3D.
Learn how to build a website.
Being proficient in creative software is key,
and makes you very employable.
So those are a few evening classes I would recommend.
So the next thing you can do is watch video tutorials.
Today we have access to an abundance
of tutorial content online,
for free and with paid services that enable you
to learn and increase your software skills at home.
There is nothing that you cannot learn today.
You can literally got from a beginner to advanced,
learning off video tutorials.
This is a great resource to sharpen
and keep on top of your software skills.
I would recommend any designer looking to develop
their skills and broaden their career to potential
to watch and learn from video tutorials.
So the next thing you can do is read more.
If you're able to, start to purchase creative books,
or subscribe to monthly creative magazines.
I try and buy a book a month.
I also recommend they are not just books about design.
Try books on photography, illustration,
graphic design in general, web design,
typography, poetry, and fiction.
Try and build your own creative collection.
Surround yourself with it,
as it can all be a great source of inspiration
to get your creative juices flowing and improve
your design theory and technical knowledge.
In my experience, I have found that by simply reading more,
this can feed and broaden my imagination.
So another thing you can do
is attend galleries and exhibitions.
As well as reading more,
I would encourage you to experience more.
Galleries and exhibitions
are fantastic opportunities to be inspired.
It's a great way to see graphic design
used in a creative way, which can be refreshing
if you're used to working on commercial work.
So the last thing you can do is undertake a master's degree.
After undertaking each of the previous steps,
if you still crave knowledge, more experience,
and are ambitious to achieve more,
you could consider taking your education to the next level
and enrolling in a graphic design master's degree.
A master's degree is one of the highest
qualifications you can get,
and can be done full time or part time
over a number of years at a university.
The master's will encourage you
to specialize in a chosen subject.
The experience and qualification gained from such a course
can take your creative career in a new direction.
So those are a few things that you can consider
to help develop your career through education.
As a creative person doing a graphic design job,
I would encourage anyone to continue to be creative
and broaden your creative horizon,
not only for your career development,
but for your own happiness and personal
fulfillment and enlightenment.
If you'd like to take a closer look
at the list discussed in this video,
you can find out more in the PDF document
that accompanies this video series.
Download link is in the description.
So that brings us to the end of this beginners
guide series to graphic design.
I hope it has been helpful and informative,
and I hope you have enjoyed it.
If you did, hit the like button on my Facebook page.
If you'd like to see more video series
like this in future, hit the subscribe button,
and you can also follow me on Twitter @TastyTuts.
So that's another video series brought to you by TastyTuts.
My name is Gareth David.
Thanks for watching, and I'll see you next time.
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