How Hard Is Graphic Design?

Many people have wondered how hard is graphic design and what this profession is, if it is difficult to learn… we will answer all these questions and more here. Relax and follow.

Is graphic design difficult to learn?

Learning graphic design is not difficult, but it does require creative thinking, an attitude towards art and design, time, and dedication. Graphic design requires learning the necessary tools as well as understanding and applying design principles and theories.

Graphic design is an excellent career that is fully aligned with the careers and skills of the 21st century.

Nevertheless:

With so many options for training and advice on graphic design, it can be very difficult to understand how to become a graphic designer.

Having taught graphic design in college for the past 10 years, I have identified the key steps to becoming a graphic designer.

So:

How do you become a graphic designer? To become a graphic designer, you must follow a repeatable process that includes the following action steps:

• Study and understand the principles of graphic design
• Develop competent skills in pixel and vector graphics software
• Practice graphic formats such as logos, business cards, flyers, and newsletters
• Develop visual vocabulary by looking at other people’s work
• Build a portfolio of your best work as you progress through each step

Becoming a graphic designer is of course more than these 5 steps.

In this article, I’ll give you practical answers that will put you on the right track to becoming a graphic designer.

How do you become a graphic designer?

Over the years, I have taught graphic design to hundreds of inexperienced students, and some have successfully embarked on their design careers after just one semester.

Most leave the classroom after learning enough design principles and skills to feel confident in their next steps and continue learning and growing.

This is exactly where you want to be.

BUT:

They all followed a method where they study design principles, practice software skills, learn the details of graphic formats, and gradually observe other people’s work.

Becoming a graphic designer involves a series of steps

But as you practice and take your time, you move to another level where the same areas and actions become more challenging.

The most important aspects of graphic design are part of the process. You just have to practice, study and get better at it.

Let’s look at the process in more detail:

1. Study and understand graphic design principles

To become an effective graphic designer, you need to understand graphic design principles. I cannot emphasize this enough.

The more you apply graphic design principles to your work, the more you will develop to become a professional (as opposed to an amateur) graphic designer.

2. Develop competent skills in pixel software and vector graphics

Knowing design principles is only part of the graphic design equation.

To be successful, you must be able to display images that convey a message engagingly and enjoyably. By using graphic design software effectively, you can manipulate visuals to communicate ideas and messages to an audience.

The only way to learn to use design software is to start with basic projects and consistently move on to more difficult projects.

The more design problems you encounter, the more problems you can solve. The more you learn to solve problems, the more experience you gain.

The good news is that you don’t have to spend a dime. There is GREAT and FREE graphic design software available to you such as Gimp and Inkscape.

3. Practice Graphic Formats

Now that you’ve started learning design principles and graphics software, you need to learn the basic formats. Such as logos, icons, badges, flyers, business cards, etc.

My advice is to master the logo first because logo design teaches a lot about design principles. Logos are included in all other design applications. That is, you can find logos on business cards, websites, and flyers.

A brochure or newsletter is another excellent design app that will teach you a lot about layout.

So:

Start designing a logo for a family member or start designing a newsletter for your local community organization.

These real design projects allow you to learn and gain experience.

4. Develop a visual vocabulary (observe the work of others)

Dive into the work of talented graphic designers from the start and be inspired by them.

Ask yourself some questions:

• What are the characteristics of your work?
• What makes it beautiful or effective?
• How do they use design elements such as lines, colors, and shapes?

The more you look at good examples of graphic design, the more you understand design principles. In addition, you start developing your style by understanding what you like.

5. Build a portfolio of your best work as you go

A graphic design portfolio is a selection of pieces that showcase your best work.

Now that you have a system to learn and practice, you will naturally begin to produce work that, over time, will show your graphic design skills, style, and experience.

Today, digital portfolios are a great way to showcase your work.

See also how to create a portfolio

Now notice this:

We all suck at the beginning!

That means it takes time and effort to build a competitive portfolio. However, you can start right away. There will be different “versions” of your portfolio, which will improve over time.

Designer George Bokhua talks about the importance of practicing to become a graphic designer.

Practice is the best way to become a graphic designer

Becoming a Graphic Designer: Frequently Asked Questions

Now that you have a clear idea of ​​how to become a graphic designer, let’s take a look at some frequently asked questions about how to become one:

Is graphic design difficult?

This is a very reasonable question: Is it difficult to become a graphic designer? Becoming a graphic designer isn’t difficult if you understand the basic knowledge and skills you need to master as a designer, have reliable, high-quality resources for study and reference, and develop consistency to practice and improve early on.

However, it will take time. It is a fact that you have to accept right away.

Now focus:

You can be nothing without sweat, consistency, and perseverance. Time course.

In the beginning, you will probably be bad at graphic design. But if you stick to it, you will gradually get better. So get started right away.

The trick is to keep practicing, discovering problems, studying, and learning to understand what makes good design. You have to be very persistent and patient.

I look at some of my early logos and feel ashamed. They are absolute rubbish! However, I have improved over time and finally have a good understanding of what is good design and what is not.

Keep in mind that you will not be bad as long as you learn. You go through different levels and each level brings new projects, income opportunities, challenges and most importantly learning experiences.

Also:

Self-learning does not mean that you do not receive “formal” training. You will learn from high-quality books and courses, as well as from real designers on the internet.

Summary:

You can learn to design in a variety of ways, and it all comes down to time spent on the actions that matter most:

• Learning design principles and theory
• Practice with graphics software
• Participate in as many design projects as you can (make a postcard for your mom, a business card for your brother, a logo for a friend, etc.)

Looking back on my process of becoming a graphic designer, I don’t think it was difficult. I only see how long it took.

View more frequently asked questions about graphic design

Conclusion: It’s all about the timeline

Learning graphic design isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon. I’m still on mine. If you want to, you’ll only regret not starting sooner. So get started right now: grab a book, download free software and start your project.  And, you can keep following vdtips.com!