Many people say that art, design, challigraphy and other similar names to it, are the monoply of a talented one. Means those who are not never be suitable to claim that they are graphic designers. The fact is absolutely not. You may look at a logo, an advertisement, or perhaps a website and wonder how it possibly have been made by non-talented persons. What I believe is that every one can become a graphic designer as long as he is seriously involved in that field and never underistimate his ability to become such person. Unfortunately this hope is quite opposite to many people. Before a person acts and explore his ability he stops to act and prefers to first think that he is not suitable and proper to become such desired person due to his different inner talent.
Everyone has his own individual style and view on every fields including that particular field of designs. However, not everone can become a designer, but at least he is sure he can become a desiger in some specific filed and not a graphic designer.
In one article that I have read, few points have been described on how it should be considered to become a graphic designer, here are the points:
1. Education
To become a good graphic designer, you should first think about your education. There are many online graphic design courses and degree programs that you can learn more about and decide whether or not they are right for you. If you don’t feel an online degree program or course is right for you, and you are really serious about becoming a graphic designer, then here is a list of graphic design schools by state. Most community colleges offer daytime and nighttime classes that will teach you the basics of most graphic design programs. This is a great way for you to learn, if you are a person who needs someone by your side to help you.
2. Try To Teach Yourself
If you are a creative person and think that you can teach yourself the skills that I graphic designer needs, then you like everything else in life, you will need to practice to get better and this goes for graphic designing as well. To get started you will need to get the proper software for creating your designs. If you want to be a graphic designer in the printing field, at the minimum you will need Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia (now Adobe) Freehand, and QuarkXpress or Adobe Indesign. However, if you want to be a graphic designer in the web field (a web designer), at the minimum you will need Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia (now Adobe) Freehand, and Macromedia Dreamweaver. The above software is software that I recommend, but I am sure that there is other software that will work for you. If you are a student, you can pick up this software at a discounted rate, so make sure that you take advantage of this. Also, many times you can download the full version of this software for a trial period of 30 days.
3. I have the basics, what’s next?
Now, you need to perfect your style. Follow tutorials ranging in all different categories. Knowing what the tools do will not make you a great designer, knowing how to use them in sync will. Once you have your own unique style, you are ready to offer your services, and put all your hard studying to the test. I also recommend finding other graphic designers like yourself, such as a community of graphic designers. A good way to do this is by joining a graphic design association or by joining an online graphic design forum such as our graphic design forum. Here is a list of other graphic design message boards as well. I also recommend looking at successful designs to learn what style of design you like.
4. How if you want to make money
Of course you want to make money, you wouldn’t be doing this if you didn’t. The best place for up and coming designers to start out and get their skills seen is by becoming a freelancer. There are many freelance websites for you to choose from, which will allow you to bid on the projects you desire. Being a freelancer is no walk in the park though. You will be competing against many other designers looking for the same customers that you are pursuing. One issue you will have is that when you start out, you will not have a portfolio yet. This works as a huge disadvantage for you. Potential employers will want to make sure their money is being spent well, and rely on portfolios to help sway their decisions. For you, the best bet is to create mock-ups for all of your bids. If you bid on a project for a logo, create a mock-up logo for them. This will help show the service provider that you have what it takes for the job.
5. You need a website or online portfolio
In this age, a website is a wonderful tool. Graphic designers utilize websites for a variety of different reasons. One reason is to host your portfolio online, and the other reason is as a place for potential clients to find you. Another reason to have a website is for file storage reasons. Graphics professionals work with files that are very big and servers are a handy place to store those files. Having the ability to upload your files to your own server will make your client feel more secure, and will make the overall experience better.
Everyone has his own individual style and view on every fields including that particular field of designs. However, not everone can become a designer, but at least he is sure he can become a desiger in some specific filed and not a graphic designer.
In one article that I have read, few points have been described on how it should be considered to become a graphic designer, here are the points:
1. Education
To become a good graphic designer, you should first think about your education. There are many online graphic design courses and degree programs that you can learn more about and decide whether or not they are right for you. If you don’t feel an online degree program or course is right for you, and you are really serious about becoming a graphic designer, then here is a list of graphic design schools by state. Most community colleges offer daytime and nighttime classes that will teach you the basics of most graphic design programs. This is a great way for you to learn, if you are a person who needs someone by your side to help you.
2. Try To Teach Yourself
If you are a creative person and think that you can teach yourself the skills that I graphic designer needs, then you like everything else in life, you will need to practice to get better and this goes for graphic designing as well. To get started you will need to get the proper software for creating your designs. If you want to be a graphic designer in the printing field, at the minimum you will need Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia (now Adobe) Freehand, and QuarkXpress or Adobe Indesign. However, if you want to be a graphic designer in the web field (a web designer), at the minimum you will need Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator or Macromedia (now Adobe) Freehand, and Macromedia Dreamweaver. The above software is software that I recommend, but I am sure that there is other software that will work for you. If you are a student, you can pick up this software at a discounted rate, so make sure that you take advantage of this. Also, many times you can download the full version of this software for a trial period of 30 days.
3. I have the basics, what’s next?
Now, you need to perfect your style. Follow tutorials ranging in all different categories. Knowing what the tools do will not make you a great designer, knowing how to use them in sync will. Once you have your own unique style, you are ready to offer your services, and put all your hard studying to the test. I also recommend finding other graphic designers like yourself, such as a community of graphic designers. A good way to do this is by joining a graphic design association or by joining an online graphic design forum such as our graphic design forum. Here is a list of other graphic design message boards as well. I also recommend looking at successful designs to learn what style of design you like.
4. How if you want to make money
Of course you want to make money, you wouldn’t be doing this if you didn’t. The best place for up and coming designers to start out and get their skills seen is by becoming a freelancer. There are many freelance websites for you to choose from, which will allow you to bid on the projects you desire. Being a freelancer is no walk in the park though. You will be competing against many other designers looking for the same customers that you are pursuing. One issue you will have is that when you start out, you will not have a portfolio yet. This works as a huge disadvantage for you. Potential employers will want to make sure their money is being spent well, and rely on portfolios to help sway their decisions. For you, the best bet is to create mock-ups for all of your bids. If you bid on a project for a logo, create a mock-up logo for them. This will help show the service provider that you have what it takes for the job.
5. You need a website or online portfolio
In this age, a website is a wonderful tool. Graphic designers utilize websites for a variety of different reasons. One reason is to host your portfolio online, and the other reason is as a place for potential clients to find you. Another reason to have a website is for file storage reasons. Graphics professionals work with files that are very big and servers are a handy place to store those files. Having the ability to upload your files to your own server will make your client feel more secure, and will make the overall experience better.