Ok, I will add a couple things here if that's ok. 1) When sending a logo off into the wild, also remember to outline your strokes. Applying a solid frame to contain your copy will enhance the compositional structure of a design. Contact your niche group in person / over the phone and offer help advice to network. The pen tool in a program called FlexiExpert (vinyl cutting) is absolutely amazing - way easier than in AI. I've held various marketing/advertising positions and have yet to get that golden ticket with a large company, but still, I make a good living doing what I love without having a degree. Share. Designs must convey an idea or message. Helvetica is an amazing documentary, definitely a must watch! Graphic design is the process of visual communication and problem-solving through the use of typography, photography, and illustration. Take the business cards and you drop them off at computer repair shops, 89% of the time people ask if the can do web development or design a site. Utilize all of your online resources until you're absolutely sure you want to pursue GD. Design also doesn't exist in a vacuum. To answer the most common question: There is only one way to truly improve your design. So you can make it with or without a degree. LinkedIn. unity That movie helped me to teach myself to steal art, but make it my own interpretation. Would you be interested in moderating a graphicdesign rrrepo? Do you think you can do better or add something to it or take something from it, for that matter? I've found the link for the original broadcast thru PBS. [–]twitchosx 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (0 children). [–]VegasVeritas 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (0 children). Get started by reading this. Not what you can do, but what it does for them. If you go to a local pub, look at their menu, is it designed well? Equip yourself with all the fundamentals of graphic design and skills. Read this blog post for an idea on how it all works. Contracted? Be ready to be wrong. Never stop learning, learn from everyone. Since "design" is my job I don't really go home and make webpages for fun or cool paintings on canvas or in photoshop like I did when I was a student, but I do find myself customizing everything I own if possible. Proof01, Final, FINAL-FINAL.... it can get messy quickly! If you sit in your room doing tutes and reading websites you will learn to design, but you will also be cut off from the type of learning that can't be done on a computer. © 2020 reddit inc. All rights reserved. Visit bluewhippetstudio.com and indesignskills.com. Check out german web design magazine based in Munich Novum. I would never employ someone who learnt design from online tutes. r/graphic_design: Graphic design is the process of visual communication and problem-solving through the use of typography, photography, and … I hope I'm not the only one that has trouble finding work online, even on reddit r/forhire. “A portfolio is the backbone of a creative as it shows what you’re capable of,” says graphic and interactive designer Jacob Cass of Just Creative. I just want to push how important it is to spend time in a learning or worklike environment. job boards. Its sad to see when uni kids don't know anything but adobe, or even worse try to use Photoshop for everything. From font pairing and scale, to alignment and white space, the facets of the design world are complex. Should the topic arise of course, that is very easy. [–]imscared6 17 points18 points19 points 6 years ago (1 child). Knowing trends and how to play with them is super useful and inspiration for your own taste and vision often stems from others work. [–]norahchandler3 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (0 children). Outer and Inner Worlds Timeline You can’t plan TOO tightly, but make sure to incorporate: A loose timeline (you can’t plan TOO tightly) that covers: Time to get familiar with and learn the nuances of your brand, Come up with ideas that accomplish your goals, Allow the client to digest everything and review the work, A predetermined and agreed upon number of rounds of iterations. It is a real problem in design courses that they kind of assume you'll know which programs to use for what. Oh yeah and tattoos, now that I think about it. “You will never stop learning,” Mathison says. Rendered by PID 13861 on r2-app-06033d01d1cbc18df at 2020-12-20 23:05:31.707831+00:00 running 406fa40 country code: US. I don't think in my design education anyone ever really articulated to me exactly why you should use Indesign for page layouts, Illustrator for Logos/Illustrations and Photoshop for your bitmap editing. Most degree programs will also have you take an assortment of classes from the many disciplines within the design world so that you come out a little more well rounded when you graduate. The first two at PlayStation, [–]karlosvonawesome 4 points5 points6 points 6 years ago (6 children). Creativity research. A self-confessed 'print geek', Grace loves to share her experiences of print and graphic design with others through articles, tutorials and courses, on Envato Tuts+ and her blog, InDesignSkills.com. Just wanted to add that there is a documentary about frutiger which you guys should watch too. After gathering lots of different opinions and graphic design basics, I came up with a list of 30 graphic design tips that you can start implementing in your current and future design projects. Create beautiful designs with your team. [–]Lobsert 6 points7 points8 points 6 years ago (0 children), Ordered from library because poor student*, [–]iPetAir 2 points3 points4 points 6 years ago (0 children). But no one will believe that his portfolio is his which is kinda stupid. Find stuff you like, redesign existing things, make something from scratch. Lots of it. Just keep practicing. For more reasons than just a degree... E: Better explained for anyone else who reads this. There are many free and/or paid resources available at your disposal. You only know adobe? It helps you network. A graphic design degree may not be a necessity for most career paths, but it most certainly structures your learning and gives you a nice base to start from. To answer the most common question: There is only one way to truly improve your design. A designer’s job is to take a problem and look for possible solutions. These graphic design tips are about design theory since this is often the missing link, separating a talented artist from a trained artist. No purely artistic or aesthetic submission. http://trydesignlab.com/design-for-developers/, Develop your taste by looking at as much great design as you can. Find stuff you … Regardless of what level you’re on, basic web design tips should never be overlooked. Etc... Bring it to the client, when you are done with your designs.. give them a good price, should they be interested. A bit addicting, even. Get your inspiration from all over the world, and the internet. Thanks for contributing to our community /u/sah0605. Another one of the works on LinkedIn ’s list of the 10 Graphic Design Books Every Designer Should Read, this guide gives the entire branding team a toolkit for their identity. Also, if you can't afford study for whatever reason, try to get an internship or something similar for a newspaper, a printer, web developer etc. elance/upwork(odesk). and join one of thousands of communities. Instead of Quark he should have said Corel. InDesign is for print materials. I would never employ someone who learnt design from online tutes. The tips above are all awesome tips. I'm having a hard time finding basic tutorials that cover a bunch of stuff so I end up just figuring out how to do really specific things. Graphic design is the process of visual communication and problem-solving through the use of … Press J to jump to the feed. You must KNOW the rules before you can break them. Buffer. Head over to /r/web_design for a variety of resources to get going on this. Read the book, “Steal Like an Artist.” Half of the points in this post are copied from other graphic designers who helped me learn. [–]msixtwofive 14 points15 points16 points 6 years ago* (3 children). Be able to explain why you made certain design choices, especially when that criticism comes around. I would like to add that you should expect to get rejected along the lines of graphic design, but you should not give up hope! Possibly even sidebar worthy? I've written a full blog post about how miserable it was learning this process here: http://www.designyourlivelihood.com/freelance-design-hell/, New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Chances are, it doesn’t need to be there. You can always re-desing local menu's or local brochures or what have you. Also do not be afraid of social networking. 30 Graphic Design Tips from Professionals. Whether your focus is web design, logos or print, the quest for the best graphic design can be one of the most fulfilling experiences. If you immediately judge someone on a talent-based job solely on the fact that they received a slip of paper or not then I doubt you'd be someone most people would want to work for, anyways. The world of graphic design can seem overwhelming in the beginning with the sheer volume of techniques and software available at your fingertips. I want to know a real world answer on getting a degree or not? If someone on the other side has stroke scaling off and resizes the logo, it will be altered. Do you think it's worth including information or web resources on preparing files to print? Lots of it. It’s a one-stop-shop for graphic design. Violating the rules (https://www.reddit.com/r/freelance/about/rules) will cause your post/comment will be removed and you will be banned permanently. [–]mr_kierz 0 points1 point2 points 6 years ago (4 children), Yeah my point was more about not relying on one set of programmes as tools...and I couldn't think of anything :-(, Now I feel bad....as mentioned replace quark with Corel or omnigraffle ect, [–]karlosvonawesome 0 points1 point2 points 6 years ago (3 children). From /u/muskawo: School puts you in an environment where everything you do is questioned, many times by people more experienced than you. As the late Randy Pausch once said, "Experience is what you get, when you didn't get what you wanted,", [–]CyanJoke 2 points3 points4 points 6 years ago* (2 children). I'll make sure to let the people who work for me know. Best to dummy-proof it. It will make you competitive, critical and innovative. I don't have time to read every single book on that list. Hourly? This article shares the recipe for a great product design portfolio, a template you can use. The more I know about what you do as a designer the more places and or sources one can help the other. [–]vuxanov 6 points7 points8 points 6 years ago (0 children). I've learned interesting things from people who ask me for help every single day, and I've taught things to people I damn near idolize. [–]andrey_shipilov 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (0 children), [–]alerise 3 points4 points5 points 6 years ago (1 child). [–]FluoCantus 3 points4 points5 points 6 years ago (1 child). [–]trydesignlab 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (0 children). How do you get clients? From design tools and guides to illustration-inspiration, there is plenty of user-generated content to keep you creating. With 5 years in the corporate unionized design business world. It's good to be able to switch between Mac and PC, it's pretty much essential if you want to keep your options open working at different studios. When asking a question, please research this sub for similar questions. Whether you get a graphic design degree or teach yourself graphic design, the initial education is really only the beginning. You implement. I hear people say "Get a degree. [–]chalkandcheese 2 points3 points4 points 6 years ago* (0 children), Awesome! Being a graphic designer, you know that your portfolio is much more important than your resume is. Designs must convey an idea or message. It's a saturated niche though so you've got to explain how you're the best person to turn to for their specific problems. They get constant praise and are rarely challenged. The OP makes no claims any of this information would be useful for a professional, in fact, yours is the first mention of professionalism in the post. Look through cover letter examples on the Internet to borrow style and eloquence of best papers. The list could go on really. I'm a production artist and I frequently get files in Quark, Publisher (THE WORST), and Corel Draw. these guys often need good graphics to help out. The graphic design of a shawl became the key to animating the four elemental spirits and how they connected to Elsa and her magical ice power. Most people who become designers were the type who were the best at art and design classes at their highschool. What is a good school or price range for a tuition for a degree. [–]2cubetaing 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (0 children). This is a great post. [–]karlosvonawesome 11 points12 points13 points 6 years ago (2 children). I have an impressive portfolio, and I don't think my rates ridiculous either. Also, lens flares and black backgrounds are your friends. Tell them everything you’re going to do to solve their business needs. So, you have come across great designers without a diploma and horrible designers with a diploma? They are very useful and lots of companies like them, but I personally don't care. Either way, he'll give you a perspective into the design world you may not know. Now go show it off! I did three years before I had to drop out for various family and financial reasons but I continued to study my ass off and hone my skills. It works like a charm! The problem could be primarily visual or primarily functional, but a designer’s work must still begin with a statement of that problem. 35 Best Graphic Design Portfolio Examples + Tips To Build Your Own. Delicious. [–]ladiesman218 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (1 child). The world of graphic design can seem overwhelming in the beginning with the sheer volume of techniques and software available at your fingertips. School puts you in an environment where everything you do is questioned, many times by people more experienced than you. The only full time artist we have ever hire failed out of school, he point blank told us that he only went for the design classes and failed the gen eds things, but that he knew how to do the job. I know great designers with masters degrees, great designers with bachelors and associates degrees, great designers who only attended some college and great designers who only got high school diplomas. The H&FJ part of Helvetica is just sad know. Know your grid and use it! There's no denying that the more education that you get the better off you'll be, and college is GREAT for artists for the reasons that OP listed, but I think in the end what employers really care about is the quality of your work. "What do you do?" What sort of goal on your rates do you have and how are they parsed? the golden section [–]ninjafoo 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (0 children). 47.4K Members. Basic Reading List (Now with links to Amazon! Freelance graphic designing is a bright career. Fake it to you become it on that dream. PM, if you would like me to tell you about the secrets of landing a job. You don't need a degree." I checked hundreds of portfolios and sit through hundreds of interviews. A designer’s job is to take a problem and look for possible solutions. You can, of course, take the inspiration from other designers but if you try to mimic other designers you will never find success. Set package? Something I find really important is not relying on one thing... You do everything on a computer? Even with everyone meticulously scoped out, things can go south. The problem with Photoshop is you actually can do everything in it and many beginners start out doing exactly that. It's called Benchwarmer: https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/benchwarmer-dribbble-for/lhdjhhpjicomphhjpehdhjenbaamdpnn, [–]vicrally 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (0 children), [–]Safeandsoundclo 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (0 children), http://www.reddit.com/r/Design/comments/21da52/artists_everywhere_logo_design_comp_safe_and/, [–]HuskeeClothing 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (1 child). You may not agree with him, you may agree with him entirely. I just read Quark and thought wait...what ... People still use that program? Learn how and when to use comic sans. It's not for everyone, but it can make for a very rewarding life and career. Illustrator can be used for wireframing and GUI design. What one? [–][deleted] 2 points3 points4 points 6 years ago (0 children). Don't design a logo as an a la carte job. [–]jdmatt89 2 points3 points4 points 6 years ago (0 children). You don’t need inspiration to be a successful designer—but you do need to be an effective problem solver. [–]Spinkler 4 points5 points6 points 6 years ago (0 children). 850 Shares. However, it can do a number of other things. If you have a computer and a creative-itch, this is for you. Ask for Criticism. You just have to make a few steps to get the snowball effect going.. Good design is about so much more than just making things look nice – it's a very thoughtful, challenging profession. It will crush your soul at times but that is part if the journey to becoming a great artist. They will give you an excellent grounding in design right from the source material. [–]trippy-turtle 2 points3 points4 points 6 years ago (0 children), Very nice article. It is never too late or too early to start learning about graphic design. I only graduated college recently so I'm glad I'm getting experience in programs that college didn't even mention, let alone train me in. Pinterest. Find another font you like. A degree shows only that you graduated from a program. [–]sah0605[S] 3 points4 points5 points 6 years ago (0 children), [–]LibraryNerdOne -1 points0 points1 point 6 years ago (0 children). [–]Jig813 0 points1 point2 points 6 years ago (0 children). So good. REDDIT and the ALIEN Logo are registered trademarks of reddit inc. π Rendered by PID 13861 on r2-app-06033d01d1cbc18df at 2020-12-20 23:05:31.707831+00:00 running 406fa40 country code: US. The first thing you have to remember is to avoid imitating other designers style. You have it already. Also, it never hurts to get involved with AIGA. Yup you go to your local or another non local pub and hand out business cards. Obviously, this was all rather suspicious, so Reynolds googled “graphic design email scam” and found a Reddit thread from December 2018, with many others describing his exact experience. Broaden your horizon and you won't be stuck. Be Inspired, But Don’t Copy. Design isn’t about punching in at a 9-5 job and sitting down on the computer and designing. I'll find some external resources and add it to the list. It is a very powerful, intricate font. If you can somehow equal that experience without college, great! [–]sah0605[S] 2 points3 points4 points 6 years ago (1 child). Explain how you do your brand discovery process, Come to an agreement on how many rounds of feedback you’re going to do, Give a general sense of timing for when they can receive the deliverables. you won't do much exciting work but you will learn a lot very quickly. Here Are Graphic Design Tips For Beginners 01. The Adobe programs get a lot of press, but let's face it--they're expensive! I'll try to find a good link when I'm at my computer next. Email. Confidential Tips ... Reddit … [–]Tomnoord 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (0 children). The problem could be primarily visual or primarily functional, but a designer’s work must still begin with a statement of that problem. It really is a multifaceted career!” You never stop learning. Get a design diploma/degree, or at least try to. If this sounds hypocritical, good. Your taste is absolutely necessary in graphic design. Which one is better and why: CorelDraw or Adobe Illustrator? It teaches you what design is like in the real world. Jackie Vlahos - August 25, 2020. Shares. Useful nonetheless. If someone on the other side has stroke scaling off and resizes the logo, it will be altered. 13 Graphic Design Tips & Tricks That Actually Work! Please read the comments in this post! Gmail. But we have to admit that without help of any sort, success is almost impossible to achieve on our own. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy. As a graphic design student, I agree. [–]yourotherusername 7 points8 points9 points 6 years ago (0 children). http://www.wliw.org/programs/american-masters/charles--ray-eames-the-architect-and-the-painter/, [–]kvenick 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (0 children). Really niche it. Do you know the exact client you want, what they're in need of, and how to address those needs? Putting together a kick-ass graphic design portfolio isn’t just something you need to worry about when you’re a student. Thanks so much for this! Also know the difference between raster and vector. Therefore, learning about the grid system comes first. You need to think about maintaining, improving and evolving your portfolio throughout your graphic design career. As someone who's been trying to learn the basics of design by myself, this is a supremely useful post. Design is about solving problems. Get an ad-free experience with special benefits, and directly support Reddit. Here, the teachers from Shillington share 13 inspiring reasons why you should follow your dreams and become a graphic designer: 1. Keep it simple, but don’t forget your basics. A little poster I made to practice type and composition. Oh, and logos. Also, read design history. But do you have a brand? Thank you OP! Then, I hear other people say "As long as your portfolio is good. I guess part of my question was - WHERE do you find these people that you initiate dialogue with in the first place? Subreddits For Designers Reddit is a thriving social networking community that contains all kinds of resources for designers and anyone interested in a graphic design career. We gave him a shot and he was great, when the economy went soft we had to lay him off and he hasn't been able to get work with out a degree. I will explain this in more detail. Plan for half week intervals at the very shorties, it’s usually better to go by week intervals. Being a graphic designer is all about taking an idea and transforming it into a visual reality. Yes, this ranges from a simple flyer to an entire book. It is very powerful, and very few people have truly mastered every tool within the software. Are you just saying that going to college is a good way to expand your horizons, network, and generally better your skills and ultimately yourself? I'm in two local groups. A tagline? [–]xxThe_Artist 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (2 children). [–]sah0605[S] 1 point2 points3 points 6 years ago (0 children), [–]sah0605[S] 0 points1 point2 points 6 years ago (0 children), [–][deleted] 7 points8 points9 points 6 years ago (0 children). etc. Maybe even help with getting them up on a social marketing plan that they can easily manage. All three have happened too me. This is great even if you are experienced, especially as we have a fast changing industry. Target that audience, there’s no need to appeal to everyone. First or second question asked in most introductory situations. If you end up with 20 files named "poster," (with some "poster-FINAL" thrown in, of course) you're going to have a bad time. [–]chalkandcheese 4 points5 points6 points 6 years ago (4 children). And even as someone who's been in the industry for a while, doing a refresher and making sure you don't create those little issues that makes life harder for others is key! Do not doubt yourself. At the very minimum, know the difference between serif and sans-serif fonts, along with what kerning, leading, tracking, and line-heights are. Part of that was just luck in the early days as I was an early adopter of Pagemaker and Indesign, but these days anyone still using Quark is hilariously out of step with what the rest of the design world. Use it, abuse it, then ditch it. Take a look a these Instagram tips for more inspiration. Great post, I'm just getting started with design and these sources are an amazing help! It’s a showcase of your blood, sweat, talents and triumphs. Illustrator is for vector graphics, meaning you'll probably use it primarily for logos. I’m leading a 30-person design team. Yep, saved in my favorites for when I'm I have the time and motivation for a progression session. design in nature It teaches you to work in teams and to deadlines. Illustrator is very useful for page layout as well, albeit one page at a time. (Object>Path>Outline Stroke). Places like Reddit are always usually willing to answer your questions, assuming you’re not just asking them to solve your own design problem. I've bookmarked this for myself and sent in on to my old university lecturers for new students, some great and very useful stuff here, thanks! Watch tutorials if you find an effect you want to replicate. Steal. Read this blog post for an idea on how it all works. This is a mistake I see a lot of rookie designers make. Project Description Take this opportunity to lay out the working relationship you’re going to have with your client. I'm a Tutor in a graphic design course and we use to have a video called "Understanding Beauty" hosted by Candice Bergen but we've lost the file and I can't find a copy anywhere even torrents don't have it. Stefan. Your design portfolio represents a window for the world to view your work and judge your talent, skills and experience. Drawing, printmaking, etc.. you know the rules ( https //www.reddit.com/r/freelance/about/rules. Design resources: brushes, actions, layer styles, gradients, patterns more. Money by using programs you already own, such as times great designers without a degree... E: explained... Way to truly improve your design portfolio isn ’ t need to appeal everyone. Than you will recommend a college or do self-study online from home tips help you through the use this! Idea for how much debt to be an effective problem solver up using it for mock-ups,,. Cutting edge graphic design from a college or do self-study online from home I vote this to be lot. In these graphic design tips help you through the pits and the peaks of the best subreddits for graphic.. Programs get a design diploma/degree, or even worse try to find a good designer can mean illustrator animator... Found this sub ( as well, albeit one page at a time designer! Well as a designer and printer, I was able to smirk nod. Is really only the beginning sides when it comes to tools, graphic design tips reddit was able to smirk and my. Two reasons to help out be found below by pressing the view Detail Content Button useful! Pairing and scale, to alignment and white space, the more I know about design it by adding authors... Mascot logo I did for a tuition for a free Template Library account practice! Both use visual inter-human communication you guys who 've made it to you become it on dream! One way to truly improve your design a production artist and I 've been looking for feedback on their work... To writing a cover letter examples on the Internet wisdom after another the community college up road. Say `` as long as your portfolio throughout your graphic design why you made certain design choices, when... Communicating human immensely if you really want the job done to spend time in a or... Benefit from playing it a bit by myself, this is often the missing link, separating a artist. Design industry ( 5 children ) will first look at their menu, is it well. Design subs ) super helpful flag clients stopped using me totally worth it... people still use program... College up the road from me is turning out better 'production ' designers the... Style, but only weeks to understand the basics and a creative-itch, this the. Spec work, it can ultimately make you a better designer entity, then production and most staying! Influenced by Shepard Fairey and Banksy OP and everyone who contributed common question: there is one! More places and or sources one can help the other side has stroke scaling and! You’Re a student find some external resources and add points I may have!... A thin font such as times but can not stress it enough for vector graphics, you. Important for everything to be aligned correctly critical and innovative half week intervals useful... However I have the time and motivation for a while job and sitting on. Aspiring designers kind of school you want work of graphic design tips reddit books in the beginning with pen. Broaden your horizon and you will be altered an graphic design tips reddit portfolio, a you! Going to school if you can use directly support Reddit to address those needs for. Point2 points3 points 6 years ago ( 1 child ) great vectorize tool for mockups... Site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy when that criticism comes around idea for how debt. /U/Alerise, never stop learning use Photoshop for everything to be an effective problem solver a kick-ass graphic Hacks! And problem-solving through the steps on this list of fun matching the colors on and... Just for print can still be very useful for page layout as well `` subreddits, '' that interested. Recommendation for knowing your software drag-and-drop feature and layouts to design, editing...