wewalin3

Is there a difference with a self taught designer and a graduate designer?
Are you self taught or did you go to school for it?

I'm currently enrolled and taking classes

Elite By Design

Self taught here. Unless you consider online tutorials a "class"

I think that people in classes just understand the program better but self teachers can figure out how to be creative with what they know. I dunno - hard to tell I guess.

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alyCe

I am currently studying "Multimedia Design". The main reason for me to go to such a class is firstly to learn the basics of webdesign and flash, but more so to get feedback from both professionals and peers as well as beeing in a creative enviroment. And although I have been yawning through the "this is how you use the pen-tool" it has been a great experience. The experience I've learnt most from is hearing feedback on the work of both myself and the rest of the students, both on my own and others works, as well as working creativly on tasks with a tight timeline and with more pressure than the freelancework I've done prior to attending the school.

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Gino

I wen to school for design and I also learned a lot myself. I think both have benefits and you can never learn too much. If you can go to school I would do it, but if you cant you can still pick up design on your own if your dedicated and motivated enough.

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infektsu

I am self taught. I recently started attending The Art Institute for the BFA in Graphic Design program. I just got done with the first quarter and I have already learned a lot of stuff I did not know in the core fundamental classes like basic drawing, color theory...etc So I think if you can afford it definitely go (I had to take out student loans to go, but I think that is what most everyone does).

Once I finish the BFA program I want to start working on getting my Masters in Graphic Design. The difference between a Bachelors and a Master's coming into the field is about 20-30,000 more a year from what they tell us. So with a masters on top of the years of experience I already have I could be making 6 figures in my first job (depending on where that is of course).

Michael

I always find this conversation interesting so I will add my two cents. Here it goes, if you are dead serious about design and you live and breathe it, run to design school! This is an important decision and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly, primarily because design school will put a serious hole in your pocket. So if a person is not absolutely sure that this is what they want to do with the rest of their lives, by no means spend all that cash. Now in my view solid design is 30% creativity and 70% discipline.

Primarily everyone that gets into design are creative individuals, and there are a million creative people out there. So what separates designers in the long run? Again in my opinion it is control of craft from line, stroke to hierarchy from text to imagery to create a communication vehicle. These things can’t be self taught, they have to be learned in my opinion. Design is much more than pretty pictures and a trained eye from any large Design firm can tell if you are making pretty pictures or communication vehicles. Now I will say this there are a few individuals that just have a gift, and they just get it and no schooling is needed.

However it would take a trained seasoned designer to tell you that don’t guess get an opinion. In school you get those opinions all the time from professionals/professors and it is invaluable as you move forward. John Doe who raves about your designs at some forum or design site doesn’t cut it in the highly competitive world of design. You may find yourself scraping and bidding for design jobs with millions of others who found a design education mundane.

Personally I am working on my second degree and will keep going to get my Master’s in Graphic design, because I want to teach down the road. Look we can’t all be David Carson who had little to no education in design, but we can be the best disciplined designers we can be. So if design is what you want to do with the rest of your life go to school for it. Not for moneys sake at its core but for the love of design and the desire to be the best designer you can be the money will come I can assure you. Get use to my rants guys

the gorbott

i would have to agree with michael. design is more than pretty pictures or creative ideas. if the pretty pictures don't translate, almost immediately, into communicable ideas, it doesn't matter how progressive or original your ideas are. no one looking for design will want it. in my opinion, however, that can be learned without formal education, but it is much more difficult to come by. having well trained professionals/professors critique you work and teach from first hand experience is a much more straightforward method of learning. albeit much more expensive sometimes.

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Michael

I agree with you and there are times that a designer can get involved in a community online that can in fact help them mature. I mean it would have to be the right person who would in fact take the person under their wing. I admit I was pretty lucky early on and joining some really solid user groups. Many of them encouraged me to go to school however. I believe it is a toss up those who have had a formal education in design find it invaluable and those that haven't in most cases see no need. Certainly this is a matter of preference and money or cost is a factor.

obthirteen

Very good post Michael. Just a bit off-topic where do you guys go to school for design and have they taught you a sufficient amount of information. I am going to a college that I'm not really fond of, but my mother works there so I go for pretty much free. I would like to go to a nicer school with better teachers. If you have a couple of names of good schools that would be great.

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Gino

I got to SUNNY Purchase College in New York for art and design. I have really learned a lot form my teachers. Each teacher is so different and if you live in the new york the tuition is very affordable compared to other schools.

My school is a lot of work, but its also a relaxed environment with good and helpful people. A lot of my teachers are very passionate about design and some of them have many books out on design and really know what they are talking out.

SVA - the school of visual arts has a good reputation, but i hear some of the teachers there are just "rock star designers" and aren't necessarily great teachers just famous names. Plus the tuition is extremely expensive.

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