Graphics design is one of the most sought-after and profitable skills out there in the market both offline and online. Due to this, we have so many people who have never learned the basics, yet claim graphic design is their passion.
Can you boldly say “Graphics design is your passion?” If yes, then to begin, there are some steps to take to be able to effectively and efficiently turn your passion into profit.
Are you wondering how you can start learning graphic design? Well, you’ve come to the right place! Maybe you’ve been wanting to make a career change to a more creative profession or need to add another skill to your CV—regardless of the reason, the importance is to take the first step.
Are you passionate about graphics design? Would you love to pursue a career in this skill? Read on to know the steps on how to begin as a graphics designer.
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What Is Graphics Design?
It is the visual or pictorial representation of concept, idea, messages, etc as a medium of communication, which ranges from billboards, posters, logos, etc. This is what draws us to purchase a product from a particular brand.
16 steps on How To Begin Graphic Design
Define your motivation
Passion alone is not sufficient to help you pull through, so you must define other reasons that will motivate you to constantly show up. These reasons could be;
- To learn a new skill,
- Familiarizing yourself with complex software,
- To express yourself and develop your creativity,
- To earn money for yourself, etc.
However, these reasons must be powerful as without it, you will get tired and probably give up for the graphic design is not an easy fit.
Get Passionate About Every Visual
To become a graphic designer, you must be passionate, this is where observation comes in. I could remember when I was into shoemaking, I was always observing people’s feet to check for new designs, compare, learn and criticize.
So aside from having passion, you must be able to persist, be disciplined and be observant to capture and learn from every visual you see. That’s the only way you can get better.
Know The Difference Between Talent and Practice
You might be talented with designing, but without practice, A person who has no graphics design talent but constant practice will surely outshine you.
Learn the Principles of Design
There are always principles that guide every career to be able to deliver the best. So as someone with a passion for graphics design, you need to learn the basic principles, which include: Alignment, Repetition, Contrast, Hierarchy, and Balance.
These are the principles that help you work on a clear, stable, cohesive, and good design.
Consume the History Of Graphic Design
This is a way of learning from past and correct designers to be able to identify good and bad designs. This is also the point where you choose your niche in graphic design.
You can get books like; History of Graphic Design Vol1 and 2, 100 Ideas that Shaped Graphic design, Graphic Design visionaries, etc.
Explore Out On Typography
This has to do with the formatting, arrangement, and layout of a design which includes; point sizes, typefaces, line spacing, letter spacing, etc. Through this, you can learn the differences of every character and fonts
This exploration can easily be done on Instagram.
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Study the Principles of Color
Color is a very important aspect of design as it speaks the mood and personality. You can learn colors by learning from other designers work or creating your palette as well as exploring Adobe’s Color CC
Color is crucial to brands, so familiarize yourself with color therapy. You can also get a book on the psychology of color.
Get Grounded in Design Terminology
When you communicate with other designers, they use terminologies such as; golden ratio, kerning, rule of this, hierarchy, x-height, etc. So if you would not want to be left out, then you must learn as well.
Master Design Programs
As a graphics designer, you must know how to use Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Indesign, Adobe Illustrator, and Sketch.
Get Inspiration
Without inspiration, getting to work might be difficult, so you need to be on the lookout for the works of others to imitate for practice or create yours. This you can do by checking through blogs, design books, magazines, social media, Pinterest, Create by Adobe, 99, Wix Creative, Inspiration Grid, Behance, Dribble, etc.
Join Design Groups and Network
No man is an island of knowledge, by Interacting and networking with other creatives, you get better, your work gets reviewed and criticized as well as learn a lot from others as you build friendships.
This is also the aspect where you pay for courses that will boost your skill because learning is continuous in the world of graphic design. Classes such as Adobe Max, Adobe 99U, Nicer Tuesday’s, creative morning, Wix playground, Ladies, Wine & Design offer such programs that can boost your skill.
Put out your Work
Everything works digitally, so you must learn to build your online presence to get seen by other designers, agencies, recruiters, etc. Some platforms you can use include; Creative review, Visuelle, Creative Boom, Eye on Design, Design by Women, etc. You can also look into Design Kids Awards, Indigo Awards, Creative Design Awards, etc to gain international exposure.
Explore Creative Career Paths
There are different careers in the graphic design industry, so as you practice as a beginner, you must begin to ponder on what your area of specialization will be.
These career paths include; Visual Designer, UX/UI Designer, Muralists, Creative Director, Digital Designer, Visual Designer, 3D Designer, VR Designer, Motion Designer, Animator, Branding/Visual Identity Designer, Advertising and Marketing Designer, Editorial Designers, Packaging designer, Typeface designers, Human-Centered designer, Freelancer, etc.
Study Graphic Design Resources, Tutorials, and Free and Paid Courses
Knowledge is wealth, this is why you need to take quality tutorials and lessons. It could be on Youtube, Udemy, SkillShare, Domestika, etc however, as you learn, you must practice as well.
Work on Projects
You only get better when you consistently put all you’ve learned into practice, this could be creating logos, business cards, design challenges, etc. It might not be perfect at first, but it does not hurt to give yourself to process.
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Learn Patience, Persistence, and Consistency
To get better, and productive enough to be able to monetize your graphic design passion, you need those three skills, because time is needed to get better. Alongside your passion and these skills, it won’t take long to gain all the needed insights to be effective in your field.
Conclusion
Graphics design is my passion is not enough to begin, so you must take the steps highlighted above as a beginner to get better. So pick a project, let your learning revolves around it, learn the principles, fan your passion into flame, seek to be better, and be patient.
Are you ready to turn your passion into a career? Write out these tips and start implementation without delay.
