How to become a graphic designer in 10 easy steps
Getting into the graphic arts field is more attainable than you might expect, especially today. arts field is more attainable than you might expect, especially today.
Regardless of their level of education, designers rely on hands-on experience to drive. If you are a graphic designer at heart, then you have the desire to learn new things and move forward every day. It's an exciting field to get into, but many aspiring designers can get stuck in the first steps.
This article will look at what graphic designers do for a living and then give you a list of ten steps to becoming a graphic designer. So let's dive in!
What do graphic designers do?
As mentioned earlier, graphic designers either work full-time or are self-employed. Whether you work full-time, part-time or freelance, you will have to meet several deadlines on a weekly or daily basis.
As a designer, it's important to manage your time well and plan so you don't miss any deadlines. If you already have a full-time job and want to do graphic design on the side, you can do that too, but you'll probably need to plan ahead how you'll manage your time.
If you plan to be a self-employed graphic designer, be prepared to be flexible as you may need to work evenings and sometimes weekends to meet deadlines.
Now let's look at what is expected of you as a graphic designer. You can develop many different types of graphic design, from printed publications (brochures, magazines, newspapers) to television and web applications.
The range of industries where graphic design skills are needed also varies widely. But you can be sure of one thing: just as marketing is something that every company or organization needs, graphic designers are needed in many different fields.
As a graphic designer, you may need to master many different skills at once. However, you also have the option of specializing in one specific area. The most common specializations in graphic design include typography, logos, book design, product packaging, web design, user interface design, and user experience design.
So now let's take a look at our ten steps to becoming a graphic designer.
1. Understand and learn the basics of graphic design
Before taking any further steps, it is essential that you take the time to learn the design principles and have a good understanding of the design elements.
Let's assume that you have never taken any courses and at this stage you know nothing about graphic design or the design process. In that case, we recommend that you read about the history of graphic design and design principles, along with practicing key graphic design skills.
There are plenty of online resources that can help aspiring designers get their foot in the door. You can also start taking graphic design courses online. To help you with that, we've compiled a list of the 10 best graphic design courses online.
You can use them to learn more about the field and get a better feel for your life as a graphic designer. Some of the courses offer a certificate upon completion which will be perfect to add to your CV and LinkedIn profile.
2. Take online courses
Once you learn more about the history of graphic design and learn the basics of design theory, you can take advantage of some of the best graphic design software online. You may be a professional or someone relatively new to the world of design, but our recommendation is the same.
Start with free graphic design software to keep costs down as much as possible as you build your technical skills.
You can get started with Vectornator, which is offered completely free and offers features such as:
Standard vector editing tools
Access over 1 million free images from Unsplash
Access to over 80,000 icons
Advanced collaboration tools in Vectornator
Auto Trace technology that converts images into vector shapes
A cross-platform feature that syncs your projects between MacBook, iPad and iPhone
3. Settings Settings Settings
Image source: Fakurian Design
While graphic designers are paid very well in most cases, starting your journey as a graphic designer can be expensive. Unlike writers who simply need a laptop to write, being a graphic designer requires a lot more. To begin with, you will need to find the right graphics software for you.
If you're an Adobe fan, you'll need a monthly subscription to Adobe Creative Cloud, which is quite expensive if you're just starting out. That's why it's best to start with free alternatives to Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, or other Adobe products, and then decide if you want to upgrade to a paid option.
In addition to the right software, you'll also need a laptop and at least one desktop computer. Later, you may also need a Pantone color guide and a pen tablet.
4. Follow established graphic designers
Check out this Instagram post
A post shared by Luke & Morgan Choice (@velvetspectrum)
This step can be overlooked at times, but it is important that you follow it. Everyone gets their design inspiration somewhere before developing their own creative process and becoming a source of inspiration for other people.
Getting to know the work of famous graphic designers and artists and following them on social media will be useful in the long run. You'll get to know how they do what they do, and you'll better understand them and their work. In this way, you will create your own graphic design style, which will gradually become clear to you as soon as you create a handful of graphic pieces.
5. Create an impressive portfolio
Folio: Designer Portfolio Kit - Animation
Folio: Designer Portfolio Kit - Animation designed by Tran Mau Tri Tam ✪ for UI8. Connect with them on Dribbble; a global community for designers and creative professionals.
Dribbling
Tran Mau Tri Tam ✪
It doesn't matter if you want to work as a full-time graphic designer or as a self-employed graphic designer, your online portfolio will be a must. An online portfolio will make it easier to get an interview, apply for graphic design jobs, or get hired for graphic design positions by different clients.
Many graphic designers use Behance to showcase their work. However, you have other options to explore such as Pixpa, FolioHD, Carbonmade, Crevado, Portfolio Box, Coroflot Portfolios and Krop. Here we have created a tutorial on how to create a graphic design portfolio and added 16 examples for inspiration.
It doesn't matter if you don't have a lot of work to show off. Having an online presence is important. Start your professional portfolio early and gradually add your latest or greatest pieces to it. You can update it anytime and it will help you get noticed. If you don't have any of your work to show, a good place to start would be to create some famous logos to showcase your skills.
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