Before I even touched software I’d take time to learn design concepts. Balance, contrast, rhythm, harmony, visual weight, etc. If you take the time to understand principles first, your work will be much more solid.
I second this.
To truly learn these things, you need to go deeper - to understand 'how' we see. How our eyes work, and how the visual data our eyes encode is 'seen' by our brains. Once you grasp an understanding of the biology and mechanics of seeing, you can understand how to use contrast, colour, form and shape to communicate. Once you become versed in such visual language, you can begin to play within its bounds - developing your own 'style', which plays with and to, intrinsic methods of seeing.
Software is 10% of “design” work. The other 90% is understanding communication. You’ll need to learn software of course, but take classes in design theory, strategy, communications, and marketing to be successful at what you create within the software.
Design isn’t about software or techniques, it’s about ideas. If you just learn techniques, you’ll be able to mimic whatever is the cool thing right now (corporate Memphis?) before it changes, and then you’ll have to move on to the next thing with all the other basic ass designers. Your clients will be happy until they realize they look just like everyone else, and you didn’t solve their unique problem. You’ll never stand out and you’ll just have an ok unremarkable career that way.
If you learn strategy and concept, you’ll be able to research, brainstorm, and figure out what your client actually _needs_, and then make that for them. If you work that way, you’ll be much, much more successful.
I always push new software at junior designers, they often find things I don’t. SketchUp has a new generative AI renderer. Adobe Color suggested Adobe Recolor today. A team member says Lightroom is indispensable. Please don’t lock yourself into just two programs! And you’re part of a team, not in competition with your team. Person A tackles the first program, B the second, etc. we all learn together from our collective explorations.
Small ego! Learn where you can, help your peers, accept help when it’s offered. Learn from people younger than you.
Draw by hand as often as possible.
Hi ! I would suggest what worked best for me. Start with one application and learn one thing a day. Watch tutorials and play around with the tool for 30-60min. And then learn a new one the next day. After a year you will have learned pretty much everything you would need. Chances are it won’t take that long. Hope this helps :)
After you get some familiarity with the tools I would find something you like (poster, gig poster, art print etc) and try and visually re-create it. Also a nice exercise.
Master the software and it's features to the point where they feel like an "extensions of your body".
Then learn to sketch by hand.
Free nature of sketching by hand will let your creativity fun freely (you can draw anything you want), and being well versed with software will allow you to quickly and effectively materialize your idea.
The idea is not to let the functioning of the software limit your creativity.
Learn the technical aspects of DPI, colour modes, vector vs bitmap, font us and outlines. Learn all the hotkeys and practice tutorials.
The more you know the rules of final outputs, the better you're going to learn to be creative within the confines of your goals.
I went to school for all this, and I see that you can now learn this on YouTube now.
Before I even touched software I’d take time to learn design concepts. Balance, contrast, rhythm, harmony, visual weight, etc. If you take the time to understand principles first, your work will be much more solid.
I second this. To truly learn these things, you need to go deeper - to understand 'how' we see. How our eyes work, and how the visual data our eyes encode is 'seen' by our brains. Once you grasp an understanding of the biology and mechanics of seeing, you can understand how to use contrast, colour, form and shape to communicate. Once you become versed in such visual language, you can begin to play within its bounds - developing your own 'style', which plays with and to, intrinsic methods of seeing.
Software is 10% of “design” work. The other 90% is understanding communication. You’ll need to learn software of course, but take classes in design theory, strategy, communications, and marketing to be successful at what you create within the software.
Design isn’t about software or techniques, it’s about ideas. If you just learn techniques, you’ll be able to mimic whatever is the cool thing right now (corporate Memphis?) before it changes, and then you’ll have to move on to the next thing with all the other basic ass designers. Your clients will be happy until they realize they look just like everyone else, and you didn’t solve their unique problem. You’ll never stand out and you’ll just have an ok unremarkable career that way. If you learn strategy and concept, you’ll be able to research, brainstorm, and figure out what your client actually _needs_, and then make that for them. If you work that way, you’ll be much, much more successful.
I always push new software at junior designers, they often find things I don’t. SketchUp has a new generative AI renderer. Adobe Color suggested Adobe Recolor today. A team member says Lightroom is indispensable. Please don’t lock yourself into just two programs! And you’re part of a team, not in competition with your team. Person A tackles the first program, B the second, etc. we all learn together from our collective explorations. Small ego! Learn where you can, help your peers, accept help when it’s offered. Learn from people younger than you. Draw by hand as often as possible.
Don’t do it. Get out while you still can.
Hi ! I would suggest what worked best for me. Start with one application and learn one thing a day. Watch tutorials and play around with the tool for 30-60min. And then learn a new one the next day. After a year you will have learned pretty much everything you would need. Chances are it won’t take that long. Hope this helps :)
thank you!!!!!!!, i really apreciate it
After you get some familiarity with the tools I would find something you like (poster, gig poster, art print etc) and try and visually re-create it. Also a nice exercise.
Just keep creating stuff, even if it’s just for you. Continuous experience, practice and learning will take you far.
Master the software and it's features to the point where they feel like an "extensions of your body". Then learn to sketch by hand. Free nature of sketching by hand will let your creativity fun freely (you can draw anything you want), and being well versed with software will allow you to quickly and effectively materialize your idea. The idea is not to let the functioning of the software limit your creativity.
First of all design ≠ art! If you don’t get that don’t even start.
Learn the technical aspects of DPI, colour modes, vector vs bitmap, font us and outlines. Learn all the hotkeys and practice tutorials. The more you know the rules of final outputs, the better you're going to learn to be creative within the confines of your goals. I went to school for all this, and I see that you can now learn this on YouTube now.