Hey Designers, I have a question for you.
 

Where did you learn to do designs? What is your suggestion for someone who wants to get into design as far as where or what courses to take?

Im self taught ..
Ill be starting courses to get the papers that say I can do the shit I've been doing for the last 4 years anyway .

Sorta retarded .
Not that I shun education , I just think had I went to school , it just wouldve slowed me down . Goin back will be boring as shit for me , but I will probally learn a few things at some point .

You're buddies either got talent or he doesnt .. tell him to open photoshop and find out , start his own sites , test them etc

Well i can only speak for myself - i learned the hard way by trial and error. In other words i just started fooling around with paintshoppro, made a few shitty personal sites, then made some business sites - made enough money to buy photoshop did some more trial and error...and well you get the point.


Tips:

Try, Try Try
Find some of the great tutorials on the net
try some more
and get a digitizer pad if you got any creative skills :)

think the majority of talented and soome untalented designers started this way.


Most importanly talent is one thing - but learning to transfer that talent into digital art takes time - you dont just buy photoshop and expect to do great designs the day after.

Yup. That's pretty much it. School, or anyone for that matter, can't teach you how to design. Look at the groups of designers:

1. Those who just know how to do it and do it well.
2. Those who think they know what they're doing and create shit.
3. Those who hack designs from those in group 1.
4. Those who know they know nothing of design and will hire out of groups 1-3 to get the job done.

The only thing school has done for these people is:

For group 1, just reaffirm that they are good designers.

For group 2, give them wrong acclaim and support to keep trying.

For group 3, teach them copyright laws so they can change a design just enough that it's not stealing.

Group 4 are people who might have been in group 2, except they can see through the bullshit support and realized they're better off delegating the design work.

A talented designer can out design with MS paint , what an untalented designer can do with Photoshop

My first 2 years design I used a $79 program , and nobody knew the difference .

lol well i dont know about ms paint..but paintshoppro did the job nicely - however photoshop / illustrator is the best imho

dont bother its an already saturated thing to get into. Unles you are sure about it.

thats far off .

self study

I studied design in school. Adult is just a sideline

Mainstream is much harder and is not about using photoshop effects everywhere...you need actually need a concept and go beyond your first idea....

School teach you how to push your creativity, open your eyes on what is made everywhere else, learn different techniques ... its much more than just Photoshop.

just play around with photoshop, surf good websites, buy great books

"Photoshop for the 8th grader". Look for it on Amazon.

Are you suggesting that it actually requires the designer to THINK? Pretty tough!

to learn the program, get lots of good books on photoshop - peachpit press has good shit then sit for a few months learning what each tool does, ect ect maybe take a beginers course at the community college, find others who use it proficiently, ask for help ect

take classes on graphic design and an art classes

work/intern at a place that has a few designers, you'll learn 100 times more in that type of enviorment than taking classes on photoshop.

I would disect other webmasters sites.

Where did I learn to do designs?
I never learned. Its not somthing learned.
Its not somthing that can not be learned.

On the whole sense, design is what ever is given merit as "design" by others.

A common leaf is a design of nature, the patterns you see are the structures and whether or not you find it beautiful its still design.

Concerning graphic design professional's 99% are nothing more than copy cats and a singular "Designer" will be lucky in his life time to create somthing "Original" that is NOT like anything else persay.

Infact the pursuit of originality is the downfall of a designer should he or she attempt to create somthing original after doing so one time. Why? Other designers move in on the concept and tout it as there own.

How do I know this?
I am a designer that has created a few original works that to this day 80% of adult designer's follow.

I hate other designer's, I hate myself for being one. I could have done anything else with my life and probably came out more ahead than present if I had just refused the dance with the muses. Damnable sirens they are, dupe me to spilling my perception for others to gleefully run away with.

Tell your friend he is better off slitting his wrists. He will fail even in the small success's that designing will yield in small pitinance.
Tell em he is gonna be nothing more than just another wannabe hot shot in a puke ridden bathroom wishing he never made the mistake of being an artist or designer.

The first course he should take is Life 101.

you are way way too extreme at times man.

FF

See what I mean by idiot designers?
Your fucken sig says click here for portfolio and the shit dont even link...

I am gonna go bash my fucken skull in with a ping pong paddle.

lol by all means, please do.

not linked for a reason, booked till march, 2005.

FF

Has anyone used "The Gimp" which is the opensource "Photoshop"? what do you think of it?
If you haven't heard of it, or seen it you can download / view screenshots here:

http://www.gimp.org/screenshots/

http://www.gofuckyourself.com/images.../xyxthumbs.gif

Why dont ya put that in your fucken sig then?
DOnt ya understand that design is about communicating?

Theory and elements of design can be taught or self taught, but if one doesn't have creativeness inside to expand on their own, college courses: english 101 and math 101 and fine art and computer classes will help in getting a job.

Good luck and a little hint that many web designers don't follow is that the best web designers work on a grid like other great designers. :)

cause i still entertain projects, problem with that?

we, as a company, have solid relationships with established clients... the workload and demand warrants the ability to be selective about who we work with, and what projects are both worth our time in terms of the client's budget and our own interests.

i keep the sig alive to entertain ideas, projects, and companies we would consider working with. There are few in the GFY population that we even consider, and few that would consider us, so whats the problem with keeping the sig alive? Its very comforting being able to hand pick clients rather than taking every little job and hustle gfy for the nickels and scraps thrown down at you.

You've been doing this for years, right? So you should know the feeling...soooo....once again, problem?

Seems like you just want to flame whatever, whenever, however, regardless of validity....with a slew of "fuckin bash head in with ping pong paddle" "fucken' sign" "DON't ya understand" <-- if you say design is about communicating, and thats how you communicate, well then boy oh boy looks like you have a leg up lol.

*perks ear* lets hear more communicating....flammmeee away.

FF
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