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So I am going for a graphic design program at Community College
Nephets
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I am actually a little excited and freaked out by it. For one my advisor for the program said that after I graduate the 2 year program I am most likely to get a job out of it if I do good enough. She said that 60% of students usually get a job so I should be okay. How likely is it that employers will be looking for students who have only had a 2 year Associate's in Applied Science Degree in Graphic Design compared to a 4 year bachelor's in Visual Communications? Out of the 2 year program I do have the option of going to U of M Flint or I suppose anywhere else to go for the 4 year degree if I so choose.
Another problem I have is that I keep beating myself up for not going to college earlier. I am turning 21 next month and some of my friend's are going to be getting their bachelor's next year while I will have just completed a year of education. Also another thing that doesn't help is that I still live with my parents. I love them and all but they are a bit noisy and annoying. Doesn't help that we only have one car in our household that I pay for and I basically have to get rides everywhere because we only have that one car.
If I tried moving out now and getting an apartment with a friend there would be no way I could afford car payments/rent/food while going to school full time and work part time. I work at McDonald's for $7.40 an hour. I also worry that I will not be able to handle going to school full time and working part time(school Mon-Thurs for 15 credits/21 credit hours and working Fri-Sat for 20-24 hours.)
Also I have lurked for awhile before deciding to sign up and post and remember a really good thread about how to be a good graphic designer on your own or something like that. Anyone have the link to that?
Another problem I have is that I keep beating myself up for not going to college earlier. I am turning 21 next month and some of my friend's are going to be getting their bachelor's next year while I will have just completed a year of education. Also another thing that doesn't help is that I still live with my parents. I love them and all but they are a bit noisy and annoying. Doesn't help that we only have one car in our household that I pay for and I basically have to get rides everywhere because we only have that one car.
If I tried moving out now and getting an apartment with a friend there would be no way I could afford car payments/rent/food while going to school full time and work part time. I work at McDonald's for $7.40 an hour. I also worry that I will not be able to handle going to school full time and working part time(school Mon-Thurs for 15 credits/21 credit hours and working Fri-Sat for 20-24 hours.)
Also I have lurked for awhile before deciding to sign up and post and remember a really good thread about how to be a good graphic designer on your own or something like that. Anyone have the link to that?
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Some employers may put more emphasis on your degree, but mainly they'll be interested in seeing your work. Be aware though that it can be an incredibly difficult field to get employed in (Depending on what area you live in). I'd be curious about that 60% figure, does that mean that 60% of students get a job straight out of the course, or that 60% of students get a job in the industry straight out of the course? I know plenty of good graphic designers who really struggled to find employment in a related field.
Regarding work/finances, well only you can make that decision. You will get way more out of the experience if you move away from home, although I know how hard it can be to make ends meet. I worked 15 hours every weekend after doing a minimum of a 50 hour week in my architecture design studio course just so that I could move out from home, but as soon as I quit that job (in my 3rd year) my grade jumped from a low B to a high A. So take that as you will.
The Artists Corner will seriously be your friend when it comes to posting work and getting work crit'd. They can be ruthless, but that's really the best way to learn.
(Don't worry, I'll still give you good advice.)
First, let's get the biggest, coldest, hardest reality of this job out of the way: your credentials don't matter as much as your ability. This helps you insomuch as "only" having an AAS won't be a handicap. This hurts you insomuch as you NEED to learn your trade in just two years. Prospective employers are going to want to see a strong portfolio, and I'll be frank with you, they don't give a fuck that you're fresh out of college. There are kids younger than us getting featured in magazines for chrissakes. You're going to have to be a devoted student and a fast learner, but if you are, you'll be fine.
Let me ask you a few questions so that we, the uppity design elite at H/A, can provide better advice on how to convert aspirations into talents.
1) What kind of design do you want to do? Conventional print and layout work? Branding and identity? Web and interface? Advertising?
2) What are you studying aside from your coursework materials? What design books have you read, and what magazines / sites / blogs do you follow?
3) How awesome is Helvetica?
You've got a hell of a battle ahead of you, but with the right resources, the right attitude, and a lot of hard work, you'll definitely be in that winning 60%.
You'll have to train yourself to see what makes a solid composition. You'll have to form an understanding of color, such as why some colors work together and what feelings they elicit. You'll have to study the history of typography in order to understand the subtle differences between typefaces that will completely make or break any design you do. I feel that designers should have at least some experience in copywriting as well, and if you're going into advertising there's plenty to be learned about that as well. It's also a good idea to dip your hands into the different printmaking mediums, as well as gaining an understanding of layout design and to a lesser extent web design. Also, if you can't develop a full-fledged identity for something you'll be in trouble. You can't just specialize in one form of design anymore because firms and agencies are going to expect you to have expertise in nearly everything.
I've been working at a fairly large publication since I was a sophomore – first as a designer and later as an art director of our advertising production department. I've learned so much here that I couldn't have possibly learned in school. My point? Get an internship as soon as possible because it's the best way to learn about design in a real setting.
Find design blogs that are frequently updated with content that you feel drawn to. Search for artists and designers who are doing work you're interested in and bookmark their sites. Subscribe to magazines like Print or Communication Arts. You'll need to surround yourself with good design outside of school as much as you can. As someone who's interviewed dozens of designers for positions at my job, I'm always able to immediately tell the difference between someone who simply got a degree and someone whose life revolves around design.
1. I want to do Web Design. I also plan on taking as many web site design courses as possible.(even by taking extra summer classes)
2. I just can't seem to motivate myself to study much in my free time right now. I do know the basics of photoshop but that's about it. I feel like I have to have someone teach me the basics first before I can go self study on my own. Its kinda strange.
3. I dunno. Looks like an interesting film and I will definately check it out later. I just need to get some sleep first.
I feel a bit intimated by this post but I actually do want to design. Its just I also want to code for web sites as well. I will definately look into magazines and blogs too. In fact I have even looked at portfolios of people who do this for a living. While my skills at the moment are nothing really to be proud of right now unfortunately. I think I just need someone to show me the basics I guess or something. My advisor did say that in the last semester there are employers who look for graphic designers that come in and that I will have an opportunity to get an internship with one of them.
Again, this is a lot of information to try to learn in a 2 year course.
Have you done any design/art before? Do you have a current sketchpad or examples of work done previously? Or are you just jumping in with both feet? Just curious.
You really are my enemy, then!
If I were you, here's what I'd try to learn over the next two years if possible (in other words, if you have some flexibility, here are the classes to try to get into):
Design priorities
- Any general graphic design classes, as many as possible
- XHTML (learn to write markup by hand in Notepad)
- CSS (The primer in your "intro to HTML class" isn't adequate, CSS is a web designer's main tool)
- Adobe Creative Suite (Especially Photoshop and Illustrator)
Development priorities
- Basic programming theory (ideally focusing on C++). I can't stress this enough, if you learn C, and you grasp the underlying theory behind programming, PHP, Perl, and Ruby will all come to you effortlessly.
- PHP, it's the de facto standard for the moment, so learn it.
- Database design and architecture, database technology (especially SQL) drives virtually everything you interact with online.
Also helpful
- Business communications or public speaking
- Psychology (just a 101 is fine)
- Art history or art appreciation
Things to not sweat right now
- JavaScript, it's easier to learn about JS, AJAX, and the DOM by either A) picking it up naturally as you learn to make PHP and XHTML dance together or
- Ruby [on Rails], I've heard of a lot of colleges trying to get behind Ruby as "the next big thing", but it's a relatively young technology, and there just aren't any good course materials for it yet. If you're faced with a choice between learning Ruby or PHP, go with PHP.
- Linux, Apache, or any of the other "black magic server voodoo" stuff. That comes later (or not at all).
- Flash, it should NEVER be used as a design or layout element, and you won't be learning to do stuff it IS useful for in a two-year program.
That's a lot to take in right now, I'm sure, but I think it's a good general guideline if you want to get a job after just two years of study.
I'll only recommend one book for now, then, Thinking With Type. This is by far the best primer for the new designer that I have ever seen. The web sections are a bit outdated, but generally speaking, it is a wonderful, excellent, superb book for any novice to sit down with. Reading this book cover-to-cover would make an excellent "day one" for your career path.
This answer delighted me.
I know that this is quite a bit of info to learn in 2 years but I am quite motivated to do better in school now than in the past. Besides a few random things in photoshop that I made a long time ago I am basically just jumping in.
Well I won't be much competition for a couple years yet.
There are a lot of web design classes and I wasn't really sure which ones would be most important to learn during this 2 year program. I don't think I have time for every single one of them so I will keep this all in mind. I'm already going to take Psychology and Art History during the program so I'm safe there. Although I think I would rather take another programming class than take a business communications or public speaking class. Would that be a good idea?
I will have to take a look at that.
Need to get some money together first but this does interest me.
Public speaking is also extremely useful because you're going to need to clearly and persuasively present your ideas to coworkers, bosses, other companies, venture capitalists, stockholders, lawyers, and even government officials sometimes.
No, you see... I was asking what you thought of the typeface.