Designapalooza – Part One

November 21, 2007

Just a note: Over my next couple posts I hope to dive into some of the following points with more detail, and link resources that anyone who stumbles upon this can hopefully find useful, or to assist them in their quest for knowledge. I will also go more into my personal experiences and what I’ve learned coming out of them.

I went to school, graduated, and got a job in my field. That’s great, right? Should be, but as it turns out I’m not as big a fan of coding every day 5-7 days a week (overtime is evil). I enjoy it, I really do, but either you are made to do this day in and out or you not. That’s why many developers move on to project management and consulting. Others revel in it, and good for them.

I am not a reveler. I noticed pretty much from day one that I migrated towards the visual design of every project I’ve had my hand in. The more control I had over that, the more I enjoyed the project. It took me a while to realize that my enjoyment was more then just simple ability or coincidence. Sure I had more HTML and CSS experience then the other coders, but I chose to go for those aspects. As time passed I realized that this was something I wanted to do. I wanted to create smooth websites, ripe with clarity and ability, and still adhere to the rules. The problem is I don’t know what the rules are. At least I didn’t. At this point I think I know about 3% of them.

My first step has been looking into courses and schools. What schools offer, how much it costs, there they’re located, course-load, topics covered, school reputation, and how it will influence my life in the future. I haven’t made any official steps yet, but I’m keeping my eyes open. I’m aware that I’ve already gone through college and completed an advanced diploma in Computer Programming/ Systems Analysis, which is great. I learned loads of useful information that I currently use in my place of work.

For any budding programmers out there, let me just say this. UML, planning, flow diagrams, etc. will make your life easier. They help you translate your ideas to others where words can fail. When done well, they illustrate what you want to do. Ironically this hits another point with design. Clarity of your idea is key, and that translates across any and everything that you can and will do in life.

I’m digressing though.

So step one was looking into schools. That’s great, but doesn’t really do much if you don’t act on it. Maybe you can’t yet (money, point in life, whatever) and that’s cool. It’s a big step and believe me when I say that I’m feeling the pressure as much as anyone else who’s been in this situation. So what have I done to help my situation? Well I started at work.

I forced my way into the design work, the design conversations whenever I can, and made it my business to interact with our designer. I know that sounds cold, and I don’t mean it the way it sounds because he’s actually a truly rad guy and I’m glad to work with and talk to him. What I’m saying is that whenever I can give valid – please God note the valid – input, I do. If it gets turned down, I can at least evaluate why and learn from it. If it’s taken into consideration, that’s even better. By pushing to do more of the design work (in my case, converting the designers works of art into something practical) I’ve gained even more knowledge, and I’ve put myself into a position where I can interact with the tools and people that I need to to educate myself.

This is a key point. Self-education can go a long way in helping you understand design. Hell, even if you want to learn to cook. Get a job at a restaurant, and put yourself in a position where you’re working with the cooks in some fashion. Start as a dish washer, and ask questions about dishes being made, etc.

I’m talking to people and learning some tricks… now what?

Mess around. Get your hands on a copy of your preferred tool and go nuts. Find tutorials on how to do whatever you think looks cool and see how they do it. Find multiple ways to do it and compare effort versus payoff to find the more efficient route. Screw with the tool and see what you can create by yourself. Break it if you can, if only to see what not to do. Basically get a handle on your tools. Sure schools will teach you this stuff eventually, but even the schools can’t teach you every nuance of any given program. On top of that you may find that you hate the tools you are using and wish to find new ones. You may find that you can’t stand doing “this” at all. Better to find out now then 3 years down the road.

Now take a step back and take in everything so far. You’ve looked into education. You’ve talked to people. You’ve screwed around and read tutorials. Fantastic!

Now you’re ready to realize that you don’t know much about design whatsoever.

Don’t freak out. This is the wall that a lot of people hit, and I’ve hit it myself recently. It’s that point that separates people who “know how to use Photoshop” to people who “design with Photoshop”. This is something that many people don’t get. They figure that they know how to do a mess of cool tricks in Fireworks that they’re ready for anything. Are they though? Do they understand composition? How about contrast? Weight? Spacing? Kerning? What about leading the viewers vision? Oh, and how about how colours affect moods, or how certain positions feel better on a fundamental level? Do you understand focal points, The Golden Rule, or how to make photos more dynamic?

If you can answer all of those without looking them up, pulling it out of your ass, or without thinking really, really hard on them… well chances are you know more about what I’m talking about here then I do and are probably reading this to feel wistful or to make yourself feel big. I’m not a designer. Not yet. I know I can’t answer those questions. My education has only just started. If I become really good in the field then I’ll have more questions to ask. I know enough to be able to ask the questions. It shows that I know there is more to design then filters, sexy fonts, and gradients. The extent of my learning has come from the next step.

Read everything.

Leave no stone unturned in your quest for knowledge. Amass RSS feeds on numerous angles of design. Consume the words of your betters ravenously. Scour Digg, Google News, search engines, and every design community for articles, tips, reviews, and examples. The most important part? Read openly and continuously. Read with a clear head and an understanding that these people probably know what their talking about. At the very least they probably know more than you. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t question what you read, but don’t turn it down just because someone else said gave differing commentary. If you’re really confused, ask. Post a question on the blog, submit a question to the forum. Whatever it takes. Just remember to be courteous. You’d be amazed how nice and helpful the blogger community can be.

After you have completed all of this, you’ll probably be at about 30%. To be honest I don’t think there could ever be a designer that is at the 100%, because that would just break my mind. I’m sure people will continue to drive towards that statistical impossibility which makes me happy.

Keep on learning people, keep on learning.

This is the second part of an ongoing series depicting my process to becoming a graphic designer. My next installment will cover what to look for when trying to find a school.

Categories: Design Self-Improvement Technology

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