Teach Yourself Graphic Design

If you would like to learn graphic design from the ground up, through self directed study, then this article lists some great resources that will get you started with your design education. Also, even if you do go to design school, at least 3/5 of your education will be through self directed study anyway. 

1. Understanding the Principles and Theory of Graphic Design

There are a few graphic design principles that effect every project you'll create. Understanding these principles conceptually and learning to apply them practically will formulate the foundation of your graphic design education. Below are some of the basic areas you should study to get a solid footing in graphic design.

Shape, spacing and Rhythm

Color, texture and imagery

Working with type.

2. Internalize the Graphic Design Process, Conceptual Solutions, Real World Experience, and Creative Application

Graphic designers solve visual problems. The key to teaching yourself graphic design is to understand the process of solving a visual problem. This means you'll benefit from tackling design briefs. You'll learn to apply the skills you study by solving fictitious design problems to begin with and as you advance tackling real world problems and working with clients.

Visual and Conceptual Problem Solving

Visual and conceptual problem solving is the core of what we do as graphic designers. Clients come to us with a brief, which is a problem that needs to be solved. A new company may need to enter a specific market and come to you for a comprehensive identity solution. Or you may work at a newspaper and have to lay out a page to deadline. The problems are endless and your job is to solve these issues.

What is a visual concept? Well it's more than a pure visual solution. It's a unification of a graphic and an idea, which is placed in context to solve a problem. Let's look at the example of a logo. It's a visual mark, which represents the idea of a company, presented in the context of all the company's identity, marketing, and history. Let's look at some resources for developing your visual and conceptual problem solving skills for graphic designers. Keep in mind though practicing your craft will help build your visual problem solving skills.

The Design Process

Learning to research, create thumbnails, refine sketches, work up visual solutions in programs, and present to clients are just some of the basics of the design process. Every subset of design may have a slightly different procedure, and your working methodology, or a company you work for may implement things in a somewhat unique way in their production environment. Even so, the basics remain the same. Get familiar with the design process from start to finish, and work on getting faster and better at each stage of the process on each project you work on.

3. Learn from Professional Graphic Designer

You may fall in love with some other approach to design. Also, you'll go through numerous phases, where you'll be attracted to something else in design. This is part of what's great about the field; it's so diverse. Don't be afraid to emulate designers approaches on some projects. It's a good way to learn. Then you'll move on to something else and it will become part of your collective design experience.

4. Consider Advanced Study and Development

Advanced study can take many different paths for each designer. You may become interested in a related field, and then mold your graphic design education to apply to that field. However, every graphic designer will benefit from advanced study and planning.

Of course, there's no limit to the depth you can study on any subject of graphic design. Grid Theory, Graphic Information Design, and Career Planning are just a few areas to focus on. You could certainly go much deeper in other areas as well.

Participate in Online and Professional Graphic Design Communities

Becoming involved in the graphic design community and professional associations will increase your connections in the industry and knowledge of the field. Also, attend conferences and network whenever possible.

Join Professional Associations

A great way to learn about the workings of the graphic design profession is to join professional organizations. They run conferences, produce articles, books, and other resources. Some of these organizations work to improve the profession as a whole by lobbying and other activities.

Becoming Part of the Graphic Design Community Online

Aside from professional communities, there are loads of communities on the web that you can participate in. Below are some graphic design forums you may want to participate in.

How Design Forum

You The Designer Forums

Getting Critical Feedback Online and Promote Your Work

Interaction and critique is really important to your growth as a graphic designer. If you're not in design school, then you need to find other places that people will tear apart your work, and that you can develop your own critical eye. The best thing for a young design is to have someone tell

them why something they made isn't well designed, and what they might do differently. This prepares you for clients doing this (gives you a thicker skin), and it helps you grow with your visual and creative problem solving abilities.

I don't know of the perfect place on the net to find this, but try different online communities or forums. And if you can find a mentor, even someone with just one or two more years of experience than you, who is willing to critique your work, this can be invaluable.

Good luck with learning graphic design. It's OK if it takes even years to master graphic design. Just study, grow as a designer, don't give up, and you'll get there. Be sure to have fun along the way, or else what's the point