Where Do You Start as a Graphic Designer?

Summary

In this informative video, Will Pass shares his 10 years of experience as a graphic designer, offering a comprehensive guide for beginners on how to break into the field without formal education. He emphasizes the importance of reading books, surrounding oneself with inspiring work, finding a design process, understanding design principles, and building a portfolio. Will also highlights the significance of learning typography and recommends resources for further study. Sponsored by Squarespace, he discusses the benefits of using the platform to create a professional portfolio website.

Takeaways

• 😀 Start with the basics: Read books on graphic design to build a strong foundation in the field.
• 📚 Typography is crucial: 'Formal Communication' is a recommended book to understand the history and application of typography.
• 🌐 Explore online resources: Websites like Behance, Dribbble, and Instagram are great for finding inspiration and saving work that inspires you.
• 🎨 Develop a design process: Having a systematic approach to design helps generate ideas and ensures consistency in your work.
• 🛠️ Learn the design principles: Understanding principles like contrast, repetition, alignment, proximity, and appropriateness is fundamental to good design.
• 📈 Build a portfolio: Showcasing your work and problem-solving skills is essential for gaining client trust, even if you start with hypothetical projects.
• 💻 Choose the right software: Find a design tool that works for you and stick to it to streamline your workflow.
• 🌟 Surround yourself with great work: Save and study work that inspires you to elevate your own design skills.
• 🏛️ Understand the industry: Graphic design is about visual communication and making information orderly and understandable.
• 🔗 Utilize tools for briefs: Use resources like goodbrief.io and chat gbt to generate creative direction for projects when starting out.
• 📝 Learn and practice typography: It's integral to graphic design, and learning how to use it effectively can be done through free resources like Skillshare and YouTube.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is about how to become a graphic designer in 2023, especially for complete beginners and those who want to learn about graphic design without going to university.

What is the speaker's background in graphic design?

The speaker, Will, has been a graphic designer for 10 years, specializing in logo and typography design. He is self-taught, having learned from reading books, doing online courses, and self-critique over time.

Which clients has the speaker mentioned working for?

The speaker has mentioned working for clients such as James, Johnny, Adobe, and Instagram, with some other unnamed clients.

What is the first piece of advice given for learning graphic design?

The first piece of advice is to read books about graphic design, with a specific recommendation to read 'Formal Communication' to understand typography.

What is the definition of graphic design according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, graphic design is a visual communication that uses type or illustration to convey a message or information in an orderly manner, such as in posters or instruction manuals.

What is the importance of surrounding oneself with great work in graphic design?

Surrounding oneself with great work is important as it provides inspiration, which is crucial for a graphic designer's creative process. It helps in taking inspiration and implementing it with other ideas.

What tool does the speaker recommend for saving and organizing inspirational work?

The speaker recommends using a program called 'Milanote', which is a mood boarding app that functions like an online whiteboarding tool for saving and organizing inspirational work.

What is the significance of having a systematic process in graphic design?

Having a systematic process in graphic design is significant as it helps in generating ideas naturally and ensures a consistent approach to creating designs, which is especially useful when working with clients.

What are the acronym 'CRAPT' design principles mentioned by the speaker?

The acronym 'CRAPT' stands for Contrast, Repetition, Alignment, Proximity, and Appropriateness, which are fundamental principles in graphic design.

Why is a portfolio important for a graphic designer?

A portfolio is important for a graphic designer as it showcases their work and how they solve problems, which is essential for demonstrating their skills and gaining clients' trust.

What is the role of Squarespace in the video?

Squarespace is mentioned as a sponsor of the video and is recommended by the speaker as one of the best website builders for creating a professional portfolio or website to showcase design work.

What are some ways to get creative briefs for building a portfolio without having actual clients?

The speaker suggests using websites like 'goodbrief.io' and 'chat gbt' to generate creative briefs for various types of design projects, which can help in building a portfolio without actual clients.

Why is typography considered the king in graphic design?

Typography is considered the king in graphic design because it is central to visual communication. It involves the layout of text, font size, placement, and grouping of text blocks, which are crucial for conveying messages effectively.

What resources are available for learning the fundamentals of graphic design and layout?

Resources for learning the fundamentals of graphic design and layout include courses on Skillshare, YouTube channels, and other free online resources.