Self taught designers
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- designerror0
For example, I wouldn't credit what I know in Illustrator to my college instructor.
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most times it should be the other way around.
- glove0
hmm, as for me, college simply taught me that we can never get enuf of design..
- tomkat0
yeah, what brooke said.
- DutchBoy0
but i have to say that a lot of the comments here focus on software knowledge, but that doesn't make you a designer, everyone with a bit of brains can learn most applications. It's the creativity you have to find ways to make these applications follow your concept is what makes you a designer.
once again, concept is king.
and i have to agree, there's hardly any designer that just finished school that's instantly been recognised as a great designer.
it's all about practical and theoretical exploration on a personal level. takes many many years...
so yes, the best (recognized) designers are usually self-taught.
and a lot of people explored their own field of design prior to or during school, which is a greater thing then just following what you are taught.
- Retro0
I go to uni, but i would never give credit to them for anything i've learnt. A pitty really...
- dave_bxcr0
didnt read the whole thread but agree with brooke
- MLVR0
I reckon that the most important things u learn at college is ducumentation and process... And in my case it was very inspiring to have class mates from all over the world.
- rasp0
the most important thing u learn at uni is dealing and living with others.. the next is having a social life, the last is what you went there to study for.
the uni i went to taught us nothing of real world industry environments, timescales or client feedback input.
the main thing they SHOULD of taught us is to (once a student has knowledge of at least the basic design principles) develop your own style, question what is 'right' and 'wrong' and aim to get your work into clients that will value your concepts and style.
the lecturers/teachers should have also had to show their folios to the students - so that you could also take on board their comments on what they thought was good or bad design.
i.e if they were producing shite work, you could tell them where to stick it.
i also agree with brooke and i also agree with the person that said that thing about mastering technology is not a designer.
ideas and adaptable creativity where its at.
ps: i cant spell or punctuate very well... maybe thats something i should have learned. oh well.
- iDp0
Being a self taught designer it's really hard to have a solid opinion on a university experience. I took a couple classes in a JC enviroment which were complete crap...stopped going after I realized the teachers weren't there to actually teach and instead taught their 'real world' lessons from tutorial books.
I wish I would have taken the time to attend quality classes just because I think it could have really added some polish to my work. But on the other hand I think being self taught keeps a fire burning inside me to always try and out think or out conceptualize uni grads.
A good friend of mine went to Cal Arts for a degree in animation arts. When I would go visit him on campus it was always so inspiring and humbling to walk through the dorms and see the work some of those cats did. So I guess it just depends on where you go and what you get out of it in terms of advancement of talent and classmate interaction.
Now unfortunately I have so many bills that to take time out for a two to three year course from an art school would kill me financially.
- scarabin0
i've always said that i already knew how to design (years of my own study and experimentation), but school taught me how to be a designer.
business skills, etc.
- Berliner0
Thanks for your comments.
Do you think, having a degree / diploma is helpful in getting design jobs?
My personal experience as a freelancer is, that industry clients dont care about titles but examples of your work, client lists and portfolio.
Anyhow people out of the business (friends, family) dont take you as a "serious" designer. Sometimes I feel like having to justify what I´m doing and that I´m doing it. Strange thing...
- derek30
im in university right now and i HATE it... the teachers dont know anything.
i have to admit SOME of the classes i take are very throught provoking... but, for the most part, i feel like i need to enter directly into year 4 for the hands on learning. i dont need "this is photoshop... file... new.... "
the teacher of that class told me to leave..
i feel that it is important to have that paper... but you can sometimes get it with less work through exemptions, and deals with your profs. for me, it was not really learning the skills, it was getting the paper to show that i know what i know... :S
- Soler0
I feel you Berliner-- there will always be the doubters. Now if you doubt yourself thats where you'll run into trouble. I've doubted myself before but I know I'm good. Just keep that in mind and you'll fit in somewhere just fine.
- canuck0
I think the most valuable thing about going to school is the opportunity to have critiques of your work. I studied visual arts but im sure it's a similar approach having people comment, and make suggestions on how you can improve your work really helps. Its good to be able to learn to take criticism well especially when you start work full time.
- BonSeff0
Derek, see if you can test out of those classes. it sucks cause you still have to pay the fee for the classes, but you can get the credits and move on.
- grayhood0
i think of it like this: if you want to get strong you have to do push-ups. some people need a personal trainer b/c they are too lazy to do the push-ups or don't know what exercises to do to strengthen their weaknesses, or worse don't know what their weaknesses even are.
- xaoscontrol0
Shane Mielke http://www.pixelranger.com
is self taught