< Myths of the Self-Taught Designer
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- vb_
http://journal.aiga.org/content.…
I am self-taught. And the fact that I am aware of this constantly hunts me. That is why I learn, learn, learn.
Is it about being 'better'?
Imho it is all about passion and commitment, and some dicipline and to be able to criticize yourself..
I have been rejected once for a job because i did not have the degree, while another time i was rejected simply because they wondered why i even applied, they told me my 'level of education' was too high for the sort of web stuff they did.
I am not stupid, i just had quite extreme personal problems when i tried several studies due to some things that happened in my earlier childhood.. long story anyway.
i am still drooling when i see some mad interesting Masters available at instutes like Piet de Zwart in Rotterdam..
If I hadn't so much financial responsibility I'd go for it, even though I am almost 30.
[/rant]
- k770
bill gates is a drop out. self taught manager. it's an extreme case but i agree vb.
bruce mau is a design school dropout. didn't stop him either.
it totally is all about "passion and commitment, and some dicipline and to be able to criticize yourself" and knowing yourself - that's like my mantra.
late master's studies work wonders too. case: philip johnson.
do you, man.
- vb_0
cheers, k77, for the nice and comforting words.
and ooops:
"and knowing yourself "
i forgot that one, it may be the most important part. And i must say it is the hardest task.. to get to know yourself. to map weakness vs strength.
- ********0
take it with a grain of salt- aiga is a bunch of design school wanks who are usually subpar designers themselves
- k770
yeah man. like being self taugh has worked for you, but i bet there's some self taught designer's that shouldn't be designers. as there are some schooled designer's that shouldn't be designer's too.
knowing yourself is difficult. it's the only life i know though. :)
and yeah philip johnson took his master's studies at Harvard Architecture school well in to his 30's i believe. His thesis project was his glass house. quite a feat, imo. helps that he was from a rich family, but that's beside the point.
- vb_0
"and yeah philip johnson took his master's studies at Harvard Architecture school well in to his 30's i believe. His thesis project was his glass house. quite a feat, imo. helps that he was from a rich family, but that's beside the point."
yeah. i just need to gather a lot of money, as it does help. Especially when you want to maximize your commitment..
work, work, work..
- ********0
there are a lot of designers who shouldn't be designers
- brandelec0
there are a lot of designers who shouldn't be designers
uberdesigner
(May 16 05, 15:50)amen
- k770
sometimes i think i'm one of them.
- ********0
I think one of the biggest problems today with any kind of education is that people don't realize that someone can learn just as much if not more than someone who attends a school.
Not to sound corny, but with the internet and the availability of information, not going to school doesn't mean nearly as much as it once did in the past. In some cases, someone who chooses to teach themselves will advance even quicker than someone in a school; they can learn and study at their own pace.
In the past, books and knowledge were exclusive to schools and universities, this is when I feel that attending was necessary to have access to necessary material and learn. Today it's just not so.
I went to art school for New Media (web, interactive, print, etc.) and I can say, easily that I learned much much more on my own using the internet and self bought books.
In school you have some guy that gets confused by the mouse or a menu and it holds up the whole class. Teaching my self, I blaze through interviews with the top professionals in the field, collect code and programming examples, discuss things with others on forums, view libraries of images, buy the newest and most relevant books, etc.
School was great and fun, but for other reasons. I would say save the money, get a job at an agency ... and aquire real world expierence while you continue to read up and study on your own.
- ********0
self doubt is common
- are you sure about this?********
- should read: self doubt is common among the decent.DoTheMacarena
- are you sure about this?
- moural0
It's all about your desire and passion. You can take as many classes as you want, but if you don't pay attention, what difference does it make?
I'll be the first to admit I hate school, but how can I better myself when I know, going in, I'll only know as much or less as my instructor knows. What good is that? The only way to improve is to discover for yourself, and nearly no education system supports that attitude. And it's a shame, because apparently linear thought and a certificate mean more to most employers.
- brandelec0
makes sense to be able to learn on your own, considering your instructors are probably only a few years ahead of you in knowledge.
- scarabin0
i taught myself how to do design, i went to college to learn how to be a designer.
- ********0
got a 4 year degree in communications and got no job- starting designing based on interest in art and I work for myself - fulltime- and make more money than my goal was...
- ********0
i think being a self taught webdesigner is a lot different than being a self taught graphic designer.
i think its probably a lot easier to teach yourself how to design for the web...
i'm a self taught... but that being said, i plan on going back to school and doing a full 4 years (if not more) of Graphic Design.. next year or so.
- ********0
-a
- k770
i think being a self taught webdesigner is a lot different than being a self taught graphic designer.
i think its probably a lot easier to teach yourself how to design for the web...
--i studied as an artist. i'm not so good at web design. but i'm pretty good at graphics. in the end (for me) it's about being a designer, with no prefix label. most of the best designers i know, aren't designers at all.
- clerk0
well said nick
- vb_0
*bump
why 2 threads?
- vb_0
.