BECOME A GRAPHIC DESIGNER (DEGREE OR NOT?) | PART 1
Are you feeling called toward a career in graphic design but not sure what the next steps are and whether you need to spend tens of thousands on a design degree? In this two-part post, I'll lay down my own experience to help you understand what moves the needle. I live in London, UK, but I'm sure you'll find plenty of helpful info even if you're based elsewhere.
Make sure to read until the end, where I have some great recommendations for design courses that really moved the needle in my business.
BEGINNINGS
I discovered my love for graphic design in 2013 while putting together the logo and marketing materials for my self-development startup. I was on a low budget then, so I had to take the DIY path. As a surprise to me, I enjoyed choosing the logo layout and putting together a business card based on examples I could Google at the time. Of course, I had no idea what I was doing, but these pieces made me realise how much I enjoyed designing, making me rethink my career path.
A lino print and watercolour illustration.
Gelli plate experimentation with textures.
As far as I could see at the time, the next step toward a profession in design was to get a degree. I’ve been to university before to study Music Production and Sound Design and was happy to go back. I've made a small portfolio of basic art/design experiments I've managed to put together in an old Photoshop version I had. I got accepted to three London universities and went for the one that resonated the most.
UNIVERSITY TIME
Overall, I enjoyed my time at uni. Let me break down the main points of what we've learned to help you get an idea of what a design degree could look like:
Mixed media – collage & spray paint.
Visiting an illustration studio during the course.
Year 1
This was the foundational year. We experimented a lot – photography, design, different types of drawing & illustration, and other disciplines related to visual media. I got obsessed with mixed-media painting and screen printing and explored this area a lot. In short, this initial period clarified for many of us what areas of design and illustration we enjoy the most.
A 3D mixed media project – stencils, spray paint, acrylic, collage, texture paste, lava.
Close-up of the texture and colour.
Use of stencils and spray paint.
Acrylic paint and texture paste close-up.
Year 2
The second-year was more selective. We had to choose which sector we would specialise in at this point (the choices were publishing, branding, illustration, or digital). My choice was illustration, as this was precisely what I was into, so I had a whole year of diving deeper into the messy and exciting world of paint and print. We also did moving image and animation, which I didn't enjoy as much. Nonetheless, I explored my illustration side extensively and felt it was time to move on.
Experimentation with lino printing.
Screen printed tote bags with tags.
Lino printing in the studio.
Letterpress studio.
Year 3
By the end of the second year, I started feeling drawn to branding and decided to focus on it in the final year. We did three large projects and worked on personal projects and real startups that needed branding. I wrote my dissertation on ethical branding, did my final branding project based around a conceptual illustration festival, finalised the whole degree by organising and curating our final year design show, and threw my hat into the air during our graduation party at Barbican. And just like that, it was all over.
Giving a presentation for a branding project.
Experimenting with logo variations (acrylic & Photoshop). Lol.
Drying screen printed totes.
Screen prints drying on a rack.
UNIVERSITY TAKEAWAYS
Pros
There were a lot of positives, such as regular visits to design and illustration studios, weekly talks by industry professionals and previous students, a fascinating insight into the history of design (and the world), access to all the facilities, a huge book library, ability to work on projects with like-minded creative people, and meeting some very inspiring industry professionals (including some amazing teachers).
Learning letterpress.
Promo poster #1.
Using it for a project.
Promo poster #2.
Working with Riso.
Promo poster #3.
Screen printing.
Promo poster #4.
Cons
However, there were plenty of things that were on the negative side:
Leaving with a colossal student loans debt
Lack of design software education– only one lesson on Adobe Illustrator and one on InDesign
Not covering what the logistics of working with clients as a freelancer are (it was assumed we'd get a position as an in-house or agency designer)
Not learning a solid process for the projects of our chosen niche
Doing unnecessary work and wasting time on bureaucratic tasks
Mixed media project – work in progress. Lol.
A typographic design studio (Colophon) visit.
Drawing letters in a typographic class.
Working on a branding project.
Mixed media & branding work in progress in Photoshop.
Learning the machinery in metal works (scary but fun!).
SUMMARY
To get an idea of what the time after uni was like, what helped me become a professional designer, and my final thoughts and comparison of both sides of education, read Part Two of this post – Out in the Wild.
Kat x