Beginners Courses in a classroom or workshop. How do I find one?

[GDesignerEB]

I'm thinking of going into Graphic Design. I have built my skills by using a program called 'Serif Pageplus Essentials' for my personal work. I can use regular/irregular shapes, rearrange them to create and build a new image. I have used 3D filters to make a 2D image look 3D. I understand that I need to learn the fundamentals of graphic designs i.e. lines, colour, shape, texture etc. I struggle with understanding the depth of the theory side from online tutorials. Are there any beginners courses in a classroom? Where you can ask questions and have discussions to enable to gain, a more understanding of the theory side of graphic design in Birmingham, UK? Thank you.

 

[mocchuan]

I think it's better to find a teacher to guide you directly.

 

[Aleks37]

I'm thinking of going into Graphic Design. I have built my skills by using a program called 'Serif Pageplus Essentials' for my personal work. I can use regular/irregular shapes, rearrange them to create and build a new image. I have used 3D filters to make a 2D image look 3D. I understand that I need to learn the fundamentals of graphic designs i.e. lines, colour, shape, texture etc. I struggle with understanding the depth of the theory side from online tutorials. Are there any beginners courses in a classroom? Where you can ask questions and have discussions to enable to gain, a more understanding of the theory side of graphic design in Birmingham, UK? Thank you.

Hi. My sister is now looking for the good courses of Graphic Design. She was considered the Birmingham City University (if I recall it right, but can find a link if you wish) and it was for about 1-2 year studying. She denied it for herself, becuase it's too long for her and she can't study off-line. May be it would be good for you...
She is looking for online courses and if you can recomend some good one, I'd very much appreciate it.

 

[Aleks37]

Hi. My sister is now looking for the good courses of Graphic Design. She was considered the Birmingham City University (if I recall it right, but can find a link if you wish) and it was for about 1-2 year studying. She denied it for herself, becuase it's too long for her and she can't study off-line. May be it would be good for you...
She is looking for online courses and if you can recomend some good one, I'd very much appreciate it.

as promised, the link to Birmingham City University course: https://www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/graphic-design-ba-hons-2023-24 . I've asked sister and she recommended also this: BA (Hons) Graphic Design course that is in Nottingham, not so far as well.
Hope that 'll help you )

 

[Jason0885]

Hi. My sister is now looking for the good courses of Graphic Design. She was considered the Birmingham City University (if I recall it right, but can find a link if you wish) and it was for about 1-2 year studying. She denied it for herself, becuase it's too long for her and she can't study off-line. May be it would be good for you...
She is looking for online courses and if you can recomend some good one, I'd very much appreciate it.

I found the graphic design courses on Udemy very good, especially the ones by Lindsay Marsh. You learn quite a lot from her courses and she adds to them all the time, well worth the course fee and you get perminant access to the course materials, this is how I brushed up on my own skills.
Hope this helps you.

 

[Aleks37]

I found the graphic design courses on Udemy very good, especially the ones by Lindsay Marsh. You learn quite a lot from her courses and she adds to them all the time, well worth the course fee and you get perminant access to the course materials, this is how I brushed up on my own skills.
Hope this helps you.

It's so kind of you! I'll tell that to my sister. May be it `d good for her )

 

[Kryten602]

Having talent helps, so I hope you've got that.

 

[sprout]

It's so kind of you! I'll tell that to my sister. May be it `d good for her )

There’s absolutely no substitute for a good degree from a reputable university – and BCU is a good one.

If I were looking to employ a young designer and had a choice of two candidates (it would be many more), if one had a good degree and the other a series of udemy (or similar) courses. the latter would almost certainly end up firmly on the NO pile. An actual university course will teach you many things that self-directed online learning never will.

in addition, the whole entrance process will give you (if perhaps, painfully honest) a good idea of whether you have the requisite talent in the first place.

Once you have done all this, you then need four or five years of studio experience before you can even think about calling yourself a professional designer. It’s a long, hard slog, but there are no short cuts, unless you want to spend your life bottom-feeding on completion sites with the legions of self-taught who haven’t a clue what they are doing – but think they do.

I know what I am saying is fairly blunt, but it is a tough market out there. It always was, but at least when I started out, I was competing against other qualified designers. Now it is even tougher because you need to be noticed in armies of ignorant eager optimists, who think graphic design is a cool, easy-come-by career. It isn’t. It involves lots of all-nighters and silly deadlines, but do it right and it’s a very rewarding career. Try and take the shortcuts and you’ll need a second job stacking shelves to make ends meet.

Do it the right way. Good luck.

 

[Aleks37]

There’s absolutely no substitute for a good degree from a reputable university – and BCU is a good one.

If I were looking to employ a young designer and had a choice of two candidates (it would be many more), if one had a good degree and the other a series of udemy (or similar) courses. the latter would almost certainly end up firmly on the NO pile. An actual university course will teach you many things that self-directed online learning never will.

in addition, the whole entrance process will give you (if perhaps, painfully honest) a good idea of whether you have the requisite talent in the first place.

Once you have done all this, you then need four or five years of studio experience before you can even think about calling yourself a professional designer. It’s a long, hard slog, but there are no short cuts, unless you want to spend your life bottom-feeding on completion sites with the legions of self-taught who haven’t a clue what they are doing – but think they do.

I know what I am saying is fairly blunt, but it is a tough market out there. It always was, but at least when I started out, I was competing against other qualified designers. Now it is even tougher because you need to be noticed in armies of ignorant eager optimists, who think graphic design is a cool, easy-come-by career. It isn’t. It involves lots of all-nighters and silly deadlines, but do it right and it’s a very rewarding career. Try and take the shortcuts and you’ll need a second job stacking shelves to make ends meet.

Do it the right way. Good luck.

Thanks a lot for the advice! Nothing to add. We 're in a one boat. I belong to "old-school thinkers" as young people might say. ) Surely, real professionalism requires time and forces to get it.