Successful Without Degree

F

fear

New Member
Hi, I wanted to ask, are there guys and girls here who are if not the best, but successful in graphic design that did it on their own like tutorials and google search? If you have a degree, would you have been able to do it even without schooling? I am interested in this field but I feel like I'm too old for school, I mean 36 years old and still need generals + the major (graphic design). Are there people here who make a decent or better earning to make a living who are graphic designers without school/degree or is that even possible?

Thanks
 
I don’t think certain doors, in my early career, would have been open to me had I not had a formal education. Now, no one asks, as I have a track record. In fact, I don’t even have a portfolio – it’s been on my New Years resolution list for the last 20 years! This year, I may just get around to it, if for no other reason as a record of the stuff I’ve done.

I think it is possible without a degree, but I think you’d need to be mentored by getting an entry level position in a company and learning that way. I don’t think Google and youtube will cut it, unless you are happy to scratch around with the bottom-feeders. You’d probably need a day job to pay the bills though.

It is tough and there is a huge amount of competition, especially at the entry level end. Design became the new black, the new rock n roll at one point. Probably because everyone thought it was a cool career and easy to get into. It’s not. Well, it depends at what level. You want to be a chef, you can probably get a job flipping burgers easy enough and call yourself a chef, but if you want to be head chef at the Savoy, you are going to have to know what you are doing, have learned your craft and put in the hard yards to prove yourself – and, of course, have had the requisite talent in the first place.

i am not saying this to put you off. I still think there is a good living to be made, but you have to earn it – and free videos and a couple of tutorials are not the way to earn your stripes. If you try to do it the easy way, you’ll never get near the plum jobs. I would never employ someone that hadn’t proved their commitment to the job. Even having a good portfolio is not enough. I would want to know you could deliver the goods with a 24-hour deadline and under pressure.

Sorry if that sounds negative, but of what other professional career would you ever ask the question, can I learn on Google and practice professionally? Architect? Lawyer? Doctor? Design has become devalued by the kids with a laptop and Canva, but it requires the same dedication and commitment to get good at it as any of the aforementioned professions.

Try posting some of your work here to get honest (if, perhaps, brutally so) critiques. There are enough time-served, experienced,, knowledgable designers around her who are always willing to help out.

Good luck.
 
As Hank mentioned above, we look at quality of work to be honest. And yes, I have no degree or formal training and have been designing for almost 20 years now.
 
I personally feel it’s about quality of work and the relationship you build with the clients. I have a degree in communications and marketing, but have NO formal training in photoshop or illustrator. I learned by watching over the shoulder of my design team and am self thought. Forums like this and YouTube tutorials were very helpful and I have been doing this for over 16 years.

Hope this helps.
 
BobrovLLC said:
but have NO formal training in photoshop or illustrator.
Click to expand...
These days too many people think that learning software on YouTube (and usually the wrong software at that), makes you a designer. Learning software is the easy bit. You only ever really learn that on the job, when you have a problem you need to solve. The important bit is learning how to be a designer – not a button-pusher.
 
At the end of the day it comes down to talent. I went self employed around 1982 in my mid thirties, I had no training whatsover and I'm still self employed and work part time if I want to. Go for it.
 
sprout said:
I don’t think certain doors, in my early career, would have been open to me had I not had a formal education. Now, no one asks, as I have a track record. In fact, I don’t even have a portfolio – it’s been on my New Years resolution list for the last 20 years! This year, I may just get around to it, if for no other reason as a record of the stuff I’ve done.

I think it is possible without a degree, but I think you’d need to be mentored by getting an entry level position in a company and learning that way. I don’t think Google and youtube will cut it, unless you are happy to scratch around with the bottom-feeders. You’d probably need a day job to pay the bills though.

It is tough and there is a huge amount of competition, especially at the entry level end. Design became the new black, the new rock n roll at one point. Probably because everyone thought it was a cool career and easy to get into. It’s not. Well, it depends at what level. You want to be a chef, you can probably get a job flipping burgers easy enough and call yourself a chef, but if you want to be head chef at the Savoy, you are going to have to know what you are doing, have learned your craft and put in the hard yards to prove yourself – and, of course, have had the requisite talent in the first place.

i am not saying this to put you off. I still think there is a good living to be made, but you have to earn it – and free videos and a couple of tutorials are not the way to earn your stripes. If you try to do it the easy way, you’ll never get near the plum jobs. I would never employ someone that hadn’t proved their commitment to the job. Even having a good portfolio is not enough. I would want to know you could deliver the goods with a 24-hour deadline and under pressure.

Sorry if that sounds negative, but of what other professional career would you ever ask the question, can I learn on Google and practice professionally? Architect? Lawyer? Doctor? Design has become devalued by the kids with a laptop and Canva, but it requires the same dedication and commitment to get good at it as any of the aforementioned professions.

Try posting some of your work here to get honest (if, perhaps, brutally so) critiques. There are enough time-served, experienced,, knowledgable designers around her who are always willing to help out.

Good luck.
Click to expand...
If I can PM you some stuff (not to do too often to not bother you frequently), would that be cool lol? Thanks a lot for the reply
 
BobrovLLC said:
I personally feel it’s about quality of work and the relationship you build with the clients. I have a degree in communications and marketing, but have NO formal training in photoshop or illustrator. I learned by watching over the shoulder of my design team and am self thought. Forums like this and YouTube tutorials were very helpful and I have been doing this for over 16 years.

Hope this helps.
Click to expand...
Yea, I don't want to even go out there just yet. I still need learning. Thanks for the reply
 
sprout said:
These days too many people think that learning software on YouTube (and usually the wrong software at that), makes you a designer. Learning software is the easy bit. You only ever really learn that on the job, when you have a problem you need to solve. The important bit is learning how to be a designer – not a button-pusher.
Click to expand...
Yea, I am trying to learn... thanks for the reply
 
Kryten602 said:
At the end of the day it comes down to talent. I went self employed around 1982 in my mid thirties, I had no training whatsover and I'm still self employed and work part time if I want to. Go for it.
Click to expand...
I am thinking some sort of freelancing. Thanks for thr reply
 
sprout said:
I think it is possible without a degree, but I think you’d need to be mentored by getting an entry level position in a company and learning that way. I don’t think Google and youtube will cut it, unless you are happy to scratch around with the bottom-feeders. You’d probably need a day job to pay the bills though.
Click to expand...
miladenaa said:
I think it is possible without a degree, but I think you’d need to be mentored by getting an entry level position in a company and learning that way. I don’t think Google and youtube will cut it, unless you are happy to scratch around with the bottom-feeders. You’d probably need a day job to pay the bills though.
Click to expand...
Is there an echo in here?
 
I personally feel it’s about quality of work and the relationship you build with the clients. I have a degree in communications and marketing, but have NO formal training in photoshop or illustrator. I learned by watching over the shoulder of my design team and am self thought. Forums like this and YouTube tutorials were very helpful and I have been doing this for over 16 years.
 
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