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What does a graphic designer need to work? Graphic design tips for non-designers. General information about the profession

Hello friends, I’m in touch again, Maria Elutina. In the last article you found out what he does.

Today we will talk about how to become a graphic designer without special education and work experience, what training platforms will help with this, and I will also give some advice to beginning designers.

possibility of earning money remotely (freelancing);
constant development;
the opportunity to master it from scratch;
demand.

How to start a career as a graphic designer?

At the initial stage, it is important to understand in which area of graphic design you want to develop and earn money. As you understood from the last article, there are many of them, and each deserves special attention.

Having made your choice, you will be able to understand which of the possible tools you need and which one you need to improve. For example, to design a web environment it is enough to know Adobe Photoshop, to create logos or icons - Adobe Illustrator. If you are not going to limit yourself to developing design for the Internet space, then you will need the program Adobe InDesign for printing layout.

There is an opinion that a web designer needs knowledge of a programming language (HTML/CSS). Personally, I am convinced that it is not necessary to know website layout programs. For this purpose there are specially trained people who understand the codes. If I need technical advice, I turn to this person. On my team, this role is played by a girl. Still, it doesn’t hurt to know the basics of what is feasible and what is not.

Is special education necessary or not?

I hope you understand that you cannot do without learning the basics of design. Now I’m not talking about higher education, but about special education. Nowadays, there are many special offline and online design courses.

Firstly, in the courses you will get acquainted with the basics of graphic design, its features, learn to think like a designer, and study professional programs in depth.

Secondly, you will begin to communicate with like-minded people, exchange knowledge and experience, and receive constructive comments and recommendations.

Third, you will get real orders, because often the mentors of such courses recommend their best students to customers.

That's what happened to me. I was taking a course in web design, and then I received orders from my mentor. On my list of reliable courses is Web Design School. Its convenience and advantage is that it takes place online and is adapted for freelancing. This means that you will not only learn the basics of design, but also be able to search for orders on well-known freelance exchanges. At school there is a whole lesson dedicated to this.

Now I want to give some tips that will help you avoid the well-known mistakes made at the initial stage.

1. Read specialized literature. Studying books on graphic design on your own will greatly expand your horizons.

2. Start drawing. Remember, I wrote whether a designer should be able to draw, and that I don’t know how to do it. I've been learning to draw for two months now. Believe me, it greatly simplified my understanding of graphic design. Well, it added a price to me, which is important.

If you don't know how to draw, there's nothing wrong with that. The main thing is to start doing this and you will notice changes.

3. Study the work of professionals. On my way, I often meet talented people who create incredibly beautiful and at the same time functional websites, illustrations, logos, etc. These are the ones I bookmark, subscribe to their pages in behance.net.

For those who don’t know, Behance is a platform for showcasing the work of illustrators, designers, and photographers. Are you not there yet? Register quickly and fill it with your works, as well as be inspired by others.

In my “piggy bank” there are photos of packaging, labels, posters. I, like Plyushkin, collect everything and store it carefully. This helps me develop my creativity and see the world more broadly.

4. Study fonts. Do you pay attention to fonts? I do. Moreover, it is very important for a layout designer when a layout with the “correct” text comes into his work. This means that line spacing, spaces, size, etc. are taken into account.

Looking back, I remember my layouts with a smile. Just a year ago, my main critic, my husband, did not approve of my “impulses.” Now everything is different, I have learned to use fonts, and each of my work is assessed positively. This is great!

5. Save your work. Any person, and we especially, must know our growth points. That's why I store all my sources in a special folder. I advise you to get one too. Perhaps you will return there and bring some work to perfection.

6. Develop your own unique style. Have you ever had this happen: you saw some work and wanted to make it better, adding your own vision? This happens to me often. I take someone else's idea and refine it. It's funny and interesting at the same time. Try it, it will help you develop your style.

7. Create your portfolio. Friends, it is important for us to present ourselves in such a way that you would want to contact us with an order. Therefore, the portfolio is our face. In the next article I will tell you how to create it and give recommendations for its design.

Conclusion

Having walked a certain path, I realized one thing: you won’t be nice to everyone. There is no single design style. Therefore, our work is based on the needs of the specific audience for whom we are creating the product.

But this does not mean that you need to forget about your uniqueness. Inspire your ideas into an existing model, expand the boundaries of your capabilities. Look for customers with whom you will be comfortable.

When I started, I had neither experience nor portfolio, but thanks courses on remote work , I knew how to look for the employers I needed, manage my social networks. networks and knew the basics of negotiations with customers. “Training” on . I've already talked about her.

Remember, only you know which customer you like to work with. The Internet is a platform where everyone can find their employer. My advice and your perseverance will help you become in demand and increase the value of your hour. Don't stop there, go towards your goal, improve your professionalism.

If you have any questions or need advice, write in the comments.

24.07.2015

Almost all technical writers have to deal with graphic design, whether it's creating presentation materials for a new product, designing instructions or brochures, or materials for a company website. Of course, everything related to images should, in theory, be handled by professional designers, but in practice this work is often entrusted to technical writers. Today we are starting a small series of articles about graphic design in order to help non-professional designers start their creativity, already having some theoretical knowledge.

Everyone nowadays wants to do everything on their own. Do-it-yourself (DIY) has been a trend for quite some time. Customers realize that they no longer need to buy something ready-made or hire someone to do the work. WITH using Google and Pinterest, there's not much you can find that you can't make yourself with the right tools and materials.

More and more we're seeing the same thing happen with graphic design. Clients design invitations, flyers, posters, etc. on their own because they can save a few bucks by doing so. That's not to say that most of them are great at design, but I think we can all agree that this shift away from professional designers in favor of the DIY paradigm is changing a lot.

To help those who prefer to do it themselves, below are some tips and pointers to improve your design skills. Graphic designers can be terribly expensive, but their work is different high quality, because they studied these design tips and strategies. Whether you're just a budding graphic designer or a DIY enthusiast, we hope they help you with your next design project!

Software. Without software for graphic design you won't get very far. Some well-known programs such as InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator will cost you a fortune. But if you are going to design on permanent basis, then you can change your principles and invest in it. If you're only going to design images every now and then, take a look at this list of free graphic design software. [Note “ProText”: We recommend a free Russified tool for drawing diagrams, creating simple infographics, working with text that is not in the list: https://www.draw.io ]

Ideas as a result of brainstorming. Before you start mindlessly designing something, brainstorm a few ideas, either on your own or in a group. Make sure you have a main idea and the information you want to convey. Also think about the overall theme of the image and the elements that should be included. This will give you a good starting point.

Draw sketches. After the storm, some ideas will appear - sketch them out on paper. You don't have to be an artist, and the sketch doesn't have to be perfect - it's just a sketch, a sketch of what you envision. Drawing sketches of the composition and the arrangement of its elements will help the design process itself go much more smoothly. Draw several variations of the sketches so you have a choice. It's a good idea to show them to others to make sure the sketches convey exactly what you want to communicate.

Net. In graphic design, a grid is a two-dimensional structure consisting of a series of intersecting straight or curved lines used to organize content. The grid acts as a workplace for the designer; it allows you to organize graphic elements in a rational, easy-to-understand form. A grid can be used to arrange graphic elements on a page, in relation to other graphic elements on the page, or to other parts of the same graphic element or form. Please see the article for reference.

Text formatting. It is important to understand typographic terminology. You may think you know what words like font type, font, font family, point, baseline actually mean, but I'm sure some of them will confuse you and some you won't fully understand. The article “Basic Typographic Terms” can help with this. Using too many fonts makes it hard to read, and it's even harder to find a bunch of fonts that look good together.

Emotions of fonts. If you think that font style cannot evoke emotions, then you are wrong. The font style should reflect the mood of your content. If you're designing a wedding invitation, the font should be elegant, perhaps sophisticated, while on a third birthday party invitation, the font style should be fun and lively. Check out the article: Evoke Emotions Through Typography.

Gaps. Make sure there is equal spacing between your words and other graphic elements in the image. Certain sections may be full while others have a heap free space. The spacing between characters is also important, and it is recommended to simply leave some space between characters, also called "kerning". The symbols should not be too close or too far from each other, because in this case, reading will be difficult.

Hierarchy. Visual hierarchy influences the order in which the reader perceives what he sees. Objects of the largest size are perceived by the human consciousness first. Visual hierarchy should be based on what has the most meaning in your composition and what should be read first.

Contrast. Contrast is important for defining different sections, or for highlighting important objects or words. Without contrast, the reader doesn't know where to look first or what's important. If you use the same color, font, and font size throughout your content, the reader’s eyes won’t concentrate on it and nothing will stand out. Contrast is what allows you to make something stand out and should be used in every composition.

Repetition. Depending on what you're designing, repetition can play a significant role. If you're designing a program book or foldable brochure, you may want to place the same or similar elements throughout the design. Such repetitions of basic elements throughout the document bring a clear sense of unity and consistency - in such a document it is easier to track the logic of presentation.

Empty spaces. Don't be afraid to leave sections of white space. Not every inch of your composition needs to be filled with captions, graphics, or pictures. Cluttered composition is difficult to read, and as a result, the reader misses important things. Empty spaces help highlight areas of occupied space and what needs to be emphasized.

We know graphic design from scratch is hard work. Do the colors match? Are the fonts suitable? Is the composition correct? Are you a newbie? Let's face the fact that not everyone went to art school, but that by no means means you can't be a designer! This article is a selection simple tips in graphic design that you'll learn easily and immediately improve your design skills.

Consider this an educational course on the subject, a kind of crash course, after mastering which you will immediately be able to apply the acquired knowledge in practice. If you create illustrations for social media, blogs or advertising, then know that you don't need a degree in graphic design, you just need the right tools and knowledge of the basics. We have good news - our article has both. So, 10 graphic design tips for non-designers:

Tip #1: Always remember who you are creating graphic design for.

Like any other project, your graphic works targeted at a specific audience. Always remember her. It's helpful to have an idea of a specific person in mind - something like the concept of an "ideal reader" when writing texts. This will allow you to design in a targeted manner, specifically tailored to your target audience.

After all, if you’ve done basic research, you know the demographics of your audience. In design, context matters a lot. You don't want to create something pretentious and glamorous for a teenage audience, or something super trendy and trendy that older people won't understand.

Keeping your target audience in mind, you create a design that will resonate with people and make sense to them. This way you can immediately get your bearings, choose a more consistent overall style, and even choose the right color scheme, which we’ll talk about in the next paragraph.

When choosing a color among the many shades, tones and endless variety of their combinations, it is not difficult to get confused. However, there are really simple tools that can help you choose colors. For example, if you can't decide on a color palette, Coolors will come to your aid - keep pressing the spacebar until you find the right color combination.

Well, if you're feeling a little more confident, try Cohesive Colors. which allows you to upload an image and select suitable colors for it. So, as you can see, you don't need to be an art school graduate to learn the basics of color theory!

Tip #3: Crello as a Graphic Design Teaching Tool

If you're completely new to design, try Crello. This simplified graphics editor is intended not only for creating a design from scratch, but can also serve as a source of ideas - because in it you will find ready-made templates from professional designers.

Take advantage free templates- they will help you get a feel for how composition works, what fonts work best together, and what types of visual materials you should use in your work. Creating a design in Crello is really easy - the work will be ready in just a few clicks.

To create your design, you will need beautiful complementary photographs or illustrations. Ours will serve as an excellent source of inspiration and ideas for you. If you are a frequent visitor to Depositphotos, then you know that the images you like can be collected in the “Favorites” folder so that you can use them in your work in the future.

Crello also has a collection of free photos in the “Photos” tab - “ Free photos" Whatever method you use, it's best to save the images that you like so that later, when working on your design, you'll have plenty to choose from.

Of course, the design should look neat, and this will help you special function Crello, which makes it easy to place and align objects. When you manually align text or objects, a layout grid automatically appears on the screen. For a design to look presentable, all its elements must be placed neatly and orderly.

You can use additional design elements that will be combined with the text. However, maintain proportions - make sure that the thickness of the elements matches the boldness of the fonts. Do not overload the design with an abundance of elements, try to make it clean and tidy.

When creating a design, it is necessary to maintain a visual hierarchy. The largest element or largest font will be seen or read first. For subheadings you need to use a slightly smaller font, and an even smaller one for the main text. Don't be afraid of scale. Some fonts look great in large size- they will help draw attention to the most important parts of the text on the design.

One of the most common mistakes newbies make is using too many different fonts at once. Fortunately, the golden rule will always help you out, which states that you can use no more than 2-3 different fonts in one work. So what could possibly go wrong here, right? But sometimes even choosing two fonts is a difficult task! We recommend reading a short article about font compatibility, which will be useful to you.

Do you know why you should limit yourself to the number of different fonts? - They will be difficult to perceive by eye. Ideally, it is better to use fonts from the same family for headings, subheadings, and body text. Don't jump from font to font as this may look unprofessional.

Although this topic is quite broad, it is easy to understand if you think of the overall composition as a hierarchy. The most visually dominant component (an object in an image, a text or design element) should be the most important part of your message. It is to him that the viewer’s gaze will be drawn first.

To check if you are doing everything right, ask someone else for their opinion! Grab the closest colleague to you and ask what they look at first, second and last - depending on how much text and various elements. At this stage it is very important to experiment with size, fonts and color overlay.

The easiest way to make a font stand out is to use a color overlay. You can apply a color layer to part of the image, or to the entire image. Avoid colors that are too bright and try to match the opacity of the color layer to make it look more organic.

If you're stumped and not quite sure what colors to use to blend your image, use the color matching tools we talked about just above. Adding color will make the text more readable and will also make the composition more visually interesting.

Many non-designers are very reluctant to leave blank space on a design or illustration. “Wait, how can this be, don’t we need something to fill this empty spot,” they reason. Don't be afraid to intentionally leave white space in your image. You know, and we know, that sometimes less is more.
By making a deliberate decision to leave white space, you are telling viewers that you want to draw their attention to other more important aspects of your design.

Well, if you start filling this empty space, then you will end up with an extremely oversaturated, one might say, disordered and difficult to perceive image. Well, no one needs a messy design.

Once you've become familiar with all the tools available to you, their effects, filters, and cool features, you might want to use them all right away. Make an effort to resist this temptation. If you start adding too many unnecessary elements, your work will lose balance. You remember, every element that you add to a composition must have its own meaningful purpose.

Yes, absolutely everything you put into a design matters - regardless of the format for which it is created. Therefore, it is better to keep it simple and allow the viewer's eye to appreciate all the small details and the overall picture they form. This doesn't mean you can't use a variety of elements, but use them sparingly—give the viewer a visual break rather than overwhelm them with unnecessary detail.

And in conclusion: consistency is the key to everything.

Finally, the main thing about using these tips is that you need to understand and be able to justify your choices of fonts, design elements, images and other details. This is when your work will have purpose and meaning. If you keep this in mind and take this into account in your work, you will be able to maintain consistency and consistency when creating multiple designs, for example for a series of blog posts, social media or advertisements.

You will probably say that our graphic design tips are not difficult to master. Yes, once you understand the importance of individual parts of the design, their functions and meaning, you will come even closer to an aesthetically beautiful composition, and you will create it yourself - a non-designer with a seemingly lack of any skills. Good luck!

There are a huge number of areas in graphic design: printing, illustration, patterns, iconography, interfaces, logos and identities, posters, packaging, font development, etc. All this variety is united by the word “Graphics”, but the main point is that a person cannot do everything at once, for this he needs to try. If you like drawing, try illustration! Assiduous? - go to iconography! If you like to analyze - the road to interfaces! And remember - no matter what you try, you can always go back and choose something else.

Try it in any way - practice, reading, watching. I advise you to go to design forums and meetups, watch educational videos and read books. Try not only different directions, but also tools. Over time, you will be able to understand what is closer, and you will be able to fully devote yourself to one or more areas.

Narrow specialists are valued on the market more than generalists, but the question of time is individual for everyone, as well as their tastes, needs and ambitions. Some people spend many years figuring out what they want to do and what they like best. Some may argue with this, but I personally believe that it is better to do one thing well than to do everything in a row, but so-so. For example: general-purpose designers work in regional photo salons and similar establishments, doing work for half an office. Don’t try to get there, but you can take risks for the first experience.

Expand your horizons

They say that if you don’t understand anything about art, you have nothing to do with it. To a large extent this is true. Explore everything related to art - architecture, sculpture, painting, history. Firstly, it’s interesting, and secondly, it will make you look at the world differently. It will help you work with form, composition, and think beyond the previous boundaries of consciousness.

A person must be absorbed in the design, delve deeply into it, chew it thoroughly, and not just hastily swallow it. S. Jobs

Try travel and read more. Getting to know new people, cultures, their traditions and customs will allow you to pick up something new and use it in synthesis for inspiration. Books will expand your vocabulary, help develop your imagination and allow you to express your thoughts better.

Learn languages not only because it is beneficial when applying for a job in top or foreign companies, but also because it will allow you to think differently. Your brain will open up new possibilities and engage those parts of it that were previously in standby mode. I advise you to watch the video about polyglots, it’s very exciting.

Get inspired

Inspiration is as important in the creative process as gasoline in a car. We can’t go far without inspiration; a computer can do mechanical work for us. In fact, a designer is needed to think about how to solve clients’ problems.

Many books and articles have been written about inspiration, so I will simply give examples of them, and also share links to common resources where you can (and necessary!) get inspiration.