Learn Graphic Design From The Experts

My focus is to calligraphy and lettering. I believe that by learning those arts you will definetely add big value to your design works. To learn them, I advice you to attend workshops or buy some books.
Also learning the history of calligraphy is really important for a type designer. To know its foundations I advice you to buy some books about calligraphy and lettering which contains history of letters.

• I can advice the workshops of Denis Brown, Yves Leterme, John Stevens, Christopher Haanes, Luca Barcellona.
• I highly recommend Foundations of Calligraphy Book by Sheila Waters.

Never get too comfortable in a certain style. Experiment. Fail. It’s the only way you’ll grow as a designer.

• Brand New – is a great blog about branding and logo design.

Do as many little finished and diverse projects in as short amount of time as possible. Fail as much as you can and learn from the mistakes. Then focus on slightly longer format. Don’t try to make a masterpiece as your first project.

• There are so many these days. I wouldn’t recommend anything specific. Just think in small pieces. Don’t try to learn everything at once and break down your goals into as many little goals as possible. For example learn some modelling before you decide to make a car explode.

– In order to produce original and personal content, try to get inspiration from things in real life. A common mistake is to spend/waste hours scrolling thru CoolDesign.com type of blogs and in the end, you feel lost by so much informations. -Always respect the people you interact with. If you have nothing good to say about someone, avoid talking about this person. -Keep in mind that the person you’re talking to might know something you don’t. This can be your boss, but as well a colleague, the new intern or the person cleaning the office. -Embrace Every Errors, they might be hard to deal with when they just happen, but retrospectively they are reasons for taking new path and pushing you won limits.- Have fun, this will translate in your work.

• Well, if you want to learn my secret tricks, I have a skillshare class about hand-lettering composition. —–> www.skl.sh/rylsee and I also have my first book called: HOW TO PLAY WITH LETTERS published by the great MOLESKINE®.
• The book showcases different projects and ways of playing with letters. I’ve already been told by other designers that this was a great source of inspiration.
• Other than my work, well to be honest I often feel pressured when I look at too many cool stuff online and it sometimes block my creative mood. Therefore, I rather take inspirations from real life, innocent mistakes, people, conversations in the metro, posters in the streets, tags and throwies… bad restaurant logos 😀

The number one tip is being open minded and understanding the meaning of the word “creation”.

• I personally don’t. We need to understand that it’s plenty of way to achieve a goal. Do not limitate yourself to just one path.

If you are looking to learn certain techniques then there are incredible resources online now. I would also say you can learn a lot from people working around you and also by looking at the way your favourite designers and illustrators create work. Try and break down how you think someone might have created work, as opposed to actively following a tutorial to do exactly what they did. That was how i learned my techniques, i studied the artists i followed, but without knowing how they actively created. It meant that i developed a style that was quite unique to me.

• I personally take a lot of influence from film and pop culture, so my resources that inspire me are not necessarily within the design realm. But i do follow itsnicethat quite closely for things that are more associated with design and illustration.
• I also find Instagram a pretty invaluable tool for inspiration. Essentially if you use it correctly you are curating a feed of imagery that you have chosen, so for me seeing all this incredible artwork that people are producing and posting on Instagram is very inspiring on a daily basis.

What I think I Do.

• www.YouTube.com

Look at what the world ‘s leading designers and design studios are doing, then close the gap between your work and theirs. Be curious about non-design-related topics, too, because the more you know, the easier it becomes to create design that works.

• A Smile in the Mind: Witty Thinking in Graphic Design
• Identity Designed: The Definitive Guide to Visual Branding

Look. Listen. Learn. – Look at everything around you. Not just graphic design, but look at architecture, painting, sculpture, fashion, nature.. almost everything in this world can inspire a new train of thought when it comes to designing. Be willing and open to admit you don’t know it all, then actually listen, and learn from other great designers.

• Can’t recommend any specific resources as such.. Honestly, I just follow a bunch of amazing designers, on places like Behance or Instagram, and follow their journey and learn that way.

For those starting out, choosing a passion project close to your heart is a great way to practice. Take some time to observe and search for inspirational examples to boost your creativity. Embrace constructive feedback and never lose your desire to learn.

• Skillshare has a wide range of classes about graphic design.
• I also learned a ton by trying out tutorials from this site: https://design.tutsplus.com/

Be very curious about typography and try to work with different fonts all the time to mature and refine your eye.

• There is nothing like museums and history

try to surround yourself with people you admire, only so you will improve and learn things from them

• Try to focus where no one is looking, just like that you will be able to do something different and original

The best way to learn is by doing. Try something out… if it looks wrong, try it again in a different way until it looks right and then again until it looks better. Make mistakes, so you learn not to make them again. Also study your favourite designers and ask yourself why you think their work is so good. Apply what you think that makes them good into your own work.

• As far as I’m concerned.. there is nothing specific. You can learn from everyone and everything. All advice is good… even bad advice. If advice is bad and you recognise that, you’ve learnt something.

To begin any career in graphic design I highly recommend attending a University and studying the history and core principles of graphic design. This is imperative in my opinion as you spend years developing a proper understanding of form, function, and how to tell a visual story through your design. You’ll leave having worked in a non-stop creative environment with daily critique that will helps you build up a thick skin which is mandatory in the world of design. I’ve never met a self-taught designer whose work knocked me off my feet. Secondly, a good designer needs to be constantly looking and studying the past and present of all things design. A great designer should and will breathe design daily. It is a passion and if you aren’t passionate about it – your work will reflect that. You need to be aware of what’s out there so you can create something new and refreshing. Design is an evolution and all things build on one another.

• Designspiration.net , Behance.net , Dribbble.com,
• Communication Arts Magazine, Print Magazine,
• HOW design magazine, Wallpaper magazine

Hard work, harder work, hardest work

• AIGA Eye on Design

Learning about design and watching tutorials for the basics and, then exploring them through experimentation.

• I would recommend places like itsnicethat and behance!

Read books. See, follow and save the work of the best in field. Get envious. Try to reveal their thinking processes. Don’t just remix old stuff. Work hard, but not that hard. Visit exhibitions, libraries and inspirational websites. Don’t expect to be great in no time. Learn a lot about typography and its rules, layouts and balance. Do a significant portion of self-initiated projects, nevermind them going straight into your portfolio. Remember that you’re working for real people out there, rather than the trend listing millenial instagram pages.

• I’ve started with Abduzeedo’s tutorials
• Read a lot of Creative Reviews, Lürzer’s Archives, Computer Arts, books on South American, Japanese, Eastern European
• 20th century design in general, as well as anthologies on logos and movie posters.

Be willing to keep learning.

• The Futur (YouTube)
• Tomrossmedia(Instagram)

I think you have to actually want to learn. These days, information is already so accessible. So many blogs, websites, and books, you’ll just have to search. It’s also a good idea to reach out to people you admire, and ask them to critique your work. There’s nothing to lose, and they’re just an email away.

• https://www.itsnicethat.com/ This is a really cool archive of the Typographische Monatsblätter journal throughout the years. So inspiring!
• http://www.tm-research-archive.ch/ See trends in type and cool websites using them.
• https://www.typewolf.com/ It’s also nice to read about things not related to your work too.
• These are some of my favorite magazines right now. https://www.macguffinmagazine.com/ and http://theplantmagazine.com/

Pay attention to what you like – and why you like it! You can learn so much about good design from analyzing what you see in the world around you.

• Lynda.com is great for learning how to use Adobe Creative Cloud software!

Be curious, be persistent and try a lot. A lot of types, a lot of textures a lot of ideas, a lot of colours and dive into soulful projects.

• I would start to research good schools of graphic design. Ecal in Lausanne or KABK in Den Haag are good examples. Being around future graphic designers, thinkers, creators and teachers that are graphic designers themselves is the best way of learning.
• Books, online courses are just extras that you need to add to your education. Blogs are always good source of keeping yourself updated, but now i find Instagram more useful.
• Follow designers, design studios, brands, festivals, musicians, photographers that inspire you visually and conceptually and thats a good dose of daily inspiration !

There are a lot of tips and methods to learn graphic design and they all depend on how bad do you want it. You can enroll into an art school where you will be surrounded by teachers who have practiced and taught Graphic Design for decades. And this in my opinion is awesome, but let’s not forget that schools might get really expensive and not everyone can afford paying for it. This is where another tip comes in handy self education. You really don’t need a degree to become a graphic designer, and this is the magic and charm of this profession. You can start of with Youtube and within a couple of months you will notice how your knowledge gets better and better. The next step (and tip) is to go out there and find a job in an agency, it can be an internship as long as it keeps you involved in the agency life and production cycle so you understand how things like communication, working within a team and handling critique work for you. Learn by doing one of my favorite mottos, is and will always be actual. Hurry up to make mistakes, make sure to connect with other designers, ask for feedback, post your work on social media, create something everyday (even if it sucks) and you will see how in time everything pays off.

• Of course. My first book related to logo design (which is my main activity) was Logo Design Love by David Airey. So I do recommend that book and his blog: https://www.logodesignlove.com/
• Another great resource is George Bokhua’s Logo Design Course on Skillshare.
• Aaron Draplin is of course a must to watch also on Skillshare and his book “Pretty Much Everything” was a great inspiration for me not just only career-wise.
• How to by Michael Bierut a book that has changed the way I think about Identities and Logos, and that was a great generator of inspiration.
• Last I would like to mention a Youtube Channel that has changed my life The Futur https://www.thefutur.com/
• With videos from the business of design to strategy and even tutorials/courses on typography/lettering/logo design and negotiating better prices, they are an irreplaceable resource for a designer that is starting out or even an experienced one.
• I highly endorse this Youtube channel for giving away a lot of free content and for making me understand how little was I charging for my services and that there’s more to graphic design than to being a order taker as opposed to being an expert who offers solution based on well-thought questions.

Be updated of any media, magazines, movies, music, arts, science, (obviously digital), etc, and analyze how the graphic messages are being communicated.

• If I recommend them, with the observation that not all the best is digital. You learn a lot from other media such as paper.

Check out great agencies like, www.serious.business

• 1. Typography, practice how to place and layout text. Experiment with font styles, create different emotions and hierarchies That will hopefully save you from fucking up the final work. Many Graphic designers are good at illustrative work but lack the final touches of typography.
• 2. Kill your darling, your first good concepts usually feels great because you solved a problem. But I would always recommend taking another turn, scrap the idea and make another one.
• 3. Feedback, ask what feelings are this layout, illustration, cover, website etc. making you feel? What could be improved?

In learning Graphic design, focus more on the composition, rather than the tools. The theories and principles are few of many key factors in crafting and executing good designs. After all, graphic design is simply a smart and beautiful way of conveying a message wrapped in a good well thought-out authentic story.

• The Vignelli Canon by Massimo vignelli
• How to by Michael Bierut
• Design Matters by Debbie Millman

Becoming a master of the craft demands a lot of time and learning in various fields of graphic design – history of arts/design, colour theory, typography, psychology etc. so my top tip for all the beginners is – be persistent and love the stuff. If you really want to be good at it, you will learn and evolve all your life.

• Lately I find most of the interesting stuff through social networks like Pinterest, Behance, Dribbble, Instagram… but https://www.itsnicethat.com/ for example is an interesting site for creatives.
• Taschen recently published The History of Graphic Design in two volumes, a really comprehensive book in which you can always find inspiration and discover something that you haven’t noticed yet https://www.taschen.com/pages/en/catalogue/graphic_design/all/04678/facts.the_history_of_graphic_design_vol_1_18901959.htm
• You can really find all the answers to your questions searching the internet. It’s all there, more available than ever before.

Research, you cant say you truly understand something, until you truly know and saw everything. Make mistakes, you need to fail, many times. In order to know how to do something right, you need to first know how to make it wrong.

• You cant be selective at the beginning, take in everything you can.
• Only after you have a notion of graphic design, past and present, only then you can decide a style that you would like to pursue, and then try and do a more filtered research on that particular style/ technique.

Be alive to the world around you! Notice everything! Notice what you like and what you don’t, and analyze why! Then get one-on-one design education from teachers you respect. If finances make that impossible, you can go it alone there are many tools available online but teachers watching you work and grow and offering guidance are invaluable.

• LinkedIn Learning and Skillshare are great to pick up skills.
• YouTube tutorials are helpful to address specific questions.
• More than anything be aware of people doing good work. Connect with them, and learn by watching what they do and what gets them excited!

Start with what you love. For me it’s important to enjoy the learning experience, dissecting and recreating your favourite Graphic Designers work can really add to your library of knowledge. It’s of course important to not share this kind of work as your own, but it is a great way to learn and develop your own style.

• YouTube.com – I realise this isn’t specific, but as a self-taught Graphic Designer I have to thank YouTube and the hundreds of talented Graphic Designers who are generously giving away their knowledge for free. A quick search of something like ‘Graphic Design – Web Layouts’ will soon give you more useful information than you know what to do with.

It might sound clichéd but progressing in any field of work takes a combination of motivation, ambition and talent. For graphic design, it’s using this combination to create a medium that helps people and businesses get their message across. And in such a way that is both visually appealing and understandable for their target groups. For me, it all starts with trying to sync with your clients. Try to get into their world and find their wavelength. So listening and a good dose of empathy in the first stages will help you get far. Following design blogs and other designers will help you understand what direction you want to go in and in which field you feel you could thrive in. Find a discipline/industry you gravitate towards. Find out where your passions and interests lie. Maybe illustration, typography, infographics, … The possibilities are endless. Finding your niche can be challenging but eventually, you’ll get there. Don’t be afraid of trying new things and showing them to the world. It’s like learning a new language, it’s only by trying and practising that your skills will improve. Don’t forget that graphic design isn’t an exact science. There is, of course, a broad consensus on what appears to be balanced and aesthetic, but in the end, it is all subjective. So don’t be afraid to experiment and push boundaries. This will help you create your own unique vision. So in a nutshell, it’s important to have good people skills, an open mind, an eagerness to learn and an ability to receive and process feedback while not losing your own unique style.

• There are many schools and courses that you can follow but for those who are not able to do so, the internet has a rich source of blogs and tutorials to give you a good understanding of graphic design.
• When approaching a design challenge, it’s always good to take a piece of paper and write down what the brief is asking and how you can answer it. Asking the right questions and keeping things simple is key.
• Asking those relevant questions is Roger Lindeback in his free ebook. In this book he deals with how to approach a branding project, but the same questions could apply to many other design challenges. It breaks down the branding process in insightful steps by asking the right questions. It’s very important to reflect on what you are doing and why you are making certain decisions on each step of the design process. http://www.brandhousebook.com
• Decent feedback is very valuable. It can help you get out of a rut or give you tips to elevate your work. Find a design community on social media that suits you. The Designers League is a Facebook group where designers of all stages and fields are represented. It’s a good place to seek advice or to help others. https://www.facebook.com/groups/thedesignersleague/ and https://www.creativebloq.com/design/free-ebooks-designers-7133700

Unfortunately there isn ‘t a simple or single way to learn Graphic Design. Here is a basic list that could be helpful: good research, basic drawing skills, some technical/software skills, learning to draw inspiration from history as well as observing things around us, and finally presentation.

• This can be a VERY long list. But since I love typography, research, and branding, I will definitely Thinking with Type (book) by Ellen Lupton
• The Craft of Research (book)
• Brand New (website) by UnderConsideration.

Search outside your comfort zone. Before I attended art school I learned most of my techniques myself by watching YouTube tutorials. I always loved to draw but to learn the digital programs and recreate my imagination I had to take time out of my day and study with what resources were available to me 10 years ago (and are still relevant). Today you can find platforms like SkillShare, Adobe Creative Cloud, Fiverr and more where you can practice and study with amazing artists and designers. The library of tools are getting more and more accessible and it is really up to you on how much you want to learn. Even though I watched and study a lot online what other people were doing in their processes and styles I mostly find my inspiration outside. I watch people in daily life, I notice patterns in nature and colors and forms in the most simple thing on a wall in a café. One great tip to fuel your inspiration is to actually take your eyes off the screen and think about how you can implement your creativity in ‘real’ life. Take a walk and start photographing beautiful things that you see. Listen to music that gets you in the right mood of what you’re trying to recreate. Write down tons of words that relate to your subject or your specific outcome. Gather images that not only represent the style you want for your designs but the feeling and emotion you want to share. Later on when you have your blank canvas or document ready, fill your workspace with all these images and words around your canvas as to create your workspace world around your empty piece. This will help you to ‘live’ in this world while designing it. So you don’t scatter around with no endpoint. This will help you with staying on track with your creativity and keep you motivated to build your artwork. If you start with only blank it can sometimes be hard to find ideas and you can end up staring at the blank screen for some time and get frustrated if you’re not coming up with any ideas or solutions right away and it can create anxiety or procrastination because it’s just so empty to look at. Haha. I also study a lot of great artists and designers that I look up to. I read about their process and how they create their art. Not to copy but to keep an eye on what works best for them if they have had many years of experience and already learned one or two mistakes along the way that can help younger designers avoid being in the same trap. And keep trying and keep learning. You can never learn too much. If you really want to get better just practice and practice until you get there and then practice some more! There’s always new tools popping up but at the end of the day it’s up to you to try and to decide what you want to learn. There’s many sections in graphic design where you can focus your attention. I’d say it ‘s a good idea to have a basic all knowing knowledge about the principles of graphic design where you know how the sections works: branding, packaging, editorial etc etc. You can then narrow down your expertise areas and develop your skills more prominent in areas you like the most. Maybe you’re great at branding and find that section most appealing, well then study and practice everything you know about branding and more and build your portfolio and your library around that area. Last, keep yourself inspired. You’ll find beauty and ideas in almost anything if you take the time to look. Read, watch, listen and pay attention to your surroundings. What do people love? What do you love? How can you design something that people love and that helps their day in a better way? 🙂 Whenever I get an idea I write it down or I voice memo it. I might not use it right away but it’s saved in my library of ideas and inspiration and can be useful to me later on in my life or my projects.

• Pinterest, YouTube, Packaging Of The World, Unsplash photography, Creative Cloud (Create by Adobe), Skillshare, Instagram
• AIGA eye on design, Adweek, Mirador, Bernstein&Andriulli, The Dieline, It’s Nice That, and way more. (Watch your favorite agencies work or studios as well to keep yourself updated on latest trends and techniques).
• Also to be able to create something that’s NOT on trend. If you know the trends you can create ANOTHER trend or something new.

always put yourself in the message recipient’s shoes and design by leveraging the personal characteristics of the project

• Whatever You Think
• 100 Things Every Designer Needs to Know About People
• insights on the reference market of the project for which you are working

1, Keep it simple, even the most complicated designs can be very simple. 2, Purpose, make sure you are designing with a purpose 3, Create designs everyday, it will only make you a better designer 4, learn from your failures 5, collaborate with other, it will teach you a lot more than just design

• https://www.learnsquared.com/
• https://www.holdframe.com/
• https://greyscalegorilla.com/
• https://www.skillshare.com/

Completely immerse yourself in design. Fill your instagram feed with your favorite designers. Be aware when you are looking at bad or good design (in products, advertising, magazines, websites you use/see). Note what you like and don’t like about what you see and apply them to your own designs.

• Shillington School of Design

Stay inspired/current and practice. Stay inspired and current because there is a lot of new design and designers surfacing. Practice because there is nothing wrong with know for about the programs you’re using or the new ones that have come out recently.

• https://www.shillingtoneducation.com/us/

Pay attention. Look at store signs, look at photography, look at what people are wearing – you are no longer an amateur human being.

• Follow lots of folks you think are doing interesting work on Instagram.
• Check out Typewolf.
• And then go to the library and look at design annuals from 10-20-30-80 years ago to cleanse your brain and jump out of the filter bubble. It’s good to know what’s going on, and it’s better to mix it down with something totally different.

First, become comfortable working with the fundamentals of graphic design color, typography, layout, alignment, etc.. Once you ‘ve covered these basics, start your project. Create a concept and stick with the design fundamentals. This will serve as your project’s framework and ensures that you won ‘t wander too far from best practices, or your original message. Design your project with the industry-standard software, Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop). Watch video tutorials as needed to become comfortable with the programs.

• Lynda.com has the best in-depth design tutorials.
• I like Coursera for online courses.

Spend time learning, watching, testing,… and keep your eyes wide opened

• Tim grey tutorials
• Domestika