If you are thinking about teaching yourself graphic design, then this article is for you!
In this post, we will cover nine of the most important first steps you need to take as a beginner so that in the end you are raring to go and can become a successful graphic designer:
Find your motivation
Get passionate about design
Learn the principles of design
Get started with graphic design software
Find and study design resources
Look for design inspiration
Start working on a project
Differentiate talent from practice
Be patient and consistent
Tips from Snapied 🤩
Below, I detail the steps I took to become self-taught in graphic design. This can be helpful for you if you are trying to break into the field of graphic design and need some direction.
Let's begin!
Step #1 - Find your motivation
Graphic design can be a fun and creative way to express yourself. However, it can also be frustrating if you don't know where to start. If you're feeling stuck, it might help to find your motivation for learning graphic design.
Think about what you want to achieve with your graphic design skills. There are different reasons for getting into graphic design.
Maybe you want to-
Create a logo for your website
Create a fancy website
Express yourself and be creative
Learn a new skill
Learn to use complex software
Make a career change
Make money online
Master design programs
The reasons can be endless, but the objective will still be the same:
To become proficient at graphic design, you must be motivated enough to keep yourself focused on the goal.
You have to have a strong motivation to learn graphic design if you really want to succeed. This means you must keep your eyes on your goals and stay focused.
Once you know what you want to do, you can start finding resources that will help you learn.
Step #2 - Get passionate about design
One of the best ways to get started in graphic design is to simply get passionate about it. Start by looking at design everywhere you go and appreciating the work that goes into it.
A lot of people want to become graphic designers, but few stick with it to make a career out of it.
What is it that makes someone keep learning and practicing? What leads people to become professionals in their field?
It’s passion. Not all graphic designers are passionate.
The capability to learn the necessary skills to become a graphic designer comes from passion: persistence, discipline, and the courage to put yourself out there.
Graphic design is all around us, so there’s plenty of inspiration to be found. Once you start really noticing and appreciating good design, you’ll be well on your way to becoming a great designer yourself.
To become proficient at graphic design, you must be motivated enough to keep yourself focused on the goal. – Jon Bon Jovi
Step #3 - Learn the principles of design
Design principles are time-proven and tested concepts that guide us in terms of what works and what doesn’t, visually speaking.
The principles of design are the basic guidelines for creating any sort of design. These principles include things like:
Unity
Totality or Gestalt
Dominance
Space
Hierarchy
Balance
Learning these principles will help you to create designs that are stylish and effective.
There are many ways to learn the principles of design. You can take a class, read a book, or even just do some research online. Once you have a good understanding of the principles, you can start experimenting with them in your own work.
Try different combinations of elements to see what looks best. With a little practice, you'll be creating amazing designs in no time!
Step #4 - Get Started with Graphic Design Software
The first step to becoming a graphic designer is to familiarize yourself with the software. Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator are industry standards when it comes to design software. However, there are other programs available as well. Some of these include Snapied, Sketch, Inkscape, and GIMP.
Each program has its own strengths and weaknesses. However, all of them can be used to create stunning visual graphics. If you're just starting out, it's important to choose one program and stick with it. That way, you can learn all of its features and become proficient in using it. Once you're comfortable with one program, you can then start to explore the others.
Well, one thing you should definitely know is how to use Adobe Photoshop. It's the industry standard for graphic design. Unfortunately, learning how to use Photoshop is costly and time consuming. It can take years before you can master it.
Even if you do learn how to use it, it's expensive as hell. So even if you're getting value out of it, the cost means something has to give.
Don't spend any more of your precious time using a complicated program that's going to take your design game to the next level. Snapied is a super-simple online graphic designer that allows you to drag and drop text and images with the help of our simple design templates and intuitive point-and-click feature. It's mainly for non-graphic designers.
There are plenty of resources available online to help you learn the different features of each graphic design program. YouTube tutorials, online courses, and books are all great places to start. Experiment with different techniques and see what works best for you.
There's no right or wrong way to design something - it's all about creativity and experimentation.
Step #5 - Find and Study Graphic Design Resources
If you want to learn graphic design, there are a few easy first steps you can take. One of the best things you can do is find and study graphic design resources, tutorials, and free courses. There are a variety of ways to find these resources. You can search for them online, or look for books or magazines at your local library.
Here are the top online resources for graphic design courses:
LinkedIn Learning (formerly Lynda.com)
So, get yourself an introduction to the design book, download free vector, and pixel software, and start following some good tutorials on YouTube(and it's 100% FREE). You will find that the amazing thing about this approach is that you will begin right away, focused on what matters the most to you.
Once you have found some good resources, take some time to study them. Pay attention to the techniques that the designers use and try to imitate them in your own work. Practice makes perfect, so the more you practice, the better you will become at graphic design.
In addition to studying resources and practicing your skills, another great way to learn graphic design is to take a class from a local college, or university.
Many schools offer graphic design courses that can help you develop your skills. Taking a class can be a great way to meet other designers and get feedback on your work.
Step #6 - Look for design Inspiration
If you're interested in learning graphic design, one of the steps is to start looking for inspiration. There are a lot of great sources of inspiration out there, so it shouldn't be too difficult to find what you're looking for.
Some of the best places to look for inspiration are:
1: High-quality graphic design Instagram accounts
2: Specific hashtags on social media (such as #snapied #vectorgraphics,
3: Group boards on Pinterest.
4: You can also follow graphic design social media sites like Behance or
5: Do some searches on Google Images for keywords like "logo inspirations" or
"best website designs" to see what comes up.
Once you've found some sources of inspiration that you like, start exploring them and seeing what sorts of things catch your eye. Pay attention to the techniques that are used in the designs that you like, and start thinking about how you could use those techniques in your own work.
Don't be afraid to experiment, and don't worry if your early efforts aren't perfect. Learning graphic design is all about trial and error, so just keep exploring and practicing until you start getting the hang of it.
Step #7 - Find Yourself a Project to Work On
It can be tough whenever you’re starting anything new. That first step is always the hardest. But once you get started, it becomes much easier. The same is true for graphic design.
One of the best ways to learn graphic design is by finding yourself a project to work on. It doesn’t matter what the project is, as long as you’re passionate about it. Once you find a project, it’s time to start working on it. Then, once you finish that project, find another one and keep going. The more projects you work on, the better you’ll become at graphic design.
Of course, you can’t just work on any old project. You need to make sure that the projects you choose are challenging enough to push your skills further. But at the same time, they shouldn’t be so challenging that you get discouraged and give up. It’s all about finding that balance.
So if you’re looking to learn graphic design, find yourself a project or two (or three) and get started. The more projects you work on, the better you’ll become.
If opportunity doesn’t knock, build a door. — Milton Berle
Step #8 - Differentiate talent from practice
Differentiating talent from practice is an important first step for anyone wanting to learn graphic design. Just because someone is naturally good at drawing does not mean they will be a good graphic designer. Graphic design is a complex field that requires a combination of artistic talent, technical skill, and creativity.
Practice is just as important as talent when it comes to graphic design. Anyone can improve their skills with practice and hard work. There are many resources available to help people learn graphic design, such as online tutorials, books, and courses.
Taking the time to learn about different types of graphic design is also important for beginners. There are many different subfields of graphic design, such as web design, logo design, and branding. Each subfield requires its own set of skills and knowledge. By familiarizing themselves with the different types of graphic design, beginners can start to figure out which area they are most interested in pursuing.
Step #9 - Be patient and consistent
Learning graphic design can be a long and difficult process, but it is important to be patient and consistent in your studies.
Graphic design is a complex field with many different concepts and skills to learn. It can take years to master all of the different aspects of graphic design.
However, if you are patient and consistent in your studies, you will eventually become a proficient graphic designer.
Tips from Snapied
1. Find a good teacher or mentor: A good teacher or mentor can be extremely helpful when learning graphic design. They can help explain concepts that you do not understand and give you feedback on your work. If you do not have access to a good teacher or mentor, there are plenty of online resources that can help you learn graphic design.
2. Practice, practice, practice: The only way to get better at graphic design is to practice as much as possible. You should try to create new designs every day, even if they are just simple sketches. The more you practice, the better you will become at graphic design.
3. Experiment: Experimentation is an important part of the learning process in graphic design. Do not be afraid to try new things and explore different techniques. You never know what you will end up with or what new skills you will learn.
4. Don't get discouraged: Graphic design can be frustrating at times, especially when you feel like there is no progress being made. It is important to keep in mind that every graphic designer was once a beginner and even the greatest graphic designers had to practice for years before becoming great at their craft. Graphic design is not an overnight endeavor. There are no shortcuts to success.
These simple tips should help guide you in the right direction for becoming a great graphic designer.
Final Thoughts
Get up, get started and do not stop! You can become a graphic designer if you put your mind to it.
In the end, you need to do more than just watch tutorials and read blog posts. You need to put what you learn into practice. The advice in this article is one that I wish I would have taken when I was a beginner, but at the core, the MOST IMPORTANT THING IS FOR YOU TO TAKE ACTION AND CENTER YOUR LEARNING AROUND A PROJECT.
Snapied is a simple yet powerful online graphic design tool that helps both professional and non-designers create amazing designs easily and quickly.
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