There are a log of people who will tell you as a designer you are must have a degree and sometimes it must be from a great school or else you won’t get by in the industry. Well this statement is only half true at the most. The world is changing from what it initially used to be, especially in the design world. Graphic Design and Web Design as an industry is changing so fast now that a lot of people are trying to keep up the time but are falling flat in doing it. The fact is today you honestly might not need to go design school to become a successful Graphic or Web Designer. This is a big might though and depends on a couple of other factors.
Let’s get something straight before we go on any further on this topic. This is coming from someone who did not start off in the design industry. But started off in the automotive industry and would have never gotten into the Graphic Design industry if it was not for design school. Also I am in no way a teacher or someone you should base all your choices on. These are just my personal thoughts and experiences with design schools.
The Good About Design School
All things are not bad about going to a design school. Let’s start there before we get into some of the stuff you will not like to hear at all.
A design school is great place if you are wanting to become a Graphic Designer or Web Designer and do not have the current skills to have to go out and freelance. It will put you through the paces to make sure that this is a career you are wanting to pursue further. Also going to a design school you also get the benefits of being able to bounce ideas of other creative people and be building your network. Being a designer you need to have a network. A network helps you grow in your industry and can help you get a job somewhere when you are looking for one. It can also help you when you are looking for clients, someone might know a client you want to work with and they can help you get in touch with them.
The Bad About Design School
As many good things can come from a design school. There are just as many bad if not more. Some of these might come as a surprise others well just won’t.
The first bad thing about design school is and probably the biggest out of everything is the price. It is no surprise that the any college is going to be expensive. That does not change with design school. It can be expensive and you need to do a lot of research that is exactly what you are looking to do and are willing to pay for it. Being in design school you will learn the best tools to use in your industry and the design process. The one thing you will not learn is how to properly market yourself or how to get clients. This is something you are going to need to learn on your own. When you attend design school it is going to have to an overall of the industry to make sure that it covers all student needs. The thing it won’t do is help show you what neches you can do as a Graphic Designer or Web Designer. When it comes to knowing what is going on in the design world and marketing currently it can be hit or miss in design school. It more comes down to what the instructor and how well they have kept up with current trends.
The Conclusion About Design Schools
The end result of if Design School is worth it for you? Well it kind of depends on your personal situation. If you are 100% sure that you are wanting to do Graphic Design or Web Design but do not have the skills yet to be comfortable doing it. Than going to design school might be a great choice for you if you are willing to pay for it. There are other ways to break into the industry without the use of design school. To do this it is going to a lot of work and to be honest some serious skill. If you really want to do this you can it will be really hard and an upward battle.
