Graphic Designing is a highly creative career option. Lots of people think that professional degree is necessary to enter in this industry but it’s not essential. You can also be a professional graphic designer without doing any degree course. You just required 4 pillars: creative thinking, tools and theory knowledge, passion, and a strong portfolio. If you are willing to enter into this industry, here is step-by-step guide which will help you to start your career in graphic design without a degree.
Is It Really Possible to Become a Graphic Designer Without a Degree?
Initially, for a beginner, it seems difficult to attain command on the skills a graphic designer need. But trust us, it’s not that hard as you think. Below are some building blocks to build career in graphic design without having a fancy degree.
Let’s explore them one by one.
1. Learn the Basics of Graphic Design
Firstly, you will have to understand the fundamentals of graphic design. These include:
- Design elements and design principles
- Color theory
- Typography
- Layout and composition
- Visual hierarchy
- Perspective
- Types of thinking, and many more.
For these concepts you can join any professional institute like ADMEC which offers graphic designing training including commercial arts and visual grammar sessions. These sessions develop your designing sense to think like true graphic artists.
2. Master Graphic Design Software
Another important branch that grows from the skills tree is proficiency on vector and raster graphic software applications. Whether you plan for print media or internet media, having command on digital tools is most crucial.
There is a big list of industry-standard software applications divided into various categories for you to explore and learn. Let’s take a look.
Vector graphic designing tools:
- Adobe Illustrator
- CorelDraw
- InDesign
Raster graphic editing tools:
- Adobe Photoshop
- Adobe Lightroom
Digital art tools:
- Sketchbook
- Krita
- Artweaver
So, if you learn 80% of the above-mentioned tools guarantees a good-paying job.
AI tools for enhanced graphic design and editing
See, to match up with the trends, you must possess the AI skills in you. For this, learning the top AI skills for graphic designing can really help you out.
Thanks to ADMEC’s top AI-enhanced courses, students are able to update their skills with the growing standards of this career field.
With our professional diploma in digital graphic design, you can make a balance between conceptual and technical skills under the guidance of industry experts.
3. Practice, Practice, Practice
Practice makes the learned concepts firm and perfect. You should do more and more practice to become proficient in designing. Spent maximum time practicing both visualization and digital tools.
In order to make practice a habit for all of our students, we provide class-wise practice assignments. There is a dedicated practice lab for the students to utilize time in practicing the learned concepts of classroom. It is mandatory to complete the given assignments on time for every learner.
Tip: Challenge yourself by doing experiments with designs. Create some sample projects too to showcase your work.
4. Build a Strong Portfolio
Whatever you make in practice, publish it online on sites like Behance and Dribbble. This way, you start preparing your online portfolio to showcase your skills.
To help our student in this part, our instructors issue 15 days long real-world project in which they work like an actual designer. Students are guided to follow the design stages and present their work in the last stage efficiently.
This way, they become confident and finalize a good set of portfolios too.
Some of the main design assets to include in your portfolio are:
- Logo designs
- Social media ads and posts
- Boards and banners
- Merchandise designs
- Posters, brochures, flyers, magazines, etc.
Tip: For creating strong portfolio you should also participate in design challenges and work on some free projects for gaining experience.
5. Take Freelance Work
As a beginner first you should upload some best projects on Fiverr, Upwor, LinkedIn, etc. from where you could take freelancing work and earn money. Start your journey with small projects and deliver high quality work for building trust with clients. On initial level you can charge minimum amount for taking experience. When you will gain experience then you can charge accordingly.
6. Network and Market Yourself
Show your online presence to the industry. Here’s how:
- Create professional accounts for social media presence (Instagram, LinkedIn, Behance, and Dribbble)
- Share your work and engage with other professional designers
- Join graphic design communities, channels and forums
- Attend design events, seminars and workshops
7. Keep Learning and Improving Yourself
As you know that Graphic Designs trends keep updating, so continuous learning is necessary. To keep up to date you should follow design blogs, watch tutorials and work on latest techniques. To stay updated in competitive industry must familiar with the latest trends.
8. Apply for Jobs or Start Your Own Business
Once you create your strong portfolio then you are ready to enter in this industry. Now you can apply for jobs or start your own business. Many reputed companies hire graphic designers based on skills and experience; they don’t need any degree related to this field.
You can even plan for starting your own business and providing your services to clients.
Closing Words
Now you got to know that starting career in graphic design without a degree is absolutely possible. With your practical knowledge, skills, dedication and continuous learning, you can be a skilled graphic designer.
If you are looking for Graphic Design Training under the guidance of expert trainers then ADMEC Multimedia Institute offers various career-oriented courses in graphic designing. Here you will get professional skills and build your successful career.
Take your step towards Graphic Design industry today and turn your creativity into a profession!
