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Help: Online vs traditional design courses

by xaron
6 replies
  • WEB DESIGN
    • |
I'd like to get into graphic design and possibly web programming and I'm wondering what options are out there. Is it better to go down the traditional route of a normal college tech type course or are there other options online that are better / easier? How long on average does it take to get to a professional level? What's the average cost etc?
#courses #design #online #traditional
  • Profile picture of the author iuditg
    Since I started my journey of web designing and graphic designing via online coaching I would surely guide you.

    First of all what type of graphic designer you wanna be ? There are lots of designing stuffs. Do you wanna get into web designing ? ecovers ? Logo ? Landing Page ?
    There are bunch of options.

    If you wanna learn for free the best resources are on youtube. Get photoshop(800$) /GIMP (FREE) any one of those software and start with basic training courses. If you are looking for a paid online tutorials you can try lynda.com, subscribe there for a month and download all the videos you want and then watch them and learn.

    If you need anymore specific help you can PM me anytime and I would love to guide you.

    Regards,
    Udit.
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    • Profile picture of the author xaron
      Hi Udit,

      Thanks for your kind offer. I'll be sure to add you as a friend and PM you if I need any help along the way.

      Initially, I think I'd probably focus on graphic design (logo's, ad's etc) since my main passion is art. Once I got to a certain level I'd look into coding and web design.

      I've never heard of GIMP before. How does it compare to Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator? Were you self-taught or did you do some online or college courses?
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      • Profile picture of the author iuditg
        Originally Posted by xaron View Post

        Hi Udit,

        Thanks for your kind offer. I'll be sure to add you as a friend and PM you if I need any help along the way.

        Initially, I think I'd probably focus on graphic design (logo's, ad's etc) since my main passion is art. Once I got to a certain level I'd look into coding and web design.

        I've never heard of GIMP before. How does it compare to Photoshop or Adobe Illustrator? Were you self-taught or did you do some online or college courses?
        I never did any course I have learned everything online.

        GIMP is free open source software and is a great alternative for photoshop (since photoshop is pretty costly)

        Also there is another free open source vector designing software which is Inkspace.

        They can't compete with Adobe products but does a great job for you as they are available for free.

        If you wanna start with logos I would highly recommend doing all the logos in vector format which is the most important thing. I personally use illustrator as it does all the required job for me. So you should start learning Illustrator as the 1st task. You can sketch up all your artwork and then convert them into vector format

        Again I would recommend searching for Illustrator tutorials on youtube you will find tons. This is only if you have don't wanna spend lots of money.

        If you have spare money you can do some kind of course from any institute near you.
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        • Profile picture of the author xaron
          Thanks, those are great tips. How easy is it to "jump ship" from one program to another though? Lets say you start learning GIMP, get fairly good and then want to invest in Illustrator, do you have to start from scratch or is it like using different operating systems on a computer? (i.e. you know how things work, you just need to familiarise yourself with the new setup). Also, are there any pro's / cons between Photoshop and Illustrator? How long does it take to get from amateur to professional level?
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  • Profile picture of the author Technista
    Before you invest in Photoshop, you should download their 30 day free trial. You can also find free trial coupon codes for Lynda.com, usually from 1 day up to 1 week. Google it to find the deals.
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    Atlanta Website Design
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  • Profile picture of the author iuditg
    1) Start with one program at a time because as you use them you also get use to with the workflow and different tools and positing. I would highly recommend Photoshop and illustrator if have some cash to invest, if not then choose GIMP and inkspace.

    2) Photoshop are pixel based software and its mainly used for graphic work. Where as Illustrator are vector based software which is made purely for artwork purpose. Most people use both of them together at a time and then import and export within software and create some crazy artwork !!

    3) It purely depends on your dedication and how much time you give each day to learn these software. I used to sit for around 6 hours a day and I learned most of the tools within 30 days. Once you get use to most of the tools, the fun part will began. Start playing with all those tools, options and setting, doesn't matter if you don't come up with crazy stuffs in the beginning just keep practicing.
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