How Long Does it Take to Learn Design Theory?

Like many aspiring designers, you might want to learn design theory but worry that it will take too much time. The amount of time needed to learn design theory depends on many different factors, including your existing design knowledge, how quickly you learn new things, and which learning method you select. Keep reading to understand better how you can learn design theory and some resources to help speed the process along.

What is Design Theory?

Design theory is a system that explains how a design works and why it works that way. Every choice that a designer makes has a specific effect on the audience. For instance, a design can communicate, direct, invite, entice, or excite the viewer. Design theory is a way to understand how and why this happens. It gives designers a deeper understanding of how various design choices work together to communicate a specific message. 

When studying design theory, users will learn about design's key elements, including alignment, repetition, contrast, hierarchy, and balance. These elements all have a specific effect on an audience and are an important part of communicating a message in any design. For instance, contrast emphasizes particular aspects of a design or evokes certain feelings in the viewer. Balance can create a feeling of tension or stability, both of which affect the viewer in different ways.

Designers who understand design theory can make better creative choices because they know how these choices will affect an audience. They combine a knowledge of design elements with the specific purpose a design intends to achieve. Thanks to understanding how design works, designers can create a finished product that looks the way they want it to and does what they intend.

Read more about what design theory is and why you should learn it.

What Can You Do with Design Theory?

Design-related careers exist in different industries, and design theory is an essential foundation for many jobs. Designers work in fields like advertising, video editing, magazine publishing, and website creation. They create an array of different products, including advertisements, website graphics, and product packaging. Some designers work on digital designs, such as social media graphics, while others design for non-digital products, like books or business cards.

Almost every industry needs designers, so there will likely be a design job to match every interest. Web design is one popular field that involves creating and maintaining websites. Motion design is another popular design career. In this job, designers apply graphic design principles to filmmaking and video production. Augmented reality design is a newer design field. Designers who work in augmented reality enhance the real-world environment with virtual content, helping to improve the way people interact with the world.

Average Time it Takes to Learn Design Theory

There is no one way to answer the question of how long it takes to learn design theory. The answer depends on many things, including how much design knowledge students already have, how quickly they learn, and which learning method they choose. 

Design classes also vary widely in the amount of time required for completion. Many different schools offer bootcamps and other design theory classes that can be finished in only a few months. However, students can also take more comprehensive design classes, like certificate programs, which take longer. 

Probably the longest type of design course is a college design degree. Most undergraduate design degrees take four years. College design courses are usually very comprehensive. However, some colleges also require that students take general education classes as part of the degree program. A graduate course in design can take a further two to three years.

Other Factors

The length of the design course is one of many things to consider when planning a design education. Students thinking about learning design theory should consider other factors that influence how long it takes to learn it.

It Also Takes Time to Learn How to Use Design Tools

No matter what type of designer a student wants to be, they’ll probably also need to learn how to use a number of different design tools. Design theory provides an important foundation for anyone who wants to be a designer. However, designers typically use various tools, such as Illustrator and Photoshop, to create their designs.

Students Need to Spend a Lot of Time Practicing Their Skills

For design, practice is an important part of the learning process. Students who want to learn design should plan to devote a significant amount of time to practice their knowledge and skills if they want to master this topic. Most designers say that in addition to taking classes, they put in many hours of practice.

The Learning Process in Ongoing

Many accomplished designers worry that design classes are only the beginning of learning about design. They explain that designers never stop learning. When designers begin working, they often find that they learn more about design over time as they actually work on designs.

Level of Difficulty, Prerequisites, & Cost 

Some people think that design is just about being creative or artistic, but designers need to learn many different skills and theories to start creating their own designs. Mastering these skills can take varying amounts of time, depending on the experience and persistence of the student. Some students might be able to learn design theory quickly, while for others, the process might take years. For all students, practice is an essential part of mastering design theory. Formal education is also necessary for most people.

Design theory has no formal prerequisites; however, some design classes may require students to have certain skills, such as knowledge of specific design programs or applications. Many design classes focus on a particular type of design, such as web or graphic design, so students will probably need to narrow their design interests to one of these fields to pick a class.

Just as the time required to master design theory varies widely, so does its cost. Many design classes include design theory instruction, so students wanting to pursue this field typically have some options. Certificate programs are one of the more comprehensive types of classes. They usually take longer to complete than other types of programs, but they give students a good understanding of the fundamentals. Certificate programs can cost up to $5,000; however, many schools offer payment plans.

Read about how difficult it is to learn design theory.

Watch a Free Design Theory Online Course

Users serious about learning design theory may want to invest in a professional training class. However, there are many free online options for those who would like a free introduction to the topic before committing to a paid course. Noble Desktop provides free tutorials and seminars on its YouTube channel. These include a seminar on typography and Get Started in Design, a tutorial that gives viewers an overview of the many different types of digital design.

Other websites also offer free design theory classes. For example, Udemy has graphic design classes that cover design theory. Coursera also teaches several different design classes, including user interface design. Some providers offer introductory courses for free but require users to pay for their premium content.

Free design classes are a valuable resource, but students must ensure that any information they access online is reliable and current. Because the internet is so accessible, designers can benefit from a wealth of free information. However, the ease of putting information online also means that not all of it is credible. Before watching a tutorial or reading an article online, students should research the source of that information to make sure that it is trustworthy.

Read about more free design theory videos and online tutorials.

Learn Design Theory with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

No matter your schedule or learning style, you can find a design theory course at Noble Desktop. The school runs many different in-person classes at its Manhattan campus, as well as a variety of online courses. Whether online or in-person, all class groups are small and feature instructors who are experts in their fields. In addition, Noble offers a free retake option, where students can choose to retake a course once within a year. Students who opt for the free retake can gain additional design skills without paying for another class.

Design classes come in many different forms. Design bootcamps are one popular way to learn design theory and other design skills and can be a good way for students to master new skills quickly. Graphic Design Portfolio Bootcamp is just one of many different design bootcamps offered by Noble Desktop. In this class, students learn graphic design theory and techniques. For students interested in other types of design, Noble provides a long list of different bootcamps, including a Sketch Bootcamp and a UI Design Bootcamp.

A design certificate can be a good option for those who want more in-depth training. These courses generally run longer than bootcamps and provide a deeper level of design education. Digital Design Certificate is one of Noble’s many certificate classes in the design field. This course is intended to create well-rounded Digital Designers and includes vital design concepts and theory. Like many other bootcamps, it also provides job support.

Key Insights

Learning design theory is a different experience for every student.

• Design courses can take anywhere from months to years to complete.
• How long it takes you to learn design partly depends on your level of prior knowledge and on how quickly you learn new things.
• Most designers will need to learn how to use various design tools.
• In addition to taking classes, you should plan to spend a significant amount of time practicing your new design knowledge.
• The design learning process is ongoing, and you will continually be learning new things as a designer.
  
  

If you want to know more about how long it takes to learn design theory, you can look at some of the different design courses Noble Desktop offers. Each course description includes the number of hours required to complete that course.