Design Theory Prerequisites

You can understand design theory fundamentals by learning how design elements work together to project a specific message. This is what design theory is all about. You might worry that this subject will take a lot of work to learn. This guide will help you understand the best methods for learning design theory and what you should study first to make the learning process easier. This way, you'll be successful however you choose to pursue your education in design theory. 

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.

Is Design Theory Easy to Learn?

Learning design theory is a different experience for every student. Some students master the topic fairly quickly and easily, while the process is longer and more challenging for others. Exactly how difficult the learning process is, depends on many different factors, including a student's level of experience and how much time they devote to learning and practice.

While there are many free online design theory resources, most of them only introduce the topic. Most students find that they need to take a class to learn design theory. With a class, students receive instruction from a knowledgeable and experienced instructor. The instructor can help explain complex concepts, ensure that students receive comprehensive and up-to-date information, and answer any questions.

Noble Desktop offers several different formats for students looking for a design theory class. It has live classes, where students can get real-time feedback and also have the opportunity to share the learning experience with other students. Live online classes also offer similar benefits; however, they don’t require commuting. Finally, if live classes don’t work, Noble’s on-demand design theory classes can still be an excellent way to learn design theory from an experienced instructor.

What to Know Before Learning Design Theory

Before jumping into a design theory class, consider what that class might require and what you plan to do with your education. There are many different types of design theory classes, focusing on different fields of design and requiring varying computer skills and time commitments.

Computer Skills

Design theory has no formal prerequisites. However, some design classes might have prerequisites. Generally, checking the prerequisites before enrolling in any class is a good idea. Basic computer skills and access to a computer are often required. Some classes also ask for knowledge of specific design programs or applications. Students who don't have these skills may need to spend some time acquiring them before enrolling in a higher-level design class.

Design Specialities

Even though design theory is a broad subject, students usually need to know what type of design they want to pursue before they pick a design class. This is because many design classes focus on a specific area of design, such as web or graphic design. This means that students will probably need to narrow down their design interests to a particular field to pick a class. Students who are still determining what type of design they want to study can do some research. For instance, one way to better understand the different ways to use design theory is to look at Noble Desktop's Learning Resources page.

Costs and Time Commitments

Students who want to learn design theory can choose from several different types of classes, all with varying costs and time commitments. For instance, certificate programs are one of the most comprehensive types of classes and usually give students a good understanding of the fundamentals. However, they take longer to complete than some other types of courses and are generally more expensive. In contrast, workshops and bootcamps are often shorter and more intense. They usually cost less than certificate programs. However, they may cover less subject matter too.

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

Before learning design theory, it is important to understand the learning process. If you are thinking about studying design theory, know that:

• Learning design theory is a different experience for every student.
• Some design classes require certain computer skills.
• Students who want to learn design theory will probably need to focus on a specific type of design.
• Time commitments and costs for design theory classes can vary widely.