What is Design Theory?

Every choice that a designer makes has a specific effect on the audience. Design theory is a system that explains how and why this happens. It gives designers a deeper understanding of how the different design elements can communicate a specific message. Designers who understand design theory can easily create compelling work. In this overview, you’ll learn more about what design theory is, what it can do, who uses it, and how to add knowledge of design theory to your professional toolbox.

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.

How Do You Get Design Tools? How Much Does it Cost?

After learning design theory, designers will need access to various tools they can use to create their designs. The tools they need will depend on the design specialty they want to pursue. Some design tools are free, while others cost money. Overall though, design tools are generally cheaper than design classes.

Adobe Creative Cloud is one of the most popular tools designers use, including numerous design applications such as Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Premiere Pro. Subscribing to many of these individual apps is about $20 per month, although some cost more. Another option is to pay $55 per month for access to all Creative Cloud apps. Adobe also offers a yearly subscription. Finally, the company provides free trials for designers who aren’t sure which Adobe app they might want.

Some designers might also need Microsoft Office, which allows users to create and edit documents with text and images. Microsoft Office is available for a one-time purchase price of about $150. Another option is a regular subscription to Office 365, which has more features. Office 365 plans start at about $7 per month or $70 per year.

In addition to the various design programs, many designers will need to use a programming language, framework, or web design template to create their designs. The good news is that these are generally free. For instance, Python, Java, and JavaScript are all programming languages that are free to use. Many other web design tools are also free, like Django and Matplotlib.

For designers working in digital marketing and social media, there are additional commonly-used tools, some of which cost money and some free. Google Analytics is a free tool that tracks and reports on website traffic. Semrush is excellent for keyword research and costs between $120 and $450 monthly. However, the company does offer a free trial. Google Ads is free with an account. Creating an individual or business social media account is also free.

What Are the Benefits of Learning Design Theory?

By studying design theory, designers can learn to create better designs. This field of study gives students a deeper understanding of the different elements of an image and how these elements work together to influence the viewer. For instance, colors can be combined or contrasted in various ways to create certain feelings in the audience. With the knowledge of how color and all the other parts of design work, professional designers can make better creative decisions and produce designs that effectively communicate messages.

The principles of design theory can also help designers solve design problems. Every design project includes certain challenges or frustrations. Still, designers who understand why they are using various elements in their design are better equipped to solve any problems they encounter.

Designers who know design theory can talk about their designs confidently and knowledgeably because they understand how and why those designs work. This can be beneficial during a job interview because a designer can confidently explain a portfolio. It can also give designers an advantage when presenting designs to clients or employers. A strong understanding of design theory can also make designers more attractive to employers and clients because it allows them to present their work more effectively.

Read more about why you should learn design theory.

Design Theory Careers

Design is a part of every industry since everything created or produced must first be designed by somebody. Some industries use design to communicate information, while many companies develop websites and social media pages to keep consumers informed about their products. Design also persuades audiences to react a certain way, such as in advertising. Another way design theory functions is by companies that create entertainment content, such as filmmakers or app developers. Overall, designers who understand design theory are vast and found almost everywhere.

Since design is a part of so many professions, tens of thousands of design job openings are in the United States every year. Officials predict this trend to continue. For instance, according to projections by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, over the next decade, there will be almost 25,000 openings for graphic designers each year. For web development and digital design, the agency also predicts that there will be a significant number of job openings each year, with overall employment expected to increase by 23 percent in the next ten years.

How to Learn Design Theory

There are numerous ways to learn design theory. For most students, the most effective type of design theory education comes from a live class, where they can receive real-time instructor feedback and have the opportunity to collaborate and network with other students. Live instruction doesn’t work for everyone, though. Some people aren’t able to commute to a class, while others can’t fit a live course into their schedules. Those who don’t have in-person training options near them can still enjoy the benefits of live instruction by opting for a live online class. This type of instruction still allows live interaction while providing the flexibility to learn from any location.

Students who need a more flexible option can choose an on-demand design theory class. Participants typically need to be more self-motivated in an on-demand course since these classes let them work at their own pace. However, many find this flexible schedule more compatible with a busy schedule.

Noble Desktop offers a number of free resources on the topic for students who want to get a basic understanding of design theory before committing to any class. Its official YouTube page has free design seminars, such as How to Get Started in Graphic Design, and free tutorials on other design-related topics, including its Intro to Type Classifications.

Read the full guide on how to learn design theory.

A Brief History of Design Theory

Designers have been studying design theory for hundreds of years, and their understanding of how design works have continually changed over time. What hasn’t changed is that people have been designing things for as long as they have been theorizing about how their design choices affect their audience and how they can best accomplish their design goals.

The history of design theory includes many attempts to understand the basic principles that should guide a designer. Marcus Vitruvius Pollio, a Roman architect who lived during the first century BC, is an early example of a designer who attempted to do this. Vitruvius insisted that any design should focus on three essential themes: strong, useful, and beautiful. 

While numerous design theories followed Vitruvius’, many people believe it wasn’t until 1962 that design theory emerged as a recognized field of study. That year, designers from the arts and sciences met at the Conference on Design Methods in London. At this conference, they attempted to agree on some theories that should guide design. Many such discussions and conferences have followed.

Throughout history, designers have also attempted to understand the complexity of their audiences. In 1973, design theorist Horst Rittel coined the term “wicked problem” to describe the kind of complex problems that designers often find themselves trying to solve. Wicked problems are multidimensional problems that can seem impossible to solve. Designers believe that solving these problems requires a deep understanding of the motivations and behaviors that drive human beings.

Comparable Subjects

Design theory involves understanding how and why the various elements of design influence viewers and using that knowledge to create designs that will influence viewers in a specific way. Social media marketing resembles design theory because marketers also learn about how different types of content influence people. Unlike other designers, they know specifically about social media content. However, like other designers, social media marketers use their knowledge to influence users. In their case, these users are users of social media.

Social media marketing aims to create engaging content that will attract the attention of users of various social media apps and websites. Marketers need to understand their audience and what type of content will attract members of that audience. They collect and analyze viewer activity data to understand this better. They use their knowledge to create social media content.

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

Design theory is a system that helps a designer understand how to use design elements to create an effective design.

• Design jobs exist in almost every industry, and design theory provides a foundation for many jobs.
• Knowledge of design theory helps designers create stronger designs.
• Designers have been studying design theory for hundreds of years.
• Design theory classes come in many different formats, but many people find live instruction to be the most effective.
  

Adding design theory to your professional toolbox is easy with Noble Desktop design classes. Noble offers many design course options to fit a variety of different schedules and learning styles.