How Difficult is it to Learn Graphic Design?

Are you curious about learning graphic design but worried it might be too hard? Of course, the difficulty that comes with learning a new skill is somewhat subjective. The challenges of learning graphic design depend on factors like how much experience a student has with creative skills training, how much background knowledge a student has in design principles, and what professional aspirations a student may have.

No matter your current schedule or comfort level with graphic design, plenty of tools are available to help make learning easier than you might think.

What is Graphic Design?

Graphic design is a field of creative arts that focuses on projecting visual communication, often built of combinations of text, images, photographs, and other visual elements, with specific goals. Graphic design covers a wide array of different artistic disciplines and endeavors. Still, at its core, it is the act of using visual imagery to communicate with audiences and convey feelings and ideas that language alone wouldn’t be able to express. As a subset of the fine arts, graphic design skills are used in virtually every industry, but they are particularly prominent in advertising and branding. Advertisements, product packaging, logos, branded merchandise, and other promotional materials all demonstrate graphic design skills. Any business or organization looking to reach an audience will want to hire those skilled in graphic design.

Since graphic design covers a wide range of artistic disciplines, no two Graphic Designers will be working with the same toolset or on the same kinds of projects. Some will work in traditional print mediums, such as the publishing or magazine industry. Some will work on designing logos and branded merchandise for companies to place on billboards, hats, and other promotional materials. Some will work on digital projects, building webpages and mobile application assets. Others will design infographics, posters, and signage for activist organizations or non-profits. Graphic design is a wide-open field of diverse artistic endeavors, and learning graphic design skills will open many doors for creatives.

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

What Can You Do with Graphic Design?

Graphic design represents a wide-ranging field of visual expression, which means there is virtually no limit to the kinds of images that sufficiently skilled creatives can create. As the field of graphic design is so expensive, creatives can make use of their skills in both professional and personal contexts. As professional Graphic Designers, creatives will be tasked with building imagery that is both evocative and communicates complex persuasive ideas to their audience of consumers. Graphic Designers will build the iconography of companies and brands, build the images that audiences come to associate with those companies, and help construct memorable advertising campaigns, promotional material, and product packaging.

Graphic design skills are also useful for non-professionals who want to persuade large audiences. Small business owners, start-up entrepreneurs, or even creatives working in marketplaces like Etsy may wish to learn more about graphic design to build their brand identities and set themselves apart from their competitors. Activists and organizers can learn graphic design skills to build more visually appealing and persuasive designs for flyers and infographics. Politicians will hire graphic designers to build campaign materials. As long as someone is attempting to communicate visually to an audience, they will benefit from either learning graphic design skills or working closely alongside someone who knows them.

What Are the Most Challenging Parts of Learning Graphic Design?

The most challenging part of learning graphic design is the continual need to practice and iterate on one’s skills. Since graphic design is a loose collection of creative skills, rather than, say, a programming language, students never really ‘fully learn’ graphic design. Instead, they become more and more proficient and comfortable with graphic design tools, making each project less and less challenging. The only way to overcome this difficulty is through constant practice, though some things might help.

How Does Learning Graphic Design Compare to Other Fields?

Graphic design is an expansive field of creative work that touches upon or completely overlaps several other creative disciplines. Learning graphic design skills will likely give students access to the tools they need to begin learning other similar skill sets, meaning that new students should be aware of where these skills are useful.

Graphic design skills are closely related to visual and user interface design skills. They use many tools, but user interface design emphasizes using them to build digital assets that will populate webpages, mobile applications, and other digital products. Graphic design training will teach students how to build things like posters, company logos, magazine page layouts, and other traditional print media, while visual design training will strictly focus on designing assets for digital spaces.

Graphic design training is also focused primarily on static, two-dimensional designs. Students will learn how to build static assets that can be printed onto or made into physical objects. Contrast this with motion graphics training, which teaches students to use additional tools like Premiere Pro or After Effects to create animated three-dimensional assets. This training is essential for anyone hoping to build graphic designs for the film and television industry, as it allows them to add movement and depth to their otherwise flat, static designs.

To find out more about either of these complementary fields, consult Noble’s learning resources for visual design, UI design, and motion graphics.

Visual Design Background

Students with a background in visual design and other creative fields may find that learning graphic design skills naturally comes to them. Knowing theories of composition and having experience learning and practicing creative skills will greatly ease the process of learning other tools like Photoshop and Illustrator.

Professional Aspirations

Students learning graphic design for a new career may find they need to do more work and undergo more training than if they were hoping to learn a new skill casually. The level of knowledge necessary for a job differs from what’s needed simply to improve their resume or become better at creative hobbyist endeavors.

Learn Graphic Design with Hands-on Training at Noble Desktop

Interested in learning graphic design? There are a few different options available. It’s possible to either study individual graphic design tools in accelerated bootcamps or learn complementary graphic design skills in more career-focused training programs. Both graphic design training courses are available to students through Noble Desktop, both in-person and online. These courses are taught by experienced instructors who can teach students important graphic design techniques and give them vital feedback on their designs. Even online, Noble strives to keep class sizes small, ensuring that students can interface directly with their instructors. Plus, all of Noble’s courses have the option to retake the course for free within a year. This allows students to hone their skills, cover material that may have given them difficulty, or just get more hands-on practice and feedback on their designs.

For students looking to learn the programs most commonly associated with professional graphic design, Noble offers a wide selection of bootcamps. These include training courses in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, all of which are industry-standard tools. These courses will provide students with hands-on training in the advanced techniques to manipulate and edit photos, build vector graphic illustrations, or construct layout designs. Each of these courses will guide students through practical exercises replicating the kinds of projects built by professional Graphic Designers. Each of these courses will teach an individual tool, but because they are all part of the Adobe Creative Cloud, learning one tool will ease future training and greatly expand how creatives can use multiple programs simultaneously.

Students looking to build a career in graphic design may wish to consider Noble’s Graphic Design Certificate program. This accelerated training program will teach students all three major 2D graphic design tools. Students will learn Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign work separately, then they will learn how these programs complement one another, introducing students to new and expansive ways to build graphic designs. Since this is a career-focused bootcamp, students will receive one-on-one career mentorship. The final portion of the course is dedicated to helping students build a practical portfolio of sample design that they can take onto the job market. For students looking to turn a passion for graphic design into a career, Noble’s certificate programs are an ideal place to receive the necessary skills training.