Is Graphic Design a Hard Class?

Graphic design is an interesting field that requires a wide variety of skills, some of which may be more challenging than others. To gain mastery, Graphic Designers should have strong technical, creative, and communication skills. However, the depth of study and your current skill level will often determine the difficulty level. If you have less experience, there will likely be more challenges and roadblocks as opposed to someone who has relevant or similar experience. Regardless of anything else, learning Graphic Design is highly possible for anyone willing to dedicate the time and effort to learning. 

What is Hard about Learning Graphic Design?

Some may find graphic design much easier to learn than others, but there are still some demanding and challenging aspects. It all depends largely on circumstances, such as personal preference and previous experience. Although graphic design has its unique difficulties, these are hurdles that you can still overcome with a strong work ethic, dedication, and practice.

Technical Skills

Graphic design classes often require students to learn multiple software relevant to the field. These will likely include applications within Adobe Creative Cloud, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign. Some classes may teach Figma, which is typically used as a user experience or user interface tool but can be incredibly worthwhile for an aspiring Graphic Designer to know. This software can be relatively demanding to learn, particularly if you are a complete novice. Navigating the interface and learning each application's features and tools can be overwhelming at best and incredibly challenging at worst. Additionally, some graphic design experts learn how to code. Although most do not have to be expert coders, it is advantageous to have some coding experience to impress potential employers during the job search and throughout the completion of some professional projects. Still, these technical skills can be difficult to learn and may require additional time, effort, and study to grasp fully.

Design Principles and Creativity

However, if you already have experience using Adobe Creative Cloud applications, or generally consider yourself a tech-savvy individual, you may find the technical aspects fairly easy to learn. Instead, you may have a tough time translating your creative endeavors into your projects. This is not out of the ordinary -- just as a writer often suffers from writer's block, it can be difficult to draw creative inspiration, especially when faced with a strict deadline. While graphic design experts typically follow design principles, such as compositions, repetition, typography, negative space, and color theory, applying these principles to your work can be an arduous process. Understanding how these elements work can create a more effective design, but it can take a lot of time, practice, brainstorming, sketching, and experimentation.

Client Interaction and Project Timelines

Graphic design is a client-focused field where the brand’s wants and needs must be upheld. Whether you plan to work as an in-house Graphic Designer or as a freelance professional, you will need to build strong communication and time management skills. As many Graphic Designers handle multiple projects, and even multiple clients, at once, it will be necessary to manage your time well across all projects. In addition, if you prefer to work without much instruction or guidelines, working as a Graphic Designer may require you to make a huge shift in your typical work since your work could easily change from brand to brand. As a graphic design professional, you will also need to understand your client’s goals, help manage their expectations, and articulate concerns and suggestions effectively. Maintaining an open two-way exchange of ideas can help build rapport and trust with your clients. Plus, as marketing tactics, consumer desires, and technologies are constantly shifting and emerging, it will be necessary to keep your eye on trends to expand your skill set and help the brand remain relevant.

Portfolio Development

Any graphic design expert will need a strong portfolio that showcases their skills, styles, and capabilities before applying to internships or jobs. However, completing portfolio-worthy projects without experience or guidance can be hard. In addition, it can take a long time to develop your skills and style, and having few opportunities to complete professional-grade graphic design projects makes portfolio development even more difficult. Although you can complete personal projects, a good portfolio will likely have a balance of personal and professional endeavors. Live classes and bootcamps allow students to develop their professional portfolios in ways they may not be able to do on their own. With the help of an instructor and ample feedback from professionals and peers alike, you can leave with a much more concrete and organized portfolio.

How Can I Make Learning Graphic Design Easier?

Free Resources

There are many ways to learn graphic design. Before enrolling in a graphic design class, it may be in your best interest to do some preliminary research. You can explore your options online and learn more about the graphic design profession before deciding on the use of free resources. Some of these resources may include text-based items, like books, magazines, and brochures, or digital resources, such as websites, video collections, and social media pages. While free resources aren’t enough to constitute a professional understanding of graphic design, they can help you gain base-level knowledge, such as basic terminology, frequent practices, necessary technologies, and foundational concepts. By the end of your research, and through utilizing various free resources, you will likely have a better idea of what type of course you want and which path you will likely take.

On-Demand

On the other hand, there are self-paced options that may be suitable depending on a few factors. This is another easily accessible learning method that can help students understand basic concepts and practice using certain graphic design applications and tools. On-demand classes are asynchronous, meaning they do not meet in-person or virtually at the same time each week for class. Instead, students follow along with the course material at their own pace and complete projects at their leisure. Some have time requirements, whereas others do not. This may be the best option for someone with a loaded schedule, a busy home life, or ample experience in a related field. On-demand classes offer flexibility for someone with a busy schedule but also an easy way to learn for someone with related experience in a creative design field. However, they are often not suitable for total beginners who will have to take additional time to study, research questions, and troubleshoot errors.

Live Classes

For a more immersive experience, live online classes are a great option to learn graphic design with ease. This course delivery method is offered in-person or online so, depending on your schedule, location, goals, and personal preferences, you can choose between one or the other. Students can progress through the levels, from beginner to advanced, and even gain certificates and prepare for certifications through their educational experience. Additionally, many live classes focus on certain skills and give students a chance to focus on one level at a time before moving on to the next class. The instructors can give strong feedback in real-time which makes for a more personalized, effective learning experience. Plus, live classes, both in-person and online, give students a chance to network and chat with like-minded peers. Live options are generally affordable compared to other learning methods, but many have financing options. Overall, live classes are considered one of the most successful learning methods as they offer a blend of flexibility and variety in their delivery methods, but also provide students with ample interaction and hands-on experience.

Bootcamps

Bootcamps are a thorough, interactive, and practical option if you wish to gain mastery in graphic design concepts and tools. While not always the easiest option, it is one of the most effective ways to become a professional in as little time as possible. Compared to a degree program, bootcamps offer practical insight into the field and give students exposure to real-life graphic design situations and projects. Plus, enrolling in a bootcamp comes with additional benefits, resources, and chances to earn certificates or pursue certification. Bootcamps are a relatively lengthy option compared to live classes or on-demand options, but they offer the most in-depth educational experience for the student. In addition, they are often more costly than regular live classes or on-demand options, but again, they offer a thorough education, additional resources, and plenty of career-building opportunities. For example, the Graphic Design bootcamps offered through training centers, such as Noble Desktop, offer setup assistance, portfolio development, a free retake, and additional 1-on-1 mentoring. Bootcamps are challenging, but the environment fosters interaction, practice, and practical application, which makes learning graphic design relatively easy.

Best Ways to Learn Graphic Design Without Difficulty

There are a few paths you can take on your graphic design learning journey, and depending on your reason for learning and intended outcomes, one method may be better than the rest. For instance, if you are learning graphic design for personal reasons, such as a hobby or a side hustle, you could perhaps benefit from less interactive options, such as on-demand classes or even free resources found online or at a local library. On the other hand, if you want to become a professional Graphic Designer, you will have to find an adequate training option that suits your needs and preferences. Specifically, you will want to find a live course. These are offered in-person or online as well as part-time and full-time, so there is a course out there to suit anyone’s schedule, budget, and learning needs. Live classes provide far more benefits than the average asynchronous option, particularly for a beginner student. Intermediate-level students would also require a more hands-on approach to become a graphic design expert. While there is a time and a place for on-demand and free resources, generally speaking, live training options are the best way to learn graphic design without serious difficulty. 

Overall, live online training mitigates most concerns associated with the asynchronous or free learning options, including the lack of interaction and personalized feedback. Asynchronous options lack both since they are self-paced and self-taught. In an on-demand class, the student will follow along with the material without the help of a live instructor. They often have access to support via their course provider, but interaction is limited. While on-demand options can be ideal for busy folks, hobbyists, or those with previous experience, most agree that on-demand classes are insufficient for someone with little experience. Live courses dispel this concern by guiding students through the skill level that suits their current knowledge and help them advance from one level to the next. In addition, live courses often provide helpful networking opportunities as students can chat with their instructors or peers. Most importantly, live classes assign students hands-on projects rooted in industry standards and expectations. While on-demand classes also have students complete projects, live training provides more realistic project and workplace expectations.

Some may argue that live training options are too expensive and time-consuming. While there is a grain of truth to this statement, it is important to understand the context. Live classes, whether in-person or online, offer the most thorough education and often offer students additional benefits that they otherwise would not have in an on-demand class or through free resources. These range from small benefits, such as setup assistance or access to video collections, to greater benefits, such as 1-on-1 mentoring and free retakes. In addition, students often have limited licenses for the software they learn in the course. Most applications can be rather costly to purchase outright or require users to subscribe to their services. Training centers such as Noble Desktop offer these benefits and many others, which is why many opt for live training options. In live courses, the educational experience is cost-effective, quick, and effective and the resources make up for the time, effort, and money spent. Overall, live training options make learning new skills easier for the average student.