Design School or no?

So,

I often get asked whether formal education is the golden ticket to success in the graphic design world. So let’s talk about it, drawing from my personal experience and industry insights.

My Journey:

Right out of senior year, I was already in the design hustle, juggling clients, design assets, and social media. Yet, I found myself investing hours in a classroom, not entirely aligning with my envisioned future. So, I took a leap of faith—a year-long break—to focus on what truly mattered to me. That period was all about growth: networking, studying my niche (Esports), producing educational content, and bettering my design skills.

But the sauce: never letting pride stand in the way of learning. Even after 13 years in design, if there's something I don't know, I head straight to learn it. Complacency? Never.

I’ve witnessed many people lose momentum because of it- realizing it’s harder to start it back up then just staying consistent.

Navigating the Design World:

Creating a positive first impression is more than just having a killer portfolio. It's about presenting yourself professionally, even on casual platforms like social media. I personally cleaned up my online persona, ensuring potential clients would first encounter the designer, not just another social media user. Honestly I was teased a bit with friends of mine, but quickly I started a trend when they saw the turn over.

But understand- your portfolio will likely not be visited if the profile the individual clicks on, isn’t what they want to associate with.

A personal self-taught lesson that will propel you the moment you adjust.

But, of course, being self-taught had its challenges. I had to constantly seek feedback from friends who could provide constructive criticism.

That's the key.

You need friends or industry professionals who you can send a project to and get something measurable and concrete besides “good job”, “nice, " and amazing”. Those comments will stagger growth and also may encourage industry negatives that’ll be hard to fix in the future.

But there were moments when I got feedback and I thought, "I wish I'd learned this in school" But overcoming these hurdles shaped my unique perspective in the design world.

The Merits of a Formal Education:

Despite my path, I see undeniable factors in a structured education. Schools mold you to present, defend, and articulate your ideas—a skill invaluable in the professional world. But, not as you might think.

I am not saying–
“just talking and getting over your peers looking at you and judging you”.

To me what I see is the school system preparing you to defend, understand, and share an idea as clearly as possible. Personally feel as if it has a lot less to do with public speaking skills, then it actually does with helping you showcase an idea that has to be solid and thoughtful to not sound silly. Moreover, the constant feedback from professors ensures your designs are not just "cool," but also purposeful and effective.

Personal Discipline Outside the Classroom:

Without the structure of classes and grades, maintaining discipline was/is tough. My motivation lessened when I became complacent about my skill level. But surrounding myself with ambitious individuals and continually seeking out design exposure kept me on track

Reading, tutorials, mentors, and various courses can help you understand how much more there is to learn. I remember, 10 years ago, how my limited knowledge falsely assured me of my "professionalism" in the craft. I am there, crafting logos in Photoshop, thinking I was on the right track (I wasn't & if you are right now, stop it). One pivotal reason my motivation and discipline was tainted was my self-sabotage stagnation. I had stopped pushing my boundaries and settled for my current skill set. While that might suffice for those treating design as a hobby, anyone serious about making a career in design must continuously seek out and absorb new design experiences– arguably school helps with that.

The Obvious

Yes, dodging tuition fees played a part in my decision. But interestingly, in my experience, clients and job interviews never revolved around my educational credentials. It's always been about the portfolio and communication skills. Anyone can go to school and learn fundamentals just like anyone self-taught can understand their design program and create dope things. But where you see improvements in callbacks and return interest is being able to tell a story.

The easiest way to tell if you’re capable of doing this-

Go to a recent design or branding project and describe what it is the audience is supposed to see. If your response is “it’s a clean logo paired with this bold pattern to help showcase precision”.

Huh. You’ve utilized two words (clean & bold) that immediately share infinite different definitions. If you ask 10 people what “clean” is to them you’ll receive 10 different answers.

Learning to design intently and purposefully will always set you ahead of thousands of portfolios. Low paying clients want “something cool”. High position agencies/businesses want to know “the why.” That alone is enough reason to go to school because it may be more clear coming out, then not being in school.

Impossible though? Nahh.

So, School or No School?

If you're unsure, ask yourself: "Do I know what's next?" If the answer is no, school can provide the structure you might need, especially in honing communication skills and networking.

My candid answer?

Self-taught designers often excel as technical creatives. Mostly because they navigate the trial-and-error journey at an accelerated pace, honing their skills with a continuous focused approach on individual projects. This immersion allows them to get a better sense of what resonates as a "cool" design in the wider community.

On the other hand, designers molded by formal education, such as universities, emerge as strategic thinkers. They've been sculpted by the challenges of collaborative projects, peer feedback, and their professors breathing down their necks. While they're great at designing with theory in mind, they might not always have the extensive hands-on experience to demonstrate the evolving concept of "cool" in design.

There's no one-size-fits-all in the world of graphic design. Whether you choose the hallowed halls of a university or the challenging terrain of self-learning, what matters most is your passion, dedication, and a continuous thirst for knowledge.

It’s 50/50 haha.

Which route do you want to learn first? You learn them both overtime, but if something interests you more than the other…

Then maybe that's what you have to pursue–

Stay creative,

Seso

One thing that I made sure of is that “The Everything Pack” becomes your right hand toolkit for the rest of your design career— no matter the education preference.

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