Is A Graphic Design Certificate Worth It?

Is  a Graphic Design certificate worth it? The benefits of being a graphic designer

With the recent pandemic and the world not knowing what’s going to happen from one day to the next which has created so much negativity. We thought we would spread some positivity and love by speaking to our graphic design teachers about why they love graphic design so much!

Our Senior Graphic Design teacher Marco Ribeiro and our Master Graphic Design teacher Han Soloman expressed their thoughts on what they love most about graphic design.

Han: Graphic design has always been a field I have had a love for ever since I was a child. Which initially began from the love of Marvel comics to enjoying art and sketches. Now that I’m able to help students by teaching from my own experience and skills it gives me so much joy and makes me feel honoured. I love that I get to meet students from or parts of the UK and seeing them progress gives me such satisfaction.

Marco: During the last six years I have been able to get hands-on experience whilst working in an agency as well as freelancing which allowed me to work whilst having a family. I really enjoyed working in an agency and all the challenges that came with it. I enjoyed knowing how to manipulate programmes and do cool tricks such as alignment of four images with four likewise themes on a grid that was able to make a striking composition. The highlight of this all though is to be able to transfer my knowledge and expertise onto my students and eventually see them develop into great graphic designers with fantastic portfolios.

Here are a few of the excellent reasons to join the world of Graphic Design

1) As a graphic designer you are able to express yourself creatively, even emotionally as the goal of many designs is to stir up a particular emotion. In graphic design, you will be able to release your creativity consistently, and you may notice that there are not a lot of careers that provide such liberation. As a graphic designer, You will likely be full of imaginative and creative concepts and ideas you may want to invent, and luckily for you, this sector allows you to do so freely.

An example of this, as a student for blue sky graphics, when you reach the stage of learning about fonts, you will have the opportunity to look into how different fonts can influence what we see and the decisions we choose. You will learn about this during your studies, the theory behind font design, and why the different fonts provide a variety of emotions and reactions. This is helpful to those who would like to comprehend how to utilise font design to influence their clients and intended audience. This can be used in marketing and advertising.

2) You can get to know more about the kind of businesses as well as how to promote your own graphic design work

Unfortunately having talent is not enough to be successful in the world of graphic design, don’t get me wrong we fully motivate our students but, even the most talented graphic designers are not able to be very successful if their portfolio is not being exhibited or shown. As a result of this, it is important that you market yourself. Not only is marketing important and crucial as a graphic designer but it is also a fascinating and enjoyable sector that can provide you with a secure way of making money. You should be aware of the skill set that will be required of you to become a freelancer like being able to work with clients, knowing how to create a business as well as pitching concepts. This is the skill-set and mindset required to become a successful graphic designer. At Blue Sky Graphics we always encourage our students on taking the first step to become their own boss.

3) You gain the ability to listen better.

This may seem clear or obvious but before dealing with real life clients, you may not realise that you didn’t really know how to listen as efficiently as you need to. When becoming a graphic designer you will have to do deal with graphic design objectives and understanding these objectives and business goals to effectively create visual work for your client. This is because you will need to produce material for your clients and you will need to comprehend what their goal is, how they want to be seen and what their product/service represents. Make sure to look out for cues, and what the client is passionate about. We teach our students this theory during their course.

Therefore within graphic design you should carefully think and document the project that their client has asked them to complete as ultimately clients have expectations within the message they wish to communicate.

4) Your mouse is your paint tool.

One of the strongest reasons to enter this industry is the simple fact that your mouse is virtually a paintbrush with much fancier tools for creating all kinds of pictures. This love of design, in my opinion, is a beneficial way to express yourself and relax when circumstances are difficult, such as when we are ordered not to leave the house during a national pandemic.

All factors from aspects such as colour, light, and perspective to typography all matter when it comes to creating designs, and our students are advised to think critically regarding their choices. You may know that when making a typeface it can be rather laborious, as it demands many hours of homework as well as many stages of constructive criticism from teachers to refine you. This helps students to get a taste of what the real-life industry is like henceforth it will prepare them for reality.

Choosing the right font will enable the viewer to grasp the meaning you are trying to get across. This to put it bluntly can “make or break” your work. However the satisfaction you receive once you have completed your design and is done correctly can not be expressed.

5) To be a graphic designer you do not necessarily need to be qualified.

Learning graphic design has many benefits as for some people it can be an easy route to go into a new profession or even a side job. To be a graphic designer you do not necessarily need to be qualified or have gone to university. The main aspect to be a good graphic designer is to have a great portfolio and great design skills. Many people wonder what qualifications they will need but the reality is they most probably don’t need any. Within Blue Sky Graphics, we provide our students with a concrete portfolio that is basically comparable to a resume in the field of graphic design. We would argue that a portfolio is a lot more important than a qualification or degree when it comes to seeking work in gaining clients within your graphic design occupation. The point is to give our students a commercially ready portfolio that gets them ready to work within this industry. Even though our certificates are not accredited as universities are, we do outline every module explanation and the learning conclusion.

6) Graphic design is all around us.

If you take the time to really look around, you will notice that design is everywhere. From your breakfast cereal and milk bottle to entertainment and theatre posters to even messaging an emoji on your phone. Graphic design is everywhere, all around us, whether it’s at the bus stop, superstore, or on your television. It’s not going anywhere, it’s here for the long haul. It is great for job opportunities as well. Within society, design is a very important element and we can see this throughout history. It is apparent from beautifully architect buildings and monuments which give us visual joy. There are many benefits to influencing people through visual material. Financial profit is the top one. Graphic design and design matter and they are everywhere, with these designs we can see the artist’s creativity and message being communicated.

7) You can design for your own business whenever you like.

You have the option of designing and creating for yourself any time you want. You could design an image for things such as a T-shirt or a phone case. You could also design for family and friends for special occasions such as their wedding invitations. The options are abundant. The world is your oyster so to speak.

8) You can be part of history!

One of the best things about learning graphic design is the ability to create logos. Logos are a critical part of so many businesses and companies. Because it’s so important, we teach our students the theory as well as the practical of making a logo. If you think about it a logo is like the face of a company because it represents who the company is, the company’s values and principles, however the business should stand out from the rest. Logos have the power to convey a businesses message far better than words ever could. Think about corporations such as Starbucks, Apple, and McDonald’s. Consider the work and ideas that were put into creating their logos. These brands are unforgettable. Likewise, the slogan and logo of Nike is one that is truly memorable “just do it” immediately allows us to associate with the iconic logo of the Nike tick.

Our logo Blue Sky Graphics has been designed and again redesigned in order to for students to easily recognise the letters B, S, and G and think of our company.

9) In Graphic Design, every day is different.

As we have established graphic design can be utilised in many different ways to sell products and services, describe things and assist things in looking better. All the while creating emotions from laughing to crying. Because of this, you’re unlikely to ever get bored. Within graphic design, you always have to stay up-to-date with the latest technology and new trends in order to be the best, because styles, cultures, and tech change and grow very quickly. In order to stay up to date, it’s important to stay informed about the latest and greatest in order to be prepared for whatever may be required of you. In this field having an imaginative mind and teachable character will take you a long way.

10) Graphic designers are in high demand because every company needs somebody to make their dream into reality.

After you’ve completed your training and have landed yourself a job, you will typically work as part of a team on big assignments, combining ideas with your team members that will create your project. The best part of this is that you get to use your skills and knowledge and express your creativity to make something that will capture the viewer’s eye. This tells us that companies need somebody to create their logos and marketing material. Because of this, there will be lots of opportunities to work for a variety of companies across many industries.

To be able to successfully create a good graphic design you need to be able to communicate visually well, which is essentially getting businesses’ and companies’ messages across. Due to this, design has become critical for corporations and businesses because it can make them a lot of profit. While students learn at Blue Sky Graphics we teach them how to use texture, typography, composition, scale, and colour photography to successfully advertise a concept. Typically this concept is shown through aesthetic means.

11) You have the opportunity to do freelancing before committing to a graphic design agency.

We are living in modern days where work is more project concentrated and independent than we have ever seen before. As a graphic designer, there are many opportunities to work as a freelancer to offer your graphic design services. Not only can you find work as a freelancer but also in almost any industry due to the high demand for graphic designers. Many people get an idea of what freelancing is like by doing it as a side career while in full employment.

By doing this you will be able to have some sort of idea of what you will need to do and what hours you will need to commit to as well as the advantages you can benefit from. As an employee, you will not see a major difference in pay rise each year. On the other hand as a freelancer, you are able to request more once you have increased your skills and experience. As a freelancer, your fees should be competitive and you should work towards making yourself an expert in your sector so that you can earn more money. Another benefit of being a freelance graphic designer is that you have the ability to create your own schedule and the hours you would like to work as well as choose when you don’t want to work. You also have the say in which town or country you want to work in as most jobs can be done remotely.

We really do hope you enjoyed this article and found the information helpful. Graphic design really is one of the greatest professions for creative minds and people with innovative imaginations.