How to become a graphic designer in less than a year

Traditionally, it took much longer than a year to become a graphic designer. Initially, you were expected to complete a three-year degree. And that usually didn’t require a lot of practical experience, so that you would probably have to do a few more months of internships afterwards to fill in the gaps. Only then could you apply for your first graphic design job.

That was all very well in the days when you could get a scholarship to college and expect the state to pay your tuition (although even then, many couldn’t afford to be away from work for that long). However, in 2022, with degrees costing £9,000 a year and inflation pushing the cost of living to record levels, it’s an increasingly unattractive option.

So it’s no wonder that more and more graphic designers are finding alternative career paths. It is now common for a significant number of designers in any agency or in-house design department to have gone through a path other than the traditional degree.

So how can you follow in their footsteps? Read on as we give you some suggestions on how to become a graphic designer in less than a year.

1. Take the graphic design course at Shillington

Not interested in a three-year degree? How about three months? Shillington’s graphic design courses run over three months full-time or nine months part-time. And because these courses are designed by professional graphic designers who know what the industry needs, they are highly regarded throughout the industry and have an excellent track record of getting graduates jobs.

Shillington’s courses are held at their locations in the UK, US and Australia, or you can take the courses online, making them accessible to anyone around the world. It’s less about theoretical study and more about learning what designers actually do in practice. So you work in a studio-like environment on real briefings and hit the right deadlines. Immediately after graduation, you will have a portfolio that is suitable for the industry, with which you will get far in applications and job interviews.

This path to becoming a graphic designer is becoming increasingly popular with school leavers, graduate students looking to build on their studies, and professionals looking to change careers. Visit the Shillington website for more information.

2. Read some basic books

While art is about aesthetics, design is about creating something that performs a function. In order to learn the basics of design thinking, it’s important to read some basic books, and here are a few good ones to get you started.

The Graphic Design School of David Dabner, Sandra Stewart and Abbie Vickress has a consistent focus on budding designers who are unwilling or unable to attend university. Its authors describe it as a basic course for graphic designers. The first section covers the basics of design, such as composition, hierarchy, layout, typography, grid structure, and color. The second part puts these basics into practice, explaining studio techniques and production issues.

Graphic Design: The New Basics by Ellen Lupton & Jennifer Cole Phillips is a classic text by Ellen Lupton and Jennifer Cole Phillips that was completely revised and updated in 2015. This is another excellent introduction to graphic design for newcomers, with visual demonstrations and incisive commentary explaining the principles behind everything from logos to website design.

A good supplemental read is Know Your Onions by Drew De Soto. It’s designed like a notebook, containing all the authors’ tips and knowledge, along with blank pages for you to add your own personal notes and thoughts.

Along with graphic design principles, it’s also a good idea to do some research on what a design career looks like in practice. One of our favorite lessons on the subject is Oh Sh*T What Now? by Craig Oldham. In this insightful tome, the famous designer answers common questions asked by aspiring graphic designers such as Where do you live? Can you afford to live? How can you make money with design? How do you get a job? Who do you want to work for and are you good enough?

Alternatively, there’s Extra Bold: a practical and informative career guide for designers that’s part textbook and part comic book, part zine, part manifesto and part self-help guide. Written by multiple authors, it includes a series of interviews, essays, typefaces, biographical sketches, and projects from dozens of contributors that will really help you get acquainted with the topic.

3. Learn through podcasts

While podcasts aren’t a substitute for a professional course or textbook, podcasts are a great way to supplement your learning, especially when you’re in the midst of everyday activities like housework or commuting. Here are some of our top picks to help you in your burgeoning graphic design career.

Pathfinder is a 16-part podcast series by Shillington providing advice to graphic design graduates around the world entering the creative industries. Hosted by Jimmy Muldoon, a teacher in Shillington, New York, it features relatable content that helps designers navigate the ups and downs of the journey from graduate to working designer.

Design Matters with Debbie Millman was one of the very first podcasts in the world and is still going strong 15 years later. The show is about how creative people shape the arc of their lives, and its guest list is legendary.

Make it in Design features interviews with designers who have taken bold steps and followed their hearts to succeed as creative professionals. This podcast is a place of curiosity and discovery, and you’ll get some good pointers on what working in the design industry is actually like.

On Design with Justyna Green brings you insightful conversations with design’s most inspiring personalities, from designers to artists, creative directors to entrepreneurs. This podcast is a great way to find out what inspires leading creatives, how they work and how they see the world.

Finally, the Creative Boom podcast gives you the inside scoop on the ups and downs of being creative and the challenges they face every day from artists, designers, illustrators and photographers. Each episode is packed with insider career tips, honest business advice, and insightful stories.

4. Get out there

Graphic design isn’t like a lawyer or an electrician: you don’t need a degree to practice. So once you’ve learned the basics, either through a course or online self-study, there’s nothing stopping you from showing off as a freelancer and honing your skills by doing.

Of course, getting your first customer is not easy. Few will trust someone without a track record, so there’s a vicious circle you need to break out of. You can show what you’re made of by posting personal projects and student work online, and if that’s good enough and you’re lucky, some customers will bite.

Most of the time, however, it’s most effective to reach out to people you already know. Start with friends and family, spread out to colleagues, fellow students, former tutors, and so on. Keep going until you find someone who needs design work, whether it’s creating a website or creating a poster. You’d be surprised how many people jump at the chance because most people have no idea how to hire a designer and will appreciate a familiar, friendly face to guide them through the process.

5. Check the job boards

Once you are educated and experienced enough to apply for jobs, freelance positions, and internships, finding the right opportunity can turn into a full-time job. So it’s worth throwing your nets far so you don’t miss anything. Here are some places to start.

The Shillington Jobs Board is very selective: it only approves and shares job and internship opportunities that respect designers’ time and talents. Jobs are available in the UK, US and Australia and you don’t have to be a Shillington graduate to apply, although it obviously helps.

If You Could is the job board of the design blog It’s Nice That. At the time of writing, 167 vacancies have been advertised, mostly in London but some for remote workers.

Nikky Lyle describes herself as a “creative recruiter with a conscience” and was the 2020 D&AD President Judge. Your graphic design jobs board has job vacancies across the UK.

The recruitment section of the renowned publication Design Week offers a wide range of jobs in a variety of media roles. At the time of writing there were 35 graphic designers here, mostly based in London and southern England.

Start studying graphic design!

To learn more about studying design at Shillington’s intensive courses, visit the Shillington website.