Question for Graphic Designer... Did you major in graphic design in college? If not what did you major in and how did you learn graphic design

Hey OP: I was a history major as well. It's a good move to not major in History even if you have a passion for it as I do. If you can, Public History is the way to go. Even if it's only a certification vs. a B.A. I ended up doing Public History (which a much more applicable field of history in the context of finding work that isn't the long shot of being a teacher in the traditional sense). I also got my BFA in Visual Communication Design (graphic design). I found the mixing of these two degrees to be incredibly fulfilling - except in the job market. But I would like to emphasize that I'm bound to the city I live in and the job market for that is pretty damn small.

To answer your question more directly, ... I can't. No one can really. It's all dependent upon where you live. If the market is good and open to non-grads... then obviously, yes. You can self teach and get a job. HERE'S THE RUB: Do you want to learn graphic design the right way? Or do you want to learn it as just an add on skill? There is no substitution for school. Never. Not even if it's a crap program. ... essentially, everything that /u/zsherwood said but with a note: Some people have success who didn't go to school. In my experience 99.9% of the time, what they're doing isn't design. It's art. ... or rather, it's "art". I come from a city where people are obsessed with hand lettering and hipster style posters, etc. That's not design. That's a fad. Over the next five years, most of them will start to show their true colors. They don't actually know how to design. Sadly, the truth is, some will go on to have good paying jobs. You can chalk that up to the benefits of knowing the right people during their tenure as a faddy designer (or, alternatively, to continuing to be a faddy designer).

The design scene in my town blows. It's either sucking the teets of hipster/Portland style design or it's stuck in the goddamn early 2000s. It begs the question: hows the design scene in yours?

/r/graphic_design Thread