i go to california university of pennsylvania for graphic design. i wanted to do graphic design without going to art school and stay instate and found a good program here. the rest of the school may leave something to be desired though.

I'm at the University of Illinois at Chicago. I couldn't be happier as a design student. All the professors and members of the administration are talented professionals in the field, they teach you a solid foundation of traditional design(with big emphasis on traditional mediums to start) and then challenge you with new theory and experimentation. Their web design classes are still too underdeveloped in my opinion though.

This whole "school of design" thing is all fake, they try to convince you that they can teach you art and love just to suck up your money, yes there are so many people in this world who desire luxeries, and would do about anything just to own them, even at your own cost. But they wouldn't tell you how can independance foster your design skills, they don't tell you about the liberation of the mind and body, how your beliefs in religion, spirituality and your ideas of politics and nationalism can affect your design and expression, but you see thay have no right to argue into subjects like religion which is the detail; neither explain your self-esteem, and they wouldn't tell you to try to learn on your own, as by purely driven motives of ones self that are after the benefit of your own good and no one else, here I speak of the "ego" which all art and all labour of one man is wholly dependant on, which is the best way to learn anything, for if you ask the priests and those who can ask nothing from you, those only would give the true advice, for then you're needing for help. They gave me an advanced certificate in design, I looked at it in pure vain and shrud it into pieces, they knew nothing about design, they don't tell you that everyone should, by nature, have his own idea about design, and there is no standard belief for every designer to be an artist, they explain not by science the psychology of the artist. They, at the school of design, tell you not of what the arts has to so with the sciences, nor what the sciences has to do with the arts, for if you ask the true artists of the 17th century, I am totally convinced that they would say that one cannot exist without the other, and that both are the same and part of an one thing, nor will they tell you of philosophy, and art is made complete by the persuadance of all sciences. Oh, and they tell you Da Vinci will always be the figure of all that is art, but just won't get into the detail of his beliefs and motives, and just make him look as above all natural human power; I look at that as self-pitty and pain, for so many people don't feel self-achieved, and will probably never be from such a point of view.
You have very nice designs, and I am sure you can say that you would have achieved the same, if not better, nor if worst, than by their own guidance. You would have wouldn't you? You weren't wholly dependant on them? For if it was only to those artists and scientists before me, I can look upon for guidance, and with all the knowledge in the books available to us I can invistigate, and for the knowledge to come to me in return, I can be truely sympathitic, respectful, and appreciative, for those only, I can say my art was dependant.

i'm about to start school in september at art center in pasadena, ca. i'm majoring in advertising. from what i know it's really tough to graduate from but those who make it is well set.

im at the art institute of dallas right now for graphic design, and i love it!! i couldnt see myself going anywhere else coz its pure art. each class i learn lots of new things, and my teachers are great because they have been in the field themselves (or still are), which gives more of a feel of how the career will really be.
what about you?? are you in school??

school is whack. just look at great designers like them guys at GH Visual Agency (Graphic Havoc). NONE of them went to school. Most of the great designers aren't even graphic designers these days. Everyone seems to lean toward the Graphic Artist title..at least that's what I consider myself. And the greatest ones started out as grafitti artists and plain ol' boring painters (like Barry Mcgee). Its all about your skills and honing in on what you love about your work. I'm not going to school to get a job at IBM designing financial reports. We still have this old rule in the book about having a degree for stuff like design. kinda stupid.

I go to RIT for New Media Design... which is essentially interactive media and a bit of programming. We go through everything from regular graphic design/illustration to video editing and flash animation/coding. I LOVE MY MAJOR

Why how very Platonic of you. Of course therein lies the rub because even Socrates and Plato had their Academy. Do you think that they would argue that formal education is useless, or would they say that it is the TYPE of education that is important?

So the question is are your professors teaching you what they learned without understanding or are they teaching you how to learn for yourself? That is the strength of my school and I'm sure many other true design schools, teaching you to find your own way.

I also think there is absolutely no substitute to a proper classroom environment. Taking one challenge and then seeing how twenty other people approach the same problems is incredibly enlightening. It opens facets of your creative process that you'd never approach otherwise. The good natured competition also pushes you to excel, to bring your best to the table under strenuous circumstancs. It's under those conditions where the finest ideas appear from nowhere. I can't imagine missing that, I'd not be half the designer I am now. Which, as I have learned, is still nothing.

Bombshield:
Speaking as a design teacher - there is something to say about having a well thought-out portfolio with many facets. Yes, the degree is not necessary, but I know very few successful designers without some education and the work to back it up. There are some fantastic ones without degrees, but they were talented the day they were born. Others need to be taught different styles and ways of approaching the design 'problem'. If there is no problem to solve, then it is just art. Art is made mostly for the artist with the hope of having other people love it, design is made for everyone but the artist in hopes they will love it.

So the question is: Do you have the ability to get paid to do great design without the qualifications?

Graduated from School of Industrial Design at Ohio State as well as The School of Art & Design at Bowling Green, in case you wanted to know. And currently designed for quite a few companies who want what I've learned… this site is just a guilty pleasure of mine, even if I win nothing I like testing things.

Right now im taking all the available art classes offered at a local community college, just to keep me constantly drawing and creating. I will be attending Ringling School of Art and Design, here in srq, fl some time in January. I will be majoring in Graphic Design / Interactive communication and recieving a minor in Business. For those of you who know abut Ringling, yes I know i will be paying off loans till im 80, but its worth it.

School may not seem that important to some people, but it opens many doors that are locked to those that dont have a degree.

I would highly reccomend staying far far away from community colleges if you have any art talent.... its a waste of time.... Sometimes I feel like I can get up and teach the class. Thankfully, the state pays for my classes, so it cost me just my time.


http://oxivo.deviantart.com/

For the last 2 years I've given a lot of thought on whether going to college to get a degree for something I already know how to do was a good idea or not. Like any other decisions, it's had its pros and cons. I guess the biggest sacrifice has been 9 months out of my year that I could be using to venture into my own projects. The curriculum at North Carolina State (College of Design) is extremely rigorous and we don't have much time to do anything other than work for our studios. I am definitely a better graphic designer than I was when I started 2 years ago, but as Ash Sammy said, a lot of it is personal growth.

I think we're in a transitional period and it will become more acceptable for designers to work without bachelor's degree's, but I think it will take some time. It all pertains to your experience. I think designers that are the most successful are the ones who really take it on as a lifestyle. There are students that you can spot that only do the assignments their given for class and outside of the studio, they don't even think about design. But this drive to do work outside your class also translates into your work for school. It's nice to have professors there to guide you, but it does feel stifling sometimes. I really love illustration and it's taking me longer to practice it than I'd like because most of my professors would rather I spend more time on my typography.

Okay, I guess I'm just rambling now so I'll shut up. I agree with a lot of things that have been said on both sides of the argument. I was just curious what everyonen else thought because classes are starting up again soon and I've felt really indifferent about it.

self taught
might enrol for design school next year
went to uni for 7 years but not for design.
looking forward to going back to study again :)

i taught myself little by little. but when i went to school thats when i did my best work! i guess sometimes its nice to have restrictions when designing it makes you think much more. i had some pretty good teachers and i go to a community college. but my teachers had more that 30 + years experience in the design industry.

Portfolio is everything people. No matter how you got it - almost all employers could give a crap about your grade point, or even your degree if you've got a sparkling book. (Having a degree spelled out on a resume/CV doesn't hurt though)

I taught myself, and never have designed before threadless.
I will attend college, but im not sure if I am going to school specifically for that..

Well, I agree portfolio is most important, but I think experience is also key. That could come from school or working other jobs, but getting a higher education in graphic design offers a lot of opportunity and connections. Having a spectacular portfolio will get you going, but I really think graphic design has a lot to do with experience you gain from it and can put back in.

To tell you the truth, I think the trasitional period is in is the exact opposite as you think. China is just aroun the corner and unless you have an amazing portfolio, you wont be getting an amazing job. The out sourcing for design is getting worse and worse and people will pay much cheaper for things from over seas than pay some designer here in america for their idea. So I think degrees are gunna be a strong part of getting a job/paid here in a few years.

I go to Winthrop University, and i'm a graphic design major and I think school is key. Without the interaction with other students, my ability to design would be lacking in many ways. Not only do you learn to interact with people, but you learn to sell your "product" in a sense. which is extremely important. But, it probably all comes down to what your going to do with or without your degree. I doubt you will find many senior art directors at an major graphic design company that doesn't have some type of design degree.

Well I havent gone to design school (currently studying nutrition) but some days I wish I had. I can't imagine someone saying that studying it in school isn't worth it. As is I get by with what I know which isn't much. The only program I can use is MS Paint, and I dont know much about good composition, what appeals to people, or how to communicate visually. And yeah I could learn all that on my own - but not as quickly or thoroughly as if I were going to school for it. .... that's it I've only got 4.5 months left of school for nutrition but I just convinced myself to drop everything and go study design 321 GO!

csu fullerton. originally here for graphic design, then just general "art" (because i'm learning that really, design is simply a concept applied to other forms of art in order to aid communication between the creator and the consumer, and i've no intention of getting into its applications to marketing), now i'm saying screw a degree, i'm just taking the courses i like so i can learn what i want and leave.

I went to Drexel university for two years.

It sucked. The design program was actually decent, IMO, but the school itself just plain isn't worth the money. That goes for most schools, probably, but even moreso for drexel.

I hope to be attending a much, much less expensive school next year (massart once I get state residency). I just hope its at least equally practical of a curriculum there at an 'art school' and not OK GUYS NOW LETS LEARN ABSTRACT EXPRESSIONISM.

Yeoow, im finnishing highschool tomorrow, im writing my final ever exam for Visual Arts, therefore im about to begin considering courses for next year or the year after, probably not graphic design, rather something in Advertising/directing/film school/Fine Arts

I assume that at a design school, youre constantly sourrounded by creative minds. There will always be designers on different levels, better or worse than you and i can imagine that one of the best things about that would be to push yourself to be on the level of the more skillful designers.

In Sydney, theres a few places such as Kofa (think thats how its spelt) or university of NSW where to be accepeted, they look purely at your final acedemic score from school, rather than your portfolio or talent. For example, a creative person, who excels in art/design/ english/ but does poorely in Mathematics or Commerce may reult with a low final score. This can prevent someone like this to be accepted. I have a mate who goes to Kofa and he told me how many extremely crappy, untalented, unskilled people go there who have no clue wat their doing, but they got in because they did well acemdemically, without portfolios.

As a consequence youd have to go to a private and much,much more expensive instituion.

The states, where many of you guys live in or London/England are probably the the best places to study. I heard there are really good universities/art schools in New York?

Im currently in my third year at The American Academy of Art in Chicago. I tend to knock the whole art school thing, mainly because mine is full of slackers, burnouts and people who draw terrible anime. But when I look back and see the progress Ive made Im pretty satisfied and Im glad im in school. Sometimes though you get a class where you learn nothing and its a waste of time and money, but you just gotta bite the bullet.

Im Illustration btw! which also incorporates a little bit of design.

I went to the University of Pennsylvania and majored in Digital Media Design (it's like 3 minors equal a major, computer science, communications, and fine art) with a focus on animation and editing. My experience was pretty good because unlike a lot of schools that just teach you "how to do it", Penn taught me "how to teach myself to do it". That may not make sense to a lot of you, it's sorta like "teach a man to fish and he eats forever"; as a result, I'm entirely self-taught in a lot of graphics/animation/editing programs.

Speaking to those who feel an educational background isn't that important, like Ashy Larry, er, I mean Ash Sammy (damn Chappelle's Show), I can tell you from real-world experience as someone who has worked as a designer/editor for film/tv in LA that having a degree is very important. A lot of employers won't consider you without a bachelor's in some artistic field. Furthermore, I just generally feel it's good to have a handle on certain artistic techniques (perspective, contrast) as well as understanding the history and evolution of art as a whole.

I am a work of art myself. My parents created me out of an egg and a single sperm, much like god created Adam and Eva from clay. I have a torso and two legs and arms as well as a head. I think this is a really clever desing on its own...

Well, if there are so many design students around, who is actually buying the shirts? Isn't there some kind of design envy around, which keeps you from buying them?

I myself seem to be more of an admirer of clever design. I am at no art school or something alike, but work in the IT-wholesale business, which is full of people in black and white suits, so that is why I try to be colorfull in my private life. Some people actually think that I am gay-colorfull! I think that to be quite nice, because gay men usually have a good sense of style, so I feel honored.

Well, enough of this. I just had to keep myself busy for 5 minutes, so I wrote this. This worked quite well!

I'm in my third year at RIT (rochester ny) for illustration.
Although alot of people say art school is useless, I'm gonna have to disagree.
It's true talent can't be taught, but professional skills can. I'm learning how the industry works and how to market myself and that's all real valuable information you can't really get by just doodling.