Comments on: Can Design be Taught or Do you Need Talent?

By: stew @ Dischromatics

stew @ Dischromatics — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 12:47:50 +0000

The first thing you need is the vision to start putting ideas that you receive into some tangible format whether thats graphically on a computer or with pysically drawing on paper.

Its also ‘horses for courses’ it rather depends on what you are designing and who for, I do believe though that true innovation comes from the ability to express oneself from an idea using drawing and and your own thoughts and ideas.

Most designs these days are really just a variation of what has been done before. after all, there are so many designs out there for whatever is the subject matter that its just easy to go for that, especially when finances are limited.

Nevertheless, I think everyone should occasionally extend the barriers by trying to be innovative from their own thoughts and ignore the opportunity to use what is the norm. Just try and move outside the comfort zone.

By: Eben

Eben — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 10:19:51 +0000

It all depends on what you want to design. These days being a graphic designer includes designing packaging, catalogues etc. I am a packaging designer, I have designed numerous items for Prada, Louis Vuitton, allot of private labels, logos, catalogues and I can go on. I can’t draw a stick man to save my life. But I can see what looks good and what doesn’t. If I need to have a drawing of something for a project, then I buy it off the internet. Saves me time and even if I could draw, it would have taken so long to draw that item in say Illustrator that by buying it of the net from iStockphoto, saved my employer allot of money. One image or illustration is less than what they pay me for an hours work and you cannot draw something in an hour, it will take like a day. So I get other people to do it for me. Plus we live in a time where photo editing is used more than actual drawing. But then again it all depends in the line of work you are. I design packaging, letter heads, logos and catalogues. I am a graphic designer, not an artist. Now I’m waiting for all the clever ones to try and abuse me……………

By: Tara: Freelance Designer

Tara: Freelance Designer — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:54:05 +0000

Hi Simon

Thanks for your comment. It would be really interesting if an experiment was carried out with kids from an early age. Something like taking kids from musical parents and some from completely non musical, teach them and instrument and to see what happens. I wonder how much is talent, belief or genetics?

By: Simon

Simon — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 08:43:37 +0000

I’m a fan of pop psychology and one of the authors that I follow include Malcolm Gladwell. In one of his writings, he was comparing where talented athletes come from, and cited that in major league baseball in USA, something like 8% (I’m not a baseball fan, I can’t remember the exact number) of pro players are Cuban, in spite of only having a much smaller percentage of American citizens having a Cuban background. Reason being, Cuba is a country that is very passionate about the sport and a lot of Cubans play it in their own home country (like some other countries are passionate about cricket or soccer). This is not to say that just because a 5 foot tall person can become a NBA basketball player, but I do believe that talent is very over-rated, and that design principles can be fully taught to anybody who has significant enough interest. – I do believe in talent however, just people have more control than they think.

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 01:03:01 +0000

I cant imagine doing design work without the ability to draw something then scan it into the computer.

Even if you use programs like illustrator to draw things you still need to know the fundamentals such as use of color, dimension, tone, shading, light and shadow.

Drawing on the right side of the brain tricks the brain basically, it looks ok, but the drawing tend to look a little alien.

By: Web Design

Web Design — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 03:19:16 +0000

In order to have that extra edge over other graphic designers, i think you need a flare, which is generally speaking not self taught, but something you have been handed down to you. Just my opinion. Some have it some don’t. In saying that you can learn alot of exposing yourself to graphic designers and their work. Little tips they hand you along the way you will likely to see fit in a number of different areas, eg: Web Design, Templates, Logos and banners.

By: andrej

andrej — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 16:45:05 +0000

This is an interesting topic. I agree that a designer needs at least a basic talent and then it can be developed further.

By: Renata

Renata — Sat, 29 Dec 2007 00:30:27 +0000

Well, as someone who studies Graphic Design at the university for the first time (in high school majored in biology and literature), I have to state that I can’t draw. I’ve never been taught, and I’ve never had anything to with the “artistic world”. However, as much as I think that the ability to draw is very helpful to a designer, I don’t consider it as a priority. I think that it’s important to have good ideas, which come from inspiration, and inspiration can only come from knowledge, from books, art shows, exhibitions, museums, etc. Many may disagree, but I think that anything can be taught, if one really wishes to learn it. Graphic Design is about having a “good taste”, about mixing the right colors to draw attention, about creating something new and original, and all these things come from reading and viewing. Drawing is a skill. Some people are born with it, and some people are born without it, but it can be acquired. Everything, and I mean, EVERYTHING can be taught, especially nowadays with the advanced technology we have. We need to learn how to consume it correctly and make the most of it.

By: Drawing or designing? | ARTEgami in English

Drawing or designing? | ARTEgami in English — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 05:00:36 +0000

[...] by Graphic Design Blog and Asgeir Hoem SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: “Is it really necessary for a graphic designer to be [...]

By: andrej

andrej — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 10:35:38 +0000

I think at least some basic artistic skills and the talent are necessary and then can be developed further.