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

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.

By: nomad-one

nomad-one — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:43:22 +0000

Mmmm, I think I have to disagree to a certain degree. I’m a Graphic designer & I can draw as well but have worked with Graphic Designers who can and some who cannot draw and there are times the drawer is only good at drawing but not so great with pure design.

I believe drawing & design can be taught as there is a science to both of them and with enough practice and discipline anyone can design & or draw. Those with natural tendencies might find certain things easier and quicker to grasp but sometimes being talented keeps an individual from analysing the science behind what they do and they tend to just make pretty pictures which sometimes have problems from a strategic or technical perspective.

my 2 cents worth

Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t learn to draw!!! It’s a lie. I have taught one of my close friends who said he’d never be able to draw in a short space of time.

By: Angela

Angela — Thu, 27 Sep 2007 19:10:57 +0000

I agree with Rafael.

Being able to draw or even paint gives you a much richer view and there are so many sources of inspiration you can find in fine arts.
Of course you are not just a fine artist, you are a designer and you need to convey a message to your “client”, viewers etc.
Unfortunately there are a lot of so-called designers that made a hobby out of using photoshop, without having any visual background. They are masters of the technology, but have a very poor vision, I mean they don;t have thte eye for it.
There are a lot of talented people, but you need education, you need that time spent in the art/design school,to polish your raw talent so to speak… to draw, to use materials, paper,to see what others have done -history, to experiment stuff, it’s not just about using photoshop. Photoshop is just a tool…

So you do need to learn how to draw, it should be our basic mean of expression…
Even when working on other things it always helps when I visualise things, I draw a sketch, I make a plan quickly
on a sheet of paper I find around