Blogs are a good way to stay on your toes and to force yourself to communicate with others interested in your own findings. This is the first of many entries from yours truly that will including information that has helped me, and may be of help to you in your own design and design-related endeavours.
So first things first- let's talk about self-teaching. It really isn't, for starters. You don't really 'teach yourself' as much as you locate free, good quality tutorials or books on your chosen trade. As Hunter S. Thompson once said: "He that is taught only by himself has a fool for a master." Simply, you need to be shown some things. The times that you actually do fool around in a program and figure things out are often small, but when it starts to get more technical you need some demonstration. The biggest myth when it comes to some trades is that you need to sign up for costly courses at college to get the knowledge you require. In reality, some discipline, a good desk chair (your butt will thank you for this, trust me), and a workspace conducive to productivity will do wonders- so hold off on that $400 school bill and why not give self-teaching a try?
Below I have listed a select few of the resources that have helped me the most over the years- some technical and direct, some inspirational, but all equally important. These are my main resources that I still tap into when in need.
Web Monkey
I started off when I was very young toying around with my (what I thought was) awesome Geocities political thought web site. I thought my opinions were valid and needed to be heard - and the internet was right there! Though those ill-informed opinions have no doubt changed over the years, my interest in self-teaching and layout has continued full force.
TutVid
An excellent resource I stumbled upon years ago when first dabbling in catalogue layout and brochure design. From cloning stamps in Photoshop, to creating your own roll-over web buttons in Dreamweaver- this site has it all. Not only that, but the videos show you exactly where to find things within the program (something that is a bit more difficult with text books) and use simple language to explain it all. No design wanking here. Wanna create a swanky Web 2.0 reflection? Easy!
Photoshop Disasters
What not to do. Great inspiration to pay extra close attention to detail. Knowing what to avoid is just as important as knowing what to include.
Daily Dose of Imagery
Inspiration to try every single day - and to find the beauty in every day objects and simple settings.
And of course, my go-to books of choice:
Adobe InDesign Handbook (my Bible)
Grid Systems
As with all learning processes, there is no end in sight- and that's what makes learning exciting! I hope these references are of as much help to you as they have been to me, whether you are more advanced or a beginner looking for some inspiration and guidance.
More importantly, never give up on your dream- you can do it, and you don't need to follow any type of formula. Whatever works best for you is how you will remember the information. Personally, I learn by doing- just sitting down with my programs for an hour or three and fiddling around, researching, watching tutorial videos, pausing, trying... lather, rinse, repeat... until I figure out what it is I want to do.
If you find it out through trial and error you are less likely to forget the process, n'est-ce pas?
Until next time, happy trails.
No comments:
Post a Comment