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March 30, 2007
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How Necessary is a Design Degree?
So the folks over at EarnMyDegree.com hired me today to write a review of their Graphic Design Degrees section through what has quickly become one of my favorite sites, ReviewMe.
I really like their site. The design isn’t anything to write home about, but having spent some time developing a education section myself (nursing schools), I know how hard it can be to develop an interface that allows a visitor to choose between lots of different options and easily find the one that best suits them.
At EarnMyDegree, I was easily able to choose what I wanted a degree in, what kind of degree I was looking for, and quickly see the schools that offered that. Very nice, very clean, very helpful. Many of the options are online, too, which meant I could do them from anywhere. There’s no question that I’d use them to at least explore my options if I was looking for another degree.
The bigger question for me, though, is, as a web designer, how necessary do you think it is to have a degree? It’s got to be helpful to “learn the principles and techniques of working with color, type, illustration, photography, animation, and various print and computer layout techniques,” but can you learn that elsewhere almost as well? Or not?
I’d like to hear what you think. I’m sure there are at least as many of you with degrees as without. What influenced your decision one way or the other?
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Personally I don’t think that a design degree is or should be necessary. I am pursuing a degree in graphic design, though I already do freelance work. The only reason I am going after a degree is simply to have it, to strengthen my name for those who believe that it should be necessary. I am fully capable of performing any design tasks in Flash, web design, or graphic design that any other designer is capable of with my own flavor.
Hmmm…necessary. I think it depends on what level the person is at when they ask for freelance work.
Like Tre, I’m in college now too and I’ve learned a lot about color theory, composition, art history. I would have to say, it benefited me.
I think some level of going for your education would be helpful.
I agree if your good then does it really matter! I think if you have a really good portfolio then it shouldn’t matter!
it all comes down to can you get the job done if your good then your good!
This is a question that has plagued me for my entire career. I have always hated school and I got into web design far after I was out of school. I’ve learned everything I know from different sites and books. I guess I really feel that pursuing a degree would help the most with composition, business, and maybe art history. I still don’t know if I’ll pursue a degree but I’ve been designing for many years and so far the degree question has never even come up, not even from clients. I feel your portfolio will be your best selling point.
I think people who want to call themselves graphic designers without a degree need to work harder to pick up on concepts than those who got degrees did (I know quite a few self-proclaimed GDs that don’t know the first thing about typesetting, being a good example)
Is a degree necessary? Hell no. Does it help? Probably. Do I want to work for people that won’t hire unless you have a degree? Nope. It proves there’s already a massive issue with how their mind works, and I am not prepared to take on a client that places more value in a degree than the art placed in front of him. Degree or not, I have better things to do with my time.