designing and switch their careers.
11 Steps Engineers Can Take to Learn Graphic Designing
This post provides detailed information on how to effectively transform from an engineer to a successful graphic designer.
It shows you major steps you can take right now to start learning graphic designing and be on your way to a successful career.
Please, read on:
There is no doubt that graphic designers are in growing demand in every business and sphere of human activities.
Graphic designing is one of the most sought after professions right now because almost all fields of human endeavor require a touch of graphic designing.
If you are an engineer and you have a desire to learn graphic designing because you have the passion for aesthetic designing and art work, then this article is for you.
11 Steps Engineers Can Take to Start Learning Graphic Designing
- Examine yourself to know whether you have creative abilities
Creative ability is the most important requirement to make a career in graphic designing; the ability to visualize and work in an artistic and imaginative way.
As an engineer, you need to ask yourself a question like am I good with technical designing? If yes, then you are good to go.
To start off as a graphic designer, you need to have an eye for aesthetic in order to succeed in the career.
- Take up training in design available at the Master’s level
After earning your Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, you can take up a Master’s degree in Graphic Design to aid you while designing out samples for presentation.
You can take a full time Master of Design (MDes) program. There are available design courses in several specializations like automobile design, user interface and interactive design and other specializations.
Applicants are trained both in theoretical and practical aspects. They offer courses like freehand drawing, computer aided visualization, geometry, making models, and color composition and various design processes.
- Study graphic design theories
The engineering theories are different from the graphic design theories. To understand the concept behind graphic designing you need to study and understand the theories.
You must have had some background knowledge of the rules of measurement and asymmetric in engineering. These rules apply to graphic designing; you must know other rules like balance, proportion, color and scale.
You need to be familiar with the theory of graphic designing and you need to understand the above rules and how to apply them.
- Get graphic design resources
As an educated engineer, you can get from online reliable resources, or you can get books from book stores and tutor yourself in graphic designing.
There are websites that can offer you the best resources like Allison Online Courses, 99design, and Udemy. You can get materials from these platforms to easily learn graphics designing.
- Get an internship
Internship is the major way to learn graphic designing because you have someone to teach you practically where you can ask questions for more understanding, and hands-on visual learning helps to enhance or fasten the learning process.
When getting an internship try learning under an expert designer; they can teach you professionally and you can gain experience from observing the processes and techniques used while designing a project.
- Master basic software programs used in graphic designing
What makes you a good graphic designer is your expert ability to use graphic design software programs.
You need to learn basic design software programs like Coreldraw, Photoshop, Inkscape and any 3D vector software like Blender.
Practice often on these software tools to get acquainted with them. You can ask your mentor questions when you come across a problem when designing and pay ultimate attention when they are teaching you the required processes.
- Develop your perception for aesthetics
The next step is to develop an eye for aesthetics. As an engineer, If you sit down in a restaurant and observe a menu card and you have an inner thought that tells you that you can do better if you have designed the menu card, or as an engineer you look at a car exterior and interior design and you wish you could have given it a unique original kind of look, then you have an eye for aesthetic.
All you need to do is develop your love for aesthetics, get design samples and study them to improve your aesthetic capabilities.
- Start making use of sketchbook to draft designs
After developing your aesthetic perceptions, the next step is do a quick review on what You already know about as an engineer, which is sketching and drafting blueprints.
Graphic designers also sketch and draw out samples before embarking on the process to design it out using computer software.
This step is what you are already familiar with as an engineer but it is a bit different because you will be sketching more of logos and graphic designs.
You can get sketchbooks and free handily design images, work on your creative ability before trying it out with a design software program.
- Create your own original design using a design computer
After learning how to sketch, it’s time to design your sketched items. Practice makes perfect. To learn graphic designing faster, you need to learn how to create your original design.
Creating your original designs helps to enhance your creative ability, which in return makes you to produce more stunning designs.
Always practice often to get accustomed to the techniques in the design process.
- Build your Portfolio
As you have mastered and learnt how to create designs using software programs, the next step is to build your brand and create unique designs for sampling and marketing purposes.
Your portfolio is similar to your resume; you build your brief or portfolio so clients can see your previous works and see what you are capable of doing before hiring you.
Create a viable portfolio. In your portfolio, you can also indicate your engineering experience, especially when you apply for a job in an automobile or mechanical firm that deals with engineering tasks.
Building a good portfolio is vital if you finally want to kick off, grow and succeed in the field.
- Create your network and online presence as a freelancer
You can sample your work and work online through various freelance platforms like 99design where you showcase your designs and connect with interested clients online.
You can open your own personal blog to market your skills as a multi-talented engineer and graphic designer.
You can register in any freelancing platform and start getting clients or apply in person in companies that needs an engineering designer.
Carrying out projects will help you to envelop your skills, and it helps also to fortify all the theoretical and practical exercises you have learned during your internship or formal education.
Conclusion
If you are an engineer and you want to shift into a design related career, graphic designing may just be right for you.
Whether you studied Civil or Mechanical Engineering, you must have already had strong knowledge of engineering drawing used in designing machine elements and transmission.
You must also have had knowledge of Computer Aided Design (CAD) software programs. Having this knowledge can give you an advantage in getting a job with companies that design mechanical products where graphic designs are needed to help users to effectively interact with products.
So switching from an engineer to a graphic designer is not a bad idea.