If you were asked by an aspiring graphic designer “where do I start?”, the answer would likely be “learn the basics”.
So what does this mean?
Well you’d start with design principles such as the ones included in Gestalt Theory; contrast, balance, hierarchy, etc. You’d learn about color psychology, how to properly use white or negative space (there’s a difference), grid systems (and how to break them). In my 2 years of learning design in college, and then my subsequent 3 years learning through experience in the industry, I only really started to utilize “the basics” for maybe the past two years of my career.
Why?
Two reasons. One, I didn’t fully digest what “the basics” were in my first few years of designing. Two, I didn’t recognize design problems as they popped up early on in my career.
To address the latter first, I think without “real world” experience as it’s called, it’s hard to know when to apply the design principles and techniques of the trade we’ve learned to the design problems we face. You have to start facing these problems before you know what tool to apply to them (in other words you don’t know what you don’t know yet). It’s difficult to add a tool to your toolbelt if you never use it. After a while you might subconsciously leave that tool behind, and then a few months down the line you’re left with less to solve a problem.
If you’ve never needed to add contrast between a logo and the photo that is its background, how would you know to add a gradient in between? Or add a subtle drop shadow? Or maybe rethink the composition all together to ensure your logo is placed in a spot that has enough contrast to begin with?
But wait. How do you know it even needed added contrast in the first place?
This brings me to my first point. You need to understand these design principles to effectively spot the design problem you may have on your hands.
We hear all the time that design is subjective, and I won’t argue that in some contexts it is (all design carries some measure of subjectivity because everybody is different and has their own tastes and preferences). But why is it that when you talk to a graphic designer who has been in the industry for a few years, they’ll tell you absolutely there is good and bad design? The answer is because good design solves problems while bad design creates them.
A graphic designer’s lack of foundation and understanding of design perpetuates these design problems. This can arise due to someone never having learned these design principles, or someone having “learned” them but having not digested the information due to never putting them to use. If you don’t know that you need contrast (design principle) for your logo to be readable in a design, and that a lack thereof will lead the viewer of your design to totally overlook your logo (design problem), then how could you have properly designed it in the first place!
I’d like to bring us back full circle to “coming across enough problems”. You need to not only take it upon yourself to learn these principles and tools and techniques to grow as a designer, but you actually have to design and fail and learn and try again. When you go through this process enough times, you start to really understand why the Gestalt Principles that we learn early on in our education matter so damn much.
We begin to see the design problems before they happen, and prevent them with good design.