想学习图形设计吗？初学者的9个技巧和窍门

1. Learn key design principles.

平面设计is a visual communication tool that combines the use of graphics, typography, color, and illustration to communicate a message.

尽管有无限的方法可以传达一条消息（这是创意部分发挥作用的地方），但每个图形设计师都必须遵循的关键原则：

• Hierarchy
• Alignment
• Contrast
• 空间
• Color
• 接近
• Repetition
• Balance

These fundamental concepts ensure that a design is cohesive, impactful, and clear.

除了这些原则外，还有其他元素还发挥了作用，例如排版和颜色理论。

The former relates to the way in which your copy (i.e. text) is arranged while the former refers to how people perceive color and how it impacts messaging.

一旦你理解这些概念,然后您可以dive a little deeper. More on that in the next section.

2. Find a course.

Contrary to popular belief, having an eye for design isn’t an innate trait – it’s a learned skill.

Once you have a broad overview of graphic design, it’s time to dive in with an in-depth course.

A course will teach you about the history of graphic design, the various subdivisions within the discipline, the psychology behind design principles, and the tools you’ll need.

Here are the top online resources for graphic design courses:

• General Assembly
• Skillshare
• LinkedInLearning(formerly Lynda.com)
• Udemy
• Coursera

Then, of course, there’s alwaysYouTubeUniversity. The best thing about this university is that it’s 100% free.

不利的一面是，您可能不会在YouTube上的材料中找到相同的深度，也不会得到教授的支持。

另外，您可能要找到自己的作业来练习所学的东西。但是，如果您有预算，这可能是一个不错的起点。

3.主设计程序。

It’s hard to think of graphic design without immediately thinking of the tools they use.

So much of graphic design work relies on the use of tools likeAdobe Illustrator，，，，Adobe InDesign，，，，Adobe Photoshop，，，，and草图。

These are all powerful software that allow you to create everything from logos and illustrations to website designs.

尽管它们不能自由使用，但请考虑他们在您的职业生涯中进行投资，因为您可能会在每个项目中使用它们。

4.与设计师的网络。

In addition to the knowledge you’ll gain from your courses, it’s important to speak with designers who are currently working in the field.

This will help you get a 360-view of what it’s like working as a graphic designer and what it takes to succeed in your role.

从社交网络开始FacebookandLinkedIn。您会发现很多共享信息和机会的设计社区和团体。

You can also use sites like聚会to find designers in your area who are interested in meeting up as well asEventbriteto find fun events you can join.

Networking across is as important as networking up. Make sure you lean on your community for support and advice as you develop your skills as a graphic designer.

5. Practice, then practice some more.

现在，您已经了解了所有需要知道的一切，现在该将这些知识付诸实践了。

当学习新的东西时，练习是关键。这还不足以让您了解知识，您必须使用它并了解它的实时工作方式。

So, now that you understand design principles and have learned from the experts, it’s time for you to gain your own experience. You can start by searching for graphic design exercises online.

For instance,Type ConnectionandKernType允许您测试您的typography skills. You can also use sites like锐化to find design prompts to work on. They have prompts in various categories, from branding to marketing and user experience (UX).

Once you feel confident in your ability, consider taking on a design project of your own. It could be a passion project you give yourself or one you seek out.

This will help you get real-world experience in what it takes to start a project from start to finish and all of the non-design implications you must consider.

9 Tips for Learning Graphic Design

1. Always keep an ear to the ground.

As marketers, we already know how much there is to learn from influencers.

They are highly knowledgeable in their niche and are often willing to share the secrets to their success in their content.

If you seek out their content regularly, you'll become more familiar with the graphic design world, discover more tips from industry leaders, become comfortable with relevant terminology, and stay on top of trends.

Wondering how to engage? Turn to YouTube, Twitter, and Instagram.

而且不要害怕与他们联系。您永远不知道谁会回答您的问题 - 您建立的任何积极联系都只会帮助您在旅途中进一步发展。

What to Do Right Now

• Build aTwitter List有影响力的设计师在Twitter上,你可以follow their daily insights without having to pick out their tweets from a sea of friends, coworkers, and news sources on your timeline.
• Have a mix of well-known designers who personally inspire you and those whose work you donotenjoy. That last point may seem counterintuitive, but consistently observing the work of that group can help you understandwhyyou don't like it, which is a key part of understanding design.

2. Collect inspirational work.

Once you decide to learn design, start building a catalog of work you think is successful.

这可能就像在网络浏览器中为图像书签一样简单，制作一个Pinterestboard, or saving items to a folder on your computer.

Sifting through a catalog of inspiring work will help you to identify trends – both past and present – and can inform your own personal style.

What to Do Right Now

• 熟悉领先的设计师投资组合网站DribbbleandBehance。These platforms showcase an abundance of high-quality work from leading designers across the spectrum – everyone from web and UX designers, to graphic designers and typographers.
• Set aside time in your day to review these sites and use apps likePandato make the collection process easier.

3.解剖过程。

One of the most pivotal moments in my design journey was when I recognized that every single illustration, infographic, and icon I had ever ogled over was the product of someone mastering how to combine shapes and lines.

Analyzing the process behind a design will allow you to understand the steps required to produce a piece of work.

根据您当前的技能水平，您可能会知道使用了哪些工具，或者首先创建了哪个方面。但是，如果您是初学者，请不要让您阻止您 - 检查设计的构造将使您弯曲创意的肌肉。

受过良好的猜测对教您的教育比什么都不做的要多。另外，您可能会发现：

1. You know more than you think you do.
2. When you identify holes in that knowledge, you'll know what techniques or concepts you need to explore to narrow the gap.
3. There's more than one way to achieve the desired result.

What to Do Right Now

• Download a free vector or PSD design resource, and dig through the layers to see how the designer constructed the object. You can find a number of those fileshere。
• 选择文件后，在Photoshop中打开它，然后打开图层面板（其中您可以在这里学习使用) and un-collapse some of the folders, so that you can see the layers contained within them.

By simply changing the visibility of the layers, you can begin to see how the designer used each shape to build upon one another. You can also begin to understand how to use Photoshop Effects, like drop shadows and strokes.

4. Get specific with your online search queries.

As you begin creating your own designs, you'll likely hit an obstacle where you think to yourself, "Hmm, how the heck do I do that?“

可能是，其他人也想知道同样的事情。

Like many self-taught disciplines these days, the majority of my own technical design knowledge was gained by watching aYouTubetutorial while I actively followed along.

The key is to be really specific with your searches, so you can find a highly relevant tutorial.

Searching for something like "How to Create an Icon" might deliver really broad search results. Instead, type in exactly what you want to learn, like, "How to Create a Flat Icon with a Long Shadow." Boom.

What to Do Right Now

Browse adesign terminology glossaryto find the specific terms for techniques you're trying to learn.

That can help you find what you're looking for online much more easily, in addition to helping you familiarize yourself with the language.

5. Reproduce your favorite work.

让我清楚：在任何情况下，您都不应侵犯任何人的受版权保护。切勿复制别人的作品，并试图将其作为您自己的工作。

That said, re-creating a design you like, without advertising it as your own work, is helpful in gaining a deeper understanding of design techniques.

您必须通过选择重新创建设计的方法来创造性。如果您不能准确地重复设计，请不要感到沮丧 - 请记住，该过程比结果更重要。

What to Do Right Now

• 查找您认为成功的设计作品，如果您创建了一个Inspiration Adalog，这应该很容易。
• 打开您的首选设计软件以重新创建它。bob电竞官方下载
• 开始解剖设计并使用自己的过程重新创建它。
• 如果您被卡住了，请使用特定的搜索查询并依靠您的设计社区。

6.拥抱负空间。

初学者和高级设计师通常会忽略负空间的正确使用。

What is negative space, or white space? It's the space in your design that's not occupied by any visual or written element. A design piece that doesn't incorporate enough negative space is like a sentence with no spaces:itisdifficulttocomprehend。

What to Do Right Now

Learning to effectively use white space won't happen overnight. You'll have to try out different options to find what works for each design.

• 阅读一些文章this list，，，，compiled by David Kadavy, author of黑客设计：逆向工程美女。然后，尝试将其中一些理论付诸实践。

Remember, there's no hard-and-fast rule to using white space. It takes practice. Eventually, you'll find that exercises in resizing elements of your composition and changing the layout will lead to a natural understanding of the amount of breathing room required.

7. Don't be afraid to get feedback.

On some level, everyone is afraid of criticism. We're afraid our ideas will get shot down and we'll be sent back to square one.

学会接受建设性的批评并非易事，但这是成为更好的设计师的关键。

Paul Arden, who was the creative force behind Saatchi & Saatchi at a pinnacle of its success, wrote this in his best-selling book,It's Not How Good You Are, It's How Good You Want to Be：

“如果您没有寻求批准，而是要问，'What’s wrong with it? How can I make it better?' you are more likely to get a truthful, critical answer. You may even get an improvement on your idea. And you are still in a position to reject the criticism if you think it is wrong. Can you find fault with this?"

The takeaway: Design critics allow us to incorporate others' viewpoints into our work and improve upon our ideas. You always have the option to reject the feedback but considering it in the first place is what's important.

Design is subjective in nature, and just because someone else has a different opinion doesn't mean you're wrong.

实际上，信任您的直觉同样重要。只需确保您有能力备份设计决策即可。

What to Do Right Now

• Have a one-on-one conversation with an experienced designer. If you don't know anyone in the design world, join an online community of designers.
• Post on Reddit'sDesign Critiques。
• Publish your work on social media and ask for feedback from fellow designers.

8. Pick a passion project.

If you only listen to one piece of advice from this post, let it be this one.

In your career, you'll likely be involved in design projects you aren't passionate about. And that's OK.

因此，一开始，给自己一个工作的空间，可以在您迫不及待地参与的项目上工作。这是您需要动力让您度过那些艰难的学习新事物的时候。

When you get frustrated, a passion project can fuel you to push through.

It'll also provide direction. Time and time again, the hardest part of learning design is not knowing what to design. Be decisive and choose something you can work on for an extended period of time.

What to Do Right Now

• Align your interests or current situation with your projects. If you're a blogger, try creating the header image for your next post. V
• 表达您愿意与内容团队合作的报价。
• 寻找工作？重新设计您的简历，并尝试通过创建徽标来进一步发展您的个人品牌。

There are a number of ways to work design into your day, but it's up to you to pick something that matters to you.

9. Just start.

t's easy to be intimidated by the sheer amount of learning associated with graphic design, but remind yourself that even the most talented designers were newbies once, too.

使创意领域如此特别的原因是每个人的旅程都是独一无二的 - 没有一种方法可以进行DIY设计。您会找到自己的手段来辨别想要和需要学习的东西。

Furthermore, design is an iterative process, so keep reworking your ideas and projects.

随着您的进步，您将开发自己的工作流程，有一天，整天花费您的设计只会花费您一个小时。

Trust me, I'm living proof.

Editor's Note: This post was originally published in June of 2017 and has been updated for comprehensiveness.

最初发布于2021年8月23日1:15：00，更新于2021年8月23日

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