Have you been to one of the large bookstore chains recently and gone to the section labeled “Graphic Design?”
If you have, or when you do go, you may be surprised to find the section almost entirely composed of books on Photoshop and web development (coding, Dreamweaver, etc.).
Does learning the requisite software make you a designer? Just because you know CSS and HTML, can you really call yourself a web designer?
We are definitely not making the argument that these topics aren’t extremely important, they are, but they’re sections of a larger area of discipline, the entire core of which is seemingly ignored these days.
Photoshop is a tool by which the larger discipline is accomplished. Knowing how to use it doesn’t make you a designer any more than knowing how to paint a house makes you an artist.
You know the keyboard shortcut for kerning type, but do you knowhow to kern type? You know how to create guides, but do you understand the fundamentals of grid-based layout? You know how to apply a background fill color, but do you understand which colors will complement each other well and why?
What is design? Design is math, do you understand the golden ratio? Design is psychology, will a red or green button earn more clicks? Design is art, which color scheme is has greater visual appeal? Design is marketing, how do I sell this idea, service or product?
There are No Shortcuts if you are serious about being a a quality , in-demand designer. Before you can “break the rules” of design and “think outside of the box”, you must first understand the fundamentals of design. As a designer, the more diverse you are in your skill set the more marketable you will be! Enter this field to “be the best”, not “one of the many”. Absorb , “like a sponge” the wisdom and knowledge of experienced designer’s and strive to master the tools of design, Photoshop, Illustrator, CSS, HTML, Photography,etc. However, it is important to understand that these tools are simply that, tools, they are a just a means to the end.