Preserved Topic: becoming a webdesigner.. what study in Germany? (Page 1 of 1)

well, I probably'll finish school next year and want to besome a 'real' good webdesigner.. so.. my question.. what should i study on university? graphic-design? informatics? or what else?
what did you do, to get into this business?

So you want to be a good web designer, eh?

If you must go to school, then I recommend studying things that enhance your ability to think creatively in general. Study philosophy, mythology, poetry, psychology, theoretical physics. Just don't take any computer classes.

Personally, I am dying to take some art classes - as in, "real" art. Without the ability to draw realistically, I lose the edge over those that have the ability to illustrate well - it shows in design when you have classical training in art.

Learn how to learn. Never specialize.


Contained within this sentence is an information virus which has just lept from your computer to your brain.

Heh. You might want to take one or two computer classes too, since you're there and all. I agree with the broad range background, learn how to learn and think and SEE the world. Technique is very good to know too, not just digital technique, but some basic graphic arts and industrial design courses. Fine arts in general is OK, but can be too touchy-feely for my taste. For computer stuff, learn the basic of HTML and all that jazz, but for heavier stuff some object oriented programming would just rock, look into Java classes (Not just Javascript, but Java.) I don't think there really are any good majors thsat will teach you to be really really good, 9 times out of 10 you'll be better off designing your own major.

Your pal, -doc-

ah... so are you saying that specializing leads to conformity of the though process?
i think some one once had a really good quote on this.. it went someting like... 'specialization is for bugs'.. anyone ever hear that?

btw, what do you mean no computer classes? like no photoshop classes? that is rather logical if the above quote is true... and i believe it is.



[edit... DANG it... i got the quote wrong and the Doc beat me....]

[This message has been edited by eyezaer (edited 11-06-2000).]

the problem is that IF you want to get into that businnes after school, the people first want to see, if you got a special diplome. and if you say: "hmm.. i did some courses in that and that, but didn't specialize on something", you are not very interesting for companies, i think... or am i wrong?

I'd suggest some history - history of knowledge and communication. About books, art, estethics, history of design and layout. You are from Germany... then learn about Bauhaus, Jugend, Tschishold... etc. etc. Typography. You should learn those things, but at the same time not be swept up by the "snobbery" that many people in these fields express, especially towards the computer based work.
I think it is better to know about the rules and traditions, and then break them on purpose when you think it is needed, rather than breaking them without even knowing.

e306-

From my experience, the first thing they want to see is an example of your work. If you clearly make great stuff using photoshop, then they know you can use it. However, if you combine elements of photography, illustration, 3-D art, Flash, and programming, then ShaZAMM, you're a hot commodity.

I'm trying my best to become a good designer with HTML, Flash, and Photoshop, but at the same time, develop my skills as a Linux admin and database programmer.


Contained within this sentence is an information virus which has just lept from your computer to your brain.

hey e306!

i was in the same situation just a year ago. i was really interested in arts and design. especially computer arts.
now i'm 19 years old and in my 3rd semester of informatics at vienna university. why, you're asking? because everybody said me that this would be the best for my future. but originally i didn't want that.

infact, what i really wanted, was to increase my design-abilities... i tell ya: studying informatics doesn't make you anymore creative concerning arts. Of course after that you're an expert on programming and operatingsystems and so on. But to become a 'real' good webdesigner as you describe it i would recommend to study something that imrpoves your design-ability.

Unfortunately i didn't find something like that to study here in Austria... maybe someone else did and he may tell me... ;-)))
that's why i'm now into informatics, but i'm thinking of adding something else to my life.

all critics are welcome.

(please excuse my bad english ;-)

GRUMBLE - mgrumet@gmx.at
http://www.embege.com

well, over here in australia, im doing whats called a bachelor of information technology.
as part of it im in industry, doing an I.T. job - well i do web design.
i have to learn a prog language - i choose javascript.
and then, for the hell of it, i waste my time on photoshop, cause im at work, i have a copy of ps5, and i have time.
then, back at uni, i go back to normal subjects - on how pcs work, learning obj oriented programming with some obsolete language, and chucking in a few database programs, networking, and a bit of business too.
and come third year, im back in industry for another semester.

and apparently, this course will let me choose whatever IT job i want, from front to back end, so yeah, im thinking that web design is an option for me!
does USA have any similar courses? ones that have industry experience?






pix·el [píks'l , pík sèl ]:
any of the small discrete elements that together constitute an image

Wow, felt on that thread, ablazed by what have been said !

Here, in france, there is an explosion in the INTERNET training. At the time I wrote, it looks like if every godamn school offers webhtmldesignphotoshopfireworkschocolatgateau
intensive courses.
Only have to put one hundred of school names in an hat, an hey, presto, let the hazard chose for you!

But seriously, I don't think that's the right think to do... What do they do? Just teaching you the basics, the quickest they can.
Teaching web design? puuu.. bullshit.

I think that the previous posts about learning art are BULLSEYE! Never found a good designer here who has not followed drawing courses, or art studies. On the contrary, I met LOTS of bad ones who followed ArtGrafikaTecknika "multimédia " courses.
Designing is not learning how a pencil works. The tool is just a way. Your destination is on the map of your feelings.

For the problem of the diploma, I've had the same, about 6 months ago. Everyone wants(in france) to see your 'multimédia' diploma, and without one, hey, don't give a fuck at what you do, could be Michaelangelo himself, don't mind.
But hey, now I'm not looking for a job anymore (I'm following a bunchapixel similar course, being in industry 2 months and in school 2month, aso), I've had several good proposition from design offices...search the error.

I think the best way to promote yourself is learning, learning, learning, art in all of his forms, keeping your eyes open to see the world in his whole, and being everywhere, spending time in place like this one, making good friends, spending time making webdesign for free, just for the pleasure, training, showing what you are able to do, and so.

And above all, you must be passionated. Passion makes everything.
Passion makes the difference.


That's it.

Hope you will succed!

Regards,

OMERA

I'm mayoring in coding (computer sciences) and I'm minoring in publicity (advertising), working at an ad agency, it's fitting, don't ya think?




tskull@techie.com">
"A kleptomaniac is a person who helps himself
because he can't help himself." --Henry Morgan
ICQ: 67751342

well, it's me again.
I found something that is called "Computer-Visualistics". It contains Elements of art and design, psychology, philosophy, aestetics, cultimedia, CAD, computer-gaphics, 'normal' computer-science and lots of courses that have to do with media in general.

what du you think about this?
you learn a bit of lots of differnet fields, but are no specialist in any of them.

Here is my suggestion

I am not a designer, instead I just implement the pages. One of the biggest problems I face are that a lot of designers do not understand a lot of the issues faced actually implementing their design.

Don't get me wrong, I can do almost anything with a webpage. But in a professional sense there are a lot of issues. Page Weight is huge. A lot of designers don't realize the sheer amount of HTML that may be needed to replicate their design. We are in the process of redesigning our pages. With the design we got handed the initial page weight was 150K 80K in HTML. Way too much. Then came rounds working with the design firm looking for where we could make design trade-offs in order to drop the HTML.

Another example. most designs I get are done in Photoshop and Get handed off as a PSD file. I got one design where the background design didn't repeat on the right side of the page. So I had to tweak it myself so that the design just didn't cut off on the right edge.

So my advice is this. Treat web design not as a truely artistic venture as you can with standard print design. It is more like architecture. You need to have some idea of the actual construction and engineering involved if you want to really excel at your job. Take some basic HTML classes and actually build some pages, get a good grasp of what is takes to make a page and it will only complement your skills as a designer.


Walking the Earth like Kane

[This message has been edited by bitdamaged (edited 11-08-2000).]

Hey, you must look at some space movies and others about neurotics and mad killers in actions, then mix it up all in your brain, and try to design something, maybe you´ll get something......
(i do the same, but i mix my brain also)