The questions are, “Do I want to go to design school? What kind of program should I look for? Do I need a degree in graphic design? Should I get an intern job or start out freelancing?
These questions arise in every person considering entering the graphic design field.
You will be more desirable by studying graphic design in a credited design school. Of course, your portfolio is your most important asset. So, take a building your portfolio class.
If you don’t have the money for school, try Continuing Ed classes which are usually held at night. Take one class at a time and work as hard as possible to take in all the information you can. Research designers, lookup trends, decide which area you want to go into. Produce concepts and design projects abundance. Watch your work grow and gain confidence.
Look up the Bio’s of teachers, their work and credentials, and choose the best fit for yourself.
You will also have to know: Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator and Adobe InDesign. You still might be able to buy computer books with a CD Rom and tutorials.
Try not to use these software programs as a design tool. Meaning, work on your concepts first and design second.
Then get yourself an intern job in a design firm and work your way up. You will learn faster working for a company than freelancing. Freelancing is time-consuming and you will spend more time finding clients, so I wouldn’t recommend going that route starting off.