At 29, I decided I hated what I did and it was time for a career that I could get behind. Since I’ve always loved art, it seemed the most practical way to work that love into a career, was to go back to school for graphic design.
Because I was already approaching 30, I could not bear the thought of going back to school for 4 more years to change careers. I also did not want to get into a huge amount of debt. I was looking for something that would give me basic skills for what I would needed in the industry and not make me broke. At only one year and roughly $3500, this course was a winner.
To be honest, I was expecting the course to be a little on the amateurish side.
The Program
To be honest, I was expecting the course to be a little on the amateurish side. I didn’t believe that for the price and the length of schooling, that it could be professional enough to teach me everything I would need to be a digital graphic designer. But I figured I would start with VCC and move forward from there.
I think the real focus of the program was to prepare you for working in a real world industry. We started with learning the software. The most extensive software taught was Illustrator, Indesign, Flash and Dreamweaver (on a Mac). The projects given were fun and made me want to learn about all the abilities of each program. I could have spent more time on web design personally, but there is so much to web design. We spent equal time on each program. Illustrator was paired with basic design elements, Dreamweaver and Flash paired with web design and Indesign paired with editorial design porjects. The last course was used to finish our portfolio. We planned the projects we wanted to work on and planned out our schedule in order to achieve those goals. We also had several guest speakers such as local printers, interview coaches, previous students and paper vendors. I found upon graduation that most of our work was comparable to other 3 and 4 year course grad shows.
In my experience, this course provided all the important aspects of real world working. The instructors focused on what kind of issues we would face in our new career. In addition to design, we learned how to develop a strong relationship with printshops, interview and resume skills, what kind of clients to expect and even organization. Yes, it’s true that the course didn’t offer as many art classes focused on developing individual styles, or the drawing/painting skills I would have enjoyed, but it definitely gave me what I needed to easily find a job in the industry. The things I learned in those classes are things I use all the time in my current position.
The Digital Graphic Design course offered a great schedule as well, with the option of being able to choose morning or evening classes, and thus the flexibility to keep your current job. The choice is also with the student to put in as little or as much work into each project as individual time allows.
The instructors were always available for critique and questions. They really seemed to be invested in the students and care about the work we produced. We worked with the top of the line equipment and programs and reasonable class sizes of around 20 students. I found I bonded with students through our many group projects and keep a few of them as friends to this day. I also enjoyed the contests they often offered as part of our projects that pushed us all to produce great work.
The only complaint I would make with this course was with the choice of one teacher who, although her design work was excellent, had no real ability as an instructor. Possibly she was not the teaching type and this was her first time trying. Her class seemed disorganized and poorly laid out. Still, the rest of the faculty were more than inspiring.
I would definitely recommend this program, even if only as a kick start.
The Verdict
I would definitely recommend this program, even if only as a kick start. It’s great for getting a good solid base of skills together. I am now the director of marketing for a distribution company and I love what I do. And more importantly, have found most of what my instructors taught me to be true and very helpful.
(2 votes, average: 4.50 out of 5)
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ImCurious
What was the schedule like? and how many hours a week? Monday-Friday? 9-5?