Welcome to the Personal Website of George Michael Huff

Apr 25 2008

A Web Designer’s Education

By George Huff

I’ve talked about education before, but yesterday I was blown away (again) by someone who decided to forgo school (for the most part) and forge on with a self-taught design career. The first person I met that did this I worked alongside for a few years (at our first and only jobs) and was always blown away by his natural talent. I suppose I can “lump” myself in the self-taught category, but I did go to college, just not for design. I didn’t self-teach however, I borrowed, stole, and pillaged from a very talented design team.

More and more I think the response to boredom from many kids in school (from 8th-12th grade) is to gravitate towards computers and the self-taught realm. I first started playing with Photoshop (at 17), not because I was introduced in a school, but because I was excited about pirating something so expensive. How many designers started in a similar way?

I don’t mean to discredit those with big piles of debt, I’m with you. But I can’t help but be in awe of those who just do it and become self-taught rockstar designers without all the fat. Thumbs up.

More and more the internet provides all kinds of free training - for those that seek it. I compare k12 education to my experiences in learning to play the guitar (albeit a little older). While Django and Robert Johnson are fantastic guitar players, if not the best - I want to “play The Fucking Clash,” - three power chords, I’m good. A well-rounded education is important, but you also have to serve them up what they want. Especially when competing with the internet, video games, and broken families.

The web gives us power - those who are willing to sweat and just do - don’t need a college education and they certainly don’t need a resume.

I can’t say I regret college - I had a great time and learned a lot of life skills, but for what I do, I probably would have been better off diving right in. Now I am a 27-year-old designer watching the big 30 creep closer and closer - at what point am I dated? Scary stuff! Thank goodness for We The Media and it’s ever expanding talent pool - I will forever be connected to the talent of youth.

Yesterday was inspiring if anything - thank you to those who I met and spoke with.

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Education, Freelance, Inspiration, We The Media, Web Design

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Comments for A Web Designer’s Education

J.Hall April 25th, 2008 at 3:53 pm

I agree, but I don’t think there is anything wrong with going to college. Just don’t go for the sake of just going, find a good reason. And it can be a nice place to learn some technical skills and meet other technically skilled individuals. It’s all perception, you know.

George Huff April 25th, 2008 at 4:13 pm

I totally agree - I went for the sake of going. Got a general business degree in five years what could have been three and a half. All the time I spent jumping through hoops I also spent meeting people and figuring myself out. No regrets.

tzBonez April 25th, 2008 at 5:14 pm

Back in the day it was called warez, and that’s how I taught my boy “sonny bonez” at the ripe old age of 28 he’ll probably be soaking in the rayz on some far-off island (that he owns). As for college, take some engineering courses if you want to face the dragon, that’s the way to go!
As for web design, just get some schuck to F-it up, lol!
Second post the first one my POS computer died.

Ken Luallen April 26th, 2008 at 9:08 am

If you know when you’re 16 that you want to be a web designer for life, then sure don’t go to college. If you’re not sure what you do with your life or think there’s an outside chance that somewhere down the line you might want one of the ten million jobs that require a college degree, I’d suggest hanging on to the boring education for a bit longer.

Choosing not to go to college can be exceptionally short sighted. And the greatest benefit of college is often not practical — it’s the concentrated exposure you get to people from other parts of the country and the world as well as the license you get to explore whatever ideas you want without having to work full time.

While growing up in the real world is a perfectly acceptable and sometimes even advantageous alternative, it’s not the same.

George Huff April 26th, 2008 at 11:38 am

@ken - For many professions, I completely agree - but web design education taught by professors who don’t really know what they are talking about is a waste of money.

That being said, a general degree (such as business) can be intangibly valuable - it’s hard for me to gauge when it is and isn’t helping me.

And again, the life experience of college opens a lot of doors as well as your mind.

Thanks for your comment.

Dige-a-roony April 26th, 2008 at 12:56 pm

Networking bro-ha. That’s what gets you places and keeps you going. I’m working in a Uni now because I networked. (I also learned Korean, but that just helped me network). Dating is networking (of which I did little). Business is networking (of which I did lots).

Now I’m networking half-way across the globe and one of my best friends is the MVP from the Korean pro soccer league. Network yourself into your own blissful cave of yum yums, whatever and wherever that may be.

matt April 28th, 2008 at 4:49 pm

obama blows, like you you portland fag! rest of oregon hates portland

chriskalani April 28th, 2008 at 9:44 pm

Dude, thanks for including me as one of the fools who went against the grain. This is a great post and it’s something that I am pretty passionate about; mainly when it comes to the design industry. PS - it was cool meeting you last week. I look forward to talking to you sometime soon.

George Huff April 29th, 2008 at 10:04 am

@dige-a-roony It’s all about the relationships - College does that pretty well.

@Matt Please get off my internet or I’m going to call the police.

@ChrisKalani Keep up the good work - amazing things will come.

chriskalani April 29th, 2008 at 4:40 pm

You got that out of a fortune cookie.

Sigler April 29th, 2008 at 4:49 pm

Does tech school count as college? Many of the techies and web designers I know are primarily self-taught. I am primarily self-taught, having begun when I got really excited about ASCII art and the RIP graphics for BBS’s.

I did go to a tech school for about a year and a half and got an Associates degree. It was useful in learning what I didn’t want to do.

At times I do regret not having more schooling in design fundamentals. I believe there is much that can be applied to the web from great print techniques. Basic design principles hold true regardless of the medium. I’ve had to unlearn some bad habits that I might not have picked up with more school.

That said, the web design courses at most universities are atrocious and too far behind the times. I doubt that will change until our industry has reached a bit more of maturity.

Big 3.0 looming for me as well. Just hit 2.8

George Huff April 29th, 2008 at 4:54 pm

@chriskalani - lol, you also have a good chance of finding happiness in your life.

@sigler - I think anything post-k12 (US) counts. You’re right about the maturity thing with the coursework - thankfully if you want to learn print stuff you can look it up on the web as well. It’s all about learning how to learn. Thanks for the comment.

Josh pyles April 29th, 2008 at 7:30 pm

Whoah, looks like i’m late to the party!

Thanks for the cool post George! It really is great to hear nice words from other designers!

I agree that some people can skip college (me, kalani, and jeff, etc) and be totally fine. Especially in this field, where the rules have changed so much in the past few years. Every day a new innovation is made it seems. Textbooks can hardly keep up.

I also agree that a college education can be an awesome experience in a number of ways.

One thing I hate about culture today is that we put so much relevance on a college education, that many people feel like they have to have it to be someone. I feel that is totally not true, and it sounds like most of the people here agree!

@kalani I love the fortune cookie line! made me laugh.