10 Myths About Graphic Design

I found this this morning... and it couldn't be more true! 

Original Post: 10 Myths About Graphic Design

As a graphic designer I find it frustrating and insulting when someone who has very little to NO training in design considers themselves a designer. Just because you have photoshop/illustrator and you can use the programs, DOES NOT MAKE YOU A DESIGNER. There is a lot more to it than that. And please forgive me if this offends you, but more often than not, I find people who went to school for MARKETING tend to think themselves designers too. Are they related fields? Absolutely. Are they interchangeable? Absolutely NOT. I wouldn't pretend to know the best way to market a company... I understand how marketing works, and I can do it at a small scale. But I did not go to school for it, therefore I do not know the intricacies of the job.

Without the schooling....

Can a legal assistant be a lawyer?

Can a nurse be a doctor?

Can someone who changes their own oil be a full fledged mechanic?

Can someone who's read all the diet books be a dietician?

Can someone who does their own finances/taxes consider themselves an accountant?

I can go on and on.... point being that just because you have a little bit of knowledge, does not make you an expert on the subject. That doesn't mean you can't share what you know, and help out those who know nothing on the subject. BUT... do not try to pass yourself off as an expert.

Please show some respect to those who did the schooling and have spent most of their life living and breathing design. I would do the same for your profession.

And for the love of monkeys... DO NOT USE CLIP ART!!! That is NOT design... and quite frankly it's embarrassing and gives the rest of us "real" designers a bad name.

Phew... guess I've been holding that in for a while.