Resources for New Designers

Building a career in design can be incredibly rewarding but also difficult when you’re first starting. Here are some resources that might be helpful. Please note, we have no affiliation with anything linked below so please do your due diligence.

MENTORING

ADPList is the sort of resource I wish they’d had when I was starting out. Get free mentoring sessions with a wide variety of creatives from feedback on your portfolio to career changes or setting up your own studio.

BOOKS

Non-Designers Design Book by Robin Williams — Despite the title, this is a great intro to basic design for designers too. It’s explained in a way you can get through the book in an hour or two but you’ll reference the concepts for years.

Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton — Lupton is a fantastic design educator so really anything by her is highly recommended. Thinking with Type is a great intro to the often-neglected art of typography and is guaranteed to turn you into a typophile. The only downside is you’ll start to be annoyed by all the bad typography lurking about.

How To Be a Graphic Designer Without Losing Your Soul by Adrian Shaughnessy, forward by Stefan Sagmeister — The title is a bit misleading as it sounds quite philosophical whereas the book itself focuses on the practicalities of shaping your career as a designer. Great for anyone just getting started — there are sections depending on whether you’re looking to find a job, work for yourself, freelance, or set up an agency. Plus pragmatic advice on working with difficult clients, finding work, and interviews with working designers.

Make it Bigger by Paula Scher— Scher is a partner at the venerable agency Pentagram and responsible for some of the most iconic album covers of the 70s and 80s (amongst many other things). In this book, she gives insight into the design process from brainstorming concepts, working with clients, power struggles, and getting designs through approvals. The book is heavily illustrated with examples of her work and illustrations. It gives you a blunt behind-the-scenes that’s both realistic and often humorous.

PORTFOLIO SCHOOLS

Portfolio schools can help jump-start your design career. They’re designed to mimic real-life work experience complete with designing alongside real creatives, team exercises, and portfolio-worthy deliverables. However, they can also be costly, intensive, and sometimes promise more than they deliver so consider your options, budget, and time carefully before you make a decision.

Intensive (& Expensive)

Miami Ad School
Denver Ad School

Budget-Friendlier

Ad House NYC
Book180
The Book Shop
The Academy @ Goodby
Audacious School of Astonishing Pursuits
Nelken Creative
Useful School
The Workshop

INTERNSHIPS

AdFellows
Mentorship Programs
The Inturnship
The One Club Mentor & Creative
The Workshop
Blac Internship Program
The Marcus Graham Project
MAIP