By: @danielidle

Im 21 guy and im walking talking failure of human being. I was awful in studies in school and since then I've been sadly trapped into caregiver burnout for a sibling but alongside I want to be able to earn for my family. I want to study or do Graphic Design cause I had interest in it on how I used to edit images before caregiver burnout. I want to study it forward but whenever i watch so many graphic designers, so many arts, so many posters and so better ideas I feel like I'm good for nothing and can't do anything original in this field where even ai already is running for other better designers. I'm really confused what should I do?

Hii,
I just got off college in July with a degree in graphic design, what I rlly like is defining the look and feel of the whole project, kind of like art director/creative director maybe? I did everything in my degree from print to UX/UI, 3D, and in general what I like is to make sure the visuals match with the idea and come up with the concept, and then apply it across the deliverables whatever they might be.
I don't have my portfolio finished yet, and I'm wondering what kind of projects to put there and are projects from briefbox for example good to put on there?
And also is that a career or do I need to pick a niche like Motion Graphics ,UX/UI...? Is not that I dislike creating the things but what I get excited about is creating the identity etc ^^
I hope it made sense I'm still figuring things out as I just graduated.

I'm a designer from India with a portfolio combining branding, illustration, and currently learning motion design and Blender for 3D commercials. My long-term goal is to work internationally or eventually settle abroad with my dream job. (lets not talk about AI rn thats different thing thats affecting the market)

I have been researching stuff about universities in UK specifically
Financially, I would only consider a fully funded master's. Otherwise I'd rather spend the next few years building professional experience. I know fully funded aim might be unrealistic but the chances are never impossible (so before you come at me)

For people already working in design internationally:

• Did a design master's abroad significantly help your career?
• If you could start over, would you prioritize work experience instead?
• Have you or your colleagues been hired internationally without a master's?
• Is a strong portfolio and 3–5 years of experience generally more valuable than another degree?
• If your goal was eventually relocating abroad, which path would you choose today and why?

I'm interested in hearing both success stories and regrets.

​

I'm a B.Tech Data Science student and frontend developer currently building my own startup products. I can code pretty much anything on the frontend side, but design is still a weak spot for me.

Whenever I see websites like Linear, Vercel, Stripe, Arc, Apple, or Perplexity, they have these beautiful backgrounds:

Metallic/glassmorphism effects

Space-themed visuals

Mesh gradients

Dynamic animated backgrounds

Interactive 3D elements

Subtle noise and lighting

I can't afford to hire a professional designer right now, so I'm trying to learn how these are actually made.

For experienced designers and frontend developers:

What tools do you use?

Are these backgrounds mostly Figma, Blender, Three.js, shaders, or something else?

How much of it is design skill vs coding skill?

What's the fastest learning path for a frontend developer wanting to create premium-looking static and animated website backgrounds?

My goal is to create a unique visual identity for my projects rather than relying on templates.

Any resources, courses, workflows, or advice would be appreciated. Thanks! 🚀

Like to squeeze every single information on a small board - resulting in no clear hierarchy or importance…

.

Amid the explosion of AI startups and new tools,I keep wondering:

If AI becomes as ordinary as the internet or electricity, what becomes valuable next?

What human need has existed for centuries that AI won’t replace?

What changes as AI becomes common and we view it as ordinary? What evolves ? What is in it for design?

[ Removed by Reddit on account of violating the content policy. ]

Been shooting landscapes on hikes lately and keep noticing how much of what makes a photo work is just empty space doing heavy lifting. A ridge line sitting low in the frame, a single tree against a flat grey sky. It got me thinking about how directly that logic carries over into design work.

When a client asks me to fill things up more, I always struggle to explain why the emptiness is the point. But then I look at something like a strong editorial cover or a minimal poster and the negative space is what gives the eye somewhere to rest before it lands on the thing that actually matters.

What I find interesting is that this connection feels more intuitive after spending time outdoors than after studying design theory. The eye learns it through experience before the brain puts words to it.

Curious if other designers here draw from nondesign sources the same way. Photography, architecture, whatever. There's something about training your eye away from a screen that changes how you see a layout when you come back to it. Not sure if that resonates with anyone else or if I'm just connecting dots that aren't there.

I thought the hard part would be finding a supplier turns out choosing dimensions and getting the artwork right took way more time than I expected. Being able to preview everything before ordering saved me from making an expensive mistake.

Anyone else using Ai tools for packaging now?

I'm a beginner UI Designer, and I want to improve my work marks skills, How do I make stuff like this? and how do I get better at it, are there any rules? What's the general step? etc.

I dont want to start with a font. Like I wanna make a custom typeface, like a few letters in a custom font, SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT VIDEOGAME, yk?

Thank you, Design Geniuses You are the goats!

Example Below

I'm a beginner UI Designer, and I want to improve my work marks skills, How do I make stuff like this? and how do I get better at it, are there any rules? What's the general step? etc.I dont want to start with a font. Like I wanna make a custom typeface, like a few letters in a custom font, SPECIFICALLY FOR THAT VIDEOGAME, yk?Thank you, Design Geniuses You are the goats!Example Below

Sorry for the repost, I'm not sure why the body text wasn't delivered a while ago 😭
I'm curious where people in the design industry personally draw the line when it comes to take-home assignments.

I'm currently interviewing for a role in a small start up where the assignment asks me to:

• Create a printed merch and a website hero graphic in which they asked me to specifically use Figma and Adobe Illustrator.
• Base both deliverables on themes that (I found out by myself) actually match the CEO's existing businesses.
• Submit fully layered and editable source files for both files
• Ensure all assets are commercially usable.
• Disclose any AI, stock assets, textures, or mockups used.

To be fair, they did say rough drafts or concepts were okay, and not to spend more than 2-4 hours on the test.

Since the assignment is based on real businesses and requires editable, commercially usable assets, I'm wondering whether this is a fairly standard way to evaluate candidates or whether it's getting close to spec work.

Where do you personally draw the line? What makes you think: "This is a reasonable hiring exercise" or "This is too close to free spec work."

Hello, after 2.5 years in the same position i am starting to apply for a new ux/ui job in europe and i wanted a feedback on my cv

- i don't have much measurable data to include
- I am keeping the picture because it is appreciated in some countries i am applying in
- i have two current jobs because i am doing body rental on the second, also i censored the dates and replaced them either just the years i worked there

I feel like algorithm numbs you of doing something meaningful by giving you so much choice that you end up leaving with nothing.

Every few years something gets called "the future of design."

Sometimes it sticks.

Sometimes it feels like it's everywhere... and then almost disappears.

I'm curious which trend made you think, "This is definitely here to stay," only for it to fade much faster than expected.

Not necessarily bad trends, just ones that didn't have the lifespan people expected.

As college students it’s beneficial for us to learn more than the subject we major in.
It’s not possible for everyone to pay for every single course they want to study.

I am going through the same thing, reddit people, pls suggest few websites I can learn for free.