Here’s a an old man’s outlook. Your diploma gets you your first job. What gets you your second job is what & how well you did during your first job. Having said that, I will admit that I’ve a few friends who graduated from RISD & if they are any indication, it is a good school.

I think u have to get the basics in art, just like in any other major, and if u can do that in school, it’s ok, but in my case i learn much more doing things rather then going to school, although i finished an art school. But it’s always the teachers, so if u know that the teachers are good, yes go study.

I originally got into design through an interest in playing with Photoshop and building webpages for fun. After a year or so at a couple entry level jobs I decided that if I wanted to continue this as a serious career (which I did) I should consider getting some formal schooling (which I did).

I found 2 things as a second-degree student, First, already having a degree (and being 6 or 7 years older than “true” freshmen) I had a much greater sense of what I wanted to get out of my time at school and felt like I approached my classes with much more intensity than I had with my original (English) degree. Second, 3 years into a 4 year degree program I decided that I had learned enough (and spent enough :D ) to start working.

I certainly don’t think degrees are useless, but if you already have a degree, work experience, and a strong idea of what you want to do (strong enough to leave your current career to start something new) I think you have some flexibility in how to approach a design education - that is, what you think might work best for you.

Connal

Just learning computer programs/applications does not make you a designer - art school is the way to go - learning to look and truly see, drawing - design fundamentals - color - and learning to be creative - look at the program of study and if it goes beyond just being a “techie” go for it.

Design ’certificates’...especially web design, are more temp-agency centric than design-agency centric.

That said, RISD carries a lot of cache, so maybe that’s not all that bad.

The key though is getting the graphic design background. The technology part will come either on it’s own (your own ambition) or later if you decide to focus solely on that.

One advantage of the web industry, in general, is that they haven’t bee as hung up on degrees as the more traditional print/ad agency world.

If you must study Art on your way to becoming a designer,
make sure not to take your teachers too seriously.

hhp

With a capital A. Oh holy Art, I worship thee. I maketh thee my idol.

Kelli, you’re a bit like a new character on Lost (a new principal character that is, not one of the random survivors who wander around on the beach in the background carrying bundles of sticks), we’re missing the back story here. Care to indulge us?