teaching graphic design/web design

In My Humble Opinion
1

Hello,

I have been a graphic designer and project manager for a web company and freelance for a while, http://a153.carbonmade.com, and I was wondering what would be involved in teaching in this field (graphic design, web design, etc) at any level-night classes to adults, kids, etc. I just want to try to understand what sort of options are available, whether it became a full-time opportunity or part-time and what sort of requirements I would likely have to meet. I live in NY state if that matters :slight_smile:

Thanks!

2

Well, the designs are ok but the underlying code isn’t compliant.

Stick with design.

3

Wow, way to rag on the guy with the first response. Sure, his non-compliant code can join the ranks of such terrible sites as amazon.com, microsoft.com, ebay.com, our very own Straight Dope Message Board - Your direct line to thousands of the smartest, hippest people on the planet, plus a few total dipsticks. etc. …he should have a doctype, but geez. The w3c validators are for code wonks and kick out errors over the silliest things.

4

I think the user DMark teaches Web design in Las Vegas. Maybe he’ll come around…

5

?? None of the sites in my recent projects link I included are launched yet so I am not sure what you are talking about.

6

Who are your prospective students? What options and opportunities are open to them now? Where are they? What makes your service different and more valuable to your clients? How do you convince them your service us what they need?

Search Google for “Graphic art instructor” or “teach photoshop”…or graphics or whatever and see where it leads.

Employment websites for various genre such as private instruction companies (San Francisco Art Institute, Phoenix University, local community colleges or adult schools.

Graphic program instructors: Teach Photoshop, DreamWeaver, etc for Adobe or a private company or do demonstrators at graphic art/web conventions.

Design a website with articles to draw in potential students and offer online classes, consulting, , templates…whatever your strength is.

Start small and cheap. Work within your limitations. Go slow until you get the hang of what’s involved–and whatever you think it will cost in time and money…bump it by at least 30%.

Good luck

7

To be compliant with standards means the most number of people that can see your webpage can see it correctly.

I have spent a lot of time, and made much money off of “web designers” who haven’t a clue about coding and bilk people out of money, only to have to have them come back and have me recode them correctly.

The bottom line is anything you can do, you can do AND make it compliant, so why not.

Just looking at the link, part of the page is off on my computer so I have to scroll right. Why not use a floating design?

Running it through a validator I can see his code could easily be corrected in 15 minutes, so why not?

8

Have you both heard of subdomains? The site I linked to was a major online portfolio host (http://www.carbonmade.com), not my own.

Thanks to the people who answered my question :slight_smile:

9

Hello! And thanks ZipperJJ for the reference!

Yes, I do indeed teach both Web 1 and Web 2 (more Flash oriented) and was just recently asked to teach an online course.

When you teach, you are doing just that - teaching. What I mean by that is you are going through a book and showing students how to go through the steps to create websites. The books pretty much lay it out for you (including all of the nitpicks to your website others have mentioned) and gives them the basics for website design.

I am the first to admit I am not the greatest. For example, my little website about Las Vegas is poorly designed and is nothing I would ever show in a portfolio, but it was one of my first websites and I just sort of like it, as is, in its primitive version. Maybe someday I will do a total re-design, but I digress.

Many of my students are very, very talented and take what I teach them and create truly amazing sites! More often than not, I am envious of what they create. One of my students did so well, he dropped out of our college and got a scholarship at a school in San Fransisco majoring in Web Design - based upon what he created after my class!

However, it took ME to show them the steps to get there. I am sure you can do the same. You just need the passion. Using your experience, and showing them the tools, you can give students exactly what they need - and it is so much fun to see them succeed and create amazing sites!

I am so proud of my students - many have found some great jobs and most of them have so many offers to do websites they stopped telling people they do them. I can’t tell you how many students have come back to me and thanked me for setting them off in the right path.

There is an old adage: Those Who Can’t Do, Teach.

I freely admit that to my classes. I am not the best web designer on the planet by any means - mediocre at best. But I can teach it very well - and thanks to my students, I am getting better and better at designing as well!