How To Get Into Graphic Design
I get a lot of DMs on X asking me for advice to improve and also how to get into graphic design so here's a system that really works because I got into design doing exactly this.
Start With Posters
They’re fast, forgiving, and brutally honest. Every mistake shows, but so does every small win. Poster design forces you to confront layout, color, type, and composition all at once. It’s design in its purest, most concentrated form.
Go All In On Swiss Style Poster Design
The Swiss style is where discipline meets beauty. Its foundations, grid systems, sans-serif type, asymmetry, and generous space. Sharpen your visual instincts and train you to think in structure, not decoration. You will learn so much about layouts, typography and overall structures.
Use it as your sandbox:
Build your layouts around a clear grid.
Work mostly in black, white, and one accent color.
Let typography carry the design: no gimmicks, no clutter.
Don’t overthink it. Set a timer and make as many posters as you can within a set window — 30, 45, or 60 minutes. Each one teaches you something new: spacing, rhythm, alignment, restraint.
Why Posters Work
Posters are like design gyms. Every repetition builds strength in:
Hierarchy – what draws the eye first.
Typography – letter spacing, alignment, contrast.
Composition – how balance feels rather than looks.
Tool mastery – especially in Illustrator, where precision meets intuition.
You’ll start to understand how visual weight works — why some things feel right, and others don’t. That’s the stuff no tutorial can teach you.
Learn the Tools, but Go Beyond Them
I use Illustrator in 99% of my work because the software is so goated. In Illustrator, make it a mission to learn something new each week: grids, masks, shapes, alignment, blending modes, text manipulation. Tools are language; fluency means freedom.
Once you’ve built that foundation, step into branding. Every poster becomes a small identity system — a test for balance, tone, and message. The same instincts that guide a poster will later guide a brand.
The Process
Here’s a rhythm that worked for me:
Week 1: Create five posters using a simple grid and two colors.
Week 2: Add imagery or shape. Try asymmetry.
Week 3: Focus on typography scale and hierarchy.
Week 4: Revisit your strongest five. Learn more and create more.
Keep your goal simple: Create More, Judge Less.
