Formal degree vs. self taught

For many web design professionals, there was no option but to be self taught. Years ago, the academic qualifications simply didn’t exist. Sure, you could study design, but you’d be left to learn the technology by yourself. You could take an I.T. course, but you’d be lacking design skills.

Perhaps that’s the reason web designers come from such disparate backgrounds; it’s hard to imagine accountants hailing from such wildly different career paths.

But times have changed, and academic qualifications focussing on both design and code are now commonplace worldwide. Many of those courses have been developed by the very designers and developers who chose to find their own way a decade ago.

So which is preferable? A carefully designed course, filled with modules covering the industry’s most commonly requested skills; or hard work and self application, learning techniques as and when required?

Check out the infographic below for a better idea of the pros and cons.

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Are you formally educated or self taught? Would you have better off taking the other route? Let us know in the comments.

Ben Moss

Ben Moss has designed and coded work for award-winning startups, and global names including IBM, UBS, and the FBI. When he’s not in front of a screen he’s probably out trail-running.