Advice on making the jump from print media to digital/web

Inkers92

Hi all, am new to this so hope I'm in the right place?! I have been working in newspaper design for the past seven years but as more and more of the media industry goes digital I'm looking at upskilling and broadening my scope. I have a degree in journalism and have worked primarily as a sub-editor since leaving college.
I was wondering if anyone had advice on moving from print to digital, what key skills might be appropriate to learn? For example, I'm told that I'm better off learning HTML5 than packages like Creative Suite (know Quark, Indesign and bits of Photoshop already) Dreamweaver etc.
Also, I'm looking at the MSc in Applied Digital Media in Griffith College and was wondering if anyone knows how well recognised the course is in industry circles or if anyone has taken the course?
I can start it straight away and get a semester done or was wondering if I would be better off waiting and trying DIT? Both have same accreditation (FETAC level 9).
Any help appreciated.

looksee

I know the digital scene looks very attractive, but there are many, many people doing that, whereas experience of print is becoming much more specialised. You could gradually train yourself to create websites etc, but I would stay with print!

Inkers92

Thanks for the reply. What do you mean when you say print is becoming much more specialised? Jump was probably the wrong word to choose. I have no real desire to give up print altogether but from looking at the jobs websites most design jobs etc now want you to write for web, manage, or design for, the company website too. I know that there are very few newspaper jobs out there anyway with the Sunday Tribune just the latest high profile casualty.

looksee

Sorry I didn't phrase that very well. I mean that there seems to me ot be less people interested in doing print work as it is so much more stressful/technical than web work. And of course there is more than newspaper work in the print area. On the other hand there is no reason not to have more strings to your bow, good idea. I'm sorry though, after all that, I can't advise on how you go about it. Good luck!

red_ice

Inkers92 wrote: »

Hi all, am new to this so hope I'm in the right place?! I have been working in newspaper design for the past seven years but as more and more of the media industry goes digital I'm looking at upskilling and broadening my scope. I have a degree in journalism and have worked primarily as a sub-editor since leaving college.
I was wondering if anyone had advice on moving from print to digital, what key skills might be appropriate to learn? For example, I'm told that I'm better off learning HTML5 than packages like Creative Suite (know Quark, Indesign and bits of Photoshop already) Dreamweaver etc.
Also, I'm looking at the MSc in Applied Digital Media in Griffith College and was wondering if anyone knows how well recognised the course is in industry circles or if anyone has taken the course?
I can start it straight away and get a semester done or was wondering if I would be better off waiting and trying DIT? Both have same accreditation (FETAC level 9).
Any help appreciated.

Avoid Griffith like the plague. I went to Ballyfermot for the digital media course there and I thought it was fantastic. 4/5 of the lecturers i had were actually interested and had a passion for the subject they were teaching, unlike anything i experienced in Griffith. Griffith is very much so a money driven place, not worth going near in my books having spent 6 years in 2 different courses there. Everyone I talk to about BCFE have nothing but good words for the place. If you're looking at getting into web design and coding, i would advise learning HTML5/css3, not that its much different than what we currently use, its just better to understand the capabilities of html5 while its fresh.

looksee wrote: »

I know the digital scene looks very attractive, but there are many, many people doing that, whereas experience of print is becoming much more specialised. You could gradually train yourself to create websites etc, but I would stay with print!

Very good point here, the industry is very much so diluted with people chancing their arm and underpricing etc, which leaves you being undercut all the time and left with empty pockets. Most people take websites at face value and don't understand what they are actually paying for, that's how the shams in this industry can flourish.

Training yourself over time in the foundations isn't advisable because there are certain standards to be met and protocol that is generally adhered to. I would keep at what you are doing, find the area that you really want to get into and do a course in that, rather than a general qualification. College will give you the correct grounding and methods to do things, and you will be able to expand on that then on your own.