I've got two degrees in Industrial Engineering, and only took one design class while in college. Design was something I was interested in while in school, but it wasn't the focus of my studies.
Fast forward a couple of years, and after starting as a web tester, then moving into web functional design, then teaching myself iOS interaction design and development -- now I'm a full-time mobile designer.
For me, engineering didn't teach me much about design, but I did learn a hell of a lot about persistence, and learning how to learn. At a certain point, I decided that I wanted to design things, so I started small and grew from there. I began by thinking "There's a ton to cover in design, so I'll start with iOS." I read a few books on mobile design, read all of Donald Norman's books, and dove into a specific corner of design. Along the way, I learned a bit about interaction design, prototyping, visual design, etc.
In my experience, it's less about what you've studied, and more about what you've made. Start making things, and you'll learn what you need along the way. The important thing is to start, and to invest in taking time to study the fundamentals as you go along.
I've got two degrees in Industrial Engineering, and only took one design class while in college. Design was something I was interested in while in school, but it wasn't the focus of my studies.
Fast forward a couple of years, and after starting as a web tester, then moving into web functional design, then teaching myself iOS interaction design and development -- now I'm a full-time mobile designer.
For me, engineering didn't teach me much about design, but I did learn a hell of a lot about persistence, and learning how to learn. At a certain point, I decided that I wanted to design things, so I started small and grew from there. I began by thinking "There's a ton to cover in design, so I'll start with iOS." I read a few books on mobile design, read all of Donald Norman's books, and dove into a specific corner of design. Along the way, I learned a bit about interaction design, prototyping, visual design, etc.
In my experience, it's less about what you've studied, and more about what you've made. Start making things, and you'll learn what you need along the way. The important thing is to start, and to invest in taking time to study the fundamentals as you go along.
PS: Here's my list of things that helped me get started with mobile design: https://www.makesets.com/how-i-got-started-with-ios