I've always wondered this: "Is there such thing as a talented designer? Or is good design a skill? Or maybe to be a great designer, you need a combination of talent, skill, and experience." Well, I guess it would depend on your definition of what talent and skill is. I looked in the Merriam-Webster dictionary and this is how it defines the two words.

Well, I guess it would depend on your definition of what talent and skill is. I looked in the Merriam-Webster dictionary and this is how it defines the two words.

• Skill:
  A learned power of doing something competently, a developed aptitude or ability.
• Talent:
  The natural endowments of a person, a special often athletic, creative, or artistic aptitude.

So based on these definitions, a skill is something that is learned, acquired, mastered through the course of time with enough practice and education. Talent is something that can't be learned. It comes natural or easier to an individual.

The reason I bring this up is because it just seems to me that there are certain people that I've seen who have went to school for design and are smart individuals who work hard, still consistently produce sub-par designs while there are some people (just look on Behance, Dribbble, etc.) who never received formal design education,
just seem to have a knack for great design!

Also, what about experience? What roll does it play in being a good designer?

I'm still not sure what I think about all of this. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Let me know in the comments below.