Self Taught Home Designers?

[gawdzira]

If you believe that good design can not be taught you need to visit an architectural school and see the first year work vs. the 5th year work. The benefits of design and art school are tremendous. Especially a studio environment where you can experience the creative process of many people instead of only one (you).

Can you be self taught and competent? Maybe. Can you be self taught and great? Doubtful. Can you be self taught and mediocre? With effort.
This is not to say that design school is a guarantee of being very good but it certainly betters your chances of getting beyond competent.

Based on the range of design work that I have seen posted on this forum, there are absolutely some people more qualified than others to judge what is good and what is bad. Residential design is primarily not subjective. The sculptural aspect of certain designs may be subjective but space planning, flow and proportion are not. Things like line and form are more towards subjective but trained designers will often be on the same page in regards to these things.

There will always be extreme outlying exceptions to the self taught rule. Craig Ellwood is a modernist example of this. He was an engineer and builder with a great sense of aesthetic and became the designer.