I have noticed that lately people seem to believe that knowing how to use Adobe's software equates to a design qualification when nothing could be further from the truth. You can create powerful design with a pencil and paper and all the software in the world won't make a bad design a good one.
Over the years I have increasingly seen people enter the workplace, or worse set up as design studios, without the most basic knowledge of what constitutes good design - balance, negative space, typography, colour theory etc. People cobbling together bad artwork and dodgy layouts who think because they can create a table in InDesign they can tackle anything. I know not everyone can afford higher education but actually most of what I learned I learned on the job, based on a solid foundation learned in college. A foundation that can be learned in other ways too. I'm a big believer in 'read a book' and there are plenty design videos and tutorials online or online courses that are very affordable.
As with most things a bit of talent, coupled with a bit of guidance and a willingness to learn can go a long way towards improving anyone's work. But reading a software manual from cover to cover will never teach you how to be a designer.
