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I know that my answer here will attract me a lot of flak, but I think this has to be said.There is a big problem about the culture of design: the conscience of what it is and what it is not - and it is neverending. And diffused through all the society.The majority of people think that design is just pure and plain aesthetics.And this is much worse than you could think of, actually.A very large part of the businesspeople I have met during my activity in the furniture field did not have a clue about what “furniture design” really is. And among them, I include a large part of the company owners.And well, they also had no clue about how that branch of design came to be as to what it was to be. Very little few have actually studied how the industry developed the techniques. What the first designers have done. What the results were.I am making an example here: do you know (without looking) who this guy was, and what did he invent? And what the results of his inventions were?This guy is Michael Thonet, and he invented the steam bentwood technique, which permitted to create beautiful pieces of furniture like this:As you can clearly understand, those bentwood curves - other than a stylish look - also give support and flexibility to the structure of the rocking chair. exactly like a suspension does in a car - because wood is a flexible material. Those curves support your body and accommodate it.This is what design really is for.Some of the professionals I have met in my career as a furniture expert and consultant do not even know who this guy was, and what was the effect of his discoveries. This means that they are lacking a part of knowledge which could be useful to their business. They are not profiting from it. Because they do not know how.That said, mind you, I am not chastizing anyone for anything!What I am complaining about is the myriad of lost occasions to make their work and business better and more profitable.And returning to us, and your question, I can share something with you.The only think lacking between getting to a place from some other place - physically or figuratively - is knowledge and determination. Knowledge can be taught, for sure - like in a school. But it can be learned as well, because there are huge possibilities to: and we are dialoguing through one - the internet.The internet is a huge repository of knowledge, and it tells you everything that needs to be known to become - if not an expert - a well-learned person about a certain topic or field.So, all you need to do is studying. Browse sites like Wikipedia and Quora to learn about the history of the furniture, how it came to be, the techniques, the innovators, the designers, starting from the beginning onwards. And explore, especially following your interests and intuition.It will not be easy, for sure. And the worst enemy of yourself will be yourself, your apathy, your complacemcy, your lack of drive. But if you are determined and setup a schedule of learning - and you take it like a job, for an X amount of hours a day - you will be successfull and will learn what is the past.Because in the past lie the seeds of the future.After that, there is a second part: experiencing by yourself. This does not mean you should setup a woodworking workshop: it means getting currebt with the latest trends and updates of the industry. And to do this, you should frequent the vintage equivalent of the internet: that is, the best furniture trade fairs of the world.A very quick list to consider would comprise:Salone del Mobile - MilanCIFF and Furniture China - Shanghai and GuangzhouImm Cologne - Cologne100% Design - LondonMaison & Objet - ParisICFF - New YorkTrade fairs are important for doing something you cannot do effectively online: meeting people. Getting there, visiting, mixing with the crowd, frequenting the seminars (most of them are completely free) gets you an experience AND lets you build up your networking.So, to end this, just look at me. Check my stats here on Quora. Make a search online about me and about my activities.Well, I have no formal education in design and furniture: all that I know I have learnt it by myself, through study, experience and personal discovery.So, be sure that it can be done. You just have to decide you really want it.Oh, by the way: as far as I know, Mr. Thonet did not have any kind of formal education about furniture design and techniques as well. He was someone who had problems, found out ways to resolve them, and connected the dots - and following them, and putting together different experiences, he invented something new and revolutionary which changed the industry of furniture forever - and made himself a very rich man in the process.As a note to my readers, I write mostly about furniture and design, so if you are interested in those fields be sure to check my other answers and follow me.And a nice upvote is always welcome!