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How hard is the day to day job of a graphic designer
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Carolyn’s Answer
Though I have never been a graphic designer, I work with them a lot every day.
It is obviously very creative and fun if you feel passion about it. You get to really stretch those muscles every day and work with creative people. It can be a very dynamic field and job.
That being said, the difference between being a designer and an artist is that when you design, you do it for someone else. You have to take their vision and translate it into a design that meets their needs, and that is hard. You have to be okay with people not loving your most creative idea. You also have to work with people that are not designers every day and they don't always appreciate the role of the graphic designer. And the design process is iterative. One of things that our designers experience every day is the limitations of design, meaning your style, color, font, etc, are all pre-defined.
Every job has something crummy about it. The best graphic designers are unphased by the rough parts and great at turning imagination into design. It can be very rewarding, and most of my friends that have been designers for years love it! Good luck!
It is obviously very creative and fun if you feel passion about it. You get to really stretch those muscles every day and work with creative people. It can be a very dynamic field and job.
That being said, the difference between being a designer and an artist is that when you design, you do it for someone else. You have to take their vision and translate it into a design that meets their needs, and that is hard. You have to be okay with people not loving your most creative idea. You also have to work with people that are not designers every day and they don't always appreciate the role of the graphic designer. And the design process is iterative. One of things that our designers experience every day is the limitations of design, meaning your style, color, font, etc, are all pre-defined.
Every job has something crummy about it. The best graphic designers are unphased by the rough parts and great at turning imagination into design. It can be very rewarding, and most of my friends that have been designers for years love it! Good luck!
Updated
Jess’s Answer
Hi Steven!
I am a user experience designer for Verizon. My job is extremely fulfilling because I can directly impact our customers experience and overall satisfaction with the Verizon applications that they use on a day-to-day basis. I studied graphic design in college and loved that the field was so dynamic. There's so many problems to solve creatively in a multitude of industries.
I had to learn early on that what I create is not a reflection of myself, but of my understanding of the company, product or service. To be a great designer, you have to take yourself out of the design and make it for your client/customers. That can be difficult for some.
Another difficult aspect of design for me in the beginning of my career was abiding by brand standards or set guidelines that the company/brand had already established. You must create within those boundaries, unlike in school you create without those restrictions. I encourage you to see this as another exciting challenge to create something beautiful and functional. It will help to appreciate and understand that those standards are put into place for a unified brand and customer experience.
Some say being creative all the time may be demanding, but once you know how to leverage, it is simply apart of who you are.
In the end, the satisfaction of solving creative problems out ways all of those hardships.
I am a user experience designer for Verizon. My job is extremely fulfilling because I can directly impact our customers experience and overall satisfaction with the Verizon applications that they use on a day-to-day basis. I studied graphic design in college and loved that the field was so dynamic. There's so many problems to solve creatively in a multitude of industries.
I had to learn early on that what I create is not a reflection of myself, but of my understanding of the company, product or service. To be a great designer, you have to take yourself out of the design and make it for your client/customers. That can be difficult for some.
Another difficult aspect of design for me in the beginning of my career was abiding by brand standards or set guidelines that the company/brand had already established. You must create within those boundaries, unlike in school you create without those restrictions. I encourage you to see this as another exciting challenge to create something beautiful and functional. It will help to appreciate and understand that those standards are put into place for a unified brand and customer experience.
Some say being creative all the time may be demanding, but once you know how to leverage, it is simply apart of who you are.
In the end, the satisfaction of solving creative problems out ways all of those hardships.
Updated
Sarah’s Answer
Hi Steven,
Practically speaking, being a Graphic Designer is not hard– a Graphic Design college curriculum can be very organized and rigorous so you have all the skills you need when you graduate. But depending on the industry you work in, it can be very demanding. Marketing/Advertising is highly rigorous with often short deadlines. But it's very rewarding when you see the commercial you produced on TV, or the brochure/catalog you designed in the mail, or the package you created in the store. Also, the salary can range very high as you work your way up the ranks to Creative Director or Head of Design, etc. If you have a passion for design and creative thinking I don't think you'll have a problem if the hours get to be more than what you envisioned because you'll be doing what you love.
I've been a designer for almost 20 years, starting off as a Junior Art Director, all the way to Creative Director, from small to large agencies, and now corporate. I've designed everything from flyers to catalogs to ads, commercials, packaging, websites– you name it! And I've managed different types of design teams and now I'm managing the brand identity for one of the largest brands in the world. My career in graphic design has given me exposure to a wide range of industries and has allowed me to travel to many different cities. During deadlines we're hard at work and it's non-stop, but I can honestly say that I still love what I do and can't imagine doing anything else.
I hope that was helpful. Best of luck in finding what you love!
Practically speaking, being a Graphic Designer is not hard– a Graphic Design college curriculum can be very organized and rigorous so you have all the skills you need when you graduate. But depending on the industry you work in, it can be very demanding. Marketing/Advertising is highly rigorous with often short deadlines. But it's very rewarding when you see the commercial you produced on TV, or the brochure/catalog you designed in the mail, or the package you created in the store. Also, the salary can range very high as you work your way up the ranks to Creative Director or Head of Design, etc. If you have a passion for design and creative thinking I don't think you'll have a problem if the hours get to be more than what you envisioned because you'll be doing what you love.
I've been a designer for almost 20 years, starting off as a Junior Art Director, all the way to Creative Director, from small to large agencies, and now corporate. I've designed everything from flyers to catalogs to ads, commercials, packaging, websites– you name it! And I've managed different types of design teams and now I'm managing the brand identity for one of the largest brands in the world. My career in graphic design has given me exposure to a wide range of industries and has allowed me to travel to many different cities. During deadlines we're hard at work and it's non-stop, but I can honestly say that I still love what I do and can't imagine doing anything else.
I hope that was helpful. Best of luck in finding what you love!