4 answers
Hope
Student
Grundy Center, Iowa
6
Questions
Asked
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What should I expect in a graphic design career?
#graphic-design #web-design #career #design
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4 answers
Max Wieland
Student
6
Answers
Madison, Wisconsin
Updated
Max’s Answer
There are a lot of options! With a degree, most people will go into the job industry right away because there is a huge benefit for those with early work experience. Internships are always a go to if you're still pursuing your degree. Most employers will be of advertisings firms, brand agencies, PR agencies, and also a few publishing companies. Jobs titles that may be included under a graphic design degree would be Animation, Concept Art, Illustrator, Creative Director, Advertising Artist, etc...
Look up graphic designer on google see what type of job descriptions show up!
Explore more skills within graphic design to be more well-rounded
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Nokomis Nosker
Material Handler
2
Answers
Indianapolis, Indiana
Updated
Nokomis’s Answer
There are a variety of options to choose where you want to go as a Graphic Design Career. If you want to get a degree, then you will start your career forward with that. If you're still in college but want to know what it is like in the field, then definitely you could do an internship if you want to move forward or not in that field.
Research more about Graphic Design and learn what other people's experiences are like
Nokomis recommends the following next steps:
Kristina Boyanova
UI/UX Designer
9
Answers
Sofia, Bulgaria
Updated
Kristina’s Answer
Hi Hope,
Everyone's career path in the field of design is so different. There are multiple specialisations that you can turn to according to your skills and preferences like illustration, animation, 3D design, brand design, packaging, design for advertising and marketing. So you cannot tell from the start what way your career would go.
I have started working while I was still in university firstly because an early start can be an advantage and I was eager for some hands down experience, and second because I wanted to support myself financially. I've started out as an intern in a magazine where I was a doing the layouts of the articles in InDesign. Then I wanted something more exciting and went straight into advertising - oh, the long hours and tight deadlines! It was a whirlwind and at one point I had enough so after that I started working in a small branding agency, did a lot of logo and package design, got really interesting in typography and font explorations. Because it was a small studio I had to communicate directly with the clients (no accounts to do that) and I developed a lot of skills outside of design like time and project management. Then I went back to advertising but ultimately I ended up in the technology sector where I did a lot of web design, got really interested in UX and I transitioned from graphic to UX design.
So don't be afraid to explore, there is no set path - you make your own. Just enjoy yourself along the way and see what feels right for you.
Sincerely,
Kristina
Everyone's career path in the field of design is so different. There are multiple specialisations that you can turn to according to your skills and preferences like illustration, animation, 3D design, brand design, packaging, design for advertising and marketing. So you cannot tell from the start what way your career would go.
I have started working while I was still in university firstly because an early start can be an advantage and I was eager for some hands down experience, and second because I wanted to support myself financially. I've started out as an intern in a magazine where I was a doing the layouts of the articles in InDesign. Then I wanted something more exciting and went straight into advertising - oh, the long hours and tight deadlines! It was a whirlwind and at one point I had enough so after that I started working in a small branding agency, did a lot of logo and package design, got really interesting in typography and font explorations. Because it was a small studio I had to communicate directly with the clients (no accounts to do that) and I developed a lot of skills outside of design like time and project management. Then I went back to advertising but ultimately I ended up in the technology sector where I did a lot of web design, got really interested in UX and I transitioned from graphic to UX design.
So don't be afraid to explore, there is no set path - you make your own. Just enjoy yourself along the way and see what feels right for you.
Sincerely,
Kristina
Jay Almers
Solutions Architect
8
Answers
Mebane, North Carolina
Updated
Jay’s Answer
"Graphic Design" is one of those generalizations used to group a whole bunch of specializations. It is important to first know and understand what your areas of interest are. Are you passionate about designing brands and Corporate Identity? Then advertising, PR, and brand agencies are a good place to start. Would you prefer to design layouts for magazines or traditional print media? Then publishing and printing companies may be the place for you.
Personally, the majority of my experience as a Graphic Designer was in the world of Marketing Communications and Website Design/Development. I specialized in developing the identities of companies including logos, color schemes, marketing and promotional materials, as well as User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) of their online presence. In my case, a typical scenario would be that a new company is looking to develop a brand or identity, and then use that identity for all of their marketing needs. I would conduct several meetings with the company to define their requirements for their brand and use that to design multiple concepts which consists of logo, typography, style, and colors. These concepts would go through a couple rounds of refinement to ultimately settle on the winner. With the brand created, I could begin to work on developing their online presence, again meeting with the customer to iron out details and end up with a finished product. Finally, I'd start working on their promotional collateral -- flyers, folders, pens, giveaways, etc... In the end, the customer would have a complete, consistent solution or campaign. It's important to note that much of my work also consisted of editing existing brands, collateral, and sites. I'd often get customers that needed to "re-imagine" their current identity; coming up with a new look based on their existing one. Sometimes I'd get requests to "re-create" their current identity. Perhaps their previous designer went out of business and/or they lost their original design files. I'd spend a tremendous amount of time matching fonts, colors, and tracing logos. It can all be a bit tedious, but if you are passionate about what you do, then you will truly enjoy doing it. :)
Discover what you are passionate about. Then determine an industry segment that fits your passions.
Build a portfolio. Your portfolio is what will speak for your abilities.
Get real-world experience. Whether you design something for a friend or family member, or you are on a service like Fiverr, real-world experience is invaluable.
Network. The old saying, "it's not what you know, but who you know" is so true. Networking is a fantastic way to get a foot into the industry.
Personally, the majority of my experience as a Graphic Designer was in the world of Marketing Communications and Website Design/Development. I specialized in developing the identities of companies including logos, color schemes, marketing and promotional materials, as well as User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) of their online presence. In my case, a typical scenario would be that a new company is looking to develop a brand or identity, and then use that identity for all of their marketing needs. I would conduct several meetings with the company to define their requirements for their brand and use that to design multiple concepts which consists of logo, typography, style, and colors. These concepts would go through a couple rounds of refinement to ultimately settle on the winner. With the brand created, I could begin to work on developing their online presence, again meeting with the customer to iron out details and end up with a finished product. Finally, I'd start working on their promotional collateral -- flyers, folders, pens, giveaways, etc... In the end, the customer would have a complete, consistent solution or campaign. It's important to note that much of my work also consisted of editing existing brands, collateral, and sites. I'd often get customers that needed to "re-imagine" their current identity; coming up with a new look based on their existing one. Sometimes I'd get requests to "re-create" their current identity. Perhaps their previous designer went out of business and/or they lost their original design files. I'd spend a tremendous amount of time matching fonts, colors, and tracing logos. It can all be a bit tedious, but if you are passionate about what you do, then you will truly enjoy doing it. :)
Jay recommends the following next steps: