3 answers
Cade
Student
Yuma, Arizona
1
Question
Updated
264 views
What are the ups and downs of being a graphic designer, and where do I begin?
I am a student in middle school and I wonder what are the pros and cons of being a graphic designer and if it’s hard to be one. I have always wondered how hard it was to make the visual content graphic designers make. In my free time, I enjoy making designs on my device. I would like to know what a typical day is like for a graphic designer and what the average salary is for this career. I would like to be a graphic designer so people can look at my designs and love them. I wonder what I need to do to become one, and what kind of classes or hardware should I focus on now in middle school to prepare for this career? If you know anything, please answer. Thank you for your time.
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3 answers
Candelaria Cresta
Product Design
13
Answers
Porto Alegre, State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
Updated
Candelaria’s Answer
Hiii, hope you're doing well!
Graphic design is great and also fun! Gives you more space for art, creativity, and expression itself. All in the world is design! The signs on the streets, the package of every single thing, the apps on your phone,etc. Someone designed all of that!! So you'll have many career paths to explore!
A designer’s daily work can vary a lot depending on the project, the team they work with, the company’s workflow, and even their own creative style. Some days you might be exploring ideas and experimenting, other days you’re refining details or presenting your work. That constant change (depending on what you’re creating and who you’re creating it for) is actually what makes design so exciting!
Sometimes it can be challenging because you’ll have deadlines and feedback that might make you change a lot of your ideas or proposals. But that’s also part of the process!!
My advice is to start to pay attention to the designs around you. Take pictures of things or resources that catch your attention, maybe it’s a type style, a card, a color, or a different packaging in your pantry.
And experiment, it doesn’t have to be only digital. Many times you can combine things from the physical world with digital tools. Just try, try, try.
Also explore design tools. At first programs like Photoshop or Illustrator can look difficult, but trust me...all these programs are like cousins lol. Once you learn one, the others become much easier.
You can try Oboe to help you explore new things and clear up doubts quickly, and if you enjoy 1:1 conversations, you can find mentors on ADPList or LinkedIn. Is there a designer that inspires you? Look into their story. Explore their path and their career and why not...try reaching out and exchanging ideas?
The most important thing: **curiosity is the key to be a great designer 🎨 **
Best of luck,
Candelaria.
Graphic design is great and also fun! Gives you more space for art, creativity, and expression itself. All in the world is design! The signs on the streets, the package of every single thing, the apps on your phone,etc. Someone designed all of that!! So you'll have many career paths to explore!
A designer’s daily work can vary a lot depending on the project, the team they work with, the company’s workflow, and even their own creative style. Some days you might be exploring ideas and experimenting, other days you’re refining details or presenting your work. That constant change (depending on what you’re creating and who you’re creating it for) is actually what makes design so exciting!
Sometimes it can be challenging because you’ll have deadlines and feedback that might make you change a lot of your ideas or proposals. But that’s also part of the process!!
My advice is to start to pay attention to the designs around you. Take pictures of things or resources that catch your attention, maybe it’s a type style, a card, a color, or a different packaging in your pantry.
And experiment, it doesn’t have to be only digital. Many times you can combine things from the physical world with digital tools. Just try, try, try.
Also explore design tools. At first programs like Photoshop or Illustrator can look difficult, but trust me...all these programs are like cousins lol. Once you learn one, the others become much easier.
You can try Oboe to help you explore new things and clear up doubts quickly, and if you enjoy 1:1 conversations, you can find mentors on ADPList or LinkedIn. Is there a designer that inspires you? Look into their story. Explore their path and their career and why not...try reaching out and exchanging ideas?
The most important thing: **curiosity is the key to be a great designer 🎨 **
Best of luck,
Candelaria.
Kim Matthews
Graphic Production Designer and Sculptor
136
Answers
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Updated
Kim’s Answer
Hi Cade,
Graphic design is changing so radically right now, it's kind of anybody's guess. I can tell you that pay is going way down because of AI and free or cheap software, and lots of people want to be designers. Beginners can access easily programs like Canva, there are free tutorials online, and AI is changing everything. And businesses are increasingly moving in that free/cheap direction and steering away from sophisticated software like Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign--though they remain industry standard for publishing and other sectors.
But don't let this rapidly changing, unpredictable time discourage you. No matter what happens to technology and styles, good design principles don't change, and you can start reading about and practicing design basics, like layout, use of color, and typography. You can also use these apply these same skills in art now, so you can make zines, posters, comic books, illustrations, and so on, and share your own work online or at conventions, galleries, or events.
As for what it's like to be a graphic designer, it really depends on where you work. You can be a freelancer or work in an agency, for a publisher, in an in-house art department--and all of those will be different experiences. What they have in common is that your job is to design something that satisfies someone else's business needs. And sometimes that's really a pain. Clients may not know what they want or can't explain themselves well, and you have to try to figure out what they want while politely showing them what they actually need. It takes a lot of interpersonal skill and relationship management--which, by the way, is something you can practice now too! That's why I've come to prefer production design work. As a production designer, I work for clients who have established brand standards (specific colors, styles, ways of using certain visual elements), and my job is to design things that fit within those brand standards, so there's a lot less for the client to decide.
Hope this helps! If you haven't already, maybe check out your city or school library for magazines, books, and videos on design basics.
Graphic design is changing so radically right now, it's kind of anybody's guess. I can tell you that pay is going way down because of AI and free or cheap software, and lots of people want to be designers. Beginners can access easily programs like Canva, there are free tutorials online, and AI is changing everything. And businesses are increasingly moving in that free/cheap direction and steering away from sophisticated software like Illustrator, Photoshop, and InDesign--though they remain industry standard for publishing and other sectors.
But don't let this rapidly changing, unpredictable time discourage you. No matter what happens to technology and styles, good design principles don't change, and you can start reading about and practicing design basics, like layout, use of color, and typography. You can also use these apply these same skills in art now, so you can make zines, posters, comic books, illustrations, and so on, and share your own work online or at conventions, galleries, or events.
As for what it's like to be a graphic designer, it really depends on where you work. You can be a freelancer or work in an agency, for a publisher, in an in-house art department--and all of those will be different experiences. What they have in common is that your job is to design something that satisfies someone else's business needs. And sometimes that's really a pain. Clients may not know what they want or can't explain themselves well, and you have to try to figure out what they want while politely showing them what they actually need. It takes a lot of interpersonal skill and relationship management--which, by the way, is something you can practice now too! That's why I've come to prefer production design work. As a production designer, I work for clients who have established brand standards (specific colors, styles, ways of using certain visual elements), and my job is to design things that fit within those brand standards, so there's a lot less for the client to decide.
Hope this helps! If you haven't already, maybe check out your city or school library for magazines, books, and videos on design basics.
Andrew Dixon
Graphic Designer
8
Answers
Kenosha, Wisconsin
Updated
Andrew’s Answer
Hi Cade! How are you? Well, I hope. Listen, the fact that you are already thinking about your life and career is inspiring so let me say that first. Secondly, graphic design is amazing, however like any career I believe its more about vocation. Is this what you were born to do? I will ask you a question that changed my life, "What do you love to do?" What you lovr doing is what you would do even if you weren't getting paid to do it. Once you are able to identify that answer, next seek out ways you can turn that into a career where you can financially care for yourself and a family if that is what you want. Time has a way of speeding up, don't get discouraged by that but know that it's true. You have time now to really ponder this in your heart. You're doing great, keep searching and seeking. Graphic Design is amazing and the opportunity to grow, learn, and earn income are increasing as well everyday. Lookup tutorials online and give Adobe Creative Suite a try. The student plans are very affordable just ask your parents first.
Take care,
Drew
Take care,
Drew