3 answers
Roger
Student
5
Questions
Asked
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I know for a fact that i want to be a graphic designer now. Can someone help me breakdown the different jobs that are under that category?
So I know that I want to be a graphic designer now, I've made a video for my school and I've made personal videos, I've taken pictures and figured out somewhat how to use a camera. I figured out how to use simple picture editing software, as well as simple video editing software and I've learned to use drawing software as well and I'm still learning new tricks every day when it comes to all of those.
I like video editing and drawing on my computer the most. So I would like it if someone could break it down for me. Under the category of a graphic designer, I know that there are plenty of other jobs so if someone could break down one or two of those jobs into what it actually is, so that way I have a better understanding of it that would be great! #college #career #help #teaching #advice #graphicdesign #jobs #job
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3 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1348
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Roger Graphic Designers and Web Designer both work in a creative field that involves developing designs primarily using a computer. Graphic designers and web designers are both responsible for working with clients to develop creative ways to inform and entertain an audience. Graphic designers meet with clients to produce logos or advertisements that can be found in brochures and magazines. Though web designer also create using computer software, they develop animations that are used in different media forms including websites, social media and video games. While both of these career options require extensive creativity in designing, what they produce is very different and is used in different ways. Graphic designers create to influence others to support or buy, while web designer typically create animations to inform or entertain an audience.
Roger with the mixture of visual and technical skills you mentioned you enjoy doing, I'm recommending a web designer who creates the look, layout, and features of a website.
WEB GRAPHIC DESIGNER
A web designer develops and creates websites and associated applications, though the specifics of a web designer description will vary from job to job. Web designers work in a variety of industries and often as independent contractors. Education requirements can vary, but web designers can get entry-level work with an associate's degree. While entry-level positions may not require experience other than skills gained through a degree program, employers expect Web designers to have a solid understanding of HTML and programming languages. To prepare for employment, students can demonstrate that they have practical experience by completing an internship while enrolled in undergraduate studies. Prospective designers may also choose to start their careers by offering freelance services and getting paid by assignment. This can further help graphic web designers develop a strong portfolio to secure permanent employment. Employers generally look for web graphic designers with a bachelor's degree. Aspiring designers can enter into a fine arts program in graphic design at a university or college. The classes for this degree program include both hands-on studio work and classroom lectures. Coursework is made up of classes in design principles, computerized design, printing techniques, website design, and studio art.
Hope this is helpful Roger
ASSOCIATE'S DEGREE – An associate's degree in web design or a related field is typically required for most entry-level positions in web design. Formal entry into an associate's degree program in website design may require applicants to complete some related courses in high school, such as art and design.
BACHELOR'S DEGREE – Graphic website design positions that involve more technical expertise may require a bachelor's degree. Some junior-level positions may require two years of experience, while senior-level roles may require up to five years of experience, so having a bachelor's degree can help with advancement. Besides a bachelor's degree in website design and development, individuals can complete a computer science bachelor's program with coursework in graphic design and programming. This could prove to be very beneficial, since some employers prefer candidates who have a knowledge of programming languages like SQL and Javascript and experience in multimedia software such as Adobe Flash.
Roger with the mixture of visual and technical skills you mentioned you enjoy doing, I'm recommending a web designer who creates the look, layout, and features of a website.
WEB GRAPHIC DESIGNER
A web designer develops and creates websites and associated applications, though the specifics of a web designer description will vary from job to job. Web designers work in a variety of industries and often as independent contractors. Education requirements can vary, but web designers can get entry-level work with an associate's degree. While entry-level positions may not require experience other than skills gained through a degree program, employers expect Web designers to have a solid understanding of HTML and programming languages. To prepare for employment, students can demonstrate that they have practical experience by completing an internship while enrolled in undergraduate studies. Prospective designers may also choose to start their careers by offering freelance services and getting paid by assignment. This can further help graphic web designers develop a strong portfolio to secure permanent employment. Employers generally look for web graphic designers with a bachelor's degree. Aspiring designers can enter into a fine arts program in graphic design at a university or college. The classes for this degree program include both hands-on studio work and classroom lectures. Coursework is made up of classes in design principles, computerized design, printing techniques, website design, and studio art.
Hope this is helpful Roger
Doc recommends the following next steps:
Believe you can and you’re halfway there Roger. Nothing is impossible, the word itself says “I’m possible”
Doc Frick
Stephanie Hamilton
Educational Consulting
89
Answers
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
Stephanie’s Answer
HI Roger,
I found some information that might be helpful:
Possible Careers -
Art Director.
Creative Director.
Drafter (Architecture and Engineering)
Film and Video Editor.
Graphic Designer.
Industrial/Product Designer.
Marketing Manager.
Multimedia Artist/Animator.
I'd also suggest you spend some time researching this website: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
The Occupational Outlook Handbook describes jobs, future need for those careers, pay and education/experience.
Good luck,
Stephanie
I found some information that might be helpful:
Possible Careers -
Art Director.
Creative Director.
Drafter (Architecture and Engineering)
Film and Video Editor.
Graphic Designer.
Industrial/Product Designer.
Marketing Manager.
Multimedia Artist/Animator.
I'd also suggest you spend some time researching this website: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/
The Occupational Outlook Handbook describes jobs, future need for those careers, pay and education/experience.
Good luck,
Stephanie
Jessica Gegner
Change Partner Senior
75
Answers
San Antonio, Texas
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
Hey Roger! There are a TON of different branches and areas of focus that the graphic design career could take you. Here's a list of a few I can think of, though, I'm not even sure if this covers all you can do in the graphic design field! Hope it helps!
- Advertising/Marketing Designer: I worked in marketing/advertising for the majority of my career. This is a designer that creates graphics to advertise, sell, and/or market products, events, or companies. This can include event posters, magazine ads, flyers, brochures, and more. In an advertising or marketing firm, this type of designer usually follows a Marketing Director's guidance on branding elements, voice, and strategy to create an effective design for the target audience. It's this designer's job to bring the Marketing Director and client's vision to life.
- Branding/Visual Identity Designer: A designer that helps create visual brand identities for companies and/or products including logos, symbols, secondary and tertiary branding elements, and brand usage/style guides in line with the company's personality, mission, and vision they want to portray. There is often a lot of strategy and reworking involved in this type of design, using color theory and symbology to affect the public's opinion of the company or product in question. This can be a job done under a marketing/advertising firm or even freelance and usually costs a pretty penny because it establishes a company's visual identity for years to come.
- Digital Artist/Illustrator: An area I think you'd be interested in, these designers often use drawing tablets or touchscreen laptops to create graphics and illustrations that mimic the type of art you'd see with more traditional media, such as watercolor, oil paints, or ink drawings. There is a wide array of content you could create in this realm, though it's often more of a freelance-driven profession. You could create art for albums, t-shirts, video games, medical textbooks, and more, but this profession requires a strong foundation in traditional fine arts. There are many types of graphic design that don't require you to be a good artist, but this is not one of them.
- Environmental Designer: These designers create signage, murals, and other visual graphics for a physical space. It can include way signage for buildings and events or building wraps to extend a company's visual branding to their storefront or corporate office. A strong sense of 3D design is crucial to be a successful, effective Environmental Designer.
- Instructional Designer: These designers create training materials for students and/or employees, often creating visuals to help communicate and simplify concepts for the learner. There are many programs for instructional design that may be used to make the courses interactive for the learner, often ending with an assessment or quiz to test the learner's knowledge. These designers often have a good sense of motion graphics design, user interface design, and presentation design.
- Motion Graphics Designer: Because you're already interested in video editing, I think this would be a great realm of graphic design for you to research. I have a lot of experience in Motion Graphics and it has always been part of my portfolio that employers gravitate to and has even gotten me paid a higher salary for having this skill under my belt. These designers are often tasked with creating animated graphics and adding graphics and effects to videos after the fact. These people can create animated logos, kinetic typographic designs, visual effects, and logos for TV shows, commercials, jumbotrons, and more. One of my favorite things I've done with Motion Graphics Design was created digital backdrops for concerts!
- Packaging Designer: These designers develop the packaging for specific products. Ever been super impressed by a product's packaging? You have Packaging Designers to thank for that! They create packaging that speaks to the personality of the product and company and often tailors the packaging to the shape of the product itself. These designers also need a good sense of 3D design to be successful.
- Presentation Designer: I've done presentation design for the past three years of my career. These designers often work in corporations to create visual designs and presentations for internal executive and employee briefings to help translate complex ideas into visuals that are easy to understand. This career requires a lot of empathy with your audience and understanding of the industry in which you are working to help translate executives' complex visions for front-line employees. Sometimes animations and motion graphics are also incorporated into the briefings to translate these complex concepts for the audience.
- Publication Designer: These designers create the visual elements for books, magazines, and other publications. It can include book covers, magazine layouts, center-fold designs, and article publications. These designers should have a strong sense of typography, visual hierarchy, and working on a grid.
- User Interface Designer: A designer who creates interactive design elements for an application, website, or other types of software. This is a common job to find in corporations of many kinds and is a growing career field as Alternate Reality and Virtual Reality becomes more widely available and used. They have to consider not just how the design looks, but also how the design is used. Many of these designers know how to write code, but if they don't, they will work closely with user experience designers and/or user interface developers to bring their designs to life.
- Advertising/Marketing Designer: I worked in marketing/advertising for the majority of my career. This is a designer that creates graphics to advertise, sell, and/or market products, events, or companies. This can include event posters, magazine ads, flyers, brochures, and more. In an advertising or marketing firm, this type of designer usually follows a Marketing Director's guidance on branding elements, voice, and strategy to create an effective design for the target audience. It's this designer's job to bring the Marketing Director and client's vision to life.
- Branding/Visual Identity Designer: A designer that helps create visual brand identities for companies and/or products including logos, symbols, secondary and tertiary branding elements, and brand usage/style guides in line with the company's personality, mission, and vision they want to portray. There is often a lot of strategy and reworking involved in this type of design, using color theory and symbology to affect the public's opinion of the company or product in question. This can be a job done under a marketing/advertising firm or even freelance and usually costs a pretty penny because it establishes a company's visual identity for years to come.
- Digital Artist/Illustrator: An area I think you'd be interested in, these designers often use drawing tablets or touchscreen laptops to create graphics and illustrations that mimic the type of art you'd see with more traditional media, such as watercolor, oil paints, or ink drawings. There is a wide array of content you could create in this realm, though it's often more of a freelance-driven profession. You could create art for albums, t-shirts, video games, medical textbooks, and more, but this profession requires a strong foundation in traditional fine arts. There are many types of graphic design that don't require you to be a good artist, but this is not one of them.
- Environmental Designer: These designers create signage, murals, and other visual graphics for a physical space. It can include way signage for buildings and events or building wraps to extend a company's visual branding to their storefront or corporate office. A strong sense of 3D design is crucial to be a successful, effective Environmental Designer.
- Instructional Designer: These designers create training materials for students and/or employees, often creating visuals to help communicate and simplify concepts for the learner. There are many programs for instructional design that may be used to make the courses interactive for the learner, often ending with an assessment or quiz to test the learner's knowledge. These designers often have a good sense of motion graphics design, user interface design, and presentation design.
- Motion Graphics Designer: Because you're already interested in video editing, I think this would be a great realm of graphic design for you to research. I have a lot of experience in Motion Graphics and it has always been part of my portfolio that employers gravitate to and has even gotten me paid a higher salary for having this skill under my belt. These designers are often tasked with creating animated graphics and adding graphics and effects to videos after the fact. These people can create animated logos, kinetic typographic designs, visual effects, and logos for TV shows, commercials, jumbotrons, and more. One of my favorite things I've done with Motion Graphics Design was created digital backdrops for concerts!
- Packaging Designer: These designers develop the packaging for specific products. Ever been super impressed by a product's packaging? You have Packaging Designers to thank for that! They create packaging that speaks to the personality of the product and company and often tailors the packaging to the shape of the product itself. These designers also need a good sense of 3D design to be successful.
- Presentation Designer: I've done presentation design for the past three years of my career. These designers often work in corporations to create visual designs and presentations for internal executive and employee briefings to help translate complex ideas into visuals that are easy to understand. This career requires a lot of empathy with your audience and understanding of the industry in which you are working to help translate executives' complex visions for front-line employees. Sometimes animations and motion graphics are also incorporated into the briefings to translate these complex concepts for the audience.
- Publication Designer: These designers create the visual elements for books, magazines, and other publications. It can include book covers, magazine layouts, center-fold designs, and article publications. These designers should have a strong sense of typography, visual hierarchy, and working on a grid.
- User Interface Designer: A designer who creates interactive design elements for an application, website, or other types of software. This is a common job to find in corporations of many kinds and is a growing career field as Alternate Reality and Virtual Reality becomes more widely available and used. They have to consider not just how the design looks, but also how the design is used. Many of these designers know how to write code, but if they don't, they will work closely with user experience designers and/or user interface developers to bring their designs to life.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!
Roger