Are you someone who likes to express himself/herself with sketches or drawings? Do you wish to join a field where you can communicate ideas to inform, inspire or captivate your audience? Do you have a deep understanding of colors and like to sketch?
If the answer is yes to all the above questions, then the graphic design field might interest you. In graphic designing, various ideas are presented with a combination of images and words. It is the form of visual communication and expression of ideas and concepts using various graphic elements and tools.
Graphic designing is combining art with a purpose!
Graphic design can be found everywhere around us, from newspapers, business cards, and brochures to magazines and billboards. Graphic designs can also be found on everyday items like credit cards, train tickets, canned food items, and many others. It is the art to communicate ideas visually. Companies use graphic designing to promote a particular product or just to grab customer’s attention.
Who is a Graphic Designer?
A graphic designer is someone who puts art first. He/she is responsible for using elements like graphics, illustrations, images, textures and symbols, and putting them together by using software programs such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. A graphic designer creates print and web-based designs for a variety of audience.
A graphic designer can also be called a virtual problem-solver. In addition to being a great artist, a great designer should have great interpreting and listening skills. They should be able to understand the client requirements, and present those ideas effectively on paper or on the Internet. A graphic designer aims to create something that is visually appealing to the viewer, is able to grab attention, and the same time is able to clearly communicate the idea that needs to be sent across.
Skills and Tools Required
If you are interested in graphic designing, then you should go for a basic art and design degree, or related field. You can go for a fine arts degree, followed by a postgraduate diploma programs. A graphic designer should have a creative bent of mind with an artistic inclination. You must have a natural ability to exercise good judgment in handling the formal elements of visual communication such as scale, color, contrast, and layout.
Graphic designers can employ a variety of tools to convey their ideas onto paper. The tools of a graphic designer include sketchpads, computers, and various software programs. They must also have the right set of technical skills to excel in this field. They should be familiar with tools such as Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, QuarkXpress, Dreamweaver, and Adobe Photoshop, among others. They should also continuously update themselves with latest design tools in the market.
An important fact to note is that, with the onset of and availability of computer-based tools, it is not necessarily to be great at drawing. Having said that, you should be able to do some basic sketches and drawings. Other than artistic and technical skills, you should also have great interpersonal skills, great listening skills, and good verbal communication skills. In addition, a great graphic designer should be able to understand the business requirements, the challenges involved, the client budget, and various trends in designs.
Scope of Work
A graphic designer might be expected to design brochures, magazine covers, Internet banners, business cards, logos, power point presentations, and much more. As a graphic designer, your job would depend on the profile that you have been being hired for and the job requirement.
Working as a graphic designer can be stressful at times. A graphic designer needs to stay at the top of trends, learn new software, and come with new ideas to convert client requirements into great designs.
Jobs and Pay Scale
The average salary of a beginner graphic designer is around Rs 15000 – 20,000 per month. With some experience, you might get around Rs 30,000 – 40,000 per month. In addition to your regular job, you can also take up individual contracts on a freelance basis.
An experienced and a successful graphic designer can either work at a design consultancy or set up their own design studios. Some of the titles that you get as you advance in your career are senior graphic designer, creative director, art director, and art production manager. You can either work on a contract or be employed full time.
Following are some of the promising job industries for a graphic designer:
- Advertising agencies
- Manufacturing sector
- Print and publishing houses
- Design studios
- Media houses
- PR agencies
- Museums
- Schools and colleges
- Web-designing companies
A graphic designer might need at least 2 to 3 years of experience before he/she can advance to higher positions. They can collect classroom projects, work as an intern at a studio, or get some other experience. All these experiences can help them build a great portfolio and help them land a great job. Therefore, they should invest in their portfolio, and only include their best pieces in it.
Graphic designing is a very exciting career option. As a graphic designer, you will be given the freedom to use your creativity, work with latest tools in the market, give your inputs to the project, and have lots of fun. If you are patient, creative, like to solve problems, and have an eye for details, you should go for graphic designing.
However, an important thing to note is that graphic designing is not entirely about decorating a piece. A piece with too much design might not be able to communicate the message. A great graphic design should be clear, and be able to convey the message it was required to.
