Are you a creative person with some artistic flare? Do you have the "eye" for design and art? Are you a good problem solver? A career in graphic design and becoming a graphic designer might be just the right fit for you.
The whole landscape for graphic designers is constantly changing, but this is a good thing. It brings forth new opportunities and markets that will need graphic designers. Devices like the iPad and other smart phones are shifting print media more towards purely digital. That's not to say that print media is dead. It does suggest that there are various opportunities for the graphic designer. Being open to this change will be an asset moving forward.
Qualities of a graphic designer
If you plan on becoming a graphic designer that makes it, you're going to want to have certain qualities that will help you along.
Creativity is a very important factor for those wanting a career in design. Does this mean you have to be a great artist? While it can help, it's not necessary. Being able to paint and sketch can help for sure, but the important thing is to be able to problem solve and arrange design concepts in a creative way. There are graphic designers for example that are more into the photography side of things that couldn't sketch for their lives and still are amazing designers. It's all about creativity of vision, patience and visual problem solving.
Time to get educated...
Although there may be some that make it to the industry just by talent alone, most, if not all of us (I'm talking you and me here) need some sort of certificate or degree to land a job as a graphic designer. Employers won't even bother to look at you if you lack the piece of paper that shows that you have been trained and seasoned by some sort of graphic design related program. Getting a degree or certificate doesn't reflect your talent, but it does show that you have a good firm base of knowledge and you take the industry seriously. So what are your training options?
There are many graphic design schools and colleges across North America, Europe, and abroad that offers graphic design related degrees and programs. The range and scope of these programs all depend on what you want, and where you want to go. There are programs in multimedia, graphic design, visual communication, advertising, animation, web development, and so on. All have much of the same principles and structure at work, but they all can have a different slant. Often people lump these categories together into "graphic design". A multimedia program for example may focus more on the TV industry. Other programs may focus more on print or website development. Often there is some overlap with all of these kinds of programs, but they can be quite different. It's important though to know what slant the program has, and if you're happy with that slant.
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