Graphic Design as a Career

Chances are you have experienced graphic design in any number of ways today. Perhaps it was the magazine you thumbed through while waiting for your dental appointment. Or the signage system you followed while exiting the garage. Or the packaging of the coffee and muffin you picked up on the way to class. Many times a day, in many ways, graphic design touches our lives. It helps us acquire new information. It helps us navigate unknown territory. It influences our purchases.

Pursuing a degree in graphic design begins with the basics – courses such as drawing, color theory and typography. Students then advance to more complex and specialized classes that build software skills and conceptual thinking. In the workplace, graphic designers use a variety of software tools, including InDesign, Quark, Photoshop and Illustrator. They must be able to combine letters, shapes, colors and space into a visual language.

An aspiring graphic designer builds a portfolio to showcase his/her talent to prospective employers. Just as important as the featured work is the ability to articulate why a piece was designed as it is. During an interview, a designer must be able to justify the reasons behind the design solution – why the solution works.

The job market for graphic designers is varied, increasingly technical and competitive. Graduates with an Associates in Arts degree may join the production staffs of printing companies, digital service bureaus or in-house corporate communications departments in entry-level positions such as production artist or assistant designer. Graduates with a Bachelor of Arts or a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree may join the creative staffs of design studios, publishing houses or corporate communications departments as entry-level positions such as graphic designer, associate art director or production coordinator. Many entrepreneurial graduates enter the market as freelance designers or open their own design studios.

AIGA is the professional association for design. You can learn more at www.aiga.org.

Editorial provided by Shelly Ford, the Director of Communications at The Art Institute of Washington.