Do you get attracted to colourful pictures and vibrant patterns? Are you artistic and want to pursue a career in drawing? Do you have a keen eye for symmetry, grids, lines and colours? If yes, graphic design can be an interesting and financially rewarding career option.
In a time when digital marketing is considered as the most profitable approach to marketing, graphic design is gaining momentum as a great way to supplement advertisements and other digital marketing approaches. Graphic design is utilised in ad-films, infomercials, infographics and posters. Graphic design is also utilised in several creative mediums such as the cinema and comic books.
Whether you want to pursue a career in graphic design or are a graphic design student, this blog can help you start your career with useful tips about the specifics of the industry and how to approach it. Let’s get started.
What is graphic design?
Graphic design is the art of creating a visual to communicate written content. Graphic designers employ techniques such as visual hierarchy and typography to make pictures deliver a message at the request of their clients. This design approach takes advantage of the fact that pictures are more can be more effective than just written content alone.
Graphic designers play with a lot of elements such as page layout, colours, images and visual cues to make the content interesting and interactive.
Tips to start your career in graphic design
There are no shortcuts to becoming a successful graphic designer. The profession requires specific skills that can only be developed over time with hard work and patience. However, these tips can make your journey to becoming a successful graphic designer easier.
Pursue a formal degree in the subject: if you are good at drawing or designing, you can start a career in this field without a degree. However, a formal degree provides unique advantages that can help you acquire the skills needed for the job. A formal degree also provides an insight into the industry and opportunities for networking that can help you start your career. You can study graphic design courses from reputed universities offering degrees in the subject.
Acquire necessary software skills: graphic design involves the utilisation of software and technological tools such as Adobe Photoshop and Place-it. You should ensure you are well-versed in using this software before starting your career.
Gain some freelance experience: the best way to pick up a skill is by practicing. Working on freelance projects can help you gain expertise in the subject and provide you with an experience of interacting with various types of clients.
Work on projects within your community: another great way of building your portfolio is working on projects within your community or for your friends or family. This can also help in adding to a loyal customer base through word-of-mouth communication.
Get an internship: if you have just finished a design degree, securing an internship is a good way to implement your theoretical knowledge. An internship can also provide you first-hand knowledge of working in the industry and practical skills needed for the job.
Create an online presence: an impressive portfolio displayed on your own website can help you secure projects from reputed clients. This is also an excellent way to show off your work experience to prospective employers.
Apart from these tips, it is also important to keep in touch with the work of other graphic designers, participate in designing contests for experience and keep in contact with previous clients to maintain a good rapport with them.
Graphic design is a great way to present your creativity to the world. With the internet offering a wealth of knowledge and technology being more accessible than ever, graphic design can get translated from your passion to your occupation. You can achieve this through patience and a dedication to keep learning throughout your career.
