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So, You Want to be a Graphic Designer… Now What?
By Elle Phillips, Elle Phillips Design
Please welcome our guest writer, Elle Phillips, back to All Graphic Design. Today she wrote an article that is full of wonderful advice to individuals who are looking to become a Graphic Designer. She was inspired to write this wonderful article by a young man who emailed her about his dream of becoming a Designer. Elle realized that she could write an informative article to help many other people who also wish to become a Graphic Designer. We are lucky enough that she decided to reach a larger audience, by publishing her article on All Graphic Design. Elle received a lot of traffic to her site by publishing her previous article - Designing A Catalog From Conception To Completion - A Catalog Design Tutorial - on All Graphic Design. If you also wish to publish your article on All Graphic Design, please visit our Submit a Graphic Design Article page to see how to do so.
So, You Want to be a Graphic Designer… Now What?
I recently received an email from a young man who stated that he “likes to draw” and wants to become a Graphic Designer, but wanted to know how to get started. At first I thought the obvious answer was “get a graphic design education,” but after more thought I realized it isn’t always that simple.
With today’s continually rising tuition costs and the cost of hardware and software that is so necessary in our industry, simply going out and “getting an education” isn’t always possible. Whether you’re right out of high school, a Mom looking for a career she can do from home, recently out of the Military or simply someone who feels they have a knack for design and is ready for a career change, consider that you have a few options on how to gain the skills you will need to pursue your dream job. But first, ask yourself some questions:
1. Why do you want to be a Graphic Designer?
The answer to this question is very important and can have direct impact on if you can make it in this highly competitive field.
If you wish to be a designer simply because you have a friend who makes a lot of money and you want to make lots of money too, then you should probably reconsider your options. The success of most designers comes with time, effort, skill and knowledge. Granted, there are some designers out there who are born with phenomenal skill and require little effort to do what they do best, but the majority of us work hard to keep up with the latest trends, maintain excellent customer service to our clients and continually stay educated on the latest hardware and software. There is a certain amount of skill required to becoming successful as a designer, and it’s no easy task. If you’re in it simply for the money, be prepared to make very little your first few years out of the gate, or nothing at all if you’re just no good at design.
If you want to be a designer because you feel you have some artistic abilities or your friends often compliment you on that great birthday invitation you put together for your sister, then you might have something going for you. It is definitely not a requirement that you posses the ability to draw, but it certainly helps. In my personal opinion, most artists (visual, musical or otherwise) have a natural eye for color, shape and composition. Call it “right-brained” if you will, but it’s commonly the case that naturally artistic people are drawn to more artistic fields – and graphic design is one of them.
2. Do you feel you have what it takes to be a successful Graphic Designer?
Just touching on the point I made above, some sort of artistic eye or creative flair is often helpful to becoming a designer, but there are many more traits required.
Are you willing to learn? Technical knowledge of the programs used to create today’s layouts is a MUST, so you need to ask yourself if you’re tech-savvy enough (or willing enough) to learn how to turn what’s in your head into tangible, print-ready collateral. It’s not a matter of learning one or two programs… to be truly successful, you will need to know a very wide variety of layout, illustration and photo manipulation programs, as well as web authoring programs and coding languages if you wish to pursue website design.
Are you good with people? While you may think all graphic artists work individually, that’s not always the case. Entry-level designers often start working in a team environment, so you’ll need to be able to work with other designers and under a manager or Art Director while you gain valuable skills. If you have aspirations of becoming a freelancer and want to work on your own, then you’ll need to be able to communicate well with potential clients.
3. Can you take criticism?
Oh yes, your work will be criticized. Just because your Mom loves the Mother’s Day card you made for her in MS Word doesn’t mean someone out in the world will pay you for it. Be willing to accept criticism for what it’s worth and use it to improve your abilities. If someone tells you your design stinks, you need to be able to smile, shrug it off, and find a way to make it better. If you’re the type of person who doesn’t believe anyone else’s opinion matters, you are going into the wrong type of business. As a Graphic Designer, you’re serving others, not yourself. It’s going to be your job to create good design (and defend it), but ultimately make your boss or client happy!
You’ve answered “Yes” to all the questions above… now what? Steps to becoming a designer:
OPTION A: Get an advanced education from a Graphic Design School or University Graphic Arts program.
When I started in the world of graphic design 11 years ago there was adequate competition, but nothing like there is today. Since computers took over and re-shaped the art of design, knowledge of the fundamentals as well as design software is key to being competitive. Education in the field of design is almost essential nowadays, and is by far the most thorough means of diving into the field.
Find a school that offers a degree in Visual Communications or Graphic Design (or some variant thereof) who will teach you the fundamentals of creating masterful design, as well as the technical programs used to execute your ideas. From typography to layout, InDesign to Flash, you’ll need to know it all. You can gain much of this knowledge from Art Institutes, Universities or Graphic Design technical schools. Find one that’s right for you, your budget, and your situation. Talk to different schools and find out if they offer scholarships or grants and apply for them all. Student loans are constantly going skyward and, often, simple things like filling out an application or sending in one of your latest artistic creations is all it takes to get free money for school.
OPTION B: Self-Study
I personally believe this is the more difficult path, but if your situation hinders your ability to train at a school, then your only other option is to learn on your own, and you can certainly do it.
First, I suggest learning the programs. You’ll need to know how to use a professional layout program (sorry folks, Word and PageMaker are not industry standard) such as QuarkXPress or InDesign, as well as photo manipulation and illustration programs. Adobe has made it very easy to get all the programs you need out of one box with their Design Suite (which includes InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Acrobat and a few other programs), so that may be the way to go. It’ll cost you roughly $1200 (USD), but that pales in comparison to the cost of college tuition.
Go through the tutorials, read the manuals (Adobe actually makes them fairly easy to follow) and gain as much technical knowledge about the programs as you possibly can, then start volunteering your work. If your nephew’s 3rd birthday is coming up, offer to design his invitations for free. If your neighbor wants to sell his house, offer to design his flyers for free. If your friend is starting their own business, offer to design them a logo and business cards (yep, for free). Do whatever you can to put your newly gained skills to use, but don’t do it for money… do it for portfolio pieces. One of the most wonderful things about the Graphic Design field is that the emphasis is not on your degrees or education, but on your portfolio. This is how you will be judged. This is how you will be hired. Your portfolio will ultimately determine your success.
Once you’ve established a quality portfolio with pieces you’ve designed for yourself as well as others, be prepared to show it off. Get a nice portfolio case or find a creative way to present it, and start applying for jobs. Most companies will require electronic pieces to be emailed to them or a link to an online portfolio of some sort, but eventually you’ll need to bring those pieces (and more) into your one-on-one interview. If you’re determined to be a freelancer, you’ll be showing these pieces to potential clients and it will be your job to convince them that you’re the person for the job.
When you’ve accepted your first professional position, remember to always continue learning and improve skills and portfolio. It will be satisfying to you, and you will only become more successful.
I hope this article has helped the young man who emailed me and answered questions for those of you with dreams of becoming a professional Graphic Designer. If you have any questions or comments I encourage you to contact me through my website at www.ellephillips.com.
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17 Comments
I have a knack for designs. How do I enhance this gift without going through the vigorous, extensive and expensive programs to make to works brighter with photoshop?
I want to do document design (business cards, brochures, newsletters), but I can hardly draw a clipart frog (I tried and it looks like a constipated snail). On the other hand, I do appreciate and have a flair for putting type and text on a page. Do I have to give up my goal of being a freelance document designer?
sos
Molly, if you can't draw a frog (or anything else, really) it doesn't necessarily mean you can't be a great designer. There are some great resources for stock photography and illustrations out there (like istockphoto.com or shutterstock) that can help you enhance your document designs without requiring you to draw anything by hand. If you have an eye for layout and type, you can still pursue your dream!
L.C. Blair,
You can continue to enhance your design skills by doing it the old fashioned way - pen and paper. But if you wish to be a designer professionally, you will eventually need to learn all the extensive and expensive programs. If you can create a portfolio for yourself using only hand renderings, I would suggest applying for entry-level graphic design positions where they can teach you how to turn your hand-rendered designs into printable collateral.
I want to pursue graphic design. I love manipulating photos and just creating something that people love to look at. I sold my first logo ever just recently and I'm going to make it my first piece in my portfolio...any ideas for what should be my second? Oh yeah, I'm also learning to use Flash, do you think that'll give me an advantage when applying to schools?
My name is Dominic and I have a questions. I just graduated from a 4 year degree college. in other words, I have my BA. I did communication studies and Mass communication studies. I am interesting in Graphic designing and Advertising. For some weired reason, I certainly don't know whether take a course in Graphic designing or go into advertising shcool. one of the things I am worried about is, I don't want to start all over again. This is, I don't want to go for a degree in Graphic desining, since I already have a degree. Please help me.
Thanks
Dominic
Marvelyn,
Yes, learning Flash or any additional programs will help you in the long run, not just for applying to schools but applying for jobs as well. The better you know the different programs, the more success you'll have as a professional graphic artist. Regarding your portfolio, a wise man once told me to put your best pieces at the front of your portfolio, and down from there. That's the best advise I can give you.
Dominic,
If you already have your BA in Communications, you might be able to find a local community college or design school that will allow you to take just Graphic Design courses without going through a full program.
If you want to go into Advertising (very different from Graphic Design) it may not be necessary for you to take any classes at all. Try to find an entry-level position with an Ad Agency or an in-house Marketing department (that should be no problem with a Mass Comm degree) and learn everything you can on the job. You may have to start out in PR or as an Advertising Executive, but you'll get plenty of exposure to the mass amount of positions available in Advertising.
Good Luck!
Hi, I am really nervous about what to do with my future. I've always been an artist and excel in visual arts and music, am fairly tech savvy (very well versed in premiere, Photoshop, in design...teaching myself flash, java and illustrator, and learn quickly. I have all the foundation necessary to be a good designer (already have worked professionally in terms of logo design, and have done many posters, yearbook covers/layouts and multimedia presentation. I've also been accepted to a top-notch joint design program between 2 leading schools with great reputations. Everything seems to be falling in place, but I can't ignore the growing anxiety that the future of being a designer is looking pretty bleak. I figure it is becoming more and more mainstream for regular people to be competent with most design software and thus could do without professional services...Also the market is so saturated it feels like I'd be fighting constantly for jobs (I want security). Also with the present focus on being "green", print material will most likely see a drastic fall, while web design will continue at its present pace (I don't know anything about web design, so this is really bad news for me). I guess I just feel like it's a make or break situation, and as someone who has dealt with financial struggle her entire life, I want to be able to live comfortably and not paycheck-to-paycheck. The tuition is ridiculously expensive so I'm worried about sinking into a lot of debt, earning meager cash and starting my life out at the bottom of a financial pit from which I cannot escape. I take great pleasure from creating great art and design, but I am so scared to fail professionally. Could I get into advertising if I wanted to with a design degree? I am also considering going into teaching but I heard you need 5 years industry experience to qualify for high school positions. I would enjoy sharing knowledge with others, and think being a professor would be very rewarding with more job security, but the financial pit would be a good 200,000 deeper if I went for this. I don’t want to quit before I’ve begun, but my natural instinct is to worry. I know I’m talented, great with people, intelligent and imaginative but aren’t a lot of people?
Tara,
It's natural to be apprehensive about starting a career path and I completely understand - I was there once too.
Yes, the amount of graphic designers entering the industry has increased significantly and there is more competition than there was 10 or 20 years ago, but there is also more of a need for qualified designers than there was 10 or 20 years ago. If you are talented, hard working and dedicated to your job, you'll be fine. I know, it's easy to say, but it's true. I personally know some very talented designers as well as some I would consider mediocre, but they are all working and doing well in their careers as designers. Just keep in mind there are many levels of employers out there looking for many levels of designers: some want top talent for top dollar, others want cheap talent who they can train. Where you stand will determine your pay grade. It's harsh, but true. If you are truly confident of your talent and creativity, set your price high and stick to it. If you're unsure, start at the bottom and work your way up.
I wouldn't worry too much about the fate of the print industry - as long as people still buy groceries from the store (retail packaging), still buy books off the shelf (book cover designs), still read magazines (ads and layout), etc., the print industry will not be threatened. If anything, you'll find new "green" inks and more recycled papers being used before the print industry goes under, so don't worry yourself there.
Teaching is a great field to get into right now and as the need for designers grows, the need for people to teach designers grwos, but yes, it will require more schooling and tuition isn't cheap. If you have your eyes set on being a professor, be prepared to get your Master's before you're even considered at most universities... some may even require a Doctorate. I'm not trying to discourage you, just giving you some insight.
As I mentioned in my article, the best route to becoming a great designer is to go to school. Tuition is expensive, but worth it when you have been offered your first real design position and you can only get better from there. You say you're talented, great with people, intelligent and imaginative... sure, many people have all those qualities, but not all of them are graphic designers.
I graduated in 2007 with my B.S. in Hospitality and Tourism Management. I realized my senior year that I really wanted to pursue graphic design (I was interested in going to art school in the first place, but I was deterred because of how competitive the field was and how expensive art schools were/are). So here I am a year later, I purchased some online tutorials for Adobe Creative Suite, and have a pretty solid grasp on Photoshop and Illustrator, and am working on mastering Flash which I think I'd like to make my specialty. At the moment I'm not trying to go back to school. I'd like to get my masters at some point but I'd like to try and pay off my Bachelor's degree worth of debt first. I know the programs will be the easy part to learn. I have a good design instinct, but I was wondering if you had any suggestions for books or something that would teach me proper design techniques or standards. Like what separates good designs from bad from an industry standpoint. Also do you think it would be possible to get an internship position even though I'm not enrolled in a formal education program? Thank you!
Thanks Elle, I am definitely more at ease with next year.
I consider myself a graphic designer by trade (proficient in photoshop but just learning other programs) and I have a few small businesses and professionals as clients. I am more interested in getting into invitation design and business communiques. I've read on wedding invitation sites about designers by trade and their designs seem to be something I am well able to do, with my own creativity, of course. My question is, what program (Illustator, photoshop) is best for this application and how do I go about printing?
Alaina,
There are a ton of books out there on Graphic Design, but it's difficult to recommend one or two. It really depends on what you wish to specialize in. My suggestion is to look at other designs created in the medium you prefer, ie. Flash websites and presentations since you would like to make that your specialty. The great thing about being a designer is we determine the industry standard, so look around, see what's being done, and do something better.
Sure, you could get an internship - just apply and find out. In this industry, it's your portfolio that matters, not necessarily your education.
Jennifer,
I'd say for invitations I use Illustrator far more often than Photoshop, but your own creative style should determine which you prefer. If you like to work more with type, lines, shapes, and clean illustrations into your invites, then Illustrator is your answer. If you like to work primarily in raster images (photos) and high-impact graphics, then Photoshop would probably be a better fit. My suggestion: start with one program (the one you think will fit your current style best), then once you've made enough profit, invest in the other program. With both you'll be more well-rounded and able to create all aspects of design.
Printing is a different matter, and a much larger one. There are a plethora of on-line vendors out there, and I'm sure there are at least a couple of local printers where you live. Look in the phone book and online. Contact a couple of printers, ask for a quote from each, and then talk to the printer with the best prices. Ask them how they prefer their files (most often they will require a PDF) and work with them on setting up your files correctly. Working with printers can sometimes be a difficult process - we are in the same industry, but on opposite sides of the coin. Not all designs are cheap or printable, so you will have restrictions, but if you talk to your printer ahead of time and get all the information before you start your designs, the process will be much easier for all. Hint: if you do work with a local printer, always request a press-check!!
NOTE TO ALL: If you take the time to create a relationship with a printing company (and I'm not talking Kinko's, I mean a real print-shop with presses), gain knowledge of printing and how the printing process works, it will only help you in the long run.
Sir, My name is shailendra kumar verma, i have completed my BCA(Bachelor of Computer Applications) the previous year, i dont want to do MCA (MAster of Computer Applications) or MBA (Master in Bussiness Management). I am currently a teenager of 15 , and i have great knowledge of Software Development ( C,C++,JAVA,Microsoft VB .Net) , Web Development( XHTML,CSS,little bit PHP), Graphic Designing ( Adobe Photoshop, Fireworks, Illustrator, Corel Draw,Adobe Macromedia Flash, etc.) and i want to be a great web designer.. plz guide me .. currently i am struggling to be a wordpress designer.. .. i am putting some pieces of work in portfolio currently.. and i want some guidance from u.. what to do .. and how.. plz plz plz plz...thanks a lot
I realy concern about how to be desdigner,by using Photoshobe & swishmax but I still bigenner, U realy gave me good advice then I do apreciate ur I dea but there's somthing prevent me to Pay 1200$ is it enough to do practicing with that toturials which I collected from the www?
Thank you so much. Your article really helped.
Thanks for the article, it's very helpful.
By traditional standards I would be an older student and although I love art and learning I don't feel 100% comfortable returning to school F.T. You mentioned to someone if they can hand-render designs to start a portfolio with those images. Would you mind sharing what kind of materials would work best (and size)? I've been reading so many articles on this and I think I've overwhelmed myself because now I have so many versions of the same thing in different materials! Thank you so much.