When you think of degrees and careers you can pursue with said degree, the chances are that graphic design doesn’t come to mind often. Yet, a graphic design degree is an extremely lucrative option for the creative souls out there. In this article we discuss Graphic Design Education Unlocks 5 Creative Careers for You.
In fact, it is slowly becoming the preferred choice for aspiring students. Not to mention that it is highly profitable as well!
According to a Market Research report by IBIS World, in 2019 alone, the US graphic design sector generated approximately 15 billion USD in revenue. Moreover, as per Crowd Spring, 67 percent of small businesses believe that graphic designing is immensely important for the exponential growth of a business.
Apart from the fact that a career in art and design is quite profitable, there are other benefits of choosing a graphic design education.
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Why Choose a Graphic Design Degree?
One might wonder, why is the younger population suddenly so interested in getting a degree in art and design? Here are a few reasons:
- Since the graphic design sector contributes significantly to the economy, the industry also pays its employees well.
- You can choose between getting a job at an agency or working as a freelance designer.
- A graphic design degree helps individuals adapt to the evolving needs of clients, hence allowing you to rise to the challenge and deliver quality work.
- You can find employment in a wide variety of industries, not just agencies. This is because every company needs creatives for marketing collaterals and communications.
- Within the umbrella of graphic designing, you can select from various specialties, giving students the much-needed liberty to choose
- Since it is a creative process, it’s likely you’ll never get bored with work. There is no monotony in the world of art and design.
With the growth in this industry, it’s no surprise individuals are learning towards formal, graphic design education to further polish their skills and open doors to better job prospects.
Top Creative Career Choices for a Graphic Design Degree
A common myth regarding graphic design is that it is just one field of study. This is not the case. In fact, there are different facets of graphic designing, each of which leads to different career paths.
Here are some of the creative career choices available for those with a graphic design degree.
1. Multimedia Designer
Don’t wish to learn various skills to earn a living? If so, you might prefer a career in multimedia design. Compared to other career options on the list, this one is relatively common.
What does it entail?
Well, multimedia design makes use of sound, art, and design to help create audio, videos, and animated images. This career path features immense demand in the entertainment industry.
Here, a multimedia designer is responsible for creating scale models and sketches of props, costumes, and sets. Apart from general graphic designing skills, all you need is unlimited creativity to prosper in this field.
2. Web Designer
According to Internet Live Stats, there are more than 200 million active websites out there. As per research conducted by Clutch.co, approximately two-thirds of B2B small businesses alone have websites.
This means there is a significant demand for a web designer. After all, the development of a website cannot be done by an amateur! You need an experienced web designer to create pages, graphics, and layout of web pages.
Web designers are responsible for designing the navigation design as well as the structure of the website. They must collaborate with the content department to decide what content should be included in different web pages.
As the world moves towards online solutions and e-commerce soars higher, web designers will continue to experience demand.
3. Creative Director
There is more to a project than its functional aspect. Whether it be a tangible product like a movie, laundry detergent, apparel, or an abstract product like an ad or a branding effort, everything requires a Creative Director’s input.
Think of it this way. Regardless of what you wish to sell, you must first develop its concept. And its concept cannot just be focused on functional benefits. It needs to be aspirational. And this is what a Creative Director does.
The job involves working with copywriters, marketers, and product developers to create a concept that sells. For example, in the case of the soap Dove, the concept pitched is Real Beauty. This concept is then translated into design and communication.
4. Logo Designer
A quality logo is timeless. According to Finance Online, over 90 percent of the global population effectively recognizes the Coca-Cola logo.
If done properly, a logo can help boost brand awareness and recognition. It is the foundation of all branding efforts of a business.
And to create the right logo, you need a professional logo designer. Graphic design education can help you become the logo designer the world needs.
You can also learn from the comfort of your own home with the Logo Design Master Class, you only pay a small price for lifetime access for you to learn at your own pace.
There are various factors that logo designing must take into account. This includes the arrangement of symbols in the right manner, the choice of colors, and the ability to represent the company through the design created.
Companies spend a lot on creating and updating logos. It also provides logo designers with an opportunity to work with different clients. Here, a professional degree comes in handy when dealing with novel requirements and challenges.
5. Brand Identity Designer / Brand Strategist
As we said, the logo is the first step in branding. There are various other measures a business must take to form a strong brand identity. Considering the importance of branding in today’s time, many firms are hiring dedicated individuals to create their brand identity.
For graphic design graduates, this translates to a career option as a brand identity designer.
What does a brand identity designer do?
The role requires the creation of a visual brand image. This design is then used in all of the company’s marketing collaterals. This includes business cards, adverts, stationery, print ads, signages, etc.
As a brand identity designer, you must find creative ways to combine words and images to best express the big idea and positioning of the company. This includes working with different colors, typography, tagline, and design to create maximum impact.
A consistent brand identity design makes it easier for customers to remember a brand. While some companies choose to hire such a designer, others rely on creative agencies for the task. Regardless, the fact remains that the job is highly demanded.
A brand strategist works closely with a brand on establishing things such as tone of voice and brand personality, conveying a consistent and effective brand message to the audience and establishing an emotional connection with the brands consumers.
They work with the brand to develop a plan for the future, they often will be forward-thinking to anticipate future trends and success of a product or service.
Brand strategists develop positioning and mission recommendations, guiding market research analysis and defining brand elements and tone. A Brand Strategist will be looking to find ways to further enhance the branding of a product or service, as well as develop a marketing plan through analysis of current market data and trends.
The best online courses we have taken and recommend to learn brand strategy are the Brand Master Academy and Fabian Geyrhalter who we interviewed has a great online course called eRESONAID both fantastic courses you only pay for once and have lifetime access to and learn at your own pace.
Places to learn creative skills
Now that you know that there are various creative careers to explore with a graphic design degree, it is also important to know where you can acquire those skills. After all, with every passing day, the graphic designing world is also witnessing immense change.
Now, there are various sophisticated tools and platforms graphic designers are expected to know. And one cannot master them without proper training.
For those of you who wish to unleash your creativity and learn the right skills, here are some learning opportunities you can try:
Universities
According to a study conducted by the University of Arizona, 57 percent of students preferred face-to-face lectures, equipped with the right tools compared to 38 percent of students who preferred online lectures.
Enrolling at a traditional college or university with a graphic design degree program will allow you to dive deep into the world of designing. It also offers plenty of room for collaboration with your peers. A traditional college education offers an abundance of resources, excellent instructors, and a thorough syllabus that is bound to hone your skills.
Online Universities
The Distance Education Enrollment Report of 2017 revealed that over 6 million Americans are pursuing their degrees through online education.
In case you don’t have the time to enroll in a traditional university degree program, due to your current workload or personal responsibilities, you can seek an online graphic design degree instead. An online degree program will allow you to learn remotely and for a much lesser cost.
While a traditional college experience may have more in-person opportunities, an online program allows you to align your workload to your schedule, thereby being much more convenient.
Moreover, it also features a low student-to-teacher ratio, ensuring better interaction. In fact, 97 percent of online institutes maintain a ratio of 25:1.
Online Courses
There are various online platforms that offer courses, of varying length, regarding art and design. Some popular platforms include Skillshare, Udemy, and edX.
Generally, these courses are best suited for those who already have a formal education in graphic design. These courses help in further specializing in different aspects of designing, thereby ensuring that you land a job in the field you want.
So, once you have opted for a degree in graphic designing, you can then polish your skills by choosing the right online courses, as per your interest.
Workshops
Depending on where you reside, research the different graphic design workshops happening near you and enroll in ones you feel are best aligned with your goals. You can consider workshops to be an amalgamation of the university and online courses.
Generally, workshops tend to have a shorter duration and offer to teach the basics to individuals.
Those of you who wish to get a formal education in the field later on, can choose to learn the fundamentals of the sector through such workshops and then polish your skills through online courses.
Ending Remarks
We hope this article about Graphic Design Education Unlocks 5 Creative Careers for You has been helpful, all in all, one thing is for certain – a graphic design degree can help open various lucrative doors for aspiring designers. Gone are the days when a promising field like graphic designing was seen as one-dimensional. Now, there are a plethora of career choices you can make.
Decide which career is right for you by analyzing the skill sets required for each career path. Align these skill sets with your strengths and weaknesses. Choose a career that you are most passionate about.
Once you select your career path, make sure to use all the resources around you to learn graphic designing. Remember, in today’s world, learning never stops.
As the world changes and new tools keep coming in, keep yourself updated through continuous learning.
Good luck!
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