How to Become a Graphic Designer?
Graphic design is ubiquitous in our lives. Various advertising products, postcards, booklets, company logos, fashionable and recognizable prints on clothing – all this is the fruit of the work of representatives of this profession. In addition, many companies have their staff of designers, which allows them to react sensitively to changing market conditions and advertise services and goods as profitably and clearly as possible. That is why such a specialty is in demand in the labor market and is well paid.
What does it take to become a graphic designer?
To develop popular projects and receive a consistently high salary, work for a web designing company. It is necessary to have specific knowledge and skills in painting and design.
For successful work, every specialist should know:
- fundamentals of academic drawing and painting;
- a package of necessary graphic programs, including Photoshop, CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator;
- fundamentals of perspective and composition;
- techniques for working with color and shape;
- visual art strategies;
- various methods for presenting visual information and features of its perception.
- website development is what you will be doing after a while
How to become a graphic designer? Where to start?
In theory, you can learn all the necessary skills yourself, but it will take a lot of time. In addition, there is always a risk of getting outdated knowledge or mastering modern trends in an incomplete volume. It is also worth considering that employers are more willing to take specialists with work experience who have a portfolio than newcomers, from whom it is unclear what to expect.
If you do not have specialized education and the opportunity to spend five years studying at a university, the best way out is to attend technical courses. Specially developed programs will allow you to master the necessary skills in a short time and successfully apply them in practice.
How to understand the types of graphic design?
Do not worry if you have not decided on the direction in graphic design. The landscape of graphic design is changing rapidly; by the time you become an expert and master one or more competencies, everything can change.
Digital design is the main thing you need to know. The modern profession of a graphic designer is closely connected with the development of mobile applications and games. Moreover, the world is moving towards numbers. Therefore, you need to prepare and get the necessary knowledge as quickly as possible. According to research, the market for web design and development of web services will grow by 15-20% in the next ten years.
Do not limit yourself with knowledge from one of the fields; study print design together with digital. Of course, social networks attract millions of readers at the global level, but modern local publishing houses continue to print books and magazines.
Advantages
One of the main advantages of the graphic design profession is the opportunity to start working without spending 3-6 years on getting a diploma in the profile. Of course, knowledge in the visual arts and computer technologies will be needed, but you can develop in these areas yourself.
Also, as advantages of working as a graphic designer, there are:
- High demand, because the cool design is one of the ingredients for creating a successful business.
- A decent salary. The thicker the portfolio of successful cases, the larger the amount.
- Creation. Each poster, book, or application is a mood, character, and emotions that can be seen. In general, you can not do without inspiration.
- Your schedule. Not every profession can boast of a free program. Do you want to work at night somewhere near the ocean under the starry sky – here you are!
What are the career prospects for a graphic designer
Services, startups, innovative companies are growing and scaling at a cosmic speed. Therefore, new designers with a fresh look and approaches are needed regularly for permanent work and projects. Any web development company needs intelligent specialists.
The profession of a designer is associated with creativity, inspiration, unhurried creativity over revolutionary ideas. But, for example, in the IT market, a graphic designer is a full-fledged participant in daily “industrial” production. For example, in rapidly scalable IT companies, new visual solutions for different customer groups are needed every day.
What are the requirements for designers for employers?
Education, the status of educational institutions, and even experience for candidates for the designer position go by the wayside. There are many strong candidates on the market today, and higher education for them is just a rule of good form; most often, it is not specialized. The profile of higher education does not mean anything and does not matter for work. Employers try to hire those who are engaged in their business “for love”, best of all-when the hobby has turned into a job.
For a graphic designer, working in an office is more often relevant — he needs to communicate with the team constantly. But remote work is also possible. It all depends on the employer company. Students are often hired for project work.
What will help you master the profession of a designer
Learn new programs. A graphic designer should be able to work in the Figma editor, in the programs of the Adobe package;
Create social media profiles for Behance and Dribbble designers. Designers use them to create their portfolios and attract customers, and they also guide recruiters.
Constantly look for mentors. Attend professional meetups or events for designers, where you can get acquainted with professionals to whom you can turn for advice. Mentors can also be found at specialized online courses, social networks, or internships in large companies.
Show yourself. If you have chosen a company, try to manage your ideas for designing a product, website, catalogs for free. If your work is highly appreciated, they can start working with you on a piecework basis, and then they will be invited to the staff.
Look for internships. Many large companies offer the possibility of paid internships for novice specialists. This is an excellent opportunity to pump skills in practice and get a full-time job in the same company.
In our age of modern technologies and the Internet, specialists in this field are increasingly required. But, most importantly, remember that the work should please you.
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