Can you differentiate between various shades of red? Can you experiment with logos and illustrations? Do you start noticing hoardings, designs and logos? If yes, then graphic designing is for you. Graphic designing is a process where a graphic designer creates visual content by applying various tools and methods in order to communicate the message to the public. It has become very popular in today’s time. Graphic designs are required everywhere such as logos, websites, application interfaces, banners, flyers, posters etc. There are a lot of individuals who are aspiring to become graphic designers. An individual needs to combine drawing, technology, innovation and creativity to pursue a career in graphic designing. A career in visual design would be thrilling,
exciting and rewarding. However, it is an area that requires a lot of perfection and expertise. Due to overwhelming content on the internet, we are always confused about a career as graphic designing. Here, we are going to discuss how we can pursue a career in graphic design.
1. Understand Graphic Designing
Graphic designing is not only about drawing, painting and making sketches on your screen. It is much more than that. Your first step in graphic designing would be to research the graphic designing field, the roles offered, and what kind of designer you want to be. There are various types of graphic designers such as UI/UX, logo, animation etc. In addition, you also have to research about tools required, time consumed and cost estimation in learning graphic designing. There are various hardware tools required such as pen and paper, desktop, graphic tablet, camera, scanner etc and essential software such as Adobe Indesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Coro PaintShop, CorelDraw, vector etc. The need for these tangible and intangible tools may vary from individual to individual.
2. Learn Graphic Designing
The next and most crucial step is learning graphic designing. It is recommended to acquire a formal study in graphic designing. There are many premium institutes in India that offer long term courses in graphic designing such as the National Institute of Design, Pearl Academy, National Institute of Fashion Technology and School of Design. However, there are many other ways to learn graphic designing such as short-term online and offline courses, youtube, books, blogs, and from friend or relative who is a graphic designer. With time, effort and devotion, it is very possible to teach yourself to become a graphic designer. It is completely your choice how much you want to learn, how much you want to spend time and how much you want to invest.
3. Practise & Work On Your Technical Skills
It is usually said that practice makes a man perfect. It is applied in this field as well. Graphic designing is not a one day or two days learning process. It is a long term learning process that involves plenty of practice in order to achieve expertise. There are many Softwares and Hardware involved in graphic designing that requires time and
practise to get used to it. Initially, you have to put your effort into your basic principles. Some of the basic principles of graphic designing are Balance, Alignment, Hierarchy, Contrast, Rhythm, Proximity, Typography, Color and space, Consistency, Movement, Repetition and pattern. Along with this, graphic designers should also be familiar with Javascript, Python, CSS and HTML because these are mostly used in web designing.
4. Get Internships
No matter how much you practice you originally need a piece of expert advice and feedback that will benefit you throughout your career. The best way is to find an internship in a good design studio or at an in-house department under a graphic designer. There are many popular websites that offer internships such as LinkedIn, Internshala, Glassdoor Google and Letsintern. This will help you to gain experience, confidence and to get an understanding of client acquisitions and how the market works. You can also convert this internship into a full time job opportunity displaying your commitment and hard work.
5. Build a Portfolio
Building a portfolio of graphic designs is one of the most significant steps. An excellent portfolio can be your ticket to a successful career in graphic designing. This is the biggest asset of a graphic designer. Basically, it is a virtual representation or collection of your past work, samples and accomplishments. Clients and organizations will shortlist and select you on the basis of your portfolio. Make sure it is engaging and well organized. Following are some of the points which you should keep in your mind while building a portfolio:
1) Include a wide variety of skilful and good samples.
2) Skip doubtful work
3) Should be well organized and easy to navigate.
4) Keep updated
6. Find Work
Now, after establishing a portfolio you are absolutely ready to work. It is absolutely up to you whether you want to be a freelancer, part-time graphic designer, full-time graphic designer and start your own startup related to graphic designing. Also, you can teach graphic designing through online courses, youtube and blogs. Make sure you choose according to your convenience, skills and interest. Following are some of the popular fields in graphic designing. Each field is different and requires specializations. Make sure before beginning you should research and negotiate well with your clients according to the work discussed.
- Web Designer
- Creative Director
- Photo Editor
- Architecture & Engineering Drafter
- Video & Film Editor
- Graphic Designer
- Product Designer
- Multimedia Artist
- Flash Designer
- Animation/Animator
- Art Director
Indeed, graphic designing is one of the most demanding careers. Initially, the average salary of the graphic designer can be expected around 4 lacs per annum. But, with experience and skills, you can see a growth in income. Also, there is massive scope in Graphic designing as a career and you should choose if you agree with the above things. My suggestion to you is if you are Creative, know how to use Facebook and Instagram & Canva then you can learn social media marketing and keep your main career as a Graphic designer. So this way you can proceed with both things, Proving Social Media Marketing/Management Services & Side by Side Continue with Graphic design as your primary career.
