Graphic designer
 A graphic designer working digitally on a logo design | |
| Occupation | |
|---|---|
| Names | Graphic designer |
Occupation type | Profession |
Activity sectors | Advertising, book design, branding, illustration, page layout, typography, webcomic, web design, programming, digital animation, 3D modeling |
| Description | |
| Competencies | Technical knowledge, cultural relevance |
Related jobs | Production artist, graphic artist, website designer, desktop publishing |
A graphic designer is a practitioner who follows the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming linguistic messages into graphic manifestations, whether tangible or intangible.[1][2] They are responsible for planning, designing, projecting, and conveying messages or ideas through visual communication.[3] Graphic design is one of the most in-demand professions with significant job opportunities, as it allows leveraging technological advancements and working online from anywhere in the world.[4]
Education
[edit]Referring back to the history of graphic design development, it is evident that the design field was always a skill demanding profession due to variability of printing responsibilities.[1] Unlike pre digital era, where design craft was rather an exclusive practice, the current situation in the field is more accessible and welcoming for everyone.[4] The easy access attracts many individuals to join the field. The concept of graphic designer is fluid: technically, anyone who knows how to use design software and manipulate the provided templates can be called a ‘graphic designer’.[5] This profession is unique in the sense that unlike traditional jobs, one can still work as a designer as a freelancer without an official certification.
However, The design industry is currently occupied by an increasing number of ‘self-taught’ and ‘informally trained’ graphic designers who don't have any formal design education. [6]
Career
[edit]Origins
[edit]The Industrial Revolution in England had drawn a distinctive line between fine art and commercial art, and this split formed graphic design as a modern design profession. [7] During the first and second world wars, graphic designers were needed to unite, persuade and inform citizens with the help of printed media.[8] The post war era shifted designers’ focus to the advertising and consumerism promotion.[9]The profession of graphic design emerged from the printing and publishing industry, and the term has been widely used since the 1950s.[10]
Profession
[edit]Generally, a graphic designer works in areas such as branding, corporate identity, advertising, technical and artistic drawing, multimedia, etc. It is a profession that exposes individuals to various academic fields during their university career,[5][6][11] because they need to understand human anatomy, psychology, photography, painting and printing techniques, mathematics, marketing, digital animation, 3D modeling, and some professionals even complement their skills with programming,[12] providing a comprehensive view of a company by addressing the three essential factors evaluated: structure, team, and product.[13] Graphic designers are usually expected to have process management, conceptual design, technical design and software skills to apply for a graphic designer position. [14]
Graphic design encompasses various extends of expertise, which is categorised by such levels of qualifications:
- Junior (entry Level)
- Mid-level
- Senior (advanced)
Role and Responsibilities
[edit]Professional requirements for graphic designers vary from one place to another. Their role and responsibilities evolve and morph each year, adapting to the current technologies and market demands. A practitioner essentially has two primary roles in the process: satisfying the design brief and executing the job.[15]
Designers should undergo specialized training, including advanced education and practical experience (internship) to develop skills and expertise in the workplace, which is necessary to obtain a credential that allows them to practice the profession.[16][17] Practical, technical, and academic requirements to become a graphic designer vary by country or jurisdiction, although the formal study of design in academic institutions has played a crucial role in the overall development of the profession.[18][19][20] Graphic designers can work with singular clients or multiple people including collaborations. This is where communication is crucial because misunderstandings can lead to setbacks. [21]
The primary responsibility of graphic designers is to manipulate visual and textual content.[22] Today, graphic designers are much more than visual decorators-they are required to be versatile and have various skills besides the design realm.
Graphic design is tightly connected with stakeholders and commerce, which means that graphic designers' decisions depend on clients’ vision.
A graphic designer is a versatile instrument that is capable of visually communicating messages through a skilful usage of typography, imagery, compositional layout, visual hierarchy, colour combinations, and more.
Goals
[edit]The main goal of graphic designers is to effectively communicate messages relying on text and images.[23] Additionally, designers aim to create aesthetically appealing products and invent creative approaches to the design process.[24]
Depending on an employment type, besides primary goals, there are secondary goals such as:
- Creative thinking
- Project planning and management
- Problem solving
Creativity
[edit]One of the most important aspects of graphic designers is creative thinking. That is one of the most prominent expectations put into designer’s as designing is a creative process. Creativity allows graphic designers to stand out from others and when actively using it. Practitioners aim to experiment and find unconventional methods to create more unique, effective and prominent products.
Salary
[edit] | The examples and perspective in this article deal primarily with the United States and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (December 2024) |
According the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for graphic designers is $58,900 as of May 2023. The bottom 10% earned less than $36,420 while the top 10% earned more than $100,450.[25]
Qualifications
[edit] | The examples and perspective in this section deal primarily with North America and do not represent a worldwide view of the subject. (December 2018) |
Designers should be able to solve visual communication problems or challenges. In doing so, the designer must identify the communications issue, gather and analyze information related to the issue, and generate potential approaches aimed at solving the problem. Iterative prototyping and user testing can be used to determine the success or failure of a visual solution.[buzzword] Approaches to a communications problem are developed in the context of an audience and a media channel. Graphic designers must understand the social and cultural norms of that audience in order to develop visual solutions[buzzword] that are perceived as relevant, understandable and effective.[26] Directly speaking with individuals from set audiences can prevent any complications. [27]
Graphic designers should also have a thorough understanding of production and rendering methods. Some of the technologies and methods of production are drawing, offset printing, photography, and time-based and interactive media (film, video, computer multimedia). Frequently, designers are also called upon to manage color in different media.[26] For instance, graphic designers use different colors for digital and print advertisements. RGB — standing for red, green, blue — is an additive color model used for digital media designs. However, the CMYK color model is made up of subtractive colors — cyan, magenta, yellow, and black — and used in designing print media. The reason for the different models is that when designing print ads, colors look different on the screen and when printed onto paper. For example, the colors appear darker on paper than on screen.[28]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]
- ^ a b Flavin, Brianna (17 October 2023). "What Is Graphic Design? A Beginner's Guide to This Creative Career". Rasmussen University.
- ^ Jessica Helfand. "What is graphic design". AIGA. Retrieved 29 June 2009.
it is the art of visualizing ideas
- ^ Simmons, Liz; Beagle, Veronica (3 July 2023). "How To Become A Graphic Designer: A Step-By-Step Guide". Forbes.
- ^ a b Malinsky, Gili (15 March 2023). "This skill is in 'giant' demand—and can pay up to $145 an hour as a side hustle". CNBC.
- ^ a b Vise, Kristen. "An Interdisciplinary Approach to Graphic Design". College of Liberal Arts. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 13 October 2021.
- ^ a b Castro Arbeláez, María Alejandra (14 September 2023). "Graphic design and psychology: how are they related?". La Mente es Maravillosa.
- ^ Wong, Shaw-Chiang; Idris, Muhammad Zaffwan; Tan, Wee-Chuen (14 November 2020). "The Perceived Level of Importance of Competency Constructs for Future Graphic Design Graduates in Malaysia". International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences. 10 (11). doi:10.6007/ijarbss/v10-i11/7952. ISSN 2222-6990.
- ^ Nirbrant, Marcus; Hvannberg, Ebba Thora; Lindquist, Siniia (19 October 2011). "A theory of skills of software, interaction and graphics designers". Procedings of the Second Conference on Creativity and Innovation in Design. New York, NY, USA: ACM: 177–188. doi:10.1145/2079216.2079242.
- ^ Nirbrant, Marcus; Hvannberg, Ebba Thora; Lindquist, Siniia (19 October 2011). "A theory of skills of software, interaction and graphics designers". Procedings of the Second Conference on Creativity and Innovation in Design. New York, NY, USA: ACM: 177–188. doi:10.1145/2079216.2079242.
- ^ Ambrose, Gavin; Harris, Paul; Ball, Nigel (2020). "The Fundamentals of Graphic Design". doi:10.5040/9781474270304.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "The importance of geometry in graphic design". Universidad Intercontinental. 28 November 2017.
- ^ "What is the importance of web design for your audience?". Smart Insights. 3 January 2020.
- ^ "Business Model Canvas: Explained with Examples | Creately". creately.com. 20 June 2022. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
- ^ Dziobczenski, Paulo Roberto Nicoletti; Person, Oscar (25 June 2016). "What is sought from graphic designers? A first thematic analysis of job offers for graphic design positions in the United Kingdom". Proceedings of DRS. 2. Design Research Society. doi:10.21606/drs.2016.404.
- ^ Ambrose, Gavin; Harris, Paul; Ball, Nigel (2020). "The Fundamentals of Graphic Design". doi:10.5040/9781474270304.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Grey, Sheryl; Beagle, Veronica (3 July 2023). "Graphic Design Careers: A Complete Guide". Forbes.
- ^ Tompkins, Jeff; Beagle, Veronica (3 July 2023). "Bachelor's Degrees In Graphic Design: Everything You Need To Know". Forbes.
- ^ Quintela, Pedro. "From the shadow to the centre: Tensions, contradictions and ambitions in building graphic design as a profession" (PDF). University of Coimbra. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 August 2022. Retrieved 7 August 2022.
- ^ Khaled Nabil, Al-Momani (25 August 2020). "Characteristics of Design as an Academic and Creative Discipline". Kne Social Sciences. Ural Federal University: 294–298. doi:10.18502/kss.v4i11.7560. S2CID 221710217.
- ^ Bravo, Rafael Ángel (4 March 2016). "Vigencia de la Bauhaus en la formación académica de los diseñadores gráficos" [Currency of the Bauhaus in the academic training of graphic designers] (in Spanish). Francisco José de Caldas District University. Archived from the original on 12 March 2022.
- ^ Cornish, K., Goodman-Deane, J., Ruggeri, K., & Clarkson, P. J. (2015). Visual accessibility in graphic design: A client–designer communication failure. Design Studies, 40, 176–195. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.destud.2015.07.003
- ^ Noble, Ian; Bestley, Russell (2016). "Visual Research". doi:10.5040/9781474232920.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Ambrose, Gavin; Harris, Paul; Ball, Nigel (2020). "The Fundamentals of Graphic Design". doi:10.5040/9781474270304.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Ambrose, Gavin; Harris, Paul; Ball, Nigel (2020). "The Fundamentals of Graphic Design". doi:10.5040/9781474270304.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ "Graphic Designers". Bureau of Labor Statistics. Retrieved 30 August 2024.
- ^ a b "NASAD Competencies Summary".
- ^ McMullen, M. (2016). Intercultural Design Competence: A Guide for Graphic Designers Working Across Cultural Boundaries. The International Journal of Visual Design, 10(3), 19–30. https://doi.org/10.18848/2325-1581/CGP/v10i03/19-30
- ^ Dabner, David (2009). The new graphic design school : A foundation course in principles and practice (4th ed.). Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. ISBN 9780470466513.
