Graphic design is a career option that incorporates tangible and virtual means of communication through images, words, or graphic forms. The industry allows for work on various scales, business cards or design of a designer tag to billboards, and layout of space. Design may range from two-dimensional material such as posters to three-dimensional packaging, or digital experience; however the profession is often seen as limitless in scope and possibility. The span of the market is very diverse, from commercial, educational, cultural, in addition to political.
The profession ranges in salary from 38K to 61K a year, and average about $21 an hour for freelance work. However a graduate will earn approximately 10K more per year than a graphic designer with just a high school education. It was projected in 2008 that employment in the graphic design profession would increase 19% by 2018.
Skills Gained from Graphic Design
While the scope of the profession and possibilities for creativity are limitless, the skills a student can develop from pursuing a degree in graphic design may be overlooked. You will be able to envision a website, blog, advertisements, and more and be able to transform these ideas into a tangible reality with just the use of a mouse and computer. Not to mention an ability to develop a resume that stands out above all others. As a graphic designer, your resume is vital to your interview process, it is not just your responses to interview questions or your experiences, if as a graphic design candidate, your resume stands out, so too will you!
With more exposure to the history of graphic design, as well as art, you will begin to develop an understanding of color theory. However in a college setting you will be able to take another step and learn how colors impact the psychology of the human brain. Colors portray and evoke certain emotions in a viewer. The same goes for tension of lines and their perceived weight.
As you develop and hone your eye and skill, you will learn to manipulate your designs to be congruent with the overall desired concept, with the secure conscience of understanding how the elements and principles of your design contribute to the desired message. A graphic design degree from Platt College incorporates multimedia design into the training, which can be very beneficial in today’s constantly evolving tech world.
Benefits of Seeking a Graphic Design Degree
While the investment of a bachelors degree may be daunting, the outcome benefits of seeking the degree, some mentioned above, may be more than enough to encourage additional research into programs. For one, gaining a degree demonstrates to an employer that you are serious enough to invest in yourself, and therefore they are more likely to do the same. In addition, completion of a college degree validates you as the candidate; you have the qualities of time-commitment, responsibility and ability to take instruction, not to mention those interpersonal skills.
In a classroom setting you will undoubtedly be exposed a multitude of alternative perspectives, styles, and genres. Arguably, one of the most valuable lessons is that of the peer critiques. You will be exposed to an abundant amount of material and be able to look at a design, clearly understand what is working in favor, and what needs more attention. In a work environment this is essential. In addition you will further develop interpersonal skills to hear a client’s desired outcome and transform another’s idea into a personalized work of art.
In addition, marketability significantly increases for a candidate with a college degree. Employers were 81 times more likely to hire a candidate with a bachelor’s degree over a candidate with a high school education. Let’s face it, the economy in the United States right now is not at an all time high, securing yourself any additional means of higher pay, ability to obtain a position, and eventually job security, is a strong argument in favor of pursuit of higher education.