The career of a graphic designer is creatively stimulating. And the opportunities are endless.
The word ‘Design’ evokes a pleasant sensation. It is linked with art and aesthetics, the very attributes that separate human being from other living creatures. This is not to say that animals are totally bereft of aesthetic tendencies. There is beauty in the way birds weave their nests or a tiger races elegantly to catch its prey or in the magnificent way peacocks dance, flaunting their display of myriad colours. However for animals, beauty and symmetry are an instinctive and intuitive aspect of their existence. As the highest creation of nature, human beings alone are blessed with nature to create and add beauty and design to every aspect of their life in a planned and intentioned manner, taking art and aesthetics to a different level altogether.
Art and aesthetics have always been a part of human existence since the earliest times. From the ancient times men added visual pleasure to articles and objects of use by having them designed in specific ways. Colour, shape and symmetry have always been an expression of man’s creative urges. However, it is said that modern design started from the German art school “Bauhaus” which was established in 1919. Soon, the art of industrial designing as well as graphics designing developed and spread across Europe before becoming popular in the United States of America.
Design industry witnessed a regular annual growth between 23% and 25%t in recent years and the sector needs more than 62,000 designers while the number of qualified designers are only 7000. As a result, India’s design sector has expanded its opportunities and scope.
Today, a career in design offers endless possibilities where you get to translate your passion into a profession. Let’s take a look at the various exciting career options available for a professional designer:-
- 1.Textile Designer
- 2.Digital Designer
- 3.Product Designer
- 4.Graphic Designer
- 5.Art Director
- 6.UI Designer
- 7.UX Designer
- 8.Design Managers
- 9.Interior Designer
- 10.Fashion Merchandiser
In this blog we are going to look into the tremendous scope and possibilities in the career of a graphic designer.
Who is a Graphic Designer?
A graphic designer is a professional who creates visual concepts, using digital tools (or traditionally by hand), to express ideas in art from that inspire, inform, please or captivate people, primarily consumers.
The visual expressions could be related to print, website designing, advertising, games, magazines, or creation of brand identity.
A graphic artist illustrates concepts through balance and symmetry. His job is to understand a client’s needs designing needs to enable him to visualize and create graphics, including illustrations, layouts, photos and logos on magazines, websites, books, product packages and exhibitions. The designs that graphic designers create should catch the attention of viewers and convey the desired message. Thus graphic designers should have strong designing skills and a natural orientation towards balance and symmetry.
New Fields of UX and UI Designing
A graphic designer’s work encompasses that of a UX designer or a UI designer. A UX designer focuses on end users’ satisfying experience enhancing user interaction. In order to deliver the best end user experience, a UX designer has to undertake systematic research, conduct tests and work in a team.
UX designers are in high demand in the tech sector especially in web and mobile applications. They also have a high demand in hardware companies to deliver the perfect user friendly phone, tablet, laptop or any operating system based device.
UI designers on the other hand design the interfaces that users interact with in apps, websites, or phones. They create the visual elements of digital interfaces and their interactive functions such as menus, images and buttons. How smoothly a user navigates through a device’s touch points is something which a UI designer determines. Therefore, UI designers also have a huge demand in the tech sector particularly in sales platforms, customer relationship management tools, cloud-based software and AI services.
However while UX and UI designers works in specialized areas, the scope of a Graphic Engineer’s job is broader with wider application and relevance.
Benefits of graphic design
Freedom to express your imagination and creativity
The biggest benefit of being a graphic designer is that you have the liberty to express your imagination and creativity to the fullest. Whatever you imagine and visualize can be put in the form of display for others to appreciate, admire and even criticize. For graphic designers, every day is a day of intense creativity as they explore new ideas and visual concepts to deliver eye-catching designs that add pleasure and a distinctive mark to the client’s products. In short, creativity is the central aspect of a designer’s work.
Learning new techniques and skills
Being in the design industry there are plenty of new skills and techniques that you can learn. Different projects require different approaches and this gives you an opportunity to explore new methods and learn something new every day. Add to that the fact that the sense of beauty, balance and proportion has multiple perspectives and therefore relative to the different environments and cultures in which graphic designers work in. This further adds to the enriching work experience of designers as a whole and graphic designers specifically.
Opportunity to work in multiple settings and meet new designers
Graphic designers find work in a wide variety of sectors. This means there are several opportunities to choose from before choosing particular sector that interests you. Industries that need graphic designers include sports, media and entertainment, marketing, the manufacturing sector and the IT sector. A graphic designer can also switch between different sectors during his career, adding more variety to his/her professional life. Additionally, graphic designers also have the option of working as independent professionals as freelancers, gaining the freedom to pick their own clients. This option to work according to your own schedule and preference serves as a major benefit to many graphic designers.
Graphic designers also get the opportunity to meet fellow designers and exchange ideas to keep themselves updated. This could prove beneficial for you in the long run.
Stable work hours
Most graphic designers work steady hours. They have the advantage of consistent working schedules. This standard working hours between 9 a.m and 5 p.m., from Monday to Friday is generally the norm for graphic designers. While these hours can vary from one company to the other, these are the most common working hours. A freelance graphic designer of course can work according to hid won schedule and work load. Sometimes, clients’ requirements can increase the workload but normally graphic designers do not need to work overtime
Scope for Remote Working
In this digital age, all graphic designers use computer tools for their designing work. This enhances the possibility to work in remote, online mode even if they are fixed employees of a company and not freelancing. Graphic designers can do their work at home, interact with clients through online meeting platforms and transfer their finished work digitally.
Sense of Fulfillment
The greatest pleasure that creative professionals derive from is the sense of accomplishment after looking at a work which they have thoroughly completed. A film director gets this sense of fulfillment after watching the completed movie, an artist from his completed work and a musician from the melody he has successfully created. Similarly a graphic designer, on completing his project, gets a deep feeling of satisfaction and contentment. Quite often, graphic designers are able to see their finished work on display, whether through a completed website or some product packaging. There are few professions where one gets the chance of witnessing his/her finished work. Graphic designing is one of them.
Good income and benefits
A good graphic designer can make a lucrative income working for a big organization or even as a freelancer. In India, graphic designers can expect a beginner’s salary of Rs 4 to 6 lakhs per annum plus good benefits packages including paid holidays and health insurance. Graphic designers working on a fixed job enjoy the benefit of a stable income irrespective of your workload. Freelancers can choose their own workloads and schedules and earn lucratively. But a graphic designer must gather sufficient work experience, expertise-level and contacts before they can think of venturing out as a freelancer.
Scope to enhance social skills
While working for a company good social skill is a must so that you don’t have a difficult time mingling with fellow workers and clients. As the time approaches you will learn to socialize and feel confident inside. Since graphic designers have to interact with a wide variety of clients from diverse professional backgrounds. These interactions enrich the overall work experience of a graphic designer adding to his social and networking capabilities.
Opportunity to work with reputable companies
A graphic designer has various opportunities to work with prestigious companies, having said that you can enhance your portfolio and make it stronger. Clients too prefer working with designers who have strong and creative portfolios. The opportunity to work with small, medium and large multinational companies adds to the depth of a graphic designer’s work experience.
Scope to work as an independent professional
When you are freelancing you are never short of work. By building a good network with people you can land yourself lots of projects from clients.
Just focus on designing
When you are working for a design firm all you have to do is focus on designing. There is no hassle for you to multitask in different areas as there are various people assigned to that particular task. The continuous practice of designing skills will enable you to come across new ideas and concepts which will help you design better. You will find yourself getting better and better with each passing day. This daily immersion in your designing activity turns you into a top grade designing professional enhancing your skills with each passing day.
Better access to resources
As a graphic designer, you have greater access to the latest industry-standard software which you may not have been able to afford. This will help you to work better and give better results. This will give you more development and scope for learning.
Privileges to attend seminars
There are times when you will have to represent your company on their behalf. Not all people get this kind of chance to attend such events. Exposure to national and international seminars and conferences do wonders to increase your knowledge of the latest trends and practices in the designing field and you get the opportunity to update yourself. These events also increase your contacts in the sector.
Secured Job
A competent graphic designer will never witness a dearth of jobs. The organization which he is working in will be glad to retain him as long as they like. Therefore job security is an assured condition for good graphic designers. Be it in an advertising agency or MNC the need for quality and highly skilled graphic designers is significant. In this present situation, the demand for graphic designers is always increasing so in a way graphic designers enjoy secured job commitment along with a good work-life balance.
Plethora of opportunities
There is no dearth of opportunities in the field of Graphic Designing just that one needs to be true to what they are learning. Along with that, they need to make a decision about why they are doing the course? Is it to make a career out of it or is it just for learning something new? It rests completely with the individual and is their decision.
If you are willing to become a professional graphic designer you can access employment in any industry as the need for quality graphic design is significant. In today’s time, graphic design has become an integral part of advertisements that create booming brand awareness.
Graphic Design Industry Statistics forecast that the global market size for graphic design will reach $83.8 billion by 2032, witnessing an annual growth rate of 5.2%. The sector is also growing rapidly in India, thanks to the increasing adoption of digital media, the growing popularity of online shopping and the growth of social media marketing. As more and more businesses recognize the indispensability of visual communication and employ professional graphic design services, the market is expected to grow further.
Top Institutes in India Offering Graphic Design Courses
Indian Institute of Art and Design (IIAD), Delhi
IIAD, Delhi has a collaboration with with Kingston School of Art (KSA), Kingston University, London. The institute offers futuristic degree courses in designing while enabling their students to connect with the global design community. Their BA (Honours) Communication Design course provides a comprehensive curriculum that covers various aspects of design including graphics, animation, publication and even UI and UX designing.
National Institute of Design (NID), Ahmedabad
NID, Ahmedabad is a premier Graphic Design college in India. The institute offers their BDes (Bachelor in Designing) in Graphic Design course which enables students to develop aesthetic sense besides achieving a command over the fundamentals of graphic designing.
National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Delhi
NIFT is a famous design and fashion institute in India that provides high-quality education, training its students to make meaningful contributions in the areas of design development, with specialization in
handlooms and handicrafts. NIFT’s BDes in Fashion Communication Design focuses on unique areas in design such as Space Design, Fashion Media, and Fashion Thinking, in addition to Graphic Designing.
Inspiria Knowledge Campus, Siliguri
For students of North Bengal and the entire eastern/north east region of the country, Inspiria Knowledge Campus in Siliguri offers the best under graduate degree course in graphic designing. Inspiria’s B.Sc in Multimedia, Animation and Graphic Design is broadly structured to include the co-related subject areas covering Animation and Multimedia as they are all integrated careers that allow creative individuals to discover their talent and art. It is a synthesis of all three, fluid, and at the same time can be specialized in any field. Multimedia, Animation, and Graphic Design Course at Inspiria unlocks prospects to new-age professions that focus on various computer graphics and the dynamics of the moving image.
This course familiarizes students with the fundamentals of Graphic Design, Animation & Multimedia and also introduces them to the world of 3D digital art and VFX. As a result, students gain exposure to the latest industry-relevant software applications in designing and multimedia. Students are also imparted the skills of content creation, planning, visual effects, editing, and other creative aspects of multimedia. By the time they complete their course, students are set for a successful career in the design and animation industry.
Conclusion
The career scope of a graphic designer, therefore, is unlimited. If you have an artistic bent of mind, love technology and would like to make a mark in the digital world, graphic designing is the profession for you. You will gain immense benefits, both material and aesthetic, from a graphic designer’s profession and you will always remain tuned with the latest in tech trends.
Frequently Asked Questions
The career prospects are bright for graphic designers. The sector is also growing rapidly in India, thanks to the increasing adoption of digital media, the growing popularity of online shopping and the growth of social media marketing. As more and more businesses recognize the indispensability of visual communication and employ professional graphic design services, the market is expected to grow further. The global market for the designing sector is expected to reach $83.8 billion by 2032.
A formal under graduate degree course in graphic design will require three to four years. Others may learn on the job or through online courses, which can take longer. In general, it takes a great degree of dedication, training and practice in addition to a university degree from a good college to develop the skills needed for a successful career in graphic design. A tech-savvy institute like Inspiria Knowledge Campus with its emphasis on digital operations in a paperless environment provides an added advantage to students pursuing a designing course as they get the opportunity of a practical hands-on training.
Technically speaking, graphic designers do not need to learn coding. However, programming knowledge can be an added advantage in some job roles. If graphic designers have knowledge of HTML or CSS, they can create and design web pages on their own or even develop interactive content.
Following are some of the key industries where graphic designers are in great demand:-
Manufacturing
Surprising though it may sound graphic designers have a role in the manufacturing sector too. A creative graphic designer lends the final appearance to each product by leveraging the desired color scheme and fonts design. This goes a long way in the product’s first impression on customers.
Publication (Print or Digital Publishing)
Graphic designers have always been a part of the publishing sector, before and after the digital age. With everything now going digital, their role has increased and diversified further in this sector. Today it is impossible to think of designing content for print or the internet platforms without the role of a graphic designer. As the demand for online reading material grows, the demand for graphic designers in the publishing sector will also grow.
Web Applications
As websites, the social media and become more and more popular as information resources, the requirement for graphic designers in this sector is ever growing. Whether it’s designing individual web pages or entire websites, graphic designers deliver the final appearance to online interfaces. With business operations, education and training and social interaction moving speedily towards digital spaces, and content creation grows bigger and bigger, graphic designers will always find themselves in demand.
Mobile Interface Designing
Interestingly, graphic designers, (specifically the UX and UI designer) are the ones who determine the end user experience of different apps and systems including the mobile phone interfaces. They create the visual elements of digital interfaces and their interactive functions such as menus, images and buttons. How smoothly a user navigates through a device’s touch points is something which a UI designer determines.
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