Graphic Design Career Options

Have you ever noticed the images on web pages or the animated videos on some websites that you go to? How about the photographs of folks and objects on brochures and magazines, or the primary character in your favorite video game? All of these are created by graphic designers. Do you have a passion for drawing or working with pictures? If so, here are a few graphic design careers that could be a wonderful fit for you.

Illustrator

Illustrators make illustrations to convey a message or idea by means of two-dimensional or 3D images. Their function can be discovered on something from books and magazines to brochures and greeting cards. Illustrators also generate drawings for the packaging that comes with most items. Training for this career generally entails a degree in art or style, and several individuals acquire a degree in graphic design on the internet. Illustrators are hired by software program publishers, magazines and a lot of other kinds of organizations. Many also work for themselves as freelancers.

Internet Designer

Show the globe what you can do as you create pages and graphics that are viewed by thousands of men and women on a every day basis. Internet designers play a important role in the development of internet sites by creating layouts, graphics and other visual elements of the internet pages. People that are interested in this career can get training at schools that provide graphic style and computer technology courses, and companies that specialize in digital media are usually seeking for qualified candidates.

Creative/Art Director

Creative directors oversee teams that create images and artwork that is to be displayed on media such as billboards, magazines, and televisions. They make positive that workers total tasks to the client’s satisfaction and make the final decisions on visual elements for all sorts of projects. Most creative directors have a degree in design along with some management experience and training. Advertising agencies and advertising firms frequently hire creative directors, and newspapers also keep them on staff.

Photo Editor

Most photographs utilised in digital media are edited by a photo editor. This position utilizes software such as the common Adobe Photoshop to manipulate, crop, and boost the good quality of raw pictures. Training courses and tutorials for software that is employed in photo editing are widespread for those looking to get into the field. Many photo editors are hired at magazine publishers and media firms that use pictures in publications.

Multimedia DesignerMultimedia designers produce drawings, plans and scale models for sets and props utilized in stage productions, tv and movies. Designers also make costumes and create surroundings based on the interpretation of the story or message getting conveyed in the production. Multimedia designers normally hold a degree in graphic style or visual communications, and jobs can be located at film studios, tv stations and organizations that create live performances.

Effectively Outsource Your Graphic Design

All internet marketers and webmasters know how valuable effective graphic design can be. If you want to get premium graphics created, you must do it in two different ways. Either you assign it to somebody in your company or you outsource it to a qualified professional. In this article, we will suggest a few things that you should not forget if you plan to hire an outside professional to handle your graphic design.

Give the Correct Descriptions: You can give information to your graphic designer in two basic formats, which are broad and specific. Let us examine the broad term first. Basically, you would give your graphics designer a very broad or vague description of things if you want her to handle the project by herself. Also, you can use this strategy whenever you have not quite figured out the details for your project. This can usually occur whenever you outsource the company logo. So, a broad description can be utilized for when you are doing things like getting a company logo done or new ebook done.

When dealing with a specific description, you have all of the design elements floating around in your head. However, when you outsource your graphic design work, you have to be certain that people can tell what your specific descriptions are. For example, you may have a particular way that you want the mascot designed for your company. The details that you give must be sophisticated. This is so that your graphic designer will not feel that it is too hard. Inspect the Price: One of the most crucial factors that you have to think about is what the cost will be to outsource your design needs. Can you afford the cost of the graphic designer? If not, then try to get it changed. There is not anything bad about having to negotiate a cost. A majority of graphic designers will not find anything wrong with doing things in this manner. Your main purpose is to get the best cost available. This is because putting down too much money will increase your expenses. Remember that the cost does not always mean that service will be top of the line. Because numerous designers are from countries like India and the Philippines, the price that you are quoted is as a result of what they can make locally. So keep this in mind when you research your graphic designer’s cost. Inexpensive does not always mean a good product. Many times you will have to cough up a little bit more money to get quality work. So every situation has two ways of looking at it. You must find a medium between the price that you pay and the quality that you get. Realize that you will many times get the quality that you have paid for. So do the right thing.

Utilize Example Graphics: A lot of times we discover wonderful graphics that get us to do something just like it. If you can locate examples like these that you graphic designer can use, then this is an added bonus. This will accomplish two things. First, it lets you get a professional design created that you really like. Secondly, your graphic design will be unique even though it was done based upon another design. So it is truly something that can help you get more accomplished.

How to Outsource Your Graphic Design the Correct Way

If you want to capture the attention of your targeted market, then acquiring quality graphic designs for your website should be your main focus. This article will address some ways in which you can outsource your graphic design work and receive premium results without having to pay a fortune. I have found this article has helped people change the way they think about projects for example Lifetime Video Profits.

Be Clear About Copyrights: You have to be aware of copyright matters when you hire anyone for graphic design tasks. If this isn’t properly understood ahead of time, it can make matters very complicated in the future. It’s essential that, when you pay to have graphics created for you, that the copyright for this work is transferred to you. If you choose to go with a freelance marketplace such as Elance.com, you’ll find that they have a pre-existing contract in place that takes care of this. In cases where you’re simply hiring an individual or service without using such a site, you have to make sure that they agree to your terms. Remember that people in different countries may not have the same understanding of copyright issues, which is why you can’t assume that they see it the same way you do. It is amazing at how easily things could be improved when examining Income Instruments.

Sizes and Dimensions of Files: Before you go ahead and outsource the graphic design work, determine if your graphics are going to be used on your website or not. Based on which you may wish to restrict the file size. If the graphic design is going to be used universally, then it’s okay not to restrict it. Make sure that you have the proper proportions when it comes to your graphic dimensions. How may pixels should your graphics have? Analyze these calculations in advance so that you can give your designer the proper ones. These pointers can help you broaden your understanding on subjects for example Wealthy Affiliate.

Obtain Revisions: It might be a while before your final design is finished. But understand if you are not happy with the design, you can ask for a revision. Do not settle for designs that do not meet your requirements. A majority of graphic designers will allow numerous revisions until you get the product that you want. This is the way that graphic designers produce strong client relationships that last for years. And you as a client have a right to get what you pay for. So do not hesitate to let your designer know how you feel. By following the above strategies, you’ll be able to get the best results from outsourcing your graphic design needs, which can really make your site more attractive to customers.

Questions You Should Ask Your Graphic Design Agency

So you are interested in contracting a graphic design agency to do some work for you. The difficulty often comes when you get down to the nitty gritty details of contract discussion and the all important question: can you trust these folks with the branding of your company, organization, product, or service?

With that in mind, we’ve compiled a few questions which you can put to potential agencies to help you find the right graphic design company for your business.

1) Who are you guys anyway?

Simple but powerful. Any graphic design company worth their salt will be really excited to give you all sorts of interesting information about who they are and who they have worked for. It’s their moment to brag, just a little, about the great things they have done for other organizations and how that might apply to your requirements.

2) Have you done this kind of thing before?

A fairly innocuous question, but one which will probably show up any glaring omissions in a graphic design company portfolio. Be aware that omission of a particular discipline shouldn’t necessarily mean negative points, but it might provide the reason to choose another graphic design company, just as specialisation in your particular required area may suddenly make them a favourite.

3) How long will it take?

Don’t be afraid to talk about practicalities. If your designer can not provide a rough estimate then request that they follow up with the information at a later time. Don’t be coy though – many graphic design companies will be working for more than one client at a time, so if you need things done quickly then let them know!

4) How much do you cost, and what are the terms of payment?

Again, there is no reason to avoid practicalities. If this is the first meeting then don’t expect exact figures but you might be surprised how close early estimates often come to the final figure. Use this to root out graphic design companies which are too expensive for you before you waste too much time on them.

Hourly pay or quotes for entire projects are fine, but be sure you understand the benefits and limitations that each choice imposes. If using hourly billing, check that the graphic design company can deliver results inside your maximum budget.

5) How much involvement will I have?

This is often largely based upon cost and billing structure; if you are working on hourly billing then your designer will be keen to talk with you as much as you like, but projects moving forward from a single quote will be subject to more stringent time management for obvious reasons.

By asking these simple questions, you should be well on the way to finding a graphic designer that can provide exactly the kind of service that you require.

Lufthansa + Graphic Design

The beginning of the 1960s saw one of the most important steps in the development of corporate communication. Lufthansa employed the designer Otl Aicher and his Gruppe E5 student group to develop a visual identity for for the airline. It was substantially realized in 1963 and up until the present day counts as one of the most groundbreaking corporate design solutions of the 20th century. With a focus on the famous brand identity, the design and advertising history of Deutsche Lufthansa from the 1920s to today is comprehensively documented here for the first time. This volume contains numerous illustrations from the corporate archive and background articles and interviews.

Details:
14.8 × 21 cm, 5 ¾ × 8 ¼ in, 128 pages, approx. 300 illustrations, paperback

Worst Mistakes Graphic Designers shouldn’t be Making!!

The most common way for a graphic designer to learn is through trial and error. Especially for young and aspiring graphic designers, who keep on committing mistakes because of lack of experience. You must have heard of the old adage “To err is human”. So the next time you make a mistake, don’t fret over it…instead learn from your blunders. Having learnt from my mistakes, which I encountered in my career, I wish to educate my fellow designers about some of the errors, which they should avoid in any case. Following are 10 of the most common mistakes that most graphic designers commit in their graphic design careers:

1. Working without a Design Brief:

In any graphic design project, the details are necessary to guide a designer through the entire process. Some graphic designers have a bad habit of being overly confident and start the project without acquiring a detailed design brief. A design brief helps you collect all the information about your clients’ design project. Without knowing your client’s requirements, you simply cannot work on a logo design project.

2. Ignoring the Target Audience: The purpose of graphic design is to visually aid companies in expressing their message to their target market. Hence, if the graphic designers ignore the target audience, they will never be able to create the right design. In order to create relevant designs, you must first analyze the intended customers for which it is aimed at. Overlooking the target will lead to a weak and aimless design.

3. Not maintaining a Contract:

In a graphic designer’s career, salary and payments issues are frequent. When you don’t maintain a contract with your clients, you are likely to be swindled of your hard earned money. I don’t wish to imply that every client has ill-intentions. But some clients have a habit of getting the work done and running away with it without paying the designer.

4. Avoiding Contact with the Client: Some graphic designers feel shy while some are completely ignorant when it comes to staying in touch with the client. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in your professional life is not communicating with your clients properly. By not staying in touch with clients during the project, you make them feel ignored and unwanted. You must take feedbacks from them to avoid any client criticisms in the end.

5. Procrastinating:

In any profession, deadlines are extremely crucial to meet. By completing your work on time, you exhibit your determination and sincerity to commitments. Some graphic designers tend to procrastinate on their projects. When they end up falling short of their deadline, they pass off a mediocre design as minimalism design trend. Procrastination will make your clients go away since they expect you to be efficient.

6. Not Staying up-to-date: In this cut-throat competition, it is essential for graphic designers to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in the field of graphic design. As technology upgrades every day, newer and better ways of graphic designing are evolving. Those who fail to catch-up in graphic designing eventually lose the race.

7. Not Starting in Black and White: Some graphic designers fail to understand the importance of starting in black and white. They directly create the colored version of the design. This is a big mistake as one should know how the design looks in black and white because some promotional mediums don’t allow for colors. Hence, what you create in color might not look good in black and white.

8. Pass off Plagiarism as Inspiration:

One of the prime qualities of a graphic designer is their ability to be original. Another big blunder you could make as designers is to copy others work. Some designers have a bad habit of passing off what they plagiarize as merely inspiration. While you may get away with it sometimes, but in the long run, your credibility as a genuine and original designer will be badly affected.

9. Neglecting the Power of Simplicity: Some graphic designers believe that if they add more effects in design, it will become attractive. But the reality is otherwise. Adding too many elements to a design makes it complicated and messy to look at. They often neglect the power and significance of simplicity. Instead of making intricate and difficult to comprehend designs, designers must prefer simple concept that the target audience will remember.

10. Lose Confidence:

The greatest mistake you can make in life is to continually fear you will make one. Be it graphic designing or any other profession, confidence is crucial in the success of your career. One of the gravest mistake you can make as a graphic designer is to lose hope in the middle of a project. There will be times when you will get tired of working on a project or be unsatisfied with the results. But never give up and carry on until you achieve your desired results.

Studying Web Design, Graphic Design or Marketing? Here’s What to Expect

Students currently studying marketing, graphic design or web design will soon join the creative class of Canada’s workforce.

To give them a better idea of what awaits them after graduation, a new study has been released to forecast what creative professionals can expect over the next 5 years.

A new research guide, called The Creative Team of the Future charts the trends in marketing and design over the next 5 years, by surveying over 500 advertising firms.

For example, students can expect to have their opinions heard and valued, with almost two-thirds (64 per cent) of respondents stating that creative professionals will have more influence on their companies’ business decisions.

Grads can also expect an abundance of work, with 62 per cent of respondants expecting their creative staff to work more hours over the next few years and a whopping 85 per cent answered they will need employees to work outside of normal 9-5 business hours.

But the good news is that most, or all, of that work can be done from home, with 84 per cent of those surveyed claiming that more of their employees will work remotely in the next three to five years.

5 Things To Consider Before Deciding On Your Graphic Designer

Great design can make or brake a business, the first thing your customers will see could make them feel impressed and inspired, or make them look elsewhere to your competitors.

Very often companies can rush into getting a design or brand set up. Time is normally of the essence and as time is money mistakes can be made in haste.

A quick checklist has been compiled that could save time tears and trouble:

1. Research

Have a look at different designers, look through portfolios and see what you like. Get the opinions of others, what looks good to you may not look good to others, so getting the opinions of others for designers you like the look of is a wise move. Have a browse through designers portfolios, check out the range of their expertise. Creative designers like to showcase the range of their work as they are proud of it.

2. Budget

What is the budget you have to allocate to your design/brand. Be realistic, if you are approaching a top design agency with a small budget then you are wasting their time and yours. Great design does not have to cost the earth, but it does take some searching for.

If you are working to a budget, perhaps approaching the project in bite size stages could be best; spreading the cost over a few months of design to allow you to get the best designer possible but giving them the time to work on your campaign.

3. Competitors

What are your competitors doing? How are they presenting themselves, what angle are they taking and what is working for them. With design and branding, fitting into the industry/market is important, but so is standing out in the crowd. Great designers know how to get the balance of making you fit in, yet stand out.

4. Timescale

Honesty is the best policy; once you have found the designer you like the look of you need to be honest about the timescales they have to work with. Most great designers are in demand, and they will need to fit you in. If a designer has lots of spare capacity and free time, the question needs to be asked as to why.

Designers cannot be expected to come up with award winning designs for you if they only have a couple of weeks to research, design, and produce ideas (which then would need to be reviewed by you and whittled down). Sometimes taking a bit more time will pay dividends rather than rushing in like a bull in a china shop.

5. Partnership

Relationship is the key to business, if you have a close relationship with your designer then all the better. Not to say that you need to go around for meals with the family; but having a close working relationship will only add value to your finished product. For you to understand how they work (as designers are creative creatures thought to come from a different planet) and how they understand you (do they really know your business and market place) and your objectives.

By following these practical guidelines you should be able to find the right designer for your project. The world is well stocked with graphic designers, of all shapes and sizes; local, national and global. Choosing a designer based on their ideas, creative skill and background is more important than choosing someone local or cheap.

How to Catch-Up in Graphic Designing – You Snooze You Lose!

We are living in a world where information travels faster than light and people communicate faster than ever. In this rapid age of technological advancements, the field of graphic design has immensely developed as well. Every other day, new and innovative techniques of graphic designing surface from here and there. These times make the life of a graphic designer all the more challenging since they must keep the pace with the latest developments in graphic design. Especially for newbie and aspiring graphic designers, it is essential to stay in touch with the latest developments and advancements in the world of graphic design. And for those designers who are seasoned, it is all the more essential to pace up with the next generation of design. However, the question arises…how to catch-up with all that is novel and upcoming? Following are some simple and easy ways of staying in touch with the latest developments in the field of graphic design:

1. Surf on the Google Wave:

In today’s age of internet revolution, you can pretty much search for anything that is present on this planet. The web has developed into a huge database of information on all kinds of topics. Graphic designers should take advantage of this blessing and stay in touch with the latest developments in their field. Subscribing to RSS feeds is also a good idea to pace up with the current happenings in the world of graphic design.

2. Blogging – Creates Discussions and Ideas:

Most people believe that starting a successful blog requires immense knowledge on a particular subject. But I beg to differ. This is because the purpose of a blog is to generate discussions and dialogue on various issues. By starting your own blog, you will be able to learn from other people who will comment on your blog. Through discussions, you will stay in touch with the latest developments in your line of work.

3. Be Conservative – Read Books:

Another incisive approach that has been neglected nowadays is the concept of reading books. Many people perceive books as old fashioned. Many also term the concept of book reading as geeky and nerdy. Well, if this were true, then J.K Rowling would have never been a super hit. Being a graphic designer, your thirst for knowledge should never quench. Always take pleasure in reading design books and keep yourself on track with what’s new in your field.

4. Follow Other Designers:

We waste countless hours of our time on social media and networking sites like facebook and twitter. So why not use it constructively to gain knowledge and information about graphic design? Simply follow other designers and be a part of the designer community. This way, you will be tweeted about the latest movements on the web and you will be updated every second.

5. Keep an Open Mindset:

The foremost thing for a graphic designer to accept any major developments is to keep an open mindset. This is because, in order to accept any change, you need to broaden your horizons and learn to keep a flexible attitude. Being in the designer community, you will get heaps of opinions, thoughts and viewpoints from other designers. Always learn to accept others opinions and ideas. You never know when they might come in handy in the near future.

Graphic Designs in Business

Can you imagine life without graphic designs? Today’s world is full of designs which you might not aware of it. In every aspects of our lives from the moment we wake up till the time we goes home, we see graphics everywhere. It has became a part of our lives and businesses too.

Businesses use Graphic Design in a various of ways for their products and services promotion such as poster, newsletter design, banners, flyers, logos, brochure design, business cards, letterheads, websites and etc.

Graphic design is the use of graphic elements and text to communicate ideas or information to specific audiences. It refers to a numer of artistic and professional disciplines which focus on visual communication and presentation. Various methods are used to create and combine symbols, images or words to create a visual presentation. Typically, graphic design is most commonly-used to create marketing materials in businesses such as magazines, advertisements, logo, web design and more so.

Graphic designers or graphic artist as sometimes called are the one resposible in creating unique and amazing graphic designs. They mainly plan, analyze and create visual solutions to communicate people. I would say that they are the one mostly needed in most businesses today because they find effective ways to get messages across in print, electronic and film media using a variety of methods they know. It may be through photography, animation, color, illustration and other various techniques.

Graphic design when done successfully by graphic designers, it attracts attention, enhances the message you are sending and adds credibility to your business.

A good graphic designers can communicate a message through design.

A good graphic designers build trust and confidence in companies and helps in brand development..

A good graphic designers can enhance the image of advertising.

A good graphic designer welds artistic concepts.
A good graphic designer is legible.

A good graphic designer creates appealing and attractive design.

A good graphic designer is unique.

A good Graphic designers consider cognitive, cultural, physical, and social factors in planning and executing designs for the target audience

A good Graphic Designers gather relevant information by meeting with clients, creative or art directors, and by performing their own research.

Communications done by visual effect is far more effective than written communication; even the unspoken significance of emotion and importance are conveyed. Is the topic serious or playful? Has the viewer to be soothed, stimulated, and urged to action? Graphic Designers control the message and so there cannot be any compromise in the world of graphic designs. Graphic Design is important wether like it or not, it simply create balance between design and technology.

Though this is the age of computers, even prior to this computer revolutionized production designing was a part of everyone’s life. Graphic Design has always kept a position of cutting edge. Communications done by visual effect is far more effective than written communication; even the unspoken nuances of emotion and importance are conveyed. Is the topic serious or playful? Has the viewer to be soothed, stimulated, and urged to action? Graphic Designers control the message and so there cannot be any compromise in the world of graphic designs.