The Need-to-Knows of a Future Graphic Designer

THE NEED-TO-KNOWS OF A FUTURE GRAPHIC DESIGNER ARE YOU THINKING ABOUT A CAREER IN GRAPHIC DESIGN? IF YOU'RE AN ARTIST IN THE MAKING, THIS ESSENTIAL INFORMATION WILL HELP YOU ON YOUR PATH TO SUCCESS. GRAPHIC DESIGNERS ARE ARTISTS WHO WORK WITH WHAT DOES THE JOB ENTAIL? VISUAL MEDIUMS TO COMMUNICATE TO AUDIENCES IN PRINT AND ELECTRONIC MEDIA, USING COLOR, TYPE, ILLUSTRATION, PHOTOGRAPHY, ANIMATION, AND VARIOUS PRINT, DIGITAL AND LAYOUT TECHNIQUES. GRAPHIC DESIGNERS DEVELOP THE OVERALL LAYOUT AND PRODUCTION DESIGN OF: MAGAZINES NEWSPAPERS JOURNALS CORPORATE REPORTS PROMOTIONAL DISPLAY MARKETING BROCHURES DISTINCTIVE LOGOS INTERNET WEB PAGES INTERACTIVE MEDIA HOW MUCH EDUCATION AND TRAINING DO I NEED? A Bachelor's degree in graphic design is usually required by most companies Other skills employers look for include familiarity with computer graphics and design software, creativity, communication and problem-solving skills Having an Associate's degree in graphic design normally allows candidates to qualify for graphic design assistant positions Graphic designers must keep up-to-date with new and updated computer graphic design software Designers are required to show their portfolio (a collection of their best work) during interviews. This is one of the main factors in judging a designer's skill set Beginning graphic designers typically need one to three years of working experience before they advance to higher positions. 1-3 YEARS NATIONAL ESTIMATES FOR GRAPHIC DESIGNERS AS OF MAY 2010: 192,240 $23.14 $28, 140 EMPLOYED AVERAGE HOURLY WAGE AVERAGE ANNUAL WAGE WHAT'S THE LIKELIHOOD OF LANDING A JOB? 500,000 • 400,000 323,100 13% INCREASE 286.100 300,000 200,000 Employment of graphic designers is expected to grow 13 percent (36,900 jobs) from 2008 to 2018. as demand for graphic design from advertisers and computer design 100,000 EMPLOYMENT IN 2008 PROJECTED firms continues to increase. EMPLOYMENT IN 2018 HIGHEST LEVELS OF EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTRY | 25,360 SPECIALIZED AND DESIGN SERVICES NEWSPAPER, PERIODICAL, BOOK, AND DIRECTORY PUBLISHERS 24,920 ADVERTISING, PUBLIC RELATIONS, AND RELATED SERVICES 21,410 PRINTING AND RELATED 16,180 SUPPORT ACTIVITIES COMPUTER SYSTEMS DESIGN 8,570 AND RELATED SERVICES 10,000 20,000 30,000 40,000 50,000 MEDIAN COMPENSATION 2000-2010 The data below reveals salary averages for particular graphic design specializations from 2000-2010. The data was taken from a survey conducted by Designsalaries.org. • OWNER, PARTNER, OR PRINCIPAL • MARKETING OR NEW BUSINESS MANAGER/DIRECTOR • CREATIVE OR DESIGN DIRECTOR • WRITER/COPYWRITER • SOLO DESIGNER $120.000 $110.000 $100.000 $80.000 $62.000 $56.000 $100,000 $100.000 $85.000 $70,000 $80,000 $60,000 $52.000 $40,000 $44,800 $20,000 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 PRIMARILY PRINT • SENIOR DESIGNER • JUNIOR DESIGNER • DESIGNER $100,000 S80,000 $65.000 $47,000 $60,000$54.000 $40,000 $31,000 $40,000 $38.000 $20,000 $0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 INTERACTIVE • WEB PROGRAMMER/DEVELOPER (BACK-END SYSTEM) • WEB DEVELOPER (FRONT-END/INTERFACE SYSTEMS) $100,000 SB0,000 $67.500 $51.400 $65,000 $60.000 $60,000 $40,000 $20,000 -- $0 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 SOURCE: BLS.GOV/oco/ocos090.HTM, DESIGNSALARIES.ORG RASMUSSEN COLLEGE