Why do you reach for the bottled water brand that you do? What do you feel when you see a Starbucks logo? How has the Nike swoosh or McDonald’s Golden Arches become iconic? What about the simplicity of Google’s homepage?
Everything you look at – from your water bottle or your book to the logo on your jeans, candy bar or car – had to be designed, and it’s important today to a wider array of organizations. Graphic designers do that work. They are often responsible for a company or organization’s impression they make to the world.
What they do:
They communicate ideas and emotions through the visual. It’s a graphic designer’s job to create a message or a mood using words, type, images, shapes and their arrangement on a page. Sometimes designers specialize, simply creating logos, magazine and book designs, advertisements, websites or packaging. But often they see a product through several phases and have to meet with the client, develop ideas and produce the product (being familiar with applications for type and copy, photography, website construction and layout and printing). There are some good organizations where you can find out more.
Education:
Two-year associate or four-year bachelor’s degree in graphic design. (Some for-profit schools have been criticized for the cost and quality of their graphic design education.)
Salary:
$40,000-$50,000 annually
Ten-year growth in positions:
There is a strong competition. Prospects are better for those who specialize, especially when working with websites and print publications. (Bureau of Labor Statistics)
