I am going to be enrolling in a graphic design program as soon as I find a school that suits me?

3 Responses to “I am going to be enrolling in a graphic design program as soon as I find a school that suits me?”

1. Chris C says on: 14 January 2010 at 2:46 am

   I am not in the design industry but I am in the education buisness.
   What you need to find is a curriculum that suits you rather than a school that suits you. It is not about the pretty buildings and pretty faces, it is about the education you will receive and how it realtes to the career you want to do.
   Be Wary of the private school rip off.
2. kingsnake1650@sbcglobal.net says on: 16 January 2010 at 4:05 am

   I’ve been a graphic designer for six years and here’s what I did today at work: Designed a magazine ad and sent it to the client to look at, then talked to the client and decided to change pictures in the ad. Talked to one of my fellow designers and my boss about how best to supervise another designer I am in charge of. Went to lunch with my boss, an account exec, and a client and showed him some logos I had done. (He liked them! So next we’ll be working on stationery for him.) Designed a business card and sent it to the account executive along with an estimate of how much design time I will spend on the project and how much it will cost to print. Also worked with another account exec to get ready for tomorrow’s pitch to a local car dealership. I finished out the day browsing through design books for inspiration for a logo (for a truck detailing place), for a complete campaign (for a construction type company), and for a pocket folder/brochure (for a medical supply company). Plus lots more I can’t remember. And in between all the work, I laughed at the video of the account exec’s toddler, complained about a coworker who didn’t order a toner cartridge soon enough, commiserated with the receptionist over her breakup, listened to Snow Patrol as loud as we comfortably could and had a high old time with the other artists. It was a full day and happened to be fun too.

   Your experience will vary, depending on where you work and how much experience you have. If you work for a larger company, you will probably have much less contact with clients and will have a hierarchy of people who are above and below you. When you start out, you will have a lot to learn (even after school) and will need to listen and learn from those more experienced than you. And just like any job, hard work is key!

   One thing I always tell people who are thinking of getting into graphic design — the market (city) you work in has a huge effect on how much money you make. Graphic design is not a cool & easy road to riches by any means. If you work in a small city where designers don’t make much, you could top out at $30,000 a year.

   For question #2 — ask people in your area who are successful graphic designers where they went to school. I’m not comfortable recommending the school I went to.
3. Laura W says on: 17 January 2010 at 3:29 pm

   As someone working in the graphics field I can give you a little advice. Find a job or internship as soon as you can while you’re in school. Graphic design jobs are hard to land when you get out of school and especially if you don’t have “real life” experience. The area I’m in doesn’t pay particularly well for artsy jobs so keep in mind that you have chosen a location-pay-influenced career. But there are lots of jobs like that.

   I guess daily work life mostly consists of interacting with clients and figuring out how to best illustrate the enigmatic vision they have for their business/product and what the best way is to illustrate this effectively to meet whatever goal they have. I.E. do they need a brochure or a website to best advertise their new product/service. Also depending on whether or not you’re working for yourself freelancing or in a design firm you may end up working with other creatives. Which can be quite fun and interesting at times, or a complete nightmare given the meshing of personalities. It takes having initiative and creativity to get projects done quickly and effectively.

   I went to a state school that wasn’t particularly well known for its art program. That happened partly because they gave me so many scholarships and because it took me a year to decide that I was going to do art. I had seriously considered going to Atlanta Art Institute but the scholarships I got there barely nicked the tuition. But I got a degree in graphics and had two graphics jobs throughout school (one at a magazine doing layout and one at an exhibits firm) which enabled me to land a “real” job after I graduated. Although technically its the same as the jobs I had in school, the pay is a lot better. I’m not sure I would have done better had I paid more for college and gone to a better school. I think you get what you put into it.

   Also get involved in design competitions if you can. They make great resume filler. Be a go-getter!

   Good luck!

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