Design is a vast area
Let's take Fashion designing as an example here.
Finding a job in the designing sector is getting more difficult as competition in the field of fashion design increases. You must be imaginative and have a distinct perspective in addition to a sincere interest in fashion. Being a successful fashion designer doesn't require a formal education, but do you have what it takes to succeed in this industry?
Success as a fashion designer requires an eye for colour, shape, and most importantly, the ability to recognise trends. You can learn design and technical abilities and gain the practical knowledge you need to work in the sector with an appropriate higher certification or any foundation degree in fashion. Both bachelor's and master's degrees in fashion are offered. You can learn about materials, sketching, predicting trends, and the business of fashion in fashion design schools.
A strong sense of texture, colour, fabric, and visualisation are necessary for fashion design. You need to have good technical abilities, such as stitching and cutting a variety of textiles, and you should know which colour combinations go together best.
Creativity
Originality
a sense of colour
management of time
Teamwork
confidence in oneself
mechanical expertise (sketching, sewing, pattern cutting)
Business Knowledge
Communication, interpersonal, and networking abilities
designer of clothing
vogue stylist
Colourist
Illustrator of fashion
Style Predictor
Dress Design
You must make a decision on what area of fashion you wish to pursue early on. Whether it be clothing for men, women, or children, sportswear, accessories, or even eco-friendly clothing. Choose an area that most interests you and in which you wish to advance your career.
You need to have a strong resume if you're seeking for fashion design employment. Possessing a strong portfolio demonstrates to potential employers what you are capable of.
An internship programme is the finest approach to break into a field. Send applications to all the relevant businesses you are considering. You can learn all the necessary skills for success in the fashion industry with an internship.
When beginning off as a fashion designer, networking is essential. You can get a new job, shift careers, or start your own fashion company by developing significant contacts with other industry professionals.
You must be able to think strategically if you wish to work for yourself as a fashion designer. Additionally, you must be well-organized and familiar with the fundamentals of economics. Designers like Calvin Klein and Tom Ford are active in all facets of the industry.
The fashion business is incredibly chaotic and erratic. Fame and glitz come with a cost. Not everyone enjoys working long hours and completing tasks on deadline. If you are not immediately hired as a fashion designer after graduation, you can always start in a similar field, such as costume design or fashion styling, and work your way up.
Everyone's path to professional success is unique. After some consideration, you've decided to pursue a career in graphic design. But, before you invest the time and money required to obtain the formal training that many employers require, you want a better idea of what your job prospects will be like after graduation.
So, what exactly can you do with a Graphic Design degree? You might think there is only one answer—become a graphic designer—but the possibilities are far more diverse.
Some of the main learning objectives in Rasmussen University's Graphic Design program are motion graphics, animation, design theory, project management, and portfolio development. Courses such as the Business of Digital Media, Interactive Publishing, and Digital Effects provide a broad foundation of knowledge that can be applied in a variety of business and marketing settings.
Advanced Typography and Advanced 3D Modeling are two examples of specialized courses that provide industry-valued skills. Overall, students enrolled in these programs should have technical design skills as well as project management and general business knowledge.
"Go for it if you see yourself enjoying a niche area of design in branding, package design, environmental design, UI/UX, web design, textiles, illustration, or photography, for example!" According to Lewin. She advises students to pursue their passions in the workplace. For example, it took some time and experience for Lewin to realize she wasn't interested in UI/UX or web design and didn't need to rush to learn additional coding skills.
If you don't see yourself specializing in one area, Lewin recommends staying open to all types of graphic design jobs to gain experience and learn more about what you like and don't want to spend your time on. The industry is diverse enough to provide you with numerous options.
But, more specifically, what are some of those options? We examined over 30,000 job postings for Graphic Design graduates from the previous year using real-time job analysis software. This is not an exhaustive list of what you can do with a Graphic Design degree; rather, it is a representation of graphic design degree jobs available.
1. Designer of Graphics
Graphic designers create graphics and layouts for product illustrations, company logos, and websites, among other things. This job title can cover a wide range of responsibilities in a wide range of industries.
So, how does that work in practice? Ruane worked as a graphic designer for a technology magazine, where he created magazine layouts, some advertising, print production, and some web design.
Lewin worked for a video game publishing company as a senior graphic designer, designing and art directing video game titles. "I worked on everything from concepting and art directing the 'Just Dance 2019' commercial to designing the campaign art used on packaging."
2. Creative Director
A project's creative vision is determined by the creative director. They ensure that the overall aesthetic and cohesive look remain on track by leading their team through the steps to create something, whether it is a tangible product such as a video game, film, or magazine or something more abstract such as an advertising campaign or brand identity.
The job requires management skills, leadership, budgeting and time management abilities, and creative vision.
As an associate creative director at a digital ad agency, Ruane's responsibilities included concepting with a copywriter partner, pitching and presenting ideas, and leading a team of designers and art directors while still participating in the visual design.
3. Designer of user experience (UX)
UX designers strive to make products, processes, and services for users as seamless, enjoyable, and intuitive as possible. They consider how the product will feel and how users will interact with it. They ensure that the product moves smoothly from one step to the next. UX designers may conduct user tests to iron out any kinks or misunderstandings.
This job requires a lot of creative thinking, intuition, and a natural appreciation for smooth design. This design discipline is frequently found in web design, where organizations are emphasizing the importance of ensuring their website designs are both visually appealing and easy to use.
While user experience design has been around for much longer, according to Ruane, the role of UX designer became more popular around ten years ago. When that happened, many of his graphic design classmates went on to work in UX. This is an excellent role for tech-savvy designers because it frequently requires a combination of design and web technology skills.
4. Designer of user interfaces (UI)
UI design is frequently regarded as a subset of UX design, with similar overall goals. User interface designers concentrate on the layout of the product. They design each screen and page, ensuring that the layout visually works with the overall path charted by a UX designer.
Each screen or page that a user interacts with is designed by a UI designer, who ensures that the UI visually communicates the path that a UX designer charts. They may decide where content should appear on an analytics dashboard or which tools are most useful to a user navigating a page. They also pay close attention to style coherence and product consistency.
5. Production Designer
Production artists handle the hands-on aspects of production, whether in graphics, film, art, or other media. They upload and check design files for accuracy during the final stages of development. The job requires both design and computer application skills.
Production artists may make suggestions for improvements to the work they are completing as well as final touches such as scaling, cropping, retouching, and repositioning.
"If you start as a junior designer or a production artist at an agency, you'll get to work with a dozen people in strategy, technology, development, animation, data, UX, analytics, and more," says Ruane.
He emphasizes that positions like this can help you gain exposure to a wide range of jobs. You might discover that you enjoy a particular aspect of the process. "Alternatively, if you stick to pure visual design, you'll be a better designer for having worked with these related specialists."
6. Product Designer
Product developers create, lead, and manage product development. Their job duties will vary greatly because they can work on so many different things, but general tasks include performing industry research, creating illustrations, presenting the product to employers or stakeholders, and contributing to the development process.
This position may be related to graphic design. Find Me a Gift's senior graphic designer and product developer is Damien Cunningham. "It's my favorite because the role is varied and allows me to work across departments and on a variety of tasks," Cunningham says. "One day, I could be creating digital marketing materials and the next, I could be producing packaging for print or designing a new product."
7. Graphic Designer
In magazines, newspapers, product packaging, and film and television productions, art directors are in charge of the visual style and content. They design and direct the development of each contributing piece by other artists. They collaborate closely with their employers or clients to create an artistic vision that meets objectives, budget constraints, and desired impact.
Ruane worked as an art director for a few digital advertising agencies, where he created visual designs for websites and online advertising campaigns. This role was a high point in his career.
"It was really exciting and motivating at the time," Ruane says. "Big brands, high-profile work, lots of energy, and, as it turned out, a fantastic networking frenzy that resulted in relationships I now rely on for my own agency business."
8. Marketing Expert
Marketing specialists gather and analyze data on target customers, launch marketing campaigns, assess the effectiveness of marketing efforts, and devise strategies to promote their company and its goods or services.
As you may have noticed, many of these graphic design jobs fall under the larger category of marketing. Cunningham believes that because of the unique expertise they provide, more graphic designers should consider job titles in the marketing category.
"The role typically calls for someone who is multi-skilled, who can work across many areas of design, and who is willing to push themselves and learn new skills," Cunningham says. "A career in marketing allows designers to apply their skills to a wide range of tasks such as digital and print graphics, branding, and social media." This keeps things interesting while also providing numerous career options."
9. Animator or Multimedia Artist
Multimedia artists and animators use computer animation or modeling programs to create complex graphics and animation. To create media content that will meet their employer's objectives, they consider story development, visual impact, and platforms. As more brands and organizations seek to expand their online video presence, graphic designers with animation and motion graphics skills have benefited.
10. Freelancer
While not a unique design job in and of itself, the majority of the job titles listed above can be performed as a freelancer. Designers with some experience, a stunning portfolio of work, or expertise in niche areas of design, marketing, and graphics may be able to build a career finding freelance projects.
However, freelancing is also a great way to supplement your income while also expanding your knowledge. Ruane claims that he worked on side projects with small clients on a wide variety of project types throughout his career. "There's a lot of 'figure-it-out-as-you-go' in freelancing, and continuing education is extremely beneficial," says Ruane.
In Ruane's case, working in a variety of fields led to him co-founding his own design firm and becoming a business owner. Designers who spend time freelancing will most likely learn valuable skills in communication, client attraction, and time and budget management. These principles may one day apply to larger entrepreneurial ventures.
Why should you Pursue a Career in Design?
As technology advances and evolves, so does the demand for people with strong design backgrounds. A career in design and technology allows people to combine their knowledge and passions into a single, fulfilling role. These fulfilling careers frequently provide ample opportunity for creativity and innovation, making them an appealing choice for many.
