Graphic designers are creative and artistic individuals, who plan, analyze and develop designs and layouts. They use a variety of mediums and art forms to create effective designs that cause a certain emotional, psychological or physical response. Some of the print and media sources they use include: animations, illustrations, photos, fonts and colors. They arrange and combine these pieces of media using special layout techniques, marketing theories and market research statistics to produce the desired effect. A graphic designer can be responsible for the design and layout of various forms of media such as: newspapers, logos, television advertisements, websites, magazines, books, corporate documents, professional journals and anything else that their clients ask them to create. They can also be involved in the production of promotional displays, brochures, signs and even the customized credits seen before or after movies and television shows.

Graphic designers who are creative, have an active imagination and an eye for detail are the first to be promoted and are usually the ones who are awarded higher salaries. It is equally important to approach work with a good attitude and to always treat the client with respect or the positive attributes above will not provide an advantage. Creativity is important, but it should never interfere with a design if the client’s instructions are clear and specific. On a less serious note, a graphic designer’s work is often viewed by thousands, if not millions of people. Even though the designer probably won’t become famous for the work they have done, knowing that so many people have seen and enjoyed it definitely provides a high level of job satisfaction.

When planning a new design, a graphic designer must figure out exactly what the client wants the final design to accomplish. They need to know the target audience, the message the design must relay and the emotional or physical response it should evoke. The difference between a professional graphic designer and a person who is skilled at using Photoshop is that the graphic designer understands how a particular design will be perceived by its target audience based on cultural, cognitive, gender, economic, geographic and social factors. They research these factors and collect any relevant information and statistics from their clients, creative directors and various online resources. It is necessary for a graphic designer to thoroughly understand both the creative and commercial sides of their work. This is because every effective design must not only be aesthetically pleasing to the eye, but it should also perform well commercially. The ability to conduct quality market research is becoming increasingly important as clients always expect designs to be more effective than their predecessors.

Job Description

All of the sketches, designs and layouts that a graphic designer develops can be done either by hand or using a special software package such as Photoshop. Most designers complete all of their designs using programs like Photoshop because they are much more efficient and clients expect the final design to be done electronically anyway. However, some designers still do the initial sketches by hand. In addition to this, a graphic designer job description includes selecting the specific fonts, colors, artwork and other elements that they think should make up the design. They then arrange these components to develop a particular layout for the design. Most designers will also enlist the help of a copy editor to review any text included in the design to make sure it will promote the desired effect. Another part of the job description is the supervision of graphic designer assistants. These assistants are essentially graphic designers in training and are normally employed to complete the straight forward, time consuming tasks large projects involve. This can also enable graphic designers who own their own business to complete administrative activities such as ordering samples and equipment, managing finances, networking with potential clients and creating new business contracts.

Employment Outlook and Careers

The job market for this field of work is extremely competitive. Many artistic and creative minded individuals are interested in the career because it is an excellent creative outlet that lets them display their talents while rewarding them with a respectable salary.

Job applicants who have experience in website design, animation and specialized design software such as Adobe Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator have the best opportunities. Experience is another major factor that employers look at. The standard way to show a potential employer your design skills is to collect your best design work and put together a portfolio. A strong portfolio is usually the deciding factor when an employer is selecting which applicant is awarded the position.

The majority of designers work for advertisement agencies, book, newspaper and magazine publishers as well as specialized design services. A relatively small number of designers complete contract work part time while working a full time, salaried position in design or some other industry.

In 2010, there were 192,240 graphic designers working in the United States according to the Bureau of Labour Statistics. The job market is expected to grow at a rate of around 1.3% per year from 2010 to 2018 which is about the same rate as the overall average job market growth over that period. The growing demand is mainly due to an increase in the number of design projects involving mobile phone applications and websites. Internet based advertising is a booming industry that is also expected to open up more job opportunities. On the other hand, this growth will be offset by the reduced demand for print and publishing design.

Designers who are just starting out require around 1 to 3 years of quality working experience to be considered for promotion to higher level positions. To be promoted, they must have produced quality work during that period and have a quality portfolio to show for it. Graphic designers who have 5-10 years of experience can be promoted to positions such as chief designer, creative or art director or various other managerial positions. Some of the more experienced and talented designers opt to start their own design firms. A few industry veterans will leave their jobs at some point to teach design related courses in colleges and universities. They usually maintain relationships with their previous clients and will still complete some consultation or design work on the side from time-to-time.

Required Education

Most positions in industry require at least a 4 year long Bachelor’s Degree in fine arts (BFA) or graphic design (BGD). Senior, management and upper-level jobs in the field always require a Bachelor’s, and sometimes a Master’s degree. There are always a few entry-level positions available that do not require a degree, but they require a high level of Photoshop expertise as well as a solid design sense and natural creative talent. Most colleges and universities in Canada and the United States offer some kind of fine arts or graphic design degree program. On top of the expected design and software related courses, a fine arts program requires students to take courses such as: sociology, cultural studies, marketing, business management, psychology and writing. These courses help to expand and sharpen a student’s skill set and help them produce more effective designs. If you are interested in becoming a graphic designer’s assistant or working in an entry-level position, a certificate or associate degree in graphic design is often required. They are available at community colleges and through online programs and typically take 2-3 years to complete.

There is no such thing as a Doctorate in graphic design. A Master’s Degree is the highest level of education a graphic designer can achieve and is sufficient educational experience to teach courses at a college or university. Very few students decide to go on to take a Master’s degree unless they are interested in becoming a professor and teaching graphic design courses at a college or university. People who are interested in becoming a graphic designer but already have a Bachelor’s Degree in another area have to complete a reduced 2 or 3 year graphic design program to ensure they are familiar with the basic concepts and technical requirements of design.

Graphic Designer Salary Guide

The average salary for a graphic designer working in the United States was $48,140 according to a report released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) in 2010. The salaries reported ranged from $26,200 to $76,910 so there is clearly a wide margin between what entry-level workers and senior graphic designers are paid. The top three highest paying industries according to the report were:

Federal Executive Branch – $75,810 per year (employs 1,680)
Amusement Parks and Arcades – $65,890 per year (employs 70)
Computer and Peripheral Equipment Manufacturing – $64,080 per year (employs 230)

And here are the top three industries that employ the most graphic designers:

Specialized Design Services – $50,300 per year (employs 25,360)
Newspaper, Book and Directory Publishers – $42,180 per year (employs 24,920)
Advertising, Public Relations and Related Services – $49,150 per year (employs 21,410)

Designers who have their Master of Fine Arts (MFA) degree in graphic design tend to receive slightly higher salaries compared to those who only completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design. This can be seen in the following stats:

Only Bachelor of Fine Arts degree – $33,183 – $43,868
Bachelor of Fine Arts in graphic design and Master of Fine Arts – $37,864 – $86,607

There are many other factors including location, years experience and expertise that help determine what salary you make. These numbers are just here to show you that taking further degrees will help you make more money, but when you consider that it takes 2-3 more years to complete a Master’s degree it might not seem like that much of a difference.

Graphic Designer Salary by Years Experience (United States)

According to payscale.com, an average graphic designer salary ranges from $23,864 to $57,512 (including yearly bonuses and profit sharing). These statistics were gathered from 13,857 professional graphic designers, the majority of whom had 1-5 years of experience. The average graphic design salary is around $48,000.

Graphic design is one of the most exciting and satisfying jobs a creative and imaginative individual can get these days. The job market is quite competitive, but it is growing at the average rate so there will always be a number of new positions available. If you work hard, treat every client with respect and develop a strong portfolio you will never have too much trouble finding a graphic design project to work on.