Graphic design is one of the most flexible career options. Nearly all aspects can be modified to suit your interests and lifestyle, from education and experience to specialization and work environment.
Your graphic design career path can be likened to plugging a location into a GPS and then having the option of choosing different routes. Or like creating a meal from the best ingredients. You can modify the career path to suit your needs and lifestyle.
Choosing the right option for you can be overwhelming when there are so many choices. It would be great to hear what your options are. We’ve outlined some key options and choices to help you plan your graphic design career. And we asked designers to weigh in.
Five factors to consider when customizing your career in graphic design
Graphic design is a complex field. The following five factors can help determine where your career will take you.
Education
As a potential designer, the most important factor you will weigh is whether or not to attend school. Many designers believe your portfolio is the most important thing to offer when applying for a job. However, the degree you choose to pursue your career can be very helpful or completely unnecessary.
Charles Forster, director of engineering at Skunkworx Lab, says, “I went to school for design, and it was the best decision” Forster says that while I learned the basics, learning how to give and take criticisms was far more valuable than the rest of my training. Education is also a great way to build a strong portfolio.
However, not all graphic designers need formal education, although it can be beneficial, according to Adam McIntyre (co-founder of brand packs). It can help you understand the basic concepts and reasoning behind the design.
McIntyre states that he started his career in graphic design as a self-taught Photoshop user. He only obtained formal qualifications later in his career. “If I had the chance to go back and do it differently, I would have pursued formal training at the start of my graphic design career. It would have accelerated my career in design, as I see it now.
Many tutorials are available online to help you get started with the software, but your designs will be stronger if you have the knowledge to back them up. These six questions will help you decide if graphic design education is right for you.
Your ideal graphic design work environment
You should also consider the type of graphical design environment you prefer, in-house or agency. Each environment has its pros and cons. Depending on your preferences and skills, one of these options might appeal more to you.
In general, in-house work is stable but may get repetitive working for a single organization. Although agency work offers a lot of variety, it can also be highly pressured and deadline-driven. Although freelance work allows you to be your boss, it can also require much work to maintain a steady flow of clients.
Alvaro Flores is an interactive graphic designer at campaign creators. “Internships influenced my decision,” he says. It can help you decide by getting experience in different settings as an experienced graphic designer.
Flores chose agency work as he felt it offered more creativity and learning opportunities due to the collaboration of the team with whom he worked. Flores recommends that every beginning graphic designer research, network, and take part in internships to understand their options better.
Cristina Robinson, the UI/UX designer at 329, says, “I thought about what kind of work and in what environment I would like to work.” Freelancing was difficult for me because I had to do everything. I didn’t have anyone to help me if I didn’t know how to do it. My knowledge of code limited my design.
Do you want to know more about your options for work environments? You can read our article, “Where do graphic designers work?” In-House vs Agency vs Freelance
Finding work, finding clients
It would help if you also considered how you would approach the job search for graphic designers. The graphic design experts agreed that digital and physical portfolios should be weighed when searching for clients or jobs.
As a freelancer, you spend a lot of time building a client base. This branch of graphic design is often about a combination of excellence and flexibility. George Kern, the art director of Printedpixel, says, “Be flexible, but also have a niche or specialty that is better than everyone else.”
Kern states that while you may not enjoy every job or commission, you will find clients who are looking for you because you excel in your chosen design area.
A strong portfolio, formal education and a successful internship are necessary to get employment in an agency or in-house setting. Use your portfolio to learn how to build a compelling case for your employment.
You can find job postings on sites like LinkedIn and Indeed. Graphic design hubs often feature job postings. AIGA and any other graphic design associations in your region will have job postings. You can also leverage the social media sites you love and know to get jobs.
Specializations in graphic design
Graphic design has many aspects. You might be drawn to specific parts of it immediately or gain more knowledge and experience over time. Whatever your preference, specializing can help you increase your design skills and allow you to spend more time doing the most enjoyable things.
Kern states, “I moved on to specializing” in certain things. Kern says, “I specialize In Out-of-home advertising and grand format printing.” Kern and a business partner eventually founded a successful company that maximized their talents.
Robinson started as a web designer but had more experience in the digital world of coding and creating apps. Robinson says, “Over time, as I worked in this industry, I realized that I enjoyed designing more than coding.” “When I was hired as a UX/UI designer, I realized I enjoyed designing interfaces and apps more than websites.
Career advancement
As your career in design grows, you will want to consider your path to advancement. There is no one “right” way to move up. Perhaps you want to manage and supervise the work of others. You might stay a skilled graphic designer generalist or pursue specialized work such as UX design and motion graphics.
Forster’s expertise in UX/UI led him to manage an engineering and design team that creates digital products. If you are looking to advance your career, it is possible to direct or manage teams of designers.
You might be more introverted or not interested in the industry’s business side. Instead, you could choose to learn a specific skill like user experience (UX), motion graphics, or user interface design. You could also open your own design company if you are entrepreneurial and have a flair for business.
McIntyre states that the most important turning point in my career was returning to school and getting formal qualifications. “I understood the larger applications of design better, and I managed a team and oversaw multiple projects. This is why I strongly recommend formal education for young, ambitious designers.
