A great graphic designer does more than just design posters or Web sites. Learn what qualities and education are necessary to break into the graphic design field.
Characteristics of Great Graphic Designers
Graphic artists have creative vision and an ability to thing spatially, but also have solid business and communication skills.
Graphic designers know how to:
Listen - First and foremost, graphic designers need to be able to listen. Listen to clients, the targeted audience, their boss and their subordinates. How else will the designer understand the message or the product without listening to what the client needs and wants.
Manage Time Effectively - No graphic artist has unlimited amounts of time to create a project. Being able to stay organized and know how long it takes to finish tasks is a necessary skill to be able to produce quality designs with a looming deadline.
Attend to Details - The graphic designer is the last line of defense before a project goes to print or is live online. Projects need to be free of minor flaws to increase the designer's and the client's integrity and credibility.
Solve Problems - All graphic design projects have obstacles, knowing how to overcome them is crucial.
Be Flexible - Graphic designers will get opportunities to work with various types of individuals and companies. An ability to cater other people's needs and skill levels is crucial to working in the fast paced world of graphic design.
Graphic Design Education
Not everyone who works as a graphic designer has a graphic design degree, many do, or have degrees in related fields. Most smaller businesses only require previous experience working as a graphic designer and comprehensive knowledge of many different software programs. However, larger companies and studios do prefer a formal education in an art-focused or design-focused subject for entry-level positions.
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, graphic design jobs are steadily growing at the national average and will continue to grow through 2014. Web design is an especially strong field. The average salary for a graphic designer is $40,000 in the United States.
Graphic Design Associations
To learn more about the graphic design business, check out Dexigner's Design Directory. The directory contains descriptions and links to many different graphic design associations. These organizations are great ways to meet graphic designers and to gain first hand knowledge of how to begin a career in graphic design.
The copyright of the article Qualities of Good Graphic Design in Graphic Design is owned by Taylor Loran . Permission to republish Qualities of Good Graphic Design in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Jun 19, 2008
