Picture the Future with Graphic Design Careers

In this age of technology, it's no surprise that pairing creativity with computers is a way to turn your artistic urges into a lucrative and rewarding career. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were approximately 228,000 graphic design jobs in 2004, with about one-third of those being self-employed. With plenty of opportunity awaiting for the ambitious job seeker, the first step is getting the right training and education in a graphic design program. Though some technical positions may be acquired with an associate's degree, most entry level positions require candidates to have earned at least a bachelor's degree.

Graphic design curricula vary from school to school, but universal topics generally include layout design, typography, and illustration. Many programs include a heavy emphasis on advertising and communication skills as well. As one of the principle responsibilities of a graphic designer is to turn abstract ideas into compelling, understandable, purposeful creations, the ability to reach a target audience is imperative. The desirable graphic designer is not only one who can develop visually appealing posters, print materials, brochures, and ad layouts, but one who can also get a message across.

Technophobes need not apply -- the entire premise of a graphic design career is based on the ability to alter, edit, manipulate, and create art within a digital realm. As computer software for our Web browsers, music players, and digital photography develops, so do graphic design applications. The successful graphic designer is somebody who is eager to stay abreast of all the trends the digital design world has to offer, and who is hungry to embrace its challenges. Fortunately, the potential for graphic designers to express themselves is virtually boundless. Whereas primitive graphic design programs may have served to inhibit creativity, the current technologies offer the resourceful artist a boundless palette of options for expression.

Employment opportunities in graphic design are widely varied, as the need to communicate visually applies to essentially any business, marketing firm, ad agency, or publishing house. The middle 50 percent of graphic design careers yield between $29,360 and $50,840, however, more experienced designers can pull upwards of $65,000. According to the median salaries in the field, architectural- and engineering-related graphic designers earned the most, while workers in the publishing world earned the least.

The growth and overall presence of the Internet is a main reason graphic design careers will continue to flourish. Exploring graphic design schools and programs is the first step to tapping into this rewarding industry.

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