Is creativity your strength? If yes, a graphic design program can help you put your skills to good use. Graphic design allows you to hone your skills using software and professional tools to bring your creative ideas to life. You develop ideas and research-informed solutions to increasingly complex challenges in visual communication. You embrace both the digital and traditional design processes as you develop a range of specialist skills that help you succeed in various professional environments.
Are you interested in enhancing your creative potential through a course in graphic design? Do you want to be part of the evolving world of design and media? If your answer is yes, then a graphic design course is what you need. Then read on for more information on what the course entails, specializations, and graphic design career paths.
A degree in graphic design allows you to develop your creative understanding to communicate better verbally and visually. It involves the process of communicating visually and problem-solving through the use of photography, typography, and illustration.
In this program, students explore the social, creative, and ethical context of contemporary visual culture. Moreover, the program explores design initiatives in web, digital paper, print, and animation. Students get to examine the building blocks of design in a combination of image-making, font style, and layout through investigating context, visual language, and dynamics. Moreover, graphic design is an interdisciplinary field and may explore a wide range of other areas including visual arts, marketing, communications, and computer science.
Graphic design studies are available as Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science, Bachelor of Graphic Design, and Bachelor of Fine Arts. Find the best universities for graphic design degrees here.
Some of the requirements for a graphic design degree in most universities include a background in the arts and design subjects. They also require high school maths and a level of English competency that allows you to succeed in studies, regardless of country of residence or nationality.
You must be creative and motivated. Moreover, some universities require applicants to demonstrate their creativity and motivation through a portfolio or showreel work. However, in some institutions, having some experience in the field is considered an advantage.
In general graphic design is a broad subfield of visual communication. Specialization ensures you pursue the field that you are most passionate about.
Usually, the first and second school years at universities focus on equipping students with a general foundation and overview of the course. Later, students can pursue the fields of interest. If not sure which specialization route to follow read on to find out about the graphic design program and specializations.
Below, is a list of some topics you’re going to cover:
Below are some of the specializations:
Web and mobile development
This program develops your skills in web and mobile applications. You will also learn about web development, mobile development, and databases. You develop a hands-on approach to developing apps and websites.
Iconography
This course introduces students to the art of designing icons, the origin of symbols, the use of grids, different file formats, and how to use icons when building apps and websites.
Typography and calligraphy
The course helps the students to understand the different types of font and the visual effects they create. You learn how to customize work on logos, company brands, signs, menus, cards, and other small print projects.
Advertising and brand design
The course helps students learn how to tell visual stories using emerging communication stories. They learn to bring services and products to life. They create marketing strategies, identity systems, brand communication, and social media content. They also use augmented reality, virtual reality, apps, software platforms, digital film, online media, and mobile games to create interactive experiences for users.
Digital Illustration
The course explores digital illustration techniques. You will learn digital illustration basics and different techniques, including drawing, digital painting, and short animation. Some of the topics will include pattern making, 3D illustrations, drawing effects, GIF animation, vector illustrations, and photo illustration.
User Experience (UX) Design
The course demystifies the user experience. You learn the fundamental concepts of UX, webpage anatomy, finding your users, creating user profiles, designing and running usability testing, information architecture, and interaction, getting feedback from users, wireframing, and more.
Print design
The course teaches print design skills, including designing book covers, magazines, business cards and logos using Illustrator and Photoshop.
Graphic design majors can venture into a variety of job markets in multiple industries. Below are some graphic design jobs:
1. Graphic designer
Graphic designers are responsible for developing layouts and graphics for company logos, product illustrations, advertising, and more. They deliver imaginative solutions and create positive images for the brand or organization.
2. User experience (UX) designer
UX designers make processes, products, and services enjoyable, intuitive, and enjoyable for the user. They test and refine processes to ensure users interact seamlessly with a product or service. For example, creating a website that is easy to use and visually appealing. However, this career requires one to blend design and web technology skills.
3. Creative director
Creative directors are responsible for bringing a project’s vision into life. They ensure a cohesive and overall aesthetic look on tangible products like magazines, video games, films or other abstract projects like brand identity and marketing campaigns.
4. User Interface (UI) designer
UI designers are responsible for the product layout. They ensure that the visual plan works seamlessly with what the UX designer creates. They design each page, or screen users interact with online. They also ensure that the final product communicates the UX designers’ goal. For example, they decide on tools to make it easy for the user to navigate the website. They also ensure the product remains consistent across platforms.
5. Product developer
Product developers are responsible for conducting research, creating illustrations, presenting creations to clients, and leads the development process. Their job duties vary from creating digital marketing material to designing new products or designing packaging for print.
6. Art director
Art directors handle the content and visual style of newspapers, movies, magazines, and television productions. They design and direct others to develop pieces – they cast artistic visions that meet company goals, desired impact, and the available budget.
7. Multimedia animator or artist
They develop animation and intricate designs using modeling programs and computer animation. They handle visual impact, story development, and platforms to create content that meets company objectives. They use software to create, for example, video animations used in games, commercials, and websites.
8. Illustrator
Illustrators are responsible for creating still drawings and images to convey a story, messages, or ideas for advertisements, books, magazines, greeting cards, packaging and more. These professionals can work in various fields such as advertising, publishing, editorial, corporate work, fashion, multimedia and merchandising.
9. Digital marketing manager
Digital marketing managers are responsible for designing and implementing practical marketing projects that fulfill company values and goals. They oversee all aspects of written communication, the website design, the creation of brochures and others. They collect customer data, create strategies, initiate marketing campaigns, and measure marketing effectiveness. They develop models aimed at influencing the customer’s decision-making process. Their designs engage the target market with engaging visual content, including social media ads, email marketing templates, posters, infographics, brochures, website images, banners and more.
10. Production artist
These professionals work with creative teams to execute innovative designs. Generally, they use software to create commercial art for movies, advertising, software design and so on.
11. Marketing specialist
Marketing specialists are responsible for conducting market research to determine consumer needs, habits and trends. They assist inbound and outbound marketing efforts using their expertise in various areas such as content development, event planning and optimizing.
12. Drafters
Drafters are responsible for converting designs for engineers and architects into technical plans and drawings using the software. These professionals can specialize in a specific field of drafting, such as civil, architectural, mechanical and utilize technical drawings to design skyscrapers, microchips, and so on.
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