Many of the New York Institute of Art and Design’s prospective students know they have an eye for design and the arts, but aren’t quite sure how to channel those talents into a full time, well-paid career. If you want to work in the design industry but you are also looking for a more modern, technically-focused profession, graphic design is a great option.
When you’re interested in starting a new career in any field, it’s important to honestly consider your strengths and weaknesses as you decide which role seems like a great fit for you. If you’re considering pursuing a graphic design career specifically, there are a few key qualities you’ll typically find when you analyze members of a strong design team. If the following characteristics remind you of yourself, this might be a career path worth checking out:
Communication
A big part of a graphic designer’s workflow involves communicating effectively with clients in order to determine things like scope, vision and timeline. For example, let’s say you’re working with a new client who owns a local vegan restaurant, and this owner is looking to hire a graphic designer to create things like business cards, flyers and signs.
There are probably certain themes and messages the owner would like to communicate to potential customers with effective design messaging- maybe things like food sustainability, environmental responsibility, or nutrition. As a designer, before you start concepting what designs you will create for this individual, it’s crucial for you to be able to have a productive conversation in order to clearly articulate the goal of your project- what are you really trying to say to this person’s customers through your designs?
In order to be a successful graphic designer, you need to hone your communication skills so that you can succeed when it comes to initiating and facilitating these conversations with your clients.
Creativity
It’s no surprise that any aspiring design professional needs to have a unique eye for approaching projects with a creative edge. If you want to succeed as a graphic designer specifically, a very common goal you’ll be faced with is to create eye catching designs that business owners can use to advertise a product, business or service.
In order to come up with something unique that can really catch a customer’s eye, it’s important for you to bring fresh, creative perspective to everything you do.
In the very first lesson of the New York Institute of Art and Design’s online graphic design course, you will be introduced to the industry-standard elements and principles of design. As you work your way through this lesson, you will start to hone your unique creative vision and personal style as you learn to apply your sensibilities to this professional design workflow. Furthermore, you will begin to understand how these elements interact with each other to create the key principles of professional graphic design.
You’re Comfortable With Criticism
As a professional graphic designer, sometimes you submit projects and right off the bat your clients are satisfied with the way you executed the vision. But more often than not, your clients will circle back to you with feedback, and they will want to suggest some changes. Many creative professionals admit that they struggle with the ability to hear negative feedback or constructive criticism on their designs without getting a bit offended. It’s important to put that defensiveness aside in this industry in order to work productively with your client to produce something you’re both proud of.
What’s Next?
If you think graphic design could be a great career option for you, the New York Institute of Art and Design offers a user-friendly online course that you can take entirely from home, at your own pace. We understand that many of our students already have full time jobs and responsibilities, and might not have the luxury of putting their entire life on hold in order to go back to school- so we don’t expect you to do that. You can login and work on your projects at night, on the weekends, whenever you have time to commit to pursuing your next career move. For more information on how to get started, click here to dive in.
