Graphic design has many parts. It is art, design, communication, advertising, collaboration, concept driven, multi tasking, focus, love of typography, relationships, marketing, technology, big picture thinking, paper knowledge, teamwork, printing knowledge, problem solving, graphic design history, being able to shift styles, knowing yourself, and thinking about sustainability. It is not just about making something that looks good. A big part of it is building relationships with clients and working with a team. Graphic designers are trained professionals that create designed things for people. I say "designed things" because the field is very broad. There is a huge variety of fields within graphic design. To name just a few there is:

• Print Design
• Book Design
• Magazine Design
• Invitation Design
• Brochure Design
• Logo Design
• Environmental Design
• Motion Design
• Website Design
• Interactive Design
• Entrepreneurial Design
• Game Design
• Sign Design
• Identity Design
• Movie Titles
• Cd Album Design

Graphic Design as a Career Path

If you are interested in graphic design, then you should know what you are getting yourself into. Graphic Designers don't typically make a whole lot of money, but at the same time the pay isn't too bad to do something that you love. If you work really hard or find a creative way to market yourself their is the potential to make good money as a designer. One route for a designer would be to go to graphic design college and get some professional training. When one completes this step of the journey typically the next step would be to get an internship at a design firm. Sometimes people do this while they are in school so that when they graduate hopefully that firm hires them. It is not a small thing to be accepted as an intern at a firm. Typically these places are small and have a tight operating budget. They may not even have an extra computer for an intern to sit at. They are investing in a young designer by hiring them on because they have to invest resources into that designer to train them. Being a designer is constant learning. 

Every firm is different in the way they operate. Some firms expect you to have more interaction with clients in the first year. You could consider this as more opportunity for you to grow. The sooner you learn to communicate with clients, the better off you will be in the long run as a designer. If you don't like to deal with people this will probably hold you back as a designer, although I am sure there are designers out there that spend most of their time behind a desk that do fine. 

After working at a firm for a few years at a starting rate of anywhere between $25,000 to $35,000 a year a designer may be promoted to an art director and have more responsibilities as far as clients are concerned. A designer will probably always work long hours in order to meet deadlines. You may decide to go it alone and be an independent contractor or you may decide to go work at a corporate office as their in house graphic designer. Their can be some advantages disadvantages to doing these things.

Working as an in house designer can be advantageous because it can pay better than working at a firm, the disadvantage is that you will have to work on many of the same types of projects where at a firm you would mostly work on many different types of projects. Another disadvantage might be that it could be more difficult to work for a "client" that is essentially your boss. If your new employer sees you on the same level as their other employees he or she may expect you to just "do" what they think should be done. This can be problematic when working with people that do not have the formal training that you have as a designer. Suffice it to say that this could also be a problem at a firm. Hopefully you have had the experience at the firm with other designers that will help you be able to deal with clients better. Another disadvantage of working as an in house designer could be that you no longer have your team to work with. Working at a firm can be very much about teamwork. Designers help each other come up with ideas. What some people are weak at others are strong at. You learn quickly that ideas are not owned by anyone. It is not about who has the best idea but what is the best idea. As a team ideas become better than one person having an idea. People working at a corporate office will probably not have this mentality, you are luck if they do.

Freelance work could be awesome if you have enough discipline to do this. Really, if you were a student it is not that much different. You must be able to set a schedule for yourself and meet deadlines. You may decide you prefer working in your pajamas, but it may help to actually dress the part, this may put you in a more focused state of mind. One problem with freelancing is that you have to find jobs. This may not always be easy, you will most likely have to market yourself. This is why it is important to network with other designers and firms. When they have more work than they can handle, they may call you up or refer you to their clients. It can also be difficult to determine your hourly rate. You have to keep in mind your equipment, your software programs, electricity, rent, and all of the money you spent to learn what you know. It is important to not undercut yourself. A professional should not work for cheap if they are working freelance. If you are undercutting other designers, you are only undercutting what you are expected to be paid as a graphic designer. 

You may decide to branch out into one of the other fields of design. Motion designers for example are known to make decent money. They can end up making commercial spots for tv networks or the credits for movies, just to name a few examples. Web designers are also known to be able to do well as they are in much demand these days. It is a good idea to work in a firm before you go off on a different path because you can learn a lot from other designers. There are many people that have become successful that have not followed this path. Another way be a successful designer is to be entrepreneurial. If a designer can think of a system or item that can fulfill a need and then design it this is a way for the designer to make money. A designer can also decide to become a writer and write about design or make books for other designers, this is also a way that designers have chosen to make money.