A Career in Graphic Design Allows You to Visually Communicate Messages - By: Emma

That eye-catching magazine cover, the advertisement you saw last week at the bus stop about preventing lung cancer and that really cool alligator logo everyone knows from clothing brand Lacoste are all products of graphic design. This field enables you to explore the limits of possibility and develop new ideas in visual concepts that convey messages.

Graphic design is a creative process that results in targeting a specific audience with a very clear message. A graphic designer may use typography, visual arts and page layout techniques to produce the final result. They also create and combine words, symbols and images to produce their visual ideas and messages. Common use for graphic design includes identity (logos and branding), websites, publications (magazines, newspapers and books), advertisements and product packaging. Therefore, professionals in the Graphic Design — Media field find work with: design and advertising companies, magazine design firms, packaging design studios, marketing and communications agencies, publishing companies, newspaper departments and TV production facilities. Titles in the field include: graphic designer, art director, creative director and production artist.

Although career paths in Graphic Design vary, they are all along the creative spectrum and often overlap. For example, the key responsibilities of the graphic designer include: determining the needs of the client, preparing sketches and layouts to illustrate their vision for the design, selecting all the elements of the design (i.e. colour, sound, artwork, photography), designing the actual product usually using computer software programs and presenting the product to the client. Meanwhile, an Art Director’s job is to oversee the artistic design of advertisements, print materials as well as the filming of TV commercials. The art director chooses a photographer, an illustrator, models, and any props necessary for an ad. If a print ad comes back from the printer with an imperfection, the art director is responsible for retouching it. On the other hand, creative directors more often come from a marketing/graphic design background. Creative Directors are more concerned with the higher-level issues of branding and marketing the product than sitting down at a computer and making changes to the product.

Adequate training is required to enter this field. Centennial College offers its Graphic Design program to students who can present at minimum an Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD) or equivalent or be 19 years of age or older. These applicants must also have the compulsory English 12C or U credit, or skills assessment, or equivalent. Additionally, there is a program information session during which applicants submit a portfolio. This portfolio should include up to 15 pieces of your original work in art and design. It should showcase works that demonstrate your ability and interest in graphic design, colour integrated designs created in digital illustration and digital imaging applications and a short research paper about your design philosophy and field of interest. For information on the portfolio requirements, check out the Graphic Media — Design admissions page.

In the program you will develop your visual design skills for print, emerge with multidisciplinary creative skills for today’s diverse and demanding industry, and work directly with internal and external clients on projects, which simulate the workplace demands of the industry in a practical and hands-on approach. The combination of multidisciplinary design skills and practical experience will set Graphic Design — Media graduates apart from the competition.

About the Author

Emma details how Graphic Designers take a client’s idea and turn it into a visual concept. The skills needed to be successful in graphic design are taught through the Graphic Design Media program at Centennial College.

Article Directory Source: http://www.articlerich.com/profile/--------Emma/110712

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