Although pursuing artistic independence and getting compensated at the same time is one of the perks of being a graphic designer, the work itself is far from simply coming up with landing pages, icons, infographics, fonts, or even flyers.

To excel (and not only survive!) as a graphic designer these days you should be able to embrace talents that are typically beyond the traditional designer’s skill set. These non-design skills include understanding the psychology behind a particular design, persuading customers of the design concepts, and managing feedback as a field. Plus, you need to stay up to date with the relevant developments in your business.

If you’re a student who dreams about dabbling in graphic design when you’re out of school or you’re in your 30s and would love to switch careers, look no further than the definitive guide on how to become a graphic designer.

Who is a Graphic Designer?

Graphic designers are artists who design work in print and electronic media, such as magazines, TV graphics , logos and websites. They develop visual concepts, either by hand or using computer tools, to express ideas that educate and empower customers. They are design the final layout and production concept for ads, brochures , magazines and business papers.

Job Opportunities

Graphic designers have job opportunities in a variety of markets, such as advertisement, publishing, web design, etc. New artists should be conscious of software like Photoshop, Gimp, Flash, Dreamweaver, Fireworks, Illustrator, Mix or more. Except in 3 – 4 years of practise, Design is more of an independent genius than teamwork. Hence, usually, the career of a designer slows down a little after 3-4 years of employment.

Many designers may earn a bachelor’s or post-graduate degree as these college programmes help them develop stronger professional skills, and they are able to build portfolios of their work that can help them find an easier career after college. 

Salary Structure

After a strong experience of about 6 years in the industry, the income of the designer is usually stagnated at INR 4 – 5 lacs p.a. However, with the rise of the Internet, there is a great deal of freelance design for several clients even while working with a company. You can also build, run and maintain your own campaigns on platforms like Instagram, WordPress, Blogger, etc. and gain extra money from hits, likes & visits.

Roles & Responsibilities

A career in graphic design provides a host of opportunities and in a range of markets. Graphic designers have the following roles in their work:

• Meet clients to decide the scope of the design
• Advise clients on tactics to attract consumer groups
• Determine the message to be shown in the template
• Build photos that can be used to describe a commodity or send a message
• Develop visuals for illustrations, websites, and logos
• Pick the layout, text , pictures, and colours for the design
• Presentation of the design to the customer or employer
• Support with improvements suggested by clients according to their requirements in the final version.
• Careful inspection of templates for any errors prior to printing or publishing

A career in graphic design can help you extend your opportunities to include a wide variety of artistic careers that can help you achieve leadership roles in major creative companies such as advertising agencies and industrial design firms. Thus, opting for a degree in graphic design or similar fields will open doors for countless opportunities. Mentioned below are only a few careers that you can get with a degree in graphic design:

• Art or Creative Director
• Architecture and Engineering Drafter
• Video and Film Editor
• Graphic Designer
• Product or Industrial Designer
• Marketing Manager
• Campaign Manager
• Multimedia Artist or Animator
• Technical Writer
• Web Designer

Education Requirement

Candidates wishing to pursue a career in Graphic Design can take a course in this specialty in design at the undergraduate or postgraduate level. Some of the most prominent colleges that offer graphic design courses are: 

• NID 
• IIT
• Symbiosis School of Design
• MIT
• UID 
• DYPDC

Why NID Is The Best Course For Graphic Designers 

Over the years, it has become imperative for brands to build a prominent presence online. Hence, there has been a dramatic change in the way a graphic designer operates. With the advancement of technology and changes in the way we communicate, the role of a graphic designer has become much more important. 

The National Institute of Design (NID) prepares students to excel in this atmosphere, especially in the field of visual communication and graphic designing. 

At NID, building a visual vocabulary through drawing, developing aesthetic judgement, and understanding the values of form has become an integral part that every student needs to undertake. 

During their course at NID, students are encouraged to work on a host of different projects, some of which include typography, type design, publication design, image creation, illustration, photography, packaging, print design, building a corporate identity, branding, and creating information & communication systems in digital and analogue domains. This enhances their skills and opens up multiple streams and opportunities for them to pursue after completing the course. Moreover, students will also have the competency to launch their own design firm after the completion of the course. 

It goes without saying that while the benefits of undertaking the NID course are vast, acing the course is not an easy feat. In addition to building their design abilities and theoretical aspects, students are also expected to undertake the study of cultural, historical, social and ethical factors that can influence their design decisions. 

Essentially, the ultimate goal of this course is to stimulate the development of critical judgement, strong research skills and enhance the ability to think creatively and execute the design as a professional. 

Due to these factors, completing an NID course is seen as a great feat by companies, thereby increasing job opportunities for the candidate after the course. 

Career in graphic design is one of the most common careers that many people with innovative quality and expertise are taking part in these days. If you think you’ve got the potential and the creativity, you should surely go for it. It’s not easy to excel in a career in this area, so either you have to be very optimistic, build rare skill sets, or go to a higher research-based school. The competition in graphic design is fierce, but demand is also widespread.

Hence, to ace this course and to ensure they are able to stand out of the crowd, many students opt for NID classes in Pune. These classes provide additional support to the students and ensure they’re able to keep up with the intense curriculum and skills required to complete the NID course. 

At IID, we aim to help our students build successful careers in the field of design. Hence, we provide additional assistance in the form of NID/NIFT/ NATA/JEE-P2 classes in Pune to ensure our students are always on the top of the batch. 

If you’re planning to build a successful career in the field of design and want to take the first stepping stone by pursuing an NID course, you should consider contacting us at IID today!