Natwerk Designs

What's it like being a graphic designer?

What qualities do you think a graphic designer must ABSOLUTELY have in order to nail their job and excel in it? I'm not a amazing artist like pablo piccasso, but i do enjoy coming up with ideas for projects and any group projects. Although, i'm not creative enough to come up with new fantasy character for movies or anything, i do enjoy designing cards/poster boards and making cool layouts. Would graphic designing be a good career for me to look into? I'm a sophmore in high school and graphic designing seems really interesting to me and i'm registering for next year on Wednesday. Is there classes you suggest i take? I'm in art.

Public Comments

1. NO! Turn back! Don't come this way! Seriously, for one thing, get Piccasso out of your head. The goal of a good designer is NOT to make beautiful art-- it's to sell product. Get ready for more negative comments than good and be prepared to SELL what you produce. In some ways, it's the opposite of art. The idea is to make what resonates with the masses-- whether you or your client believes in it.
2. I think a GD would have to have the ability to keep up with the times and styles that advertisement requires for selling a product. As a matter of a fact, you should be creative enough to develop something that really catches the future eye of society, something new and fresh, and cool unlike any other. But you can do the basics and work in a career field that needs only the basics of style and appeal, but those wont pay much.
3. you don't have to be good in drawing or painting in order to be good graphic designer. The principle intention of manual drawing is to exercise your perception, and refine your ideas, so you look at the computer only as a medium and NOT AS a problem solver. The most important thing in GD is the idea, and the way to make it visually dominant. You HAVE to be acknowledged with the elements and principles of design. And in time when you become experienced you will feel them and not even think about them. As a professional GD myself I encourage you to follow your dream, because it is an exiting, creative, full of surprises along the way (not always positive), and a job in which you have to be very creative in order to satisfy both the customer and yourself at the same time (the hardest thing to do). Good luck with your decision!
4. actually for me, it's not the job that counts. it's your eagerness, willingness your drive to do things that you like. and dont forget the attitudes. if you know that you are good on that craft then go for it, don't waste your talent. having a good career really lies in your hands no matter what course are you gonna take. just dont forget to believe always inyourself and do the things that you like.
5. I'm in college for Graphic Design, and I gotta say you really need the ambition for it. There is alot of people going for that field of proffesion and some are really amazing so you gotta have the absolute dedication and love for doing it to survive in this battle of who will get what job to design what. Just lots of competition you might not be that serious about getting involved with, but if you are and you got the skills then go for it, its fun! Will ya please answer my question? http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AsjI6f0.nLtQCLpP4rVqN93sy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20080209114042AAMIVed
6. Graphic Designer has nothing to do with painting. period. your job is to be creative, follow your gut feeling and try to get in the person's shoes. If somebody wants to have work down, listen and try to visualize what he is aiming for. Go in a liquour store and look at labels on the bottles. That should set you straight and give you a good idea . I design magazine and labels for alcohol companies. Always follow the trend of the times. I , myself , see what colors will predominate in clothing or what not. I always had that sense and intuition to guess the trend and the colors ahead of time. Then , build around that theme.