Career Choices: Web Design vs. Graphic Design

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Any design-related job requires individuals who are naturally creative. You truly have to possess and exhibit that unique ability to think outside the box – if not get rid of the box altogether. You should be a person who can build imaginary castles in the air and make them a reality. You should be good with colors as well. If your friends find your taste for color palettes and patterns amazing, then you have one of the most important skills of a talented designer. Designers are dreamers who can transform their imagination into reality, and that is the beauty of design jobs.

The demand for design work, ranging from fashion to graphic and website design, has been on a steady rise. If you are considering a career in website design, graphic design, or both, it is important to understand what each entails.

Graphic Designers

An effective graphic designer values artistry, and puts it first. This job calls for a close one-way working relationship with your clients and you truly have to bring your best artistic skills forward. Graphic design calls for more emphasis on the visual theory in the designs, and the final product has to convey intricate messages in a language that people can relate to. There is also a need to understand the relationship among the elements and how they relate to print. Finally, you shouldn’t have a problem with redoing assignments multiple times to ensure that the work comes out perfect.

Web Designers

The need for technical know-how is more pronounced in Web design jobs than graphic design. However, you also need to maintain close interaction with the audience because the final product, which is the website, must serve and meet their requirements. It is here that the customer is the boss. It doesn’t matter how fancy a website is. If it isn't intuitive enough for the user, then the effort put into creating a visually beautiful design is wasted. Web design is more technical than graphic design because one has to exhibit proper understanding of various or specific programming languages, coding, and UI concepts, among others. Some back-end knowledge is also necessary and you must understand how the design will appear on various browsers and mobile devices such as tablets, smartphones, or laptops.

What Makes a Good Designer

The number one attribute of a good designer is passion for creativity. Unfortunately, there are many fly-by-night designers—some with very impressive university degrees—who can't come up with anything original. It is also unwise to pursue a career in design because of the paycheck; doing something you love as much as the money is an important consideration. For graphic and Web design, it calls for a blend of both passion for design and technology. Understanding the industry and keeping up with trends is a good first step towards making the right career choice. Just bear in mind that this job will be consuming more than 40 hours a week of your precious time, or maybe even more if you end up as an independent contractor or freelancer.

The Choice

The choice between graphic and Web design jobs or a career doing one of them should generally be based on the above factors. Think about the area where you think you can excel best. The income levels of each all depends on how you package your work for clients. If you deliver superior quality designs, you shouldn’t have a problem charging a premium for your expertise. The future of the design industry is bright, and if you aren't a copy-and-paste worker, you won't run out of projects to work on.

 

Posted 11 May, 2015

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