Top 5 Most Demanded Jobs in Graphic Design
Graphic design is a rapidly developing area of human activity. Every day we face hundreds of graphic products, which can be placed on banners, logos, food packages, and even in the digital environment. That’s why jobs in graphic design regularly make it to the top of most demanded professions of the world. So, who is a graphic designer, and what are the best-paid and most needed specializations in this field? Stay with us to get the answer!
Generally speaking, a graphic designer is a specialist who creates visual images of the elements of our environment through the means of graphics. They develop unique individual styles of various products, including the company’s symbolics, book and magazine covers, illustrations, printing types, etc. A good designer should combine artistic talent, excellent taste, and thorough knowledge of technical software/tools. Besides, graphic specialists don’t merely create nice pictures. Their product must solve some challenging issues – it should be bright, memorable, recognizable, and reflect the essence. This is impossible without analytical skills.
Numerous jobs in graphic design can be explained by a variety of directions. Each specialization requires the knowledge of specific tools, means of manifestation, and influence. As a rule, one specialist focuses on one or two of them. Let’s take a closer look at the top 5 most demanded graphic jobs.
Jobs in Graphic Design – Brand Graphic Designer
Facing harsh competition, all companies and manufacturers are looking for ways to stand out from the crowd and attract customers` attention. Unique style, product packing, and service presentation can significantly increase customers` recognition and, consequently, income. Brand designers help companies to draw attention through various sources. They develop logos, signs, promotional merchandise, corporate colors, and other recognizable graphic elements. Then, the whole set gets the unites style, forming the future corporate identity. Besides, modern brand designers take active participation in the development of the company’s apps, websites, digital products, and self-presentation on social media.
Since a successful or unsuccessful brand style plays a significant role in the company’s future, hirers have a lot of requirements for brand designers. Artistic skills and specialized education are some of the most important. You can study brand design in various educational establishments in the world. The recommended programs include Graphic Design, Brand Management, and Marketing, Art.
Usually, brand designers work for design agencies or themselves. According to the Glassdoor.com website, a beginning brand specialist’s salary starts from $40 000 per year. Leading professionals earn $60 000 – $85 000 annually. Thus, brand design proves to be one of the highest-paid jobs in graphic design.
Jobs in Graphic Design – Motion Graphic Designer
Motion graphic designers are specialists who combine art, design, and IT technologies. They are engaged in the creation of motion graphics. These are short 2D-graphic videos where animation replaces static images.
The main task of motion designers is to attract and hold attention, maximally informing users about the product. And since motion graphics combine video, audio, and text into a single animated story, they perfectly fit for this purpose. Simultaneously affecting hearing and vision, these stories have a stronger impact on the viewers’ emotional perception.
One should note that motion designers do not create cartoons. Unlike a cartoon, these graphics don’t have a complete plot; it only briefly expresses an idea or concept. Motion designer is a new, demanded, and promising jobs in graphic design. Television, the Internet, mobile apps, advertising, games all hire motion graphic designers. Besides, businesses often apply animation graphics as the means of presentation, visualization, and illustration of ideas.
As far as the profession is in high demand, you can find dozens of colleges and universities worldwide to study motion graphics. There are Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees, tutorials, online courses, etc. An average salary of a motion graphic specialist varies from $50 000 to $65 000. The best designers` income reaches $90 000 annually.
Environmental Graphic Designer
Environmental graphic designers carry out the comprehensive design of public spaces. Firstly, they help to organize the urban environment in the projects of residential complexes. Since the urban population is growing, we face the necessity to fit everyone with maximum comfort, functionality, aesthetics, and environmental friendliness. As you see, this is an urgent and challenging task; that’s why environmental design has increasingly become such a popular profession.
Also, these specialists take part in the creation and recreation of urban historical places. They save the history and try to fit new locations into the old context so that no one will be hurt. In a short word, environmental designers create a new organic and balanced face of the city.
On the one hand, environmental designers deal with graphics. On the other hand, they need thorough architectural knowledge. That’s why the best way to become an environmental designer is to get a Master’s degree in one of the colleges and universities. According to statistics, the average annual income of environmental graphic designers swings between $60 000 – $64 000. However, experienced specialists earn over $90 000, the highest range reaching $108 000.
Packaging Graphic Designer
It’s not a secret that even the world’s best product will never be in demand without proper presentation and promotion. In fierce competition, success requires catchy advertising and packaging. These two elements help attract customers` attention, give them a brief yet bright and informative description, and provoke the desire to buy it. Packaging designers create a powerful tool for product promotion through the design of bottles, cans, labels, packets, boxes, etc. Since the modern market faces overproduction, packaging designers justly occupy their place at the top of most demanded jobs in graphic design.
To become a packaging guru, you should get a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Graphic Design. The choice of the educational establishment is tough since there are many schools, colleges, universities, as well as online programs and degrees. Consider the Industrial Technology and Packaging Program at California Polytechnic State University, BFA in Packaging Design in Fashion Institute of Technology (New York), Packaging Design and Communication at Mid Sweden University, and many others.
If you’re looking for high salaries, this profession is definitely for you. An average packaging designer’s income reaches $69 000 – $71 000. The leading specialists get over $90 000 – $120 000 per year.
Jobs in Graphic Design – Type Graphic Designer
Typeface design is quite an exciting area of graphic design. Here, specialists create readable text fonts. Apart from uniqueness, these fonts are aimed at solving certain tasks. The font is created to suit the circumstances where it’s used. For example, types may become a part of the brand identity or be applied to merchandise/advertisement for promotion.
Like all graphic design branches, type design can be applied in all the fields mentioned above, including motion videos, packaging, a project of the residential complex, and so on. Fashion is changing rapidly, but each typeface should fit the times and stay durable and independent. Though it may seem that people have tried everything in this sphere, type designers manage to offer absolutely new and fresh ideas.
As a rule, type designers get classic education in design, graphic design, or art. The more specialized knowledge is acquired on additional courses. However, nowadays, one can find decent university programs like MA in Typeface Design at the University of Reading, England, or Postgraduate Certificate in Typeface Design in New York. Junior specialists get up to $45 000, while senior type designers can earn over $80 000 per year. The salary depends on whether you work for one company or agency or have private clients.
Jobs in Graphic Design – Conclusion
Undoubtedly, graphic design is one of the most promising and beneficial directions in the labor market. It provides unique opportunities for self-expression and a decent income. So, if you feel artistic gift and creativity, do take a chance!