[dropcap]P[/dropcap]eople want to be many things in life. Some find themselves in science, others in commercials or in art-related careers. And while some realize that they are naturally talented in certain things that may or may not relate to their career, everyone is usually advised to get a degree in their chosen field.
The reason for this is that a lot has changed over the past years – beyond looking for those who have the talent, employers now search people that have the educational backing to supplement their skill set. For those aspiring to blaze their mark in the area of communicative design, selecting an academic path would somewhat depend on how they want to structure career.
Finding what fits
Graphic design is the practice of expressing textual concepts using a slew of creative projecting ideas to pass across a message. It’s also familiar to some as communicative design, meaning it has a wide area of expertise. These are the experts tasked with designing things like leaflets, brochures, journal and book covers, billboards, flyers and a host of other text-related formats.
Freelance communicative art experts have often been told that getting some formal schooling on their career is not that essential since employers only keep an eye out for the calibre of delivered work. But it has been proven over the years that school-based learning in a field amplifies whatever existing skills you had in that field. The same goes for graphics – be it a casual or professional pursuit, getting at least some formal educative guidance is highly advised. The level to which you go would now depend on you.
What sub-focus areas are there in this career? Quite a number:
- Web design
- Book design
- Logo creation
- Interface design
- Desktop publishing
The above mentioned are popular, but many more can be found. Note that most ‘gurus’ engage in more than one speciality especially if the work their clients get them requires to be savvy in more fields than one. It’s like someone who chooses to work as an online essay writer. He won’t write on only one classification of essays.
Educational Requirements
High school is where some people begin discovering their skills, by combining what they learn in Arts and Computer Studies. But that is not a prerequisite; one could as well hone their skills in the first year of learning the core principles of Graphic Design in a university or college. A Bachelor’s degree would be where most people would choose to start out in their educational endeavor. However, there is another degree that can be considered worth taking – the Associate’s or AS. This is quite suitable for freelancers.
The mode of study is also flexible. You can decide to study in a university campus, or just take the course online while doing other things in life. After your first degree, it’s advisable but not compulsory to do a variety of internships and placements to gather experience. People often do this, then return to school for a higher degree. If the communicative design is a freelance affair for you, the choice of getting a master’s degree is purely out of choice.
