Contrary to popular belief, art is anything but a dying career field. There are currently about 2.1 million artists working in the U.S. One of the most exciting fields in the art industry is graphic design, which mainly involves creating design-based art for advertising, marketing and other promotional materials for companies across the country.
Here are five facts you might not know about working in the graphic design industry:
1. Graphic design is art: Graphic designers actually contribute largely to the visual arts community, creating pieces of illustration, printing, displays and signs, advertising, photography and animation. In addition, many fine art colleges and art schools are also colleges for graphic design; some even offer computer animation programs!
2. Graphic design is in-demand: Currently, there are about 68,900 people employed by the multimedia art industry. By 2022, the graphic design industry is projected to grow by about 7 percent. Graphic design continues to be one of the most in-demand job fields for artists and creative minds.
3. Graphic design is competitive: Because graphic design programs are such a popular choice at arts colleges, competition for jobs in the industry is high. You can give yourself a competitive edge and stand out from the crowd by looking at computer animation programs and having a knowledge of animation and web design as well.
4. Graphic designers work independently: More and more advertising agencies and companies rely on freelance design work rather than hiring an in-house designer. This allows graphic designers to be self-employed, only needing their computer and graphic design software to earn a living. In fact, 1 of every 4 graphic designers is self-employed.
5. Graphic design is hot in California and New York: Because many of the biggest companies and corporations are in New York and Los Angeles, most graphic design jobs gravitate around those cities. Be prepared to move to the big city if you want to work in this field! Research more here. Research more here.
