Is Graphic Design A Good Career?
Many people who have an artistic flare are always trying to find a way to make a buck. You’ve heard of the starving artist, right? Well there is a good reason for this stereotype…a lot of artists do starve… 
While some people like Andy Warhol do manage to make it big, a lot more are living on the edge, trying to find a way to make a buck in order keep food in the kitchen and to avoid staying off the street. If this is for you we have an idea…
Why not try a career in graphic design for the internet industry? It may not be as “leading edge” as you like, but it will use your artistic talents and is not as boring as pushing papers for an insurance agency or bank (heaven forbid).
As a graphic artist for the internet industry you will more probably than not be using your skillset to come up with graphics for websites. You may have to adhere to corporate standards of branding for a big company, but if the company is small and just starting out you might be given the opportunity to “go wild” if you will. Not too wild mind you…just a bit. Keep in mind that the people you work for have a business and you need to keep some sort of standards in order to not scare them all away.
A graphic design salary is not that bad either. If you happen to have a really “in demand” skill set, or live in a huge metro area you might be able to command a better salary. Once you have established some years of service you will be able to command a bit more.
I have a friend who is a graphic designer. He tells me that there are more women in this field than men, but he is a man so men do work as graphic designers as well. He likes what he does but since he is an aging hippie I can picture him having more fun roaming around the country in a Volkswagen van with flowers on the side…
Try a career in graphics design if you have an artistic love and want to make a few dollars. It can’t hurt to try it out, right? You might find that you are not as “avant garde” as you think you are…
About Web Site Design
Having just developed a web site for a pensions advisory service, I can tell you that, for some business environments, clean and streamlined will always win out over flashy and in-your-face.
When you’re looking at designing a web site, or creating the accompanying graphics(think: logo/branding) you need to think about your target market. Most people that surf the internet for a specific service, piece of information or product are not web-savvy.
They have no idea about alignment, navigation or the functionality of a web site. All they want to do is source whatever it is they’re looking for – buy the service/product or learn something new, and leave. If you make your web site loud, flashy and complicated, the first thing your audience is going to do is? That’s right – hit the back button.
In a sense you need to think about your web site and it’s creation and design as you would a bricks and mortar showroom or store. Imagine that you’re a fashion designer. You’re going to want sharp, focused lighting, space and décor that oozes luxury and class. The interior of a Marc Jacobs outlet (see pic below) is exactly what I’m talking about.
You’re hardly likely to design something that’s small and cramped, and has the kind of lighting that encourages a crop of mushrooms to grow overnight. That’s how you need to think about web design. It needs to match, to correspond with your service of product – and it needs to sell.
If you look at this website for instance – it’s dark yet dramatic, the interface is clean and navigable and we’re not trying to overpower you with ‘stuff’. We wanted something that would focus more on what we had to say than what it is we do – we want the content to speak, yet the site around it did need to reflect what we’re all about.
So – web design needs to be approached sensibly, and has to be about who you’re wanting to attract ‘through the door’, rather than what you want. Remember – your website is not a room in your house that badly needs a make-over!