Graphic Design ~ Questions but no answers! Help?

Question

I'm interested in a graphic design career. As of right now, I'm attending a community college and am planning to transfer to a university at some point. But I have a few questions that I really really need answering...

1. Graphic design sounds like something I would enjoy but I've taken no classes dealing with it so I've tried to find general and specific information describing what it is exactly but I can hardly find anything good. Any decent websites or information you know of?

2. What specific jobs fall under graphic design?

3. The university I'll be attending has either a B.A. in art with a major in art (basically taking a lot of random studio classes) or a B.F.A. with an emphasis in graphic design. Obviously the one specifically dealing with G.D. would be best but they only accept 20 people a year so if I can't get into that...how does a general art major help with a graphic design career when you don't really even focus on graphic design?

4. With a B.A. major in art, what types of careers can you get with that seeing as how it's very general in courses?

Thanks so much to anyone who takes time out to answer this long post of mine, I really appreciate it!!!

Answer 1

1. Well, graphic design is kind of a grey area to define since it encompasses so many areas. For example, graphic designers can also be web designers, illustrators, or animators. But in general, graphic design is the production of computer generated printed or non printed graphics for commercial use. Graphic designers work mostly within the realm of marketing and advertising, and because of this they are employed in almost every type of business and commercial entity in the world, from local newspapers, to major motion pictures, to video games and create anything from the label on your Pepsi bottle to the graphics in the arenas for the 2008 Olympics. We're everywhere.



2. I kind a went through that, but to restate, graphic design, web design, animation, digital illustration and a few more i'm probably leaving out.



3. A general art BA major will not help you very much. It's a heavy concentration in studio art which leaves out all the computer related coursework....and graphic design in the business world is done on the computer, don't let anyone tell you different. When I was in school it was the same way. They only let a certain number into the program per semester and we had to take 5 initial studio course, then the work we did in those courses was graded by a panel of professors and the best ten were let in. The good news is that a university art department will usually let you apply again to the program in the following semester or year. In the mean time you can use the year you aren't in the program to bone up on your skills and get your university mandatory general courses out of the way.



4. That is something I can't say for sure. Although I had a few friends who opted for the BA instead of the BFA in G.D. and to the best of my knowledge, one is working at an Italian Restaurant and the other is a receptionist at a Mazda dealership.



Good luck!

Answer 2

1. Nope.

2. Anything and everything art related. When it comes to media arts (not fine arts) you'll find that what separates a graphic designer from an advertiser from a web designer (etc) will all depend on what you know. Your horizons are as wide as you allow them to be. For example, I went to school for animation, but through learning on the side, I moved into Visual Effects, Web design and graphic design. You are a diverse as you let yourself be. But a generic idea for graphic design would be company branding, logos, layouts, advertisments, banners, etc. Basically, look through a magazine, most of that falls under GD.

3. People loooking for graphic designers don't care what your diploma says. They are interested in one thing and one thing only-talent. They want to know that you can get the job done.

4. I personally think that a BA in fine arts is a waste. Most people with a fine arts degree are painters and sculptures, or so many people think as such. But as I've said, it really depends on what you can do with your talents.

That's my generic overview for you. Email me if you have any more questions.

Answer 3

Take some computer courses too