High school is an important part of life— after all, it is when most people begin to look at different career options. However, knowing exactly where to begin when looking for a potential job or classes to help you get your desired career is difficult.
A specific career in the art field is graphic design. Graphic designers usually are hired by businesses to create logos, websites, brochures and other forms of advertising.
I recently talked to Laura Kline, a senior graphic designer who runs her own business called Lime Creative, about her job and how she got there.
Q: How long does it take to become a graphic designer?
A: Becoming a graphic designer isn’t like becoming a teacher, doctor or lawyer; there isn’t an official process for becoming certified. Anyone can call themselves a graphic designer, regardless of their experience, education, or skill level. That said, if you’re wanting to become a good professional graphic designer—one that crafts unique solutions for clients, thinks creatively, and adds to the growth and progression of the industry—then it takes years (and years and years).
Q: What classes should you take through both high school and college?
A: When I was in school back in the 90s, there weren’t any options for graphic design courses. It wasn’t even usually called graphic design then; it was referred to as “commercial art”. I had to be extra resourceful in selecting classes that would help me prepare for my future. For me, that meant I joined the yearbook staff and learned to use the equipment available. First, paper, pencil and actual photographs cropped using a plastic expandable cropping tool and a grease pencil… and then later using Adobe PageMaker, which was the precursor to Adobe InDesign, the tool I use most often now.
My recommendation would be to take a broad range of subjects including world history, psychology, sociology, writing and business courses. All of these help you to build an understanding of the world, how people relate to each other, themselves and the world around them. For example, as a graphic designer, it’s vital to understand history so you can identify historical artistic trends and design sensibilities so you aren’t accidentally placing 1970s typefaces into a 1920s-themed design, which would make the piece feel inauthentic.
Psychology and sociology are important for understanding the way colors evoke emotion and the way different cultures and people groups respond to visuals and art. It also gives you the foundation for understanding people, which you’ll need to be able to do when you’re working with clients, bosses, partners and vendors.
Writing classes teach you to take criticism and use it to make your works better, a must in any field where your goal is to make the best piece while also pleasing a client.
And business courses give you an understanding of how to work and exist within the business world. Many designers function in a freelance capacity or as a one-person studio, as I do. That means I’m responsible not only to handle the creative side of things, but also managing clients and the financial aspects including billing, taxes, payroll, etc. Plus gaining an understanding of marketing, advertising and organizational communication can give you a head start in your career over those with only art classes in their repertoire.
Be creative—look at every class that’s offered, ask yourself how it could help in your career as a graphic designer. You’ll find that almost every class gives you something—even math. I use more math every day as a designer than I ever expected.
Q: What advice do you have?
A: Don’t look for shortcuts, but don’t ignore what you can learn from even poorly-made templates and less skilled designers. Training your eye to be critical and detail-oriented will go a long way toward situating yourself as an expert in your field.
Take copyright and licensing seriously. Don’t steal from other artists—fonts, photos, graphics, icons, videos, animations, layouts. These are all protected by copyright, so pay the money to license the work of others and bill it to your clients. “Free” websites for font downloads are usually poor quality, stolen from the original artist or are only free for personal projects. The same goes for AI artwork, so be very cautious if you choose to use AI-generated elements. Always read the fine print.
Never stop learning. Make it your goal to add to your skillset every year; graphic design is an entirely different industry now than it was when I began. It will be for you too.
Q: What is one thing you wished you’d done differently?
A: I should have taken more business classes in college. I double-majored in Art (with a concentration in graphic design and web design) and Writing. In hindsight, I realize I probably should have added a minor in business, which would have given me a sturdier foundation when I founded Lime Creative in 2006.
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