The 21st Century Graphic Design Professional
This article pays tribute to the talented and usually undervalued graphic design professional. For those that work in this field, many of their friends and family do not understand what they do. Also, in many workplace environments that are not creative agencies, the in-house designer is often viewed as someone who just makes pretty pictures. Of course this is not the case. Let’s take a look at what these professionals have to contend with in the 21st century’s world of design.
In today’s world, designers need to be well-versed in a variety of mediums. In the old days, designers dealt with the traditional world of print and broadcast graphics. As media formats have expanded, here is a partial list of what designers come across in their daily lives:
- Corporate Identity
- Package Design (numerous variations)
- Outdoor (billboards, etc.)
- Print Display Advertising
- Direct Mail
- Broadcast
- Websites
- CD-ROMs
- DVDs
- Computer Applications
- Mobile Phone Interfaces
- iPhone Apps
- Podcast Graphics
- Flash Design
- Kiosks
- Digital Signage
- Videogames
As you can see, the media formats are numerous and this is just a partial list. In addition to the list above, design professionals have the equally daunting challenge of developing skills in a wide variety of software applications. For designers in agency settings, many are challenged with tasks relating to conceptual planning and ideation at a strategic level. A heavy emphasis is placed on effectively communicating ideas and messages through visual means. This necessitates highly creative and intelligent thinking to be successful.
As challenging as it is, the variety of necessary skills and knowledge required makes for an extremely interesting career path. Our society continues to evolve in becoming more visual than ever. The demand for graphic designers continues to increase and their contributions surround us. The next time you see a great advertisement, website or videogame, think of the designers behind the scenes. Then think what a talented group of designers could offer to your communication efforts. Whether it’s freelance, in-house or through an agency, once you’ve found your pool of design professionals, value their contributions and watch how they can have a positive effect on your business.