American Institute of Graphics Arts (AIGA) defined graphics design as “the art and practice of planning and projecting ideals and experience with visual and textual content”. It is the visual communication of ideas and passing across messages through visual representation.

It requires artistic and technical skills to successfully become a good Graphics designer, as your designs should be aesthetically pleasing and eye-friendly and, at the same time, consciously designed to successfully pass across the right message and communicate effectively with the viewer. A renowned designer Alexandros Clufetos once said, “Graphic Design takes graphical and textual elements and implements them into multiple media types”. He went further to explain that “Graphics design helps the producer connect with the consumer, conveying the message of the project, event, campaign or product. Graphics Design generally helps producers interact with potential customers without even saying a word, rather than relying on detailed designs to advertise, promote and sell their products for them. In otherworldly, graphics design is the modern day’s best form of communication.

Why Study Graphics Design

As a student with a passion for making art, communicating with a wide range of people without saying a thing, or even being there and earning handsomely while doing what you love, graphics design sounds like an ideal course of study. Graphics design is a visual form of art, combining advanced technology with an artistic passion for speaking for companies, brands and organizations, helping them successfully communicate with millions of consumers out there through well-detailed graphics. It is another form of artistic expression that can be used for commercial purposes while still maintaining pure artistry.

Jacob Smith, who is the founder ProductViz, an illustration studio, said, “Every day, we take many of the subtly artistic things around us for granted. But hidden in every magazine cover, textbook or even design lies a set of design ideas that influence our perceptions”. This shows just how much Graphics Design we have around us, our consumption rate and how it influences our daily lives. It is one of the best and most successful forms of art expression, catchy to the eyes and easy to understand.

Benefits of Studying Graphics Design

In the world we are in today, we are constantly in direct or indirect contact with various forms of art, graphics and illustrations that shapes how we view, understand, and even communicate with other. Whether it’s the street sign directing you, the pamphlet briefing you on the subject matter or even the huge billboard marketing a product to you, we all come in contact with one form of graphics design or another every day. 

This shows how influential graphic Design can be and its importance in every industry, therefore the reason for the high demand for designers who can successfully execute and deliver the best form of graphical communication. Graphics Designing provides freedom for the expression of thoughts and ideas as an ideal way to pass across a message.

 Graphics Design is composed of many fields ranging from animation, logo design and even web design. It has gone way beyond the print posters and physical designs to an even more digital web-related design greeting you in every ad or website, or even social media. As a graphics designer, you learn to create interactive pictures and texts that can successfully pass across a message and effectively communicate with a wide range of audiences worldwide, thereby influencing their thoughts and perception towards products, ideas, perception and even social interaction.

Career Opportunities in Graphics Design

With a degree such as Graphics Design, you have the skills et it takes to survive in the technology-dominated world we live in today. The opportunity for Graphics Designers is endless, with options to work for various companies and industries as direct employees or freelance partners. With Technological advancement, there have been improved methods of graphics designing and therefore creating more graphics designing jobs. 

This evolution has changed the field of Graphics Designing, shifting from a more classical paper print and traditional graphic Design to a more digital and web-related design. The Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) projected that employment for Graphics Designers would grow by 24% through 2028, mainly due to businesses and industries’ increased demand for graphical representation of their brand aimed at increased digital presence. 

With various forms of graphics expression and digital designs, graphics design graduates can now work and pursue careers in any of the following;

• Art Director
• Creative Director
• User Experience (UX) Designer
• Web Designer
• Graphics Designer
• Marketing & Advertising Designer
• Packaging Designer
• Game Design
• Illustration
• Motion Graphics and Animation

Graphic Design is a very interesting major if you have a passion for arts and Design and would like to push that passion to a more digital space, exploring and creating new interfaces that would help companies and brands communicate effectively with consumers. With a wide range of industries to work with and an impressive amount of money you can earn, there’s nothing to worry about when choosing it as your major.