A Complete Guide to Graphic Design Schools

If you’re interested in the visual arts and want to help people share their message with the world, graphic design could be the perfect career field for you to pursue. To get started, you’ll need to know what graphic design education looks like, whether it’s right for you, and what schools should be at the top of your list.

If you’re looking to pursue art and design education, look no further than this complete guide. Here, you’ll find everything you need to know so you can move forward into this new chapter of your life with confidence.

What Is Graphic Design School?

Graphic design is a form of visual communication design. The goal is to communicate ideas visually through images, colors, font, text, and interactive media. The field encompasses several topics from visual arts to digital media and advertising.

It’s rare to find graphic design colleges on their own. In general, they are a department in a college or part of the college of art in a university. Graphic design also isn’t just one degree. Because it includes so many subjects, different schools may place emphasis on different parts of graphic design or even offer unique degree paths within graphic design.

BFA Graphic Design Program vs. Associate Degree Programs

If you want to study this subject at art schools, most people start with either an associate degree or BFA graphic design program. A college of art will typically offer both, though some may only offer one. Both are designed to give students the practical skills they need to succeed beyond college and the technical skills to be graphic designers.

However, an associate’s degree is typically only two years while a bachelor’s takes four years. But the good news is that an associate’s degree can often be applied to a bachelor’s. So if you complete an associate’s degree and then decide you want a bachelor’s, you won’t be starting from the beginning to get this higher degree.

Master’s Degree in Graphic Design

Often, the best graphic design schools also offer MFA programs for graphic design graduates. These graduate programs take students’ knowledge of the field and skills to the next level. Master’s programs also allow for greater specialization.

For example, if you’d like to focus on the intersection of visual communication design and branding, you can have an equal focus on business and art. But perhaps you want to further advance your technical design skills — there’s a program out there for you too.

Depending on your job, your company may actually pay you to go back to school or increase your salary once you have a master’s. Explore these opportunities so that your program will be paid for.

Certificate Programs

If these programs sound like too much for you, but you’re still interested in studying media arts and how you can use the visual arts to impact an audience, certificate programs could be the perfect solution for you.

Certificate programs are generally very short time commitments, lasting only a semester or even less. They’re also far more affordable than getting a degree.

You don’t need a degree to get started in the industry, especially if you’re doing freelance. However, if you’ve already learned a bit of graphic design on your own, some formal graphic design education from a certificate program can still be incredibly beneficial.

It will give you the vocabulary to discuss and explain what you know instinctually, explain the reasoning behind what you’ve learned through trial and error, and also be something you can point to on your resume to show your passion for the subject and commitment to improving.

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The Skills You Gain at Graphic Design Schools

Graphic design programs at art schools teach students visual communication design. Students develop their technical skills to create visuals, graphics, and the principles of informing and impacting their audiences to get the desired results for their clients.

But what does learning visual communication design from graphic design schools look like in practice? Here are some skills you’ll gain:

  • Web design and maintenance
  • Use visual communication software
  • Create designs
  • Draw
  • Edit and process photos
  • Create multi-dimensional images
  • Color theory
  • Video editing
  • Layout
  • Programming
  • Animation

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but should give you a good idea of what you’d gain from your program.

Is Going to College for Graphic Design Worth It?

Attending a college of art and design will give you the foundational skills and knowledge to propel your graphic design career. However, not all graphic design schools are made equal. And while others are the best in the country, they may also come with an outrageous price tag.

In general, a degree in graphic design is more than “worth it”. It teaches you highly marketable skills that can be applied across industries. With graphic design, you’ll never feel trapped in one career box and unable to escape when you’re bored or the demand drops.

Of course, find a program you can reasonably afford and explore your various options. For example, if you’re not certain this is the career you want, consider getting a certificate before you enroll in a BFA program. This will ensure you’re not taking on more than you’re willing to commit to and will lead to the best results.

How to Evaluate Graphic Design Programs

So you’ve decided that college is for you and you want to discover the best graphic design schools. How do you know which will provide you with the best graphic design education?

The school you choose is a significant commitment. You’ll be spending a lot of time (and money) there, and this program will establish the foundation of your professional skills. You want to ensure you’re spending your time somewhere that will best equip you to succeed and thrive as a graphic designer.

So how do you know which schools will give you the best education? Here are some things you should look for to evaluate any potential program.

Accreditation

Art schools may not always be as large as research universities, but just because you’ll be focusing on visual communication doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be going to a school that is accredited.

Accreditation is a status bestowed by accrediting agencies. This designates that universities and art schools alike maintain certain educational standards. So when you’re looking to study and pay for a degree, accreditation should be the bare minimum, not just a bonus.

These schools also have greater access to scholarships and federal aid. You may ultimately pay less for better education and a school with a good reputation than an unaccredited school.

Graphic Design Curriculum

Graphic design is a form of visual communication design. It’s about improving your visual literacy so that you can use your skills to share information and impact your audience. However, that can be fairly broad when it comes down to what your course load will realistically look like.

You want a curriculum that will be well-rounded to give you a good foundation and develop your critical thinking skills. You’ll want the basics of design history and design theory to inform your concept of your goals and standards. But beyond the basics, you’ll also want a curriculum that provides you with the opportunity to specialize in what you’re interested in.

Hands-On Instruction

Part of the curriculum you should look for is your opportunities for hands-on instruction. Graphic design prepares students for a fairly particular set of skills. These technical skills are a must-have for landing the job you want rather than expecting to learn them on the job.

If all your courses are lecture halls, you won’t have the opportunity to truly develop your visual communication design skills. If the curriculum available online doesn’t reveal how much hands-on instruction you’d receive, reach out to the department and ask this question when you speak to instructors or graduate students.

Practical Studio Work

As a graphic designer, you don’t need to wait to land a job or even an internship to develop your technical skills and start building your portfolio. Without even leaving campus, you should have some chance to start developing those skills and get the realistic practice you’re looking for.

Take a look at the facilities and what the expectations are for you using those facilities. When are they open? Then, discover what opportunities they provide to students to show off their projects. Are there exhibitions, contests, or special events? By getting to work in a studio rather than waiting for your first day at a job, you’re preparing yourself for your career and increasing your employability.

Internships

While a graphic design degree will get you far in your field, it’s not the be-all-end-all of studying visual communication design. In students’ junior and senior years, it’s fairly common for them to get internships with design firms. This is the ideal real-world experience for developing technical skills while establishing a professional portfolio.

See if the program has partnerships to help you find an ideal internship or if it’s even encouraged. These are great opportunities, so the more your school supports you in getting an internship, the better.

Technology Available

Perhaps you picture art school and imagine sketchbooks and old paintings. But if recent design history has taught us anything it’s that technology is the future and it’s constantly evolving. And if you’re learning graphic design on ancient software or devices that are older than you, you’re not being prepared to be a valuable asset on the job market.

Take a look at what technology is provided to students, such as software, or if there’s even a program for getting graphic design-friendly devices for free or at a discount. This may take a bit of research on your end to discover what the latest technology is to compare the school with, but it’s worth it to ensure your degree is valuable.

Networking Opportunities

As the expression goes, “no one person is an island”. We all depend on connections and relationships to get us far. That’s not to say you need to have more connections than anyone else to make it. But you will have a much easier time navigating the industry if you have mentors and connections with experience guiding you or rooting for you.

Your graphic design program can provide you with networking opportunities to get started. As mentioned, having a program that connects students with internships is a great sign. But do they also regularly bring in visiting designers you can learn from and connect with? Do undergraduate and graduate students ever meet up to learn from each other? Do they host alumni functions and encourage current students and alumni to mingle? If any program can answer “yes” to these questions, that’s a good sign of fantastic networking opportunities ahead.

Choosing Graphic Design Schools

You’ve evaluated a graphic design school and determined it has a top-notch program. Before you go through the college admissions process, there’s still an important question to answer: Is the school a good fit for you?

There are several ways you can determine this and many considerations you’ll need to make before you settle on an answer. Choosing a college is nothing you should rush into as it’s a defining moment in your career. So before you commit, take a look at these tips for choosing a school that best suits your needs and expectations for college.

Visit In-Person If Possible

If you have your heart set on a graphic design school, you should do everything in your power to visit the school before you enroll. Most schools offer tours led by undergrad or graduate students who know their way around campus.

This will give you a better sense of whether this is honestly a good fit for you. Even if a program sounds great on paper, seeing it in person could reveal some important considerations you hadn’t even thought of before.

Are the facilities as modern as they’re portrayed online? Are the students welcoming and friendly? Does what the students have to say about their program contradict what you thought? These are the types of questions you should answer during your visit.

Speak with Instructors at the School

Depending on the graphic design schools and programs, you could be spending 4 to 6 years with a university. Not only is that a significant amount of time that you don’t want to be miserable during, but this is a pivotal moment in your professional development. You won’t be able to grow if you don’t connect well with the people.

An excellent way to learn more about the college and program while also determining if you click with the people who would be instructing you is to schedule a chat with someone on campus. The more people you talk to, the more accurate a representation of the school you’ll get. This is also a great opportunity to ask any questions you have about the program.

Learn about the School’s Reputation

If you only look at a university’s website, you’ll think you’re looking at the perfect school. After all, the site was made by a marketing team and graphic designer tasked with making the college look its best. However, there’s a lot more to a school than what they’ll post online.

Be sure to always research a school on sites that are unbiased. If possible, ask around to graphic designers already in the industry or graduate students. What reputation does a school have? After you graduate, your name will be attached to this school’s name throughout your career, so you want to ensure it has the reputation you would want for yourself.

Consider Location

In real estate, they always say “location, location, location”. This isn’t too different for college shopping.

The most practical option is to look at schools near where you currently live, particularly if you live somewhere with a low cost of living. However, the top graphic design schools aren’t always nearby.

In that case, be sure to factor the cost of moving and cost of living into your decision. While running off to a big city may sound appealing, there are good programs in nearby cities that won’t break the bank.

Explore Their Program Options

You may hear about a school and think it’s a perfect fit. However, when you have a particular field of study in mind, you must not just look at the school overall, but look at their graphic design programs specifically. Do they meet the requirements outlined above when evaluating the program?

This is especially important for graduate students. Graphic design MFA programs differ outrageously. Some are conceptual and prepare you for teaching at a higher level. Others are focused on developing your skills to grow your portfolio and prepare you for the workforce. Others provide you with more marketing and business courses so you can jump into large companies or start a design firm.

Don’t fall in love only to discover it doesn’t have the graphic design program you don’t want. Look at the programs and schools at large simultaneously.

Look at the Costs

Not every graphic design school is affordable. In fact, most aren’t. This isn’t just for graphic design, it’s simply the state of higher education today. And while the job outlook for graphic designers is solid, this doesn’t mean schools can be paid off quickly for most.

So before you set your heart on any school in particular, set a budget. Know what you can afford and what’s a dealbreaker. From there, explore the schools that may be out of your price range, but have excellent funding. It’s better to go to your second choice school at a price you can afford than ruin your finances for your top pick.

Attending Online vs. In-Person Courses

As offices go remote in larger numbers than ever, colleges and universities are no exception to this trend. It’s reasonably easy to find a graphic design school that offers its curriculum entirely online.

Online degree programs are perfect for those looking to attend a top graphic design school without needing to move across the country or pay to live in some of the most expensive cities in the world. Luckily, you no longer need to rent that studio with two roommates in New York City just to get a great education. And considering that graphic design is a field that can be done from anywhere, this is one of the best degree programs to be online.

However, some people find they don’t learn as well online and prefer in-person instruction. While in-person programs are generally more expensive, they also have their benefits. For example, it may be easier to network, connect with your professors, and get the hands-on support you want for your education.

Before you start exploring programs, it’s important to know what kind of program you’re looking for so you can quickly eliminate the deal-breaker programs.

Top Graphic Design Schools

Now that you know how to evaluate colleges and determine which might be the best fit, it’s time to start looking more carefully at your options.

Below, we’ve listed the best graphic design schools and the basics of what you need to know about their programs. Of course, if you’re looking to stay close to home to save money and you don’t see a school near you, don’t assume that means there isn’t a good graphic design school near you. However, these are just the top 10 that people come from across the country (even from around the world) to attend either in-person or online.

If you’re looking to attend one of the best graphic design schools in the country, these top 10 schools are an excellent place to start. From there, you can start narrowing down your list based on your criteria.

1. Rhode Island School of Design

As one of the first fine arts schools in the country, Rhode Island has a long history as one of the best graphic design schools and remains in the top 1% of liberal arts colleges. It offers students both undergraduate and graduate degree programs for a comprehensive study of the arts.

As a testament to the program’s commitment to providing students with practical skills for their future careers, their program culminates in a final project. The project should be suited to each student’s interests and strengths in graphic design, allowing them to explore their possible niche for their careers.

As for the graduate students at this liberal arts school, there are opportunities to tailor the curriculum to their interests as well, allowing them to target their focus. With such opportunities for graduate and undergrad students alike to explore their particular interests, it may come as no surprise that the school boasts a 96% employment rate for all students within one year of graduating in graphic design.

2. The New School’s Parsons School of Design

The New School’s Parsons School of Design was founded by an impressionist, William Merritt Chase, in 1896 and is located in New York. As a school committed to art and design, all its programs revolve around the visual arts from fashion to design and art history. With such a focus, it ranks in the top of graphic design choices.

It offers an AAS (Associate degree program), BFA, and master’s degree options for students in graphic design. The master’s degree program can be completed in just one year, allowing students to get a degree quickly that highlights their conceptual problem solving abilities and commitment to their craft.

Additionally, the school offers a certificate program that can be completed online, allowing for anyone to get a solid foundation to their graphic design education without the investment in a degree program.

3. Pratt Institute

Also located in New York, the school of design within the Pratt institute offers a bachelor’s of fine arts in communications with an emphasis on graphic design. This is an excellent graphic design program for anyone who’s passionate about the intersection of art and advertising design.

Pratt provides students with the technical skills to navigate both the creative process of graphic design and develop their business skills to thrive in major companies. Within the emphasis, students can further specialize in advertising art direction, illustration, and graphic design specifically.

The master of fine arts program heavily emphasizes studio practice to prepare graduate students for their careers in digital and print media. Pratt also offers many certificate programs. This is the ideal way for students to become certified in what interests them most and combine topics that will suit their careers. For example, a graphic design certificate and a branding certificate could be ideal for helping companies solidify their corporate identity.

4. Virginia Commonwealth University

Virginia Commonwealth University is a larger school than many of the schools on this list. Coming in at a population of over 30,000 and 225 degree programs, this goes beyond small liberal arts colleges to offer a wide array of options for students.

To study graphic design at the university, students can choose between two BFA options: Graphic Design and Communication Arts. While the graphic design program focuses on the creation, the communication design program focuses more on investigating all the various possible forms a communicator can use to convey information to an audience. Both programs culminate in a capstone course that allow them to focus on specialized study.

There is also an MFA program available that focuses on preparing students more in the conceptual problem solving side of graphic design. This program is meant for those who wish to pursue a career in graphic design education or conducting research.

5. ArtCenter College of Design

Another smaller college that is the ideal liberal arts school for students who want more individualized attention, this school offers 11 undergraduate programs and 7 graduate degrees total. Located in Pasadena, California, the school also has satellite locations in Berlin, Germany, and Los Angeles, California.

The school is known for its interdisciplinary focus to merge art and design with cultural context, such as social impact studies. The school also highly encourages internship and study abroad opportunities, allowing students to explore their creative skills outside of the classroom.

There is also a joint graphic design and MBA program available. This is another ideal program for marrying the technical skills of graphic design with the marketing and advertising insights that students can use to rise in the field.

6. Carnegie Mellon University School of Art

Carnegie Mellon University is located in Pittsburgh. It is an ideal cross between a small, fine art university and a large university. This means you can specialize in graphic design while still finding other classes like art history and maintain an interdisciplinary focus.

Rather than a bachelor of fine arts, this offers a bachelor of design (BDes). This is offered for three programs: product, communication design, and environments. However, there are several interdisciplinary program options available for students to explore to find the best-suited graphic design education that prepares them for their career goals.

For graduate programs, Carnegie Mellon offers both master’s in graphic design and a Ph.D. program. So for students hoping to pursue a conceptual path and teach graphic design at a higher level, this is an excellent program.

7. Savannah College of Art and Design

This is an art and design school for all as it offers the most degree programs than any other art institute with many specializations for students. Students can get a minor in graphic design, an undergraduate degree as a BA or BFA graphic design program, and an MA or MFA.

Each graphic design program is well-balanced to include several types of graphic design. This includes package design, entrepreneurial skills, user interface, and web design. With such interdisciplinary skills encouraged, students are able to find career paths that suit their interests and find employment across the design and communications industries.

At the Savannah location, a certificate program is offered to students. This is available both in-person and online, allowing it to suit any student’s lifestyle.

8. School of Visual Arts New York City

The School of Visual Arts is located in Manhattan, the heart of New York City. Originally founded to be a school for illustrators, it has grown into a top college for graphic design. Its thirty degree programs range across the fine arts from graphic design to photography and filmmaking.

The school’s programs offer BA, BFA, and MFA options for students in graphic design. These programs are multidisciplinary in nature, working across media arts and forms. And as it’s located in Manhattan, there are many opportunities for students to show off their work in exhibitions and competitions that gain quite a bit of attention in the New York community.

The MFA program places great emphasis on creating and marketing creations and an entrepreneurial spirit is encouraged amongst students. With 24/7 studio access, students can feel free to discover their own creative process as they design and pitch a product to investors.

9. Maryland Institute College of Art

The Maryland Institute College of Art is a reasonably small art institute with a population of fewer than 4,000 students. However, it does offer about 8o degree programs to students, including a BFA, MA, and MFA in graphic design.

Undergraduate work typically takes three years and while the MFA is 2 years of full-time study. The art institute hosts many workshop opportunities for students, allowing them to design and show off their creations to the community as excellent networking opportunities.

For the BFA program, students can specialize in one of three concentrations: Graphic Design and Humanistic Studies, Book Arts Studio, and Graphic Design Studio. This allows students to specialize in their intended career path before they even apply for their first internship.

10. Minneapolis College of Art and Design

The Minneapolis College of Art and Design is nearly 150 years old and is a small but highly sought-after graphic design school. There is a BFA in graphic design and an MFA in visual studies. There are additional courses available with more concentration, such as their online web design program.

The art and design school is dedicated to producing graphic designers with creativity, innovation, and technical and conceptual design skills to succeed in the industry. There are optional internships offered throughout the program. Here, students develop their skills, grow their professional portfolio, and make crucial connections in the industry.

Their MA web design and graphic design degree program was created with working adults in mind. It can be completed online with only 30 credits and covers a wide range of topics to make for a comprehensive education in the graphic design field.

The Benefits of Studying a Graphic Design Curriculum

If you’re reading this guide, chances are you have an interest in graphic design & media arts. But beyond your own interest in the subject, what will you gain when you participate in a graphic design program?

The benefits of completing a program in this field go beyond getting a graphic design job. Learn more about what you’ll gain by jumping into the field of visual communication.

High Demand Skills

Many hear “fine arts” and think of starving artists, but that’s simply not the case for people with a background in art education.

Graphic artists have highly marketable skills that will only become more valuable as we continue to rely on the world of the internet and social media. Every time a company wants an engaging video to bring in customers, an image to gain followers on social media, or want a poster that will welcome their clients into their space, they rely on creative professionals.

In this field, graphic design students graduate with a variety of skills to support businesses across industries. Even if you end up with a job outside what is strictly considered graphic design, your visual and communication design skills will be assets.

Remote Work Friendly

Most (if not all) visual communication tasks can be done from anywhere. As long as you have a device you can work on and the software you need, you have all the “office” supplies you need.

Not all graphic designers want to work remotely or always have the choice based on their company’s policies. However, if you want to enter a field where you have a higher likelihood of having remote work being a viable option, visual and communications design is ideal.

Creative Field

For some, routine is welcome and even comforting. However, for those who enjoy the creative process, completing the same mundane tasks each day may just feel like torture. But graphic designers can enjoy a variety of projects to keep them on their toes and challenged.

Those who enjoy being creative, designing something new, and problem-solving will love the graphic design profession. If being creative is your happy place, this could be the perfect career move.

An Ever-Evolving Field with Chances to Grow and Learn

As technology develops, so do your capabilities as a graphic designer. Whether you’re able to edit videos, manipulate images, or get better data insights into audiences to understand what they want, top graphic designers stay up-to-date to continue perfecting their craft.

Some fields evolve very slowly. Year after year, the work doesn’t change much. But if you enjoy technology and learning the newest features, you can look forward to participating in an industry that’s always at the forefront of the newest devices and software.

Many Specialties to Explore

When you finish graphic design programs, you’re not signing up to be a graphic designer for the rest of your life. Creative professionals can be found across industries and in various roles, even within one large company.

As mentioned, graphic design students develop many valuable skills during their programs. Another benefit that many overlook is they can leverage these skills to work in many positions and just about any industry imaginable.

Tired of product design for a candle business and want to edit videos for a healthcare company? You can make that change happen without getting a new degree.

What Qualities Make a Good Graphic Designer

Wondering if you have what it takes to study graphic design and take on the industry successfully? Here are some skills that make a good graphic designer.

You don’t need to have these qualities mastered now to consider the field. Over the course of graphic design programs, students develop the skills they already have and work on completely new ones. However, this should give you a good idea of what would be eventually expected of you as a graphic designer.

Communication

Graphic designers must have good communication skills not only for their communication design projects but also for communicating with clients. On one hand, you need to be able to communicate the message your client wants to share to his/her audience. You’ll also need to be able to keep things professional and have productive conversations with your client.

Curiosity

Graphic designers must have an eye for detail because every detail in your project will impact the overall effect of your work. Having a curiosity about how every element of work comes together (What if I slightly changed this shade of green?) will make the work more enjoyable for you and give you better results.

Passion

No job is easy, and visual communication is no exception. There will be big edit requests, tight deadlines, and occasionally much longer hours than you’d like. But a passion for the art will help you through those tougher moments and out the other side.

Balance of Creativity and Discipline

Graphic designers need a creative spark, but they must also be professionals to succeed in communication design. Creative students may enjoy the artistic side of the industry, but struggle with discipline. Discipline is crucial for sticking to deadlines and maintaining good customer service. Without both discipline and creativity, a designer won’t make it far.

Open to Criticism

Graphic design students are going to receive a lot feedback throughout their time of motion design and image making in school. After all, that’s their professors’ job. But the feedback and criticism don’t stop when graphic designers graduate and continue well into their careers with design firms and clients.

In communication design, everyone will have an opinion. There are always ways you can improve to either better reach or engage your audience or achieve your client’s vision. If you’re the type of person who always needs to be right, this may not be the right field for you.

Problem-Solving

Your creativity will be crucial in guiding your designs. However, graphic designers often reach a point at which they need to fit all the elements together, and it takes creating and testing various methods to get the final result they want.

You won’t always have the answer right away. What’s important is that you’re a problem solver and committed to finding the perfect solution over getting things done incorrectly quickly. Your critical thinking skills developed in your program will especially come in handy here.

Patience

Sometimes graphic designers spend more time staring at an empty page than they would like. Sometimes a project is stalled when communications with the client fail. Unfortunately, it can take more time than you like to get an idea for a project or reach an understanding with your client.

This is where patience comes in. Of course, time management will also help by giving yourself enough time to be patient. But if you prefer an always fast-paced environment, sitting alone with only your own creativity to keep you company may take too much patience.

Open to New Techniques

Whether it’s learning completely new forms to you like motion design or just updating your knowledge of the latest software, you must be open to change to excel in communications design.

For some, this is unwelcome. They want to learn once and be done and always be the person in the room who knows the most. But graphic designers must accept that they can always learn more about certain formats or tools. If you enjoy learning new things, this will be a valuable quality in your graphic design career.

Interest in Branding

Brand identity is a crucial part of any business and, as such, is a major source of work for graphic designers. While branding doesn’t need to be your passion, it’s for the best if it holds some interest for you.

You’ll often find yourself asking, “Which choice is most on-brand for my client? Does this match the brand voice?”. The most successful graphic designers can be an important source of support for a company’s branding efforts.

Strong Sense of Empathy

Graphic designers are always putting themselves in someone else’s shoes. They need to know how their images will be received by their target audience, what feelings their work will evoke, and then the all-important question: how will the client like it?

Graphic design is a delicate balance of conveying the messaging that the client wants to share, staying on-brand for the client’s organization, and creating something an audience will engage with. All of this takes a high level of empathy that makes an excellent graphic designer.

Types of Graphic Design

You’ve completed your education, you have the skills you need, and now you’re ready to be a professional graphic designer — but it may not be that simple.

Just as degree programs teach students about a wide variety of techniques and subjects within graphic design, there isn’t just one job description that falls under graphic designer. This means that your job can look very different from someone who got the same degree.

So before you start applying everywhere, learn a little bit more about what to look for when looking for a job.

Branding

Small businesses and major companies alike rely on branding. This signals to their target demographics who they are and what they’re about. As a graphic designer, you would be tasked with creating projects that further cement their brand identity and engage their potential customers.

Branding design encompasses everything from logos to the typeface you would use on their posts. It’s what helps a customer recognize the business and also provides an example of the company’s mission.

For example, a project you create may give off the impression that the products are for a particular demographic. While this may scare off people outside this demographic, it will cement your target audience as an engaged group who wants to learn more about your client.

Communication Design

Communication design shares some similarities with branding, but there is more pressure on your team to create the products. Communication design is highly conceptual. By taking into account a company’s current branding and mission, your team would create websites, advertisements, or even data visualization posts to further the brand and message.

Rather than coming to you with a vision in mind, the client depends on you to be involved much earlier in the development process. While this puts more pressure on you as the artist, it also can provide more freedom and control to let your creativity loose.

Editorial

Editorial projects are focused less on advertising and more on engaging the audience and conveying the message. It’s a fine line, but this is where your visual literacy will play an important role in making the audience feel like they’re just reading any other piece of content.

Editorial content spans print media to online publications. It may be any content like a data visualization or longer form written content.

In the end, the content must be engaging and visually appealing to its target audience to capture their attention and convey the key message.

Environmental

If you thought graphic design was limited to print media or digital content, you were greatly mistaken! With a solid foundation in visual communication, you can use your expertise in creating physical spaces that convey a message to anyone who enters the space you designed. Here, graphic design meets architecture, sculpture, landscaping, and more, all to create a visually appealing space.

Messages of comfort, relaxation, or beauty can be conveyed through various tools, including:

  • Lighting
  • Color
  • Texture
  • Forms

If you’ve ever had some interest in interior design or architecture, this could be the ideal compromise.

Experience

Speaking of creating physical spaces for clients, you can also focus on the user experience as a graphic designer. This is truly human-centered design, and you’re involved every step of the way.

For example, you work on the web design to ensure the site is easy to use and welcoming to new customers. You use communications design to secure the client’s brand in your customer’s mind and you incorporate interactive media to make the content engaging. Finally, you can even work on the final product they receive and design a visually appealing follow-up survey to be sent out.

Package Design

And on the note of final products, you can take your art and design skills 3D by helping with package design. Here, you must consider everything from how it looks to how it will feel in the customer’s hands. Package design must also be functional to protect the product the customer bought.

The product design must also function as a guide, leading the customer through the product, its purpose, instructions for use, and entices them to buy when they see the packaging.

Typography

Part of visual communication is how text is arranged to be read by the audience. Every comma is a reflection of your client’s corporate identity, and you must use every detail-oriented instinct you have to ensure it’s perfect.

Typography includes everything from letter arrangement and typeface to structure and size. Your job is to strike the balance of maintaining brand identity while ensuring the text is appealing and legible.

Frequently Asked Questions About Studying Graphic Design

Is graphic design a 2 or 4 year degree?

The length of time your degree takes will depend on various factors, including:

  • The degree you’re pursuing
  • The program’s requirements
  • How many hours you take each semester

So is graphic design a 2 year degree? Likely yes if you’re pursuing an associate’s degree. But bachelor’s degree programs will likely take closer to 4 years and graduate degree programs will take an extra year or two in addition to your bachelor’s degree.

Do I need a degree to become a graphic designer?

Higher education graphic design programs are not a requirement for graphic and web design work. However, certificates and undergraduate and graduate degrees are a tangible way to demonstrate your expertise to potential clients and employers.

If you also want to have a well-rounded understanding of design, graphic design programs with an interdisciplinary focus allow you to pursue various topics like design theory, business principles, and even art history.

However, with the right portfolio and experience, a degree is certainly not a requirement for working in the field.

How can a beginner start graphic design?

As an absolute beginner, you’ll want to learn the basic principles of graphic design while developing your critical thinking skills within the field.

An excellent place to start is with some courses. These could be online, though certificate programs are ideal. This way, not only are you learning in a structured environment with clear objectives, perhaps even from an accredited institution, but you’ll get a certificate at the end, verifying your accomplishment.

Can graphic designers work freelance?

Producing print and interactive media is ideal for freelance work. It doesn’t take significantly large investments to have the tools you need. With a few devices and the right software, you’ll have everything you need to start working independently.

Companies are also open to hiring graphic designers on an as-needed basis since it’s very project-based work with deadlines on the calendar rather than long, interconnected work. All of this makes the industry ideal for freelancing.

Start Your Career in Graphic Design with the Right School

Convinced that graphic design is the perfect career for you? Then there’s no better time to start on your path than now. Use this guide to inform your decisions as you learn more about graphic design schools and which may be the perfect fit for you.