Get your mind blown!

So, you love art, but you’ve been told over and over again by your family, your friends, your school teachers, perhaps even your significant other, that you can’t make a living out of it.

Does this sound familiar? If so, prepare to have your MIND BLOWN.

Labour statistics projects there will be over 123 000 new job openings for graphic designers by the year 2020. That is an amazing growth of over 13%! This means tons of exciting new job opportunities for artistically talented people like you.

Graphic design is an exciting, creative, professional field where you can put your passion for art to daily use. Employers of every shape and size need skilled graphic designers to help them communicate with their audience and convince people to take action – whether it is purchasing a product or service, or even joining an important social cause.

You may not know this, but graphic designers actually help influence almost everything you do on a day-to-day basis. From deciding whether or not to buy the shoes, to deciding on what you want for lunch.

It takes more than simply being artistically inclined to become a successful graphic designer. But then there are these questions, “what exactly is graphic design and how do I know that it is the right career for me?”. I have listed some reasons below, to help you decide:

·         You have a passion for communicating with others through powerful, compelling images

Many people can draw pretty pictures, but not everyone can connect with people and cause them to act upon what they saw. A graphic designer’s job is to help clients target specific audiences and “talk” to them directly. You need to know how to strike that chord with the images you create.

You work well with others

Graphic design can be more than just a solo effort. Not only do you have to work with clients and employers, but you may also need to collaborate with art directors, advertising managers, copywriters and other designers. Even if you are freelancing, you need to learn how to take criticism well, meet deadlines and change concepts as your project evolves. So, you are not always going to ride solo.

·      You are not afraid to learn new things

To become a successful graphic designer, our artistic talents will only get you so far. You need to get the graphic design education and training you need to be in demand.

·      You’re business minded

Graphic design entails much more than simply matching colours and choosing “fun” fonts. Especially if you intend to work as a freelancer, you need to learn the business aspects of your job too. This could mean working within a budget, handling invoices or managing multiple clients and tasks at once.

·       How do you get started?

As mentioned above, to become a successful graphic designer you have to have the right training, which means earning a qualification in graphic design, which Prestige Academy can offer you.

At Prestige Academy, we offer an Advanced Certificate in Graphic design.The Advanced Certificate in Graphic Design builds on the Higher Certificate in Desktop Publishing and Computer Art. This programme’s design facets will give you the leading-edge when entering the industry. You will develop an understanding of the skills and techniques needed to step into the shoes of a brand, advertising, packaging or typography designer. Through the use of software and design packages you will become familiar with design aspects including digital graphics, print, pre-press, packaging, drawing, technical, commercial illustration and typography.

Written by: Sami Edmonds