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Here’s the definition of a Graphic
Designer according to the Princeton Review:
Graphic designers create the visual
presentation and design of goods, from gravestone markers to
detergent boxes, from album covers to dog food cans. Work is
usually done on a project basis. Designers must be able to work
under extreme time pressures and very defined financial and
design limits to produce quality material.
A graphic designer must be able to
synthesize input from a number of different sources into a
distinctive image, using research prepared by a marketing
department and cost specifications determined by a budgeting
department, and produce a variety of sketches and models which
demonstrate different approaches to the product.
This takes a person who can listen to
comments, has a good eye for aesthetic design and a flair for
color, and a good understanding of the needs of the corporate
world. “Graphic design isn’t one job. It’s
twenty,” wrote one frazzled designer. “Salesman
skills are very important if you want to see your designs
accepted,” wrote another. Nearly all respondents listed
communication skills as either second or third in importance
for success in this profession.
Over time, specialization is the name of
the game, either in product design, packaging design, material
use, or object arrangement. When projects are underway, graphic
designers can expect to work long hours brainstorming and
meeting with executives to discuss ideas. The job is highly
visible; successes and failures alike are recognized and are
put on display. Those who are insecure about their skills or
their ideas have a hard time accepting the amount of risk and
rejection this career entails. A successful graphic designer
has an enviable life, choosing among clients and earning
significant money.
Of the nearly 25,000 people who try to
enter the field of graphic design each year, only about 15,000
last the first two years, and 8,000 last five years.