If you’re feeling stuck in your current job and looking to make a career change, you’ve come to the right place.
Like you, most of Shillington’s prospective students are considering their next career move. Having always dreamed of a graphic design career, and inspired by our creative approach, these individuals enroll in our program, learn a wide-range of skills, build impressive graphic design portfolios, and graduate in as little as three months with enough knowledge and experience to land a creative career.
If you’re ready to make the switch but would like a little more information about whether a career in design is for you, consider the following 10 reasons to become a graphic designer.
When you’re a graphic designer, your work will never stop evolving or improving. There will always be new challenges to overcome. New problems to solve. It’s a never-ending whirlwind of discovery and invention. You’ll make mistakes. We all do.
If you’re still not convinced, take inspiration from Paula Scher who eloquently once said: “It’s through mistakes that you actually can grow. You have to get bad in order to get good.”
In the age of automation, when we’re constantly being told that our jobs will one day be taken over by robots, you can be rest assured that graphic design will always require human thinking and creativity. It’s an essential cog in the world of work; one that is required for any brand or business.
From simple business cards and printed materials, to packaged goods, websites and advertisements—it’s unstoppable. Visual communication will live on, and it takes a designer to imagine all its possibilities.
You’ll be able to add value to any workplace, not just a design studio. Design is something that no business can live without. If an agency isn’t quite for you, perhaps you might want to venture into editorial design and work for a major publisher? Or join an internal team at one of the world’s biggest sports brands? Your creative career path is open to so many exciting routes.
Creativity is crucial for any business. Steve Jobs of Apple once said: “It’s in Apple’s DNA that technology alone is not enough. It’s technology married with the liberal arts, married with the humanities, that yields the results that make our hearts sing.”
It’s for this reason that a graphic design career will enhance your problem-solving skills—not just because you’re overcoming common issues for clients; but because you’re encouraged to consider the bigger picture. What will your design solve? How will it add value? How will it achieve a brand’s goals? Design will boost more skills than you realise.
Graphic designers are rarely alone; they’re often part of a creative team or working closely with the client, collaborating to come up with the best possible solution. You’re likely to get to know PR professionals, copywriters, marketers, advertisers… you’ll probably work with senior management and be expected to consult with company directors.
Your role will rely on many business relationships; the knock-on benefits of which will only boost your skills and experience—especially your ability to effectively deal with different personalities.
Hate stiff white shirts and uncomfortable blazers? Relax. Graphic design is hands on career for creative minds and designers tend to have more relaxed work attire these days. T-shirts, jeans and trainers are practically the uniform. You can’t be creative when your arms struggle to move in a formal business suit. Clients won’t mind either. It’s widely accepted that designers dress a certain way, and that’s alright with us too.
Think you’re just going to follow the herd? A graphic design career can take you to places you never thought possible. You could secure a job at a studio on the other side of the planet, or find that your employment means lots of travel to far flung places. You might even go solo and launch your own studio someday. The possibilities really are endless.
How would you feel if you spotted your work on a billboard? Or in a magazine? The sense of job satisfaction can be overwhelming. It’s your creativity up in lights, for everyone to see. Nothing beats the feeling of contributing to something that you know will inspire many people.
When you walk down the street as a graphic designer, you’ll see things in a completely new light. It’s because your job will become your life. You’ll find inspiration in everything you see and do, saving ideas for your next project. Design brings a new perspective, and encourages you to get out there and discover new things. From art galleries and architecture to clothing and accessories—your life will be full of creative wonder.
Once you’ve mastered something in a job, things can get boring quickly. That’s not necessarily the same for graphic designers. So, whether you’re changing careers at 40 or just getting started at 50, a career in design will always leave you feeling inspired. Trends will develop and change, keeping you well and truly on your toes from one day to the next. You’ll never know what’s around the corner. And for a career choice, that has to be the most inspirational.
Want to kickstart your design career? Study 3 months full-time or 9 months part-time at Shillington in New York, London, Manchester, Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane –> www.shillingtoneducation.com
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