One question people ask a lot that “Is there any scope for graphic designing?” and there is a very simple answer to this question which is NO! There’s no scope at all. If you will going to ask us the same question for any other course, we will still say no. In general, there is no scope for graphic designing, photography; UI/UX designing, video editing, motion graphics, 3D animation, or any other fields are not having scope at all. “Scope is only for you.”
See, for example, if you are having an occasion in your house and you hire a photographer, you won’t be hiring any person just because he or she is a photographer but you’ll evaluate his service first. If it’s good then you’ll hire. It’s a must to have a unique ability present within you. From this example, know that whenever you choose any field, please, don’t choose by this “Oh it has good scope, let’s jump into it!” factor. It’s not like that!
Graphic design in itself can be very broad. For one to say, they are a graphic designer today can be a very broad term because contemporary graphic design can consist of an extensive range of areas and graphic design skills. The trainer from graphic design courses explains the scope of Graphic designing in 2024.
Gaining a lot of experience in a particular area and becoming a specialist in the design industry, is good because you are seen as an expert, can command higher fees, and are seen as a credible designer to offer specific creative solutions. All these reasons can build confidence with prospective clients and employers to help you get creative work.
Different niches of graphic designing
If you’re interested in getting into graphic design, particularly, and wondering where it can ultimately lead and what career options there are, then here you will learn some key areas, how they can relate to each other, and where your creative career and path can lead. Let us directly get into it. There are quite a few areas of specialty with their own skill set and requirements. Here, in the center, we have graphic design which can also be referred to as visual communication. Around this, the key areas are, packaging design, logo identity design, branding, graphic illustration, design marketing, type design, publication design, web, UI, UX design, motion graphics, surface design, and creative strategy.
At the base, you have visual elements and design principles which are the building blocks of graphic design. This leads to graphic design at the core. You can see the vast variety of roles one can pursue as a graphic designer. Now, it’s not expected for one to be an expert in each field. A young designer on a design course will be encouraged to touch upon and explore each area to practice and gain experience and understanding.
How one chooses and specializes in a chosen area can come down to several factors:
It normally comes down to a designer’s decision, preference, talent, aptitude, and experience, which leads them into a key area. Typically, as a designer matures in the industry and develops experience and skill, one will become a specialist and build a career around just one or a few key areas.
Let’s take a look at each key area in a bit more detail and how they can relate to each other.
Packaging Designing
With the increasing demand of consumer goods industries and e-commerce, there is a high demand for innovative and attractive packaging. Here, good packaging is always a great way to connect with consumers directly. But this job role requires a lot of creativity and faces some challenges as well. While we think of packaging design we expect that we will be going to put all our creativity together but people usually face some issues as well.
There is constant pressure to produce sustainable and environmentally friendly packaging which requires additional knowledge environment and packaging material as well.
One should be expecting the direct impact of their designs on customers but it does not work like that only. Things like production cost, manufacturing and material availability can also hinder the innovative designing capability of a person in this field.
It is focused on the dynamics of containing and presenting products. While designing for packaging, you will be thinking more in 3D to consider how design can be applied to form structure and function, considering tactile materials.
Graphic Design Skills required:
Some of the graphic design skills required to pursue this domain are thinking in 3D, understanding materials, understanding print standards, paper engineering, 3D programs, and design for print, surface design, creative software tools, and presenting.
If you love working in 3D, and like pursuing solutions for more print and tactile design, then you might want to focus on a career based more on packaging design. There are some complimentary areas of expertise including branding surface design and creative strategy.
Logo identity designing
This is more focused on how to represent a company, business, or product in the simplest visual way. When designing logos, you will be tackling how a company, business, or product, can be represented in a single icon or typically accompanied with type to stand out from the competition. As simple as they seem, a lot of work goes into logo design. People usually expects a lot from logo designing to be really timeless, unique and instantly recognizable. This field is being very competitive where one would be able to design some iconic logos and other one is struggling to stand in competition.
Logo designing is highly subjective which sometime can also lead to conflicts as well. Today, it is not uncommon for some designers to only create logo designs.
We do expect very high prices/packages while making logos and identities for some good brands but in reality, the income varies too much. It depends on for whom you are working. Some projects can be highly paid but on the other side, working for some startups or small businesses may offer lower prices.
Building a reputation takes time and needs consistent quality work. Growth often comes from building a strong portfolio and client relationships rather than immediate recognition.
Required skills:
Research and discovery, conceptual thinking, generating ideas, sketching and drawing, creative software tools, typography, colour theory, and presenting are some of the must-have Graphic Design skills like Photoshop, for a person who wants to pursue this field.
Branding designing
Like logo design, branding is focused on how a company, business, or product, is presented visually. But, unlike logo identity that focuses on small creative aspects. Branding looks to develop a much wider visual identity that can cover a lot of touch points. Usually, a high salary package is expected due to the strategic importance of branding. Branding designs are highly compensated in bigger firms but freelancers struggle to get well paid.
When designing for branding, you will be working with how visual elements can be used to communicate clear values, build visual personas, and distinguish one from the competition.
Designers often spend more time on the execution and revisions of designs but expect to play a strategic role in the team. You wouldn’t be able to grow directly in any firm but it will take some time, gain some experience, widen your portfolio and also try to develop business acumen along with all this.
Required skills:
Some of the important graphic design skills would be research and discovery, conceptual thinking, generating ideas, creative software tools, colour theory, typography, creative layout, and presenting.
Graphic illustrations
Illustration in the traditional sense is a completely different creative discipline when applied to animation, storybooks, and graphic novels. These are not associated with graphic design so much, but more with the creative arts. When it comes to graphic design, illustration can be incorporated in a more simple graphic way to enhance visual communication.
For graphic illustration, one may focus on creating icons for brands, artwork for infographics, hand lettering, 3D renders, custom typography, motifs for pattern and texture, artwork for posters, and artwork for T-shirts and merchandise to name a few, all of which can be used in the broader design.
Market demand can always fluctuate based on trends and clients’ needs. Today if an illustration style is trending, another day it may be not. You should have to be creative enough to mould your ideas according to the needs of the client and market trends.
While some illustration projects can be well-paid, others, especially in highly competitive markets or for smaller clients, may offer lower compensation. Compensation on the other hand is based on how much quality work you are doing for a client.
Learn basics of photoshop here
Required skills:
Important skills would be research and discovery, conceptual thinking, sketching and drawing, and creative software tools.
Complimentary areas of expertise include logo design and surface design.
Design marketing
Now an emerging role that is becoming more specialized in this field of graphic design is marketing design. This is also referred to as social media design. Design marketing is focused on strategic communication for advertising or promotion, and is heavily applied on digital platforms like social media.
People usually assume to have very high creative freedom over marketing campaigns and usually limit their creativity to client demands and brand guidelines.
Individual growth is often considered to be very quick to higher positions but it all depends on the success of campaigns, the size of the company you are working with, and your portfolio, based on the location of the company and individual performance. Promotion to higher job roles depends on the experience of an individual.
Salary and packages are highly competitive but it all depends on the factors that we have already discussed above. Entry-level positions may offer modest pay, with some significant increases possible.
When designing for marketing, you will be thinking more about pure communication, audience, message, and the dynamics of the digital platforms it’s applied to.
Required skills:
Particular skills that would be required are conceptual thinking, generating ideas, creative layout, and creative software tools.
Web UI/UX design
Now, a huge area that is becoming more prominent in the field of graphic design is web UI/ UX. This area focuses on communication, presentation, and user experience both online and offline.
I don’t want to confuse you all with web development here. Where web development is more about coding and from a graphic design perspective, one will typically only be concerned with the front end which is the visual appearance, design, and experience. As a web UI/ UX designer, one may focus on design for websites, apps, and game UI which exhibits, interactive media, and augmented reality.
In this job role, potential career growth is possible but it requires a lot of continuous learning, up-skilling yourself with relevant skills and staying updated with the latest market trends, technology and designs. Here, generally, high salaries are offered in starting but sometimes reserved for people with high experience, precise skills and significant experience. Freelancing can offer higher pay but with less stability.
You always have to put the best out of your thoughts but also have to keep clients’ demands and needs into consideration. Balancing user needs with business goals can also limit your creative freedom.
There is a huge demand for UI/UX designers particularly in tech. companies and startups. It also possesses very strong competition among the companies.
Required skills
Some of the needed skills in this type of graphic designing would be wireframing, user journey, user experience, interface design, creative software tools, and creative layout.
Complimentary areas of expertise include publication design and creative strategy.
Motion graphics
When it comes to graphic design, motion graphics can be incorporated in a more subtle way to enhance and add dynamics to visual communication. As a motion graphics designer, one may focus on design for animated infographics, animated typography, animated social media posts, TV advertisements, animated logo sequences, video presentations, video effects and transitions, and animated gifs.
It is expected to get quick work recognition and individual growth within the creative industries like film, television, and advertising but there is a very strong competition going on among the individuals. You need to have some very strong networks in the industries.
You can get very high-paying projects but it need not necessarily provide you income stability. You need to work harder. The increasing trend of video content and digital content does not mean that you will get directly into this domain. You must up-skill yourself with the latest software and technology to stand out from the competition. Demand is growing but so is the competition.
Required skills
Editing, audio mixing, creative software tools, 3D modelling, and presenting are must-focus graphic design skills if you want to excel in this niche.
Surface designing
Surface design is the practice and focus of creating artwork specifically to be used as decoration either alone or with other visual elements to create a distinct tone and appearance and it can also consist of patterns or textures. Such patterns and textures are then used to enhance the visual aesthetic or function of a design piece.
As a surface designer, one may focus on design for branding, packaging, wallpaper design, and designed for textiles and fabrics. All of these can be used and applied in broader design.
People in this field are expecting to get opportunities to work with major brands but career progression mainly depends on building a strong portfolio and making a reputation. The opportunity to work with big brands is highly competitive, especially for beginners.
Trends in this niche of graphic designing are changing rapidly and affecting job stability.
Required skills
Research and discovery, conceptual thinking, sketching and drawing, creative software tools, and creative layout with accuracy are the most important graphic design skills for this domain.
Complimentary areas of expertise include graphic illustration and branding.
So, from the above discussion, you must have got some clarity about what are your key areas? Which area do you work in? Do you specialize in one or do you work across a few? And if you are new to design, which area do you think you would like to specialize in most? “Follow your passion” is a very straight answer to this question. So, search within yourself, where do you feel committed? Erase this from your mind- just because something’s on trend, you’ll follow that and you’ll earn a lot.
Because, if you are not feeling interested, you can’t make a six out of it. Isn’t it? The field that you’re interested in, you can always excel in it. Learn graphic design from a top graphic designing institute in Delhi