Full Careers
Any graphic designers/ web developers out their willing to tell me about their life?
I am a really bright student who excels in many subjects, most notably business and graphic design.I am not sure if I should peruse business as a career or graphic design/web development. I have a real passion for web development. In fact, I have made my own site which is doing quite well, http://wtclan.com, most of the graphics are made by me. I can say that I could enjoy a life where I would be making graphics my whole life or maybe managing/developing a website. I can't however say that I would enjoy a life working in a cubical or in an office in a big building. That is why I need to clear up a few things about graphic design. What is a graphic designers salary? What is yours if you are one?(web developer too) Are you making enough money to do things you always wanted too? (travel, buy nice things) Do you have a lot of free time? Are you stressed at work? How do you think the career of graphic design will change in the future? (future slaray increase or decrease?) Thanks you! Sorry it's http://wtclan.com
Public Comments
- If web design is your passion, then that's what you should pursue. You'll be happy at work and make enough money to have a comfortable lifestyle. I design websites (and the graphics for them) at work and moonlighting, too. There is a huge demand, and it's amazing how few people can do the simplest things in web design. Why don't you find a non-profit organization, school, etc. and do a simple website for them for free? It's a great way to get started. I think you'll find that may get your name out there and you'll get plenty of calls. When I work on a website at work, I'm not too stressed, but when I do it independently it's more stressful. This is because at work if I have computer problems, etc., it's my employer's problem ultimately. When I'm doing an independent project, my client holds me responsible for any delays (as they should). So the independent projects are much more stressful. You don't have to work in a cubicle in a big office building. Nearly every business and agency has a website now, and they need it maintained or redesigned. I work for a police department, which is very interesting and rewarding, and I don't sit in a cubicle in a big building! You can definitely make a comfortable living in web design. Graphic design alone is harder to break into. I know someone who graduated with a graphic design degree and ended up designing those advertising placemats. Yuck. Definitely add the web design. Good luck. Pursue your passion - you'll be glad you did.
- You can register at freelance website like http://www.getafreelnacer.com/ and start bidding for all graphic design projects posted there. Initiall bid as low as possible however .
- If you truly have a passion for something, the drive to do it as a career trumps all concerns about money. As the saying goes, 'Follow your bliss and the money will follow you.' I'm not saying it's easy money. I've personally invested tens of thousands of hours developing the level of skill I currently have. It takes constant work to stay current in the field. And the deadlines can be killer sometimes, but if you work with a good team, succeeding in an 11th hour rush can be exhilarating and satisfying. I went to your web site. There was only one significant graphic image on the page and you did not indicate whether you coded the entire site as well as developed the UI and the creative. Your design style indicates you might be better suited for video game graphics or 3-D animation. There is higher demand for designers in that field anyway. If you get really good, you can expect to make a 6 figure income. You will not likely achieve that level of salary for web design for quite a while unless you are in high demand as a freelancer, where you can set your own fees. What you need is a portfolio web site showcasing your work. The work you produce is more important than the years of experience. I've hired motivated graduates of community college web dev programs with no work experience over lazy developers with years of coding experience. With creative, experience does count, as graphic design techniques take hundreds of hours of repetition to master. Artistic talent is also more of an issue, not just art production. I will say this...the web media industry is fast paced and is no place for slackers. For the highly motivated, the field can be heaven on earth. Playtime, every day. Imagine that!
- There are a lot of creative professionals at http://www.computerartsforum.com who you can ask about their business / clients.
