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Graphics Designer

Introduction

Graphic arts are general term for drawing and other techniques used to reproduce words and pictures. The techniques include block-printing, engraving, etching, lithography and silk-screen printing.
The graphic arts are used both commercially and in the fine arts. Commercial art is the application of various art media for commercial purposes to create attractive illustrations for advertisements, displays, books, book jackets, magazines, posters, packaging etc. The extension of these arts to the industrial field embraces exhibitions and window displays, hoardings, technical catalogues, cinema slides etc. Commercial art is concerned with training artists in the planning and execution of advertising and publicity.

Nature of Work

Graphic designers are responsible for creating original artwork with a visual style, design and layout that is appropriate to the project's concept and goals. They may create screen layouts, menus, icons and symbols, logos, charts and diagrams. The visual design must be consistent with and support the overall goal of the project and be visually interesting to the product's users. Good graphic designers for multimedia are first and foremost talented artists who are also technically competent using a variety of electronic tools and techniques.

Graphics is concerned with lettering, illustration including photography, the design of symbols and logos. It also includes visual aids for industrial and educational application, TV graphics, captions, programme titles, all non-verbal TV presentation of information.

Graphic artists also create packaging, promotional displays and marketing brochures for new products, visual designs of annual reports and other corporate propaganda, and logos for products and businesses.
Graphic designing includes:

Desktop Publishing (DTP): A DTP operator is generally involved in making layouts and typesetting and pagination. He is responsible for making book or newspaper layouts, designing greeting cards, visiting cards, letterheads etc.
Visualising: Visualisers normally visualise how a particular design has to be made, its colour scheme, placing of text, visuals to be added with regard to advertising etc.
Art Direction: An art director takes care of the overall aspects of a design department.

Job Prospects

The graphic arts are used both commercially and in the fine arts. Commercially, the graphic arts are used in advertising to prepare newspaper and magazine illustrations, posters and brochures and pamphlets. Specialists in the fine arts can work as freelancers or can be employed by TV and film studios. They can teach art at both school and college level.

Other commercial work includes art reproduction, bookmaking and fashion design. A commercial artist has various job openings in art studios advertising agencies, fashion houses and other places that need designers.

Graphic designers work in the creative department of advertising agencies and design firms. There is usually a short period of apprenticeship after which they can work on designs and layouts independently. Freelance artists sell their skills and pitch their designs to advertising agencies, retailers, design firms, magazines, newspapers, media firms and publishers.

Related Careers
Teaching, direction, advertising, cartography, photography, fashion and clothing, television, films, interface designing, web designing, etc.

Eligibility

Skills Needed

• Talent, dedication, an eye for form, ability to utilise colours and creative ability to develop original ideas are prerequisites for this career.
• Understanding the fundamentals of visual communication and design, including colour theory, composition and iconography (the use of symbols); knowledge of image processing tools including those used for image scanning and manipulation; understanding the limitations and capabilities of electronic media; knowledge of computer painting and drawing tools; and understanding storyboarding techniques.
• Ability to create artwork that conforms to the style and content specifications provided by the project's art director or producer.
• Other helpful skills or characteristics include a willingness to stay closely tuned to trends in the design field by reading a variety of design magazines, ability to create various styles of visual images, and ability to meet short deadlines.

Institutions
Although no formal training is required, a bachelor's degree or diploma in fine arts, graphic design or visual communication is valuable training.

• Diploma in Graphic and Commercial Art
• Delhi College of Art, 24 Tilak Marg, New Delhi - 1
• Pune Film Institute
• Xavier's Institute of Communication, Mumbai
• EDIT
• Aptech Arena
• Zee