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Are you creatively minded but reluctant to commit to a career in graphic design? You may not be limiting yourself as much as you think – with numerous creative opportunities developing in marketing, tech, and web design, graduates with a graphic design degree have a wealth of options available to them. Here are some career paths you may not have considered.
Marketing Manager
As a graphic designer, you’ll learn about branding, corporate identity, and strategy – all skills that are vital in the marketing realm. A background in graphic design is helpful when briefing creatives because you’ll know from first hand experience how to explain what you need from the designer’s point of view. With responsibility for overseeing everything from web design to printed marketing materials, marketing managers need to have a keen eye for design - a skill that is difficult to teach. Many of the additional business marketing skills required can be learned by following major digital marketing sites (such as Moz, PPC Hero, and Social Media Examiner) and gaining a basic knowledge of HTML and CSS.
Web Designer
Web designers create the layout and features for a website, managing everything from the positioning of buttons, links, and pictures to incorporating multimedia features such as video and animation, to choosing fonts and background colours. Effective websites need strong design skills, which gives candidates with both a graphic design background and technical aptitude a head start. Knowing HTML, CSS, and Javascript in addition to Photoshop and InDesign will result in a very attractive resume for employers looking for web designers.
Game Designer
As a graphic designer, you can choose to focus your skills on the video game industry, helping to design in-game art assets, still images, text display, and marketing materials. However, if you want a bigger say in how the game looks, feels, and plays, you may wish to transition into game design. Game designers develop the entire concept of a game, from the themes, plots, and storylines, to the difficulty levels and user interface. Depending on the size of the studio, a game designer might specialise in a particular area (such as game mechanics or storyline). With the UK’s entertainment and media sector predicted to grow by £8bn over the next four years, game design is a solid career choice.
3D Illustrator
Combining traditional design skills with the latest computer technology, 3D artists can work in a wide variety of growing fields, including film production, medical illustration, or the video game industry. Transitioning from 2D to 3D can take a daunting amount of time and effort, but for those willing to experiment with 3D software, the opportunities are limitless. Cutting edge software is an unnecessary expense – budding 3D illustrators can learn the basics in Photoshop or Illustrator.
Fashion Designer
With the need for a strong creative eye and an ability to produce detailed sketches by hand or using computer-aided designs (CAD), fashion design is a natural transition for many graphic designers looking for a career change. Successful designers are able to not only keep up to date with current trends, but also predict upcoming trends and develop their designs accordingly.
Interested in pursuing one of these careers? Earning an MA in Graphic Design from Falmouth University’s Flexible Learning programme can help kick start your design career. For more information, visit our course page.
Discover more:
Why an online masters can give your creativity an edge
Surprising ways MA degrees improve quality of life
How to make an online MA application
