Working as a Graphic Designer

[mrpeach32]

Howdy, sorry if this is in the wrong place.

I sort of fell into working in a sign shop seeing as it was what my dad did for a living and it's a good way to make some money. I was wondering if there were any other INTP folk out there that did graphic design for commercial purposes for a living. (I graduated from college with a degree in linguistics and lacked the available funding and motivation to immediately continue to grad school, design is by no means my first choice in a career.)

Another thing I was wondering, if you work in a sign/vehicle/etc graphics place, how do you deal with tailoring your own brilliant and original ideas to what your unimaginative bosses and customers are looking for?

[Nighthawk]

Hmmm ... I work with a lot of quite brilliant graphic designers, providing back end software for their front end masterpieces. I run into a lot of the same unimaginative overlords dictating the type of drivel I (we) will produce to pay the bills. I try to compartmentalize my life into what I enjoy, and what I do for a living. Oh, and I drink a lot during my free time. Not a rosy answer, I'm sure, but I hope it provides a spec of illumination. At the very least, know you are not alone.

[mrpeach32]

Yeah that's about where I'm at right now, besides the drinking. I guess I'm (un)lucky enough to share an apartment with some good friends who don't drink. I've never seen what I'm doing on a list of INTP favored jobs, so I was just looking for some feedback, you were quite helpful thanks.

[2hype]

I've done some freelance graphic design, and in the fall I started a 2 year graphic design/illustration program at the local tech school. I like it much better than all the other jobs I've had in my life, except for the manual labor job. Sounds like you've done it a lot more than me, so I doubt I couldn't tell you anything you don't already know. :)

[Victor von Doom]

Howdy, sorry if this is in the wrong place.

I sort of fell into working in a sign shop seeing as it was what my dad did for a living and it's a good way to make some money. I was wondering if there were any other INTP folk out there that did graphic design for commercial purposes for a living. (I graduated from college with a degree in linguistics and lacked the available funding and motivation to immediately continue to grad school, design is by no means my first choice in a career.)

Another thing I was wondering, if you work in a sign/vehicle/etc graphics place, how do you deal with tailoring your own brilliant and original ideas to what your unimaginative bosses and customers are looking for?

Ye I studied Graphic Design at college for a couple of years. Then moved to advertising in my third year now I do it for a living. So yeah i'm a creative in a digital ad agency. The way to push you're ideas is to verbally put your point across argue your point get your point across on every project eventually they'll show your ideas aswell as theirs to the client. Guess waht 1/5 times your idea will get picked!:banghead: Its tough being a creative, but sometimes if they just don't listen to ideas that are blatantly better, go to a more creative agency.

[Arachne]

I'm currently doing freelance graphic design work. It is way, way, way, way, way, way better than about a thousand other jobs. Be grateful you are not sitting a desk processing paperwork like most other BAs.

[Ramblin' Jack]

I've been working as a designer for 20 years, 12 of them with my own studio. It's been a great career choice for me, and very lucrative. Of course, it helps that I love doing it, but that can be said for just about any career.

As far as getting your ideas pushed through, I can offer a couple bits of advice. The first is that as a designer you have have the responsibility to advocate passionately for what you believe is the right solution, based on your professional skills and experience. The flip side to that is understanding that the client (or boss) are paying the bills and get to call the shots. If your ideas are disregarded, and the folks in charge insist on doing something "unimaginative", you should accept that with a smile and get about your job.

The next bit of advise is to learn a bit of humility. As a designer, it's easy to get a big head and believe that you are the sole arbiter of good taste, but the reality is that your clients (or bosses) probably know a lot more about their industry and customers than you do, and that it would be unwise to disregard their experience. If you view you clients as adversaries instead of partners, you are in for a rough time in this business (it took me years to learn this one).

Good luck.

[Arachne]

... but the reality is that your clients (or bosses) probably know a lot more about their industry and customers than you do, and that it would be unwise to disregard their experience.

So true. Good looking designs are not always effective designs from a business standpoint.

[mrpeach32]

Thanks Jack, great advice.

[eyebyte_atWork]

Sorry - if you are just starting out you will be doing bitch work.

The real question is whether you are willing to do what it takes to get to the level where your opinions matter to the decision makers. This means you will have to be the best and learn to play the game. Take on projects that others find risky AND succeed in them.

It has been my experience that too many people think they can do this and then blame others when they cannot. People who do succeed in their field - can do this - they constantly evolve and learn to pick their battles.

[Nighthawk]

The real question is whether you are willing to do what it takes to get to the level where your opinions matter to the decision makers. This means you will have to be the best and learn to play the game. Take on projects that others find risky AND succeed in them.

A liberal amount of backstabbing, ass kissing, and ruthless office politics never hurt either. If at first you don't succeed, then move into management.

[Wingman]

Everybody's posts here are too discouraging. I think I need to change majors. :sadbanana: Then again, I'm a lucky fellow (for the most part). I already got an internship at an upcoming network. Though the show I'm working on isnt the most creative. Still its a step in the right direction. Never give up!

[MCYhon]

i want to become a graphic designer now - i am serious too.
I will finish my IT program, then self-learn and most likely go into a college for it as well.

where to start?

[Obb]

I'll be graduating from my community college soon with some Associate degrees. I get things done quickly and happily when somebody tells me to, but it can be hard to work up the initiative to do something on my own.

What kind of education do these graphic design companies expect from us nowadays? I'm not done with college yet, but will I have to wait for my four-year degree before I can get a good career related job?

[secretsmile]

My suggestion is to do your own business on the side. It will allow for the creative control you're looking for. Husband is considering starting a graphic design business when he's out of the military. He's a combat photographer/graphics illustrator, but he's always been a Photoshop nerd. :) Something I noticed with graphic design is that sometimes you just have to DO something really crazycreative and then show it to the unimaginative bosses. They don't always get it until you give them a visual and then it's like "OHHH AHHH wow that's wonderful!" I had to prove myself as a designer at my last job. People like to stick to the standard, which is really annoying, until you show them the creative things that can be done. If you can work some creativity into more standard templates, that is always a good thing too.

[xxkiriyamaxx]

Hahaha!
Haven't found this post any sooner!

I'm a happy graphic designer. And no, I'm in no way an F-type. If there's anything I'd love and I'd senseless defend with all my might is my career choice and my career. It's pretty much the best thing it has happened ever. Rite now I'm a graduated student from college and I'm on my way to get a Master's on Media Design, hoping I can make it to the states on a full scholarship.

Why is it the best thing has happened to me?
I can be analytical over anything visual, I can be strategical over whatever I'm doing, specially when I do ads or posters: I have strategic reasons to choose fonts, images and colors. Not only that, me being all visual it's a perfect choice I don't regret ever ever ever, since I can work by myself, all alone.

It's the perfect disguise for an INTP.

The only thing I might regret is that as a career we're "look down" by others, because or job is entirely on the surface of something and we're being watched as if we, the designers, are shallow ourselves. But still, that's the reason I'm introverted: I don't care for what others might think.

So yeah, best thing ever.

[Vaera]

Hahaha!

I can be analytical over anything visual, I can be strategical over whatever I'm doing, specially when I do ads or posters: I have strategic reasons to choose fonts, images and colors. Not only that, me being all visual it's a perfect choice I don't regret ever ever ever, since I can work by myself, all alone.



As a fellow graphic designer (graduating next year tho) with 3 years of architecture school experience, and as a fellow INTP, I must say I find your statement very curious.
I, for once, have great troubles laying down final decisions, no matter how small they might appear. There are so many vast possibilities, each one can fiddle with the meaning one way or the other. Can you tell me do you already, when working in such manner, have pre-defined set of tools? As in, do you already have certain group of typefaces , swatches and elements (as well as ideas) you are comfortable working with or you just dig deep until you find (perfect) one?

[xxkiriyamaxx]

As a fellow graphic designer (graduating next year tho) with 3 years of architecture school experience, and as a fellow INTP, I must say I find your statement very curious.
I, for once, have great troubles laying down final decisions, no matter how small they might appear. There are so many vast possibilities, each one can fiddle with the meaning one way or the other. Can you tell me do you already, when working in such manner, have pre-defined set of tools? As in, do you already have certain group of typefaces , swatches and elements (as well as ideas) you are comfortable working with or you just dig deep until you find (perfect) one?

It depends on what you mean by "tools", and it depends on the client I'm working for.

For example, I work for my own college as the head of Institutional Graphic Production (sucky name on english. On spanish sounds so much better! and Snobish!) and over there, I do have a set of "types" and "swatches". Mostly because here it's not really about how creative you are, but much more on what do the chief of the area that requires the project thinks about that particular project. So, I know that this area likes minimalistic types and this one likes their images to be big, and so on.

Of course, there are times that job is not so "stencil" like. For example, when they ask me for posters about a particular conference or workshop. Here what I do is ask what is it all about and what is the main goal of it. With that on mind, I start to draw ideas on my head on where to place what. I do this because I really don't have the time to do otherwise. Then I start working on. Of course, there are times when I have to really really really go in the deep of the concept because nothing seems to work out, and there are other times when the project just "flow itself out", which are the most common ones.


There are so many vast possibilities, each one can fiddle with the meaning one way or the other.
I don't completely agree with it.

I think that even though I can say "black cat in the cradle" the meaning will change if I say "black cradle in the cat". So certain colors and fonts when joint change their meaning.

If you ask me, I believe it's all about the perspective your client seek of. Some clients are unbelievable modern and very open to ideas... others are veeeery close-minded individuals who think that their ideas are way better than that of the creatives. I tend to look working with the first ones and avoid the later for their sake.

Hope that helped!!

[ApeTheDog]

Any graphic designers here which happen to have a site lying around they're not using and wouldn't mind giving to me?

I need to make my webshop kick huge amounts of ass and I'm definately not a graphic designer.

[aen]

I'm a practicing designer with six years experience, most of which as a freelance consultant. I'm currently running a small agency "COMA" http://coma.sg/ with 2 other principals. The path is hard, especially starting out. Being an intellectual protects yourself in a way but you also risk clients not understanding you.