You've been robbed. Have we? By whom?
By the person who designed your posters. Oh, don't you like them?
They're so dreary. I could do a lot better. So you're a graphic designer then?
No, I'm a salesman and I'm desperate to get out. Well, there's more to graphic design than making posters. There are book covers, CD packaging, company letterheads and logos, labels, carrier bags, shop signs, holiday brochures, websites and CD-rom pages...
Mmm. Isn't it wonderful. How do I get at it? You usually need a degree or a higher national certificate or diploma. You might get by with a national diploma, but the higher-level course would probably bring more job opportunities. Any employer would also need to see a full portfolio of your work.
As it happens I've got some here Splendid, but let's not get it out now. It'll be useful for a foundation course.
What's that? In England and Wales, most entrants take a general foundation year in art and design before starting a degree course at a university or art college.
Which would be in design. Some degrees are specifically for graphic design. Others offer graphic design as an option in a more general art course and others focus on specialised areas, such as graphic design for multimedia, print or websites.
Is my age a problem? In general, mature students are very welcome on art and design courses and if applicants can show a genuine interest and a portfolio of work, entry qualification requirements may even be relaxed. Adult entrants often begin with a part-time or full-time access course before progressing to a degree or diploma course. It is our experience, however, that employers are unlikely to take newly trained entrants in their 40s and 50s unless they have a very good portfolio and can show a flexible approach to their work.
What else do employers look for? Well, it goes without saying that graphic designers should be creative and imaginative. They should be able to draw, and know a bit about photography as well as printing techniques, typefaces and the qualities of various inks and surfaces. These days they also need skill with computer design packages such as Quark Xpress or FreeHand, plus skill with website design, multimedia techniques and animation, too. It's critical that they can work to a brief and come up with practical answers to any problems.
That's quite a list. And on top of it all they should be able to take criticism.
You're not suggesting I can't take criticism! Of course not but whatever you end up doing - whether you work for an agency, or in-house for a company, or indeed if you are self- employed, as increasing numbers of designers are - you will need a thick skin.
What are the salaries like? I can only give rough figures. But newly qualified designers earn something between £10,000 and £14,000, which doubles with experience. Senior graphic designers can earn £40,000 or more.
Like the robber who did your posters. No doubt.
Further information
The Chartered Society of Designers www.csd.org.uk
The Design Council www.designcouncil.org.uk
International Council of Graphic Design Associations (Icograda) www.icograda.com
