What Does It Take to Become a Graphic Web Design Expert?

Graphic web design is a highly lucrative profession, because the World Wide Web is quickly becoming the most important tool any organization, business, or individual has to get a message out to the public. Many of today's graphic designers are almost entirely self-taught, and this is entirely possible to do, but if you want to be viewed as an expert, you will need some formal education and on-the-job training.

Internal Qualifications

Anyone can pursue a degree in graphic design, but not everyone has what it takes to be a graphic web designer. Individuals who do well in this career must be creative, because every website is going to be different. They also must be good communicators, because they must be able to talk to clients in order to determine what their exact needs or desires are, even when clients are not always sure what it is they want. An ability to put ideas into visible forms is a must, and web designers who pursue graphic arts must also be skilled with using computers, web interfaces, graphics software, and design software. Problem solving skills are another must for this field. Finally, graphic web designers have to have an eye for detail.

Formal Education

Graphic designers absolutely must have a bachelor's degree in graphic arts. Those who want to use their skills to design websites may want to minor in IT or computer sciences, if possible. The major needs to be graphic arts, however, because this is the most complex part of the work.

A typical graphic arts program will include the following courses or studies:

Principles of design Computerized design Studio art Printing techniques Web site design Commercial graphics production

For potential graphic designers who already have a bachelor's degree, a two-year associates degree in graphic design may be sufficient, provided it comes from a professional school.

In addition, graphic web designers must keep themselves current on the software used to design websites. Because this is constantly changing, these professionals often pursue continuing education through seminars, training programs, and webinars that show them how to use the newest programming.

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Graphic Design Tips

Great graphic design looks effortless, but it requires lots of attention to details. Think back to an eye-catching advertisement, publication, or flyer you saw recently. Do you remember why you liked it? Perhaps it was something specific like the use of a cool graphic or font. Or, more likely, the layout and the words worked together to create an eye-appealing, memorable message that you're still thinking about today.

A lot of thought, money, and skill probably went into that design. But you don't have to be a design guru to achieve expert results! Follow these five tips to create effective, professional-looking marketing materials for your small business.

Select appropriate font treatment: More is NOT better when it comes to fonts. Pick no more than two typefaces per document - one for headlines and one for body copy. Stick to a simple, clean font for easy body copy readability. Headline fonts can be a little more creative. For emphasis on certain words or phrases, use italics, boldface, or underlining sparingly. Also try to make the typeface match the personality of the service or product you're representing.

Use white space wisely: Just because the space is there doesn't mean you have to fill it! Good designs contain well-planned white space. ("White space" is simply the areas in a layout that are left bare - without text or graphics.) It gives the eye a break and helps to highlight the important points. Make sure to have enough space around the edges and in-between columns and articles. And remember that there is a fine line between not enough and too much white space. Consult well-designed magazines and ads or computer templates for layout inspiration and ideas.

Find effective graphics and photos: It's always better to use too few than too many graphics. One great graphic is so much better than four weak ones. Sometimes they are not even necessary. When you do use graphics and photos, make sure they help illustrate your point, rather than just inserting them to take up space. Likewise, be sure their sizes are appropriate to the space. Stick with high-quality graphics - in this age of affordable, quality clipart, there is no excuse to use any image that isn't perfectly clear and neat. Never use a "gif" file in a print document; those are created for web use only. Make sure the graphic element illustrates your main point - it's the first thing the reader sees, so it's important it portrays your message accurately. Lastly, don't mix differently styles of illustration or photography - keep a consistent look to create harmony.

Keep copy short and neat: Readers are more likely to read short sentences, paragraphs, and articles written as if you're having a friendly conversation. Break up large blocks of text with bullet points and subheads. Instead of using fancy multi-syllable complex vocabulary, use everyday words that your audience will understand. A good rule of thumb is to write at a sixth-grade reading level. Finally, always have someone else - whether a professional copy editor or a skilled friend - proofread your work. It's impossible to catch all your own typos.

Watch the flow: People generally read a page from top to bottom and from left to right. Draw people into the top left corner of your ad or newsletter with a headline or strong graphic. Then, pull their eyes down and through the text in the mid-section of the page, and finish up in the lower right corner. Picture a "Z" shape. Finally, be sure to include a "call to action" at the bottom to get the results you desire. For example, give readers your contact information and special offer, and tell them to "Call today!"

Source: http://www.allgraphicdesign.com/

Graphic designing as an career

Graphic designing add zing to a movie living you feeling entranced, compelled and maybe even a tad dizzy, such is the magic of graphic designing.

The scenes of thousands of machine sentinels attacking the human city of Zion were mesmerising. The climactic duel between Neo and Smith in the pouring rain in the streets of Matrix was breathtaking and beautifully executed. The Matrix movie garnered a cult like status around the world.

Millions of fans debated as to its plot's true purport and what message it held in the real world. Its tech savvy directors managed to induce mass hysteria in millions of people both old and young- as they laughed all the way to the bank. Much of the trilogy's magic on screen was possible due to the genius of some highly gifted motion graphic designers who toiled away at their computers for months on end, creating magic on screen for us to watch.

The term graphic design was first coined by William Addison Dwiggins, an American book designer in the early 20th century. In the last ten years, Internet growth has exploded from 50 million users in 1997 to more than 1 billion in 2006 and usage, web sites and e-commerce sales are all expected to continue to increase! Not surprisingly, there is a critical need for people with the graphic talent and technical capabilities to design and develop effective web graphics.

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