The Pros & Cons of a Graphic Design Career – Tina B's World
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The Pros & Cons of a Graphic Design Career

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If you’re looking for either a side hustle or a career opportunity that’s going to give you the chance to be creative, graphic design is a great choice.

Graphic design is an in-demand skill that businesses are willing to pay a decent sum for. 

Some businesses might want you to have some training under your belt, but the good news is that there are a LOT of courses available online. All you need to do is a simple search to find a few. 

photo of a brand board images

Let’s discuss:

  • what graphic designers do
  • the pros and cons
  • how to get started 

what is a graphic designer?

In a nutshell: graphic designers are visual storytellers.

They are responsible for creating graphics for a wide range of media, like:

  • websites
  • advertisements
  • logos
  • graphics
  • templates 

In addition to creating images, they also specialize in:

  • fonts
  • print designs
  • colors 

Graphic design requires a bit of creativity and the ability to follow outlines or suggestions from a client. 

In addition to actual design, you are going to have to be competent in other areas:

  • meeting clients
  • creating design briefs
  • working with a range of media platforms
  • working within a team 

If you are not comfortable with criticism, graphic design might not be for you. 

what are the pros & Cons?

Like any career, there are definitely pros and cons of being a graphic designer.

the pros

The pros include:

  • Great for creative types
  • No two jobs will be the same
  • Plenty of work opportunities
  • Good pay

A career in graphic design requires a lot of creativity. Keep in mind that your designs could potentially influence a company’s future products. No pressure, right? 

The fact that no two jobs will ever be the same allows for a greater level of variety. It’s ideal for people who love what they do, but also get bored creating the same things day in and day out.  

There are plenty of opportunities out there as brands are always on the lookout for designers to help them create imaging that is both attention-grabbing and memorable.

The pay is good, but will depend on your skillset and what a brand is looking for. If you have the right skills, graphic design would be a brilliant career move or side hustle idea. 

the cons

The main disadvantages to account for include:

  • Creative constraint
  • Unstable income
  • Startup costs
  • Mental exhaustion

Graphic design does require creativity, but you have to keep in mind that your creative ideas might not match your client’s. It’s possible they might limit your creativity by giving you strict guidelines and specifications to work with. 

Like other side hustles, the income can be unsteady at times. You’ll earn differing amounts of money for each project or client, possibly causing financial stress in the future. 

Some other things to think about:

  • The skills you need will cost money and you will need to continuously train to keep up with the latest techniques.
  • The software you’ll need will cost money.. and you will have to keep up with any residual costs. 
  • You will need to research to keep up with the latest design themes.

You can see why graphic designers can be prone to mental exhaustion. 

Creating can be tedious and hard, so be sure you’re allowing time to take a break and look at your designs with fresh eyes before your deadlines approach. 

How to get started

If you’ve decided graphic design is the best side hustle for you, it’s time to get started.

Typically, you don’t need a degree to get started, but some brands may require one.

It’s a good idea to beef up your qualifications by taking some free courses online.

You might also want to invest in graphic design software and tools.

Once you have the knowledge and skills you need, you can start offering your services.

Market your business online, targeting brands who may need help with their graphics. 

Getting started with graphic design is fairly simple.

You can cut start-up costs by using free versions of software, then upgrading later.

Graphic design will always be in-demand as well.

Remember:

do your research before getting started

take as many online courses as you can.

GOOD LUCK! 

Canva: Design Software

Available in FREE & Pro versions (I recommend Pro)

  • User-friendly interface
  • Ability to make any type of graphic design

Creative Fabrica: Design Elements

Any kind of element you need for graphic designs, you can find it here:

  • Photos
  • Borders, Dividers, Flourishes
  • Fonts

Everything is for commercial use. 

The Pretty Grafik: Design Elements

Exclusive elements for designs.

Pay per element, bundle or unlimited plan. 

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