Do you seek out and admire good design in any application? Do you linger over well-designed websites or magazine layouts? Graphic designers live for good design in a variety of media. Visual communication is all about capturing and holding an audience's attention in the most engaging way. Graphic designers may work in print, online, or various multimedia to provide effective visual communications solutions.

Read below for more information on graphic design careers and degree information. Find graphic design colleges in your area using the simple search engine above.

Is Graphic Design College Right for You?

Graphic design is a method of visual communication that utilizes a combination of images and text to effectively convey information. Most job opportunities in graphic design require a four-year degree within the field, which develops necessary aesthetic, cognitive, and creative design skills for a successful career. Graphic design degrees combine traditional visual arts courses with several computer programming and computer-aided courses. If you enjoy creating artistic designs and working with the latest computer technologies, a design degree may be right for you.

In addition to completing general education requirements, most colleges that offer graphic design require courses in:

• Visual arts and illustration
• Basic layout and design principles
• 3-D modeling
• Typography
• Web design
• Marketing and branding
• Advertising and communications

Coursework in various visual arts, technical, and business courses prepare graphic designers for careers in a variety of multimedia positions.

Graphic Design Careers

Top careers for individuals with four-year degrees from accredited schools for graphic design include:

• 3D graphic design
• Website graphic design
• Flash website design
• Layout artist
• Art director
• Illustrator
• Multi-media designer
• Photo editor
• Logo designer
• Brand identity designer

Graduates may also work on freelance graphics design projects or accept entry-level positions at reputable graphic design companies, industrial design firms, or design institutes. Large industrial corporations typically have an industrial design group that provides the necessary input in terms of commercial designing and improvement services.

• An advertising designer provide graphic design services for industrial or commercial corporations and agencies. If you are interested in effective advertising design and marketing techniques, this could be the right career path for you.

• Website graphic designers provide design solutions for online media and e-commerce sites. These jobs require a background in computer programming, web design, and 3-D graphic design techniques.

• Art directors and production artists are upper-level positions within the graphic design career field. Many require some prior work experience in addition to a four-year degree, and provide design solutions for print or online media.

• Desktop publishers work closely with clients to provide design and publishing solutions. These careers require graphic design preparation, production of the artwork, and publishing of the final approved product. A graphic designer needs to be competent in computer publishing, typesetting, and printing graphics.

• Illustrators are graphic artists who have an inclination towards sketching, drawing, painting, etc., and possess technical expertise in computer-aided design technologies.