Anyone Graphic Design Majors, or planning to be? Options

[digitalfragrance]

Let's chat!

Are you a Graphic Design Major (or related field), or planning to major in that once you are in college?

What do you want to learn while in the program, and how do you think you can prepare for it?

Why do you want to be one?


I'm a "Media Arts & Science" Major. It's pretty much a glorified term for Graphic Design.
I plan on going into advertising, and I think being on cB for the last 4 years has really helped push my skills...
I still would love to learn vexeling from a professional... but it seems that my major lacks professors knowledgable on that...

[ForgiveTheSinner]

I was interested in the graphics field but then after much thought I don't think I can actually keep it up since I get brain dead a lot and am not able to make anything for like...a month each time.

How do you like it so far? What exactly do you do in class?

[1angel3]

I plan on it, I want to major in graphic design. To prepare for it I'm Commercial arts class and this site really helped me too. I want to learn vectors better

[none345678]

I want to get into Advertisement, or more of a freelance thing, but my situation pretty much rules out college.

[Tomates]

Currently im in 11th grade but im really interested in Graphic Desisgn for college.

[digitalfragrance]

I was interested in the graphics field but then after much thought I don't think I can actually keep it up since I get brain dead a lot and am not able to make anything for like...a month each time.

How do you like it so far? What exactly do you do in class?

Yeah, I know how you feel. You kind of need a never-ending supply of creativity...
I'm loving it so far. I get to expand my skills in other programs, like Adobe After Effects, or Final Cut Pro in my video class. My youtube channel (youtube.com/digitalfragrance) has some of my final projects.
I'm writing a letter to the Dean, though. This major is more "Techy" than "Graphic Designy". Does that make sense?
I want my own individualized major... we'll see how that goes...

I plan on it, I want to major in graphic design. To prepare for it I'm Commercial arts class and this site really helped me too. I want to learn vectors better

Commerical Art? That sounds really cool! What do you do in that class?

I want to get into Advertisement, or more of a freelance thing, but my situation pretty much rules out college.

That's too bad. I hope you'll be able to attend college some time!

Currently im in 11th grade but im really interested in Graphic Desisgn for college.

Do you want to do freelance stuff? Or do you want to work for a Media Company? Do you have any colleges in mind?

[brooklyneast05]

i'm a graphic design major, but eh. i don't know. doubt i'll remain one since i'm more interested in basically every other kind of art. if i stayed in this it'd be for something like package design or something...real. i'm not all that interested in making stuff that's just forever stuck in a virtual world. it's not all that rewarding to me to make "graphics" or website design and stuff like that.

[digitalfragrance]

i'm a graphic design major, but eh. i don't know. doubt i'll remain one since i'm more interested in basically every other kind of art. if i stayed in this it'd be for something like package design or something...real. i'm not all that interested in making stuff that's just forever stuck in a virtual world. it's not all that rewarding to me to make "graphics" or website design and stuff like that.

There is print graphic design - posters, branding... there's more things than packaging that you could do with graphic design that wouldn't remain in the virtual world. I actually like the print side better, now that I have things of mine printed.

What other areas of art are you interested in?

[brooklyneast05]

drawing, printmaking, sculpture, painting, erthang


i mean posters potentially, but advertising/package design seems more interesting to me. basically in the end i just want to be able to make art and still make money. which is why i leaned towards graphic design because it's more...buisnesslike? i guess if you know what i mean.

[Gigi]

I'm definitely way more into the print side of graphic design, or any kind of art in general. It just feels a lot more tangible and...real. LOL plus I'm absolutely hopeless at coding. Definitely, like JC said, more interested in that since it's more business-y, commercial. Stuff you design is used for commercial purposes as opposed to straight up traditional art, weird-ass shit that only people who seek it would buy, hahaha.

[ForgiveTheSinner]

If you are a freelance graphic designer, would you need to get another job and design on the side?

I looked around online and many sources said freelance designer's don't have high incomes.

That's another reason why I decided not to go into the major.

[Gigi]

Yeah you might have to get another job on the side. That's why it's not a bad idea to try to work at a firm instead of freelancing because you'll get some sort of base pay. Then again, freelancing is flexible and you're your own boss...there's always a good and bad.

Although personally I'm planning to pursue a traditional degree in whatever (I still don't know), but probably something in Business, and do some freelancing on the side. In this way I look at graphic design as a side-job as opposed to being a freelancer, and looking for more side-jobs.

[imperfectionistx]

I'm planning to major in Graphic Design - more on the advertising side, but freelance. The school I want to go to only has a Digital Media Arts certificate, but I hope by the time I start college there, it'll be made into a degree. I also researched and heard that this career doesn't make much money :( But I have other things I wanted to do to fall back on :P

I also want to learn more about webdesign though.

[lovescream]

I currently attend a technological magnet school where we have majors we can focus on.
I'm in the Graphic Design program, and it's great!

I not only love my teacher, but the projects we do. I learned a lot of techniques about advertising + what catches people attention, I learned about teamwork with other graphic design fellows, and I learned about more programs to use other than Photoshop. I now know how to use Illustrator, Flash, and inDesign. :D The other graphics teacher knows how to use Maya, so I assume he's really knowledgeable.

I plan to continue this onto college.. maybe. Not really sure yet, because my teacher told us that if you're working for a big company, teamwork may happen a lot, and I found out me + teammates aren't so swell. :/ And I'm worried about making money, especially.

[Blaqheartedstar]

Are you a Graphic Design Major (or related field), or planning to major in that once you are in college? In for business administration while taking electives in digital/web design. Well the basics. Plan to go back to school for graphics design though.

What do you want to learn while in the program, and how do you think you can prepare for it? Learning nothing really from my electives. Although my current one internet publishing is teaching me dream weaver. Thats about it.

Why do you want to be one? Well its a growing industry. Would be great to create sites, and images for sites for other people. and even for your self. Tired of trends and all the other boring images i often see from people. starting to get serious and i don't want it to be a hobby anymore.

[digitalfragrance]

Freelancers don't make much money, unless that have a GREAT network and are EXCELLENT at what they do... that's why being a part of a firm is a definite plus... and then you could do freelancing on the side for gas money or rent.

I just wanted to let you all know that I got CS4 Design Premium. I'm freaking excited.

[TwilightBella]

I am a graphic design major. I have a degree in it.
I went to school in 2003 for it and graduated in 2004.
I did a 2 yr program in a year and a half.
It was great. I won a poster contest in school
I had the best poster.I was taught how to make anything you can think of

[none345678]

I just wanted to let you all know that I got CS4 Design Premium. I'm freaking excited.

Is it a lot different from Cs3? and is there somewhere I can downlode it illegally.


jk

[TwilightBella]

I have paint shop pro 8 and animationshop 3 on my mom's computer at the moment since hers has internet and mine doesn't
my computer has psp8 and ps7

[shakeene]

i would like too or go to culinary school.
not shore yet
those are one 2 way different ends of the art spectrum
xD

[digitalfragrance]

Is it a lot different from Cs3? and is there somewhere I can downlode it illegally.
jk

Ahaha, I'm not sure. IU (Indiana University) just entered into a license agreement with Adobe, and any IU student can download Design Premium or Production CS4 for free. I died when I found out.

I have paint shop pro 8 and animationshop 3 on my mom's computer at the moment since hers has internet and mine doesn't
my computer has psp8 and ps7

Do you do freelance or do you work for a firm now?
My heart will always be fond of PSP7 and Animation Shop 3. I learned on that software :]

[tattjunk]

Whoa yay thank you so much for putting up a topic like this one!

I'm really intrested in following GD as a major, I'm really intrested in advertisement and marketing.
But I'm still pretty unexperienced in this field, so I'll need a lot of advice from you guys :P
I mean, of course I can do stuff (editing etc.).. but I need some help on building a portfolio etc.

Anywho, I'll just read along
Xx

[digitalfragrance]

Whoa yay thank you so much for putting up a topic like this one!

I'm really intrested in following GD as a major, I'm really intrested in advertisement and marketing.
But I'm still pretty unexperienced in this field, so I'll need a lot of advice from you guys :P
I mean, of course I can do stuff (editing etc.).. but I need some help on building a portfolio etc.

Anywho, I'll just read along
Xx

That's exactly what I'm going into! I'm taking a portfolio class this next semester, so it should be pretty enlightening.