The graphic design industry is a fantastic option for many different people, especially if you’re creative, quite technical, have a good attention to detail, and generally are interested in combining art and technology for your career. We’re here to introduce the different ways you can break into the graphic design industry, whether you’re wanting to seek formal education, a self learning journey or find a mentor to guide you through the process.
Start Working On Your Portfolio
The first thing you can do to break into the graphic design industry is to start working on your portfolio. The great thing about graphic design is that you can download software yourself and there are endless videos online to teach you how to do everything you could possibly want to. You could start with more generic skills and videos to give you an introduction, then from here, you’ll gradually start seeing the other skills you want to learn and then gradually you’ll find your own style. Make sure you’re watching different people’s tutorials, as everyone does things differently, and it’ll help you to develop your own way of designing. You should also try different design softwares to get well acquainted with different ones, as having experience with a variety will help when it comes to jobs, although you might have one you prefer and use the most. Using your own time to learn these softwares will also be impressive to potential employers.
From here, you can start creating a portfolio. There are so many templates online to show you the kind of format you should use, then get creative. Include your best pieces of work and try to show some variety to prove what you can do, although having a personal design style will also give you a unique selling point when it comes to applying to jobs, so bear this in mind too. You might end up removing some things, however just keep it all in one place for now and then you can fine tune your portfolio when you start applying for jobs.
Get Work Experience
Whilst learning softwares yourself is probably the most valuable thing you can do so you’re applying with something to show people and a proven dedication to the industry, you should also be looking to get work experience. You can learn so much when you reach out to experienced design agencies willing to take work experience. We’d recommend that you look for agencies rather than in-house design teams, as you’ll get exposure to a range of different clients and types of projects.
Many design agencies also double up as a web development agency Manchester or London based, which is a great perspective to get, as web design can be a fantastic option if you’re particularly technical. It also gives you the opportunity to make some connections in the industry and generally just learn tips and tricks about how things work. It would be great if you could go into some meetings to see the kinds of discussions and thought processes that go on behind the scenes at design agencies. You could also ask whether there is anybody there who could mentor you, to help you navigate the industry as you’re just starting out. It might even lead to a job there!
Think About Taking A Course
Another way you can break into the industry is to take a course. More formal types of education, whether at college or university, can be valuable if you want to go down the education route, as long as you also put the work in yourself. You can work with and be inspired by fantastic teachers when you choose the right course, plus you’ll be surrounded by other creatives who you can bounce off and learn from. Industry connections are a key part of working in graphic design and that’s something that you can gain with a course.
Do some research to make sure that your course will be a combination of theory, industry experience and hands on experience to get the most out of it! You could also potentially look to find a mentor to guide you into the start of your career, with teaching staff being a good option if they’re willing to do it.
