We’ve all been in social situations such as family gatherings or a friend’s party where we are asked what it is we do for a living. If your job is one that is simple to explain such as a doctor, sales assistant or truck driver then you are the lucky ones. On the other hand having to tell people that you’re a graphic designer may just be one of the most challenging experiences you can imagine.
In my experience you encounter three different types of reactions:
Noddy
“I’m a graphic designer” – you say.
Their initial reaction starts with an “oh OK” response, followed by an exaggerated slow nodding of the head as if this alone should validate their understanding of your job. In their mind they’re hoping you don’t pursue this topic any further as their limited knowledge is very likely to leak the moment you start mentioning your views on the trouble with rasterised type in a Photoshop document. Rather than admit this they’ll go along with it for as long as humanly possible before finding an excuse to leave.
The Intellectual One
The intellectual one is, for want of a better word, a self-proclaimed know-it-all. He or she thinks that they know exactly what it is to be a graphic designer. They may even impress you for a while by throwing around terminology they think only another designer would understand and for a while it will look like you’ve finally come across someone who actually knows their stuff. Until that fatal slip-up where they say something along the lines of
“So you’re just like Don Draper from Mad Men right?”
That’s when you know that this person you’ve been talking to all night about your troubles with rasterised typography in Photoshop is nothing more than a poser. Their idea of a graphic designer is only what they’ve seen on TV (F.Y.I Don Draper from Mad Men was in advertising, completely different).
The Interrogator
Finally you get The Interrogator. The one who just can’t quite zero in on what a graphic designer does. In complete contrast to Noddy up there you have the Interrogator who just doesn’t drop his or her relentless questioning. They will keep asking until they either get to the bottom of it or you finally give in and say, “Yes, I draw pretty little pictures for a living!”
These are just some of the things I’ve heard in the past. And whilst some have kept me entertained it’s also frustrating to not be able to fully explain what graphic design actually is. If I had to give a description of it I would say it’s the art of communicating a message through the use of pictures and text. But then one would automatically imagine a glorified poster-maker when in fact it is a lot more than that.
So while it’s difficult to explain what graphic design is, I have a lot more of an easier time explaining what it’s not. Here are 5 myths people have about graphic designers in general:
1. You Must Be Rich
In a word, no. Depending on where you work the salary range for a designer at entry level is somewhere in between £14,000 – £20,000. I wouldn’t call Forbes Magazine just yet.
2. All Graphic Design Work Is Done On A Computer
This is probably the image that most of the world has of graphic designers. I imagine that there is an Apple iMac somewhere in that image too. But this couldn’t be further from the truth. Computers are just one of the many ways designers design. There is a fair bit of sketching and some hand crafting too when dealing with projects that need to be mocked up.
3. You Charge Hundreds of Pounds For Small Changes
What may seem like a small and simple change to a client is actually something that may have taken the designer years to learn. There is a story that involves Pablo Picasso that sums this up perfectly. After sketching the picture of a woman who approached him he finished it, handed it back, and asked for $5000. “But it took you 5 minutes” she said. To which he replied, “No Madame, it took me my entire life”. It is the years of experience you are paying for.
4. Graphic Design Is Easy
If it were so easy everyone would be doing it. With technology changing every year and the demands for more digital design growing it’s very difficult to keep up to date on all things design based and still be good at your job. That’s far from easy.
5. Anyone Can Be A Graphic Designer
This statement is one that always sets my teeth on edge. Graphic Design isn’t something you can just ‘pick-up’ along the way as you read up on Photoshop tutorials. This kind of thinking is reminiscent of the 300 Million people who think they’re photographers just because they have an Instagram account. It takes a lot of time, study and research before you can truly call yourself a graphic designer.
Hakim Shujaee is a Creative Thinker and Designer at Happy Creative, a full service marketing and creative agency based in Blackpool, Lancashire. To learn more or contact us please go to www.happy-creative.co.uk
