EARN AS A GRAPHICS DESIGNER

What is “GRAPHICS DESIGN” ?

 Graphic design is a profession whose business is the act of designing, programming, and create visual communications, generally created by industrial means and intended to convey specific messages to specific social groups, with a clear purpose. This is the task that enables graphically communicate ideas, facts and values processed and produced in terms of form and communication, social, cultural, economic, aesthetic and technological. Also known as Website Development and Design, because some associate the word figure only to the printing industry, and understand that visual messages are channeled through many media, not just print.

Graphic design could be described as the sphere of human activity that lies on the crossroads of several directions, first of all, visual arts, communication and psychology. Basically, graphic designers do the job of communication to others by means of graphic (visual) elements such as images of different style and complexity, types and fonts, pictograms, shapes and sizes, colors and shades, lines and curves etc.  Graphic designer makes all those elements of visual perception transfer the message so he makes them functional. Therefore, we could say that graphic designers are artists applying their talents mostly not in pure art, but in communicating and purposeful art.

Nowadays, graphic design is an incredibly broad sphere for application of artistic talents. Today it includes:

• illustration
• identity (logo and branding) design
• printed publications design (general design and layout of newspapers, magazines, books etc.)
• icons and pictograms
• typography
• interface graphics and elements
• print advertisements
• big print items such as posters and billboards
• signs
• packaging etc.

Here we can see that modern designers in this sphere have multiple options to apply their talents

2. Who can be a professional GRAPHICS DESIGNER?

In this question I am quite stuck with word anyone here and this needs little explanation on what do you mean by anyone ? If its literally random anyone then my answer would be a big NO. Because that anyone cannot BE a graphic designer. Their interest will fade away after doing few creatives. I feel that anyone would lack passion and patience to try iteration and go through process involved to BE a graphic designer. It does not envolve only physical labor that anyone can do it it requires certain thought process and execution. Graphic Designers develop the whole brand language for a company and is a versatile decipline, it would be blunder if ANYONE starts doing it. Replace word graphic designer with other professional name in this question to do the reality check:

• Can anyone be a Doctor ?
• Can anyone be an Architect?
• Can anyone be a Pilot ?
• Can anyone be a Chemist? etc

But I will certainly add there are many self tought graphic designers who are doing extremely good. If they have not received any professional training there is something that has helped to establish them-self. Either it is their family environment, or an early realization about their skill that left them no time to spare on 4 or 2 years fulltime professional course, getting recognized through awards or being famous by any medium etc, or being endorsed by someone who is well-known in that field. Hope I am able to communicate. If you have the passion and interest and you think you can sustain yourself in this field then please dont get dissapoint by my answer. I wish you all the best and welcome you in this field. Hope I am able to express myself here and not being misunderstood.

3.How do you become a graphic designer?

 

01: Up-Date Yourself With New Technology

The world of computer technology changes almost every day, and to keep pace with it, a web designer needs to be technologically in tune with the changes in the industry. Slice out a segment of your work-day or week and dedicate it to learning new things in your field. Find out what's new, what's trending, and what's falling to the wayside. If you don’t want to see your competitors take away your business by appearing to be newer and fresher than you, pay heed to this tip.

2.) Take your own Redesign Projects. If you feel that you can improve an existing product's existing app or website or some kind of digital existence, Just Do It. Work on it, commit yourself towards making it better than the current design. It need not be totally new, start small. If you feel the image gallery of the existing design sucks, make it better and let them know that you have improved their design.

3.) Engage with others. Till the time you don't send out a beacon or a signal that says "Hey! I'm a UI Designer! I know my work and you can count on me", you really won't get any new projects. Always engage with your audience. Share your work on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram, and also on portfolio sites like Behance, Coroflot etc. Put yourself on the map. Even if it's small, it's fine.

4.) Answer Questions, share your Journey. Ask others about the challenges they faced, and also share your experiences on how you solved a challenge with those who are new. This really gets you a lot of exposure. Trust me, I know.

5.) Die for Real Feedback. My friend, pick someone who would give you unadulterated, raw feedback on your designs. They are bitter, but they are the most effective one. Sugarcoated feedback would never take you ahead. If it sucks, it sucks. It's your job to make it better and I know you will!

1] Metaphors.

Great ideas can stem from using themes and metaphors. Basing a site design around the idea of a school, for example, can open up a whole avenue of ideas. A great design works because the theme houses and conveys the content seamlessly.

2] Don’t take all day to brainstorm.

It always helps to throw ideas around with a colleague or friend (as long as he knows what he’s doing). Try to have a couple of short sessions of brainstorming rather than one massive one as ideas can quickly go cold.

3] Get off that computer!

Sometimes it’s best to just have a break. Leaving the computer can seem like going on holiday in rush hour, but it usually helps if you just take a 10 minute break and get some fresh air. If you can’t do that, try listening to some music, or taking your jumper off.

4] Join a forum.

A lot of creatives work from home, but that doesn’t mean they can’t talk to anyone. There are a lot of really helpful and talented people out there willing to have a chat about design, you just need to find them. Here are some of my favorite forums:
Graphic Design Forum (one of the oldest and largest forums on graphic design)
Smashing Magazine Forums
Layers Magazine
Designate Online
DevLounge (OK, it’s not a forum, but it’s a really decent site)

5] Think brand.

Try going to a few courses on branding, as brand thinking is vital to developing the way you think. Keep your ideas squeaky simple, and 9 times out 0f 10 they will work. Thinking in terms of branding means you can develop key words to stem your ideas from. Complexity just doesn’t work.

6] Use a sketchbook.

I almost always start with ideas that I have scribbled down in my trusty sketchbook. Whenever I get an idea I just make sure I get it down on paper. This always helps as whenever you’re stuck at a later date, you don’t have to go out and buy another book, just refer to your own! Don’t just keep it to ideas though, put URLs, book titles, words, and all the sketches down that you can. It will develop into your creative mind, on paper.

7] Get your specs straight.

Always ensure you know the media you’re going to be using at the start of working on a project. Knowing that there’s going to be photography involved means you may need to think about locating a shoot. 3D may mean getting some help to make it look that little bit better. Taking it to print in the last minute is also not advised: things never go to plan! Ensure you know the scale of production you’re going to be dealing with, and research the printing processes you’re going to use.

8] Draw a map.

I find it helps to visualise the brief. Highlight key words and phrases, and jot them down in your trusty sketchbook. Then see how these ideas could link up by drawing lines between them and branching out from those core ideas. Pretty soon you’ll have enough on the page to sketch out some decent ideas.

9] Rough it out.

Once you have THE idea, and it’s on paper, try putting it together at low res on the computer. This way you can see what you might need to rethink or improve to get the job done well. At this stage you don’t need to worry about perfect dimensions or colours, just see how it goes.

10] Take a shower.

No, not because your odor is putting your colleagues off, but because (apparently) running water increases brain productivity. Try not bring the brief in with you, but spending time in a place that you feel really comfortable in can greatly help those ideas flow.
Getting into good habits is one of the best pieces of advice for any designer. But how?

11] Stay on top of the latest happenings.

Don’t let yourself fall behind the times of design and technology: they’re both fast moving industries. On the other hand, don’t go following the latest fads just because everyone else is. Keep up to date by visiting sites such as Smashing Magazine and DesignIsKinky. However, our personal favourite for up-to-date design is this absolutely mind blowingly awesome site called Liquidicity

12] Keep to web standards.

It always looks like you mean business when your site is 100% standards compliant. However, some browsers (cough *IE* cough) still don’t always like to play ball. If it works and looks the same in all browsers then you have done your job, no matter how compliant you are. If there is one tool you’re going to get to dramatically improve your web design standards it would have to be the Web Developer Toolbar for Firefox.

13] Make a library.

In most programs, you end up reusing something that you once made a while ago. It always helps to keep a well organised library of all your reusable files. This especially applies when you’re working with Flash, where you can keep track of loops, buttons, timers, code snippets, and symbols. This centralised library can also help keep you’re work consistent.

14] Save. Save. Save. Save again.

Are you getting the message? No matter how decent your computer is, don’t leave yourself in a position where you could lose all of your days work in one flick of a switch. Sometimes it helps to have had a dodgy computer in the past, as I now save every time I leave the window I’m working in. Sometimes my Mac just won’t play ball, and the only option is a reboot. Don’t let a reboot ruin your day.

15] Collaborate.

We never let things go before we’re completely happy about the final version. Working together means you can share your ideas as mentioned before, but also give critique to one another before finalising the design. These friendly, supportive criticisms can save you from harsher comments later on from your boss or client. Working together is also a whole lot more fun.

16] Do it right first time.

It’s not always easy, but ensuring you have tested your site across browsers thoroughly before putting it out in the open will ensure your customers and clients are a lot more happy. This sort of service is what a lot of clients will look out for when choosing someone to design (or redesign) their site.

17] Save your repeated actions

In a lot of applications you can end up doing the same tasks over and over again. For example in Photoshop you can save repeated procedures as “actions”. If you happen to be a Mac user and have OS X Tiger, you can use Automator to run repetitive aspects of your work flow for you. To be honest, I have never really got on with “Auto”, but I know a lot of people find it really helpful.

18] Your assets’ greatest asset.

Keeping track of your assets can be a challenge, but it’s important you keep them how YOU want. Everyone has a different way of working. For example, when working on a site, I keep all of my full res and vector images in an entirely separate folder to the site, and when it comes to getting final composites ready for the web, I export at a compressed size to the respective folder of the site. One of the reasons why I like Illustrator so much is because there’s no need to worry about starting off at a large resolution, due to the vector based design. This is important in Photoshop, where it’s always best to start off big, and scale down when you need to.

19] Simplify.

Striving for simplicity may not seem too tricky at first, but when you have a wealth of ideas, it’s important not to complicate and distort your original message. If you are using a lot of complex visual elements, try to keep the colours simple, and vice versa. This way, your colours and design won’t compete with each other.

20] Experience is everything.

The longer you have worked in design, the more experienced you become. Spending more time focusing on the applications you use can really speed up your production, making you more efficient and more knowledgeable of their feature sets.

Don’t be a bad workman and blame your tools. Ensure you know your applications like the back of your hand.

21] Naming Files.

Often overlooked, but naming your files in an organised and consistent way really helps you see how things have progressed, and what file belongs where. Never EVER attach “final” to a filename, because you will always go back to it and change it. Eventually you’ll have a folder full of twenty newer versions of that “final” revision. I have got into the habit of naming my work and putting “01”, “02” etc after it so I can see how many revisions I have made easily, and recall an older one to compare quickly.

22] Gradients in Flash.

The default green to black gradient in Flash is evil. Don’t use it. Ever.

23] Another layer of Photoshop Cake.

Always try to use as many layers as possible when working in Photoshop, avoiding merging them together. The worst thing possible is doing an amazing composition and thinking “actually, I think I’ll change that” and realising you merged those 2 layers. What’s worse is if you have gone past its history state, meaning even if you undo the last 50 changes you have made, there will still be nothing you can do!

24] Use a pen and paper.

In this day and age, it’s getting less and less common to use a pen and paper (I hope you remember what they look like). Try sketching a few images out and scanning them in. Bring them into Photoshop and play around for a bit. This can really help you build a more organic and original feel to your work.

25] Play with Colour. Like no other.

After creating your image in Illustrator, or whichever application you use, try modifying the colours slightly by pulling it into Photoshop. This can really help you to unify the final colour of the composition.

26] Buy a new computer.

Call that a tip?! Well, it’s often forgotten, but the apps on the shelves today are getting faster and faster. To be honest, if your computer is more than 5 years old it’s time to consider an upgrade. Obviously your requirements are going to be unique: 3D animation is a whole lot more demanding than print design, but never the less, the faster your computer, the faster you can work. Many designers prefer Macs (I do), but PCs can run all of the applications that Adobe provide, and a few more. The PC vs. Mac argument is entirely up to you.

27] More RAM.

Just bought a new computer? Time to buy more RAM. Can’t afford a new computer right now? Buy more RAM. All the small jobs, like working on a couple of images, writing on your site, and playing back previews in Flash build up to devour any RAM you have. It’s as simple as this. Buy more RAM and you’ll be able to work faster.

28. Get more plug ins.

No matter which application you use, there’s almost always more plug ins available. Getting new filters and effects for Photoshop can greatly help you improve and speed up your work. Adobe’s own site is great for Photoshop plug ins.

29. Take a Training: Take a class in graphic design. There are a lot of options you can take a course and a local college or there are thousand of resources online as well. However, I recommend taking a course where there's a teacher that you can interact with. A critical part of all learning experience in graphic design is being part of a "crit" or a critique session. The idea behind this is that all of the students in the class put up their weekly assignment on a wall... or a virtual wall if it's an online course --- and you get constructive feedback on your designs from fellow classmates and your instructors.

You learn a lot through these assignments and it can be the first stepping stone to taking on a free project (for a friend perhaps) -- and then working your way into paying jobs on a freelance basis or perhaps even taking a job in a design firm or agency.

You also should think about what area you'd like to focus in graphic design. I recommend giving serious consideration to web. Print design is around but it can be challenging to focus only in print.

30. Study from the best.
See how your favourite designers work. Read their books. See how they solve problems. Save their works and analyse them, listen to their interviews and, why not? If you see they are good folks, ask them your questions.

31. Practice! Design as much as you can.
Above all, design about what intrigues you other than for clients and money itself. Design can be a beautiful profession if you do it with love - and if you work to convey a message, rather than just 'making pretty things'.

33. Is there a branch of graphic design  that intrigues you particularly?
Logo design, Book covers, music artwork, packaging, Posters, Web design and many more. Each one has its own different difficulties. What about being focused on illustration, photography, 3d rendering, coding? None of these last skills are essential for a designer, however your set of abilities makes you unique to that particular niche you choose. Keep in mind that your choice might not last long.

You might soon move to another niche (or more than one, if you prefer to be more of a jack of all trades) and even abandon it entirely. I believe that in the beginning it is crucial to have a preferred niche (or more than one) to make our own development more consistent. But don't limit ourself if you see that your tastes are changing. That is good for you as a creative professional.

Requirements:

1. Desire.
2. Creativity.
3. Curiosity.*
4. Observation.
5. Practice.
6. Skills.
7. Language.
8. Experience.
9. Computer Aptitude.
10. Practice.
11. Practice.
12. Practice.

3. How many times do I need to become

              a professional GRAPHICS DESIGNER

I think if you try your best and if you have talent, you can become a good graphics designer in 6 month. But to be a professional you have to try more and more....

4. Demand of “GRAPHICS DESIGN”

Graphic designers are highly sought after for their ability to create visually stimulating images. Most graphic designers are employed with specialized design service agencies like publishing, advertising, public relations and other related fields. However, as contingent labor has increased and the need for high-quality images has grown, it is easy than ever to find independent freelance workers.
The demand for graphic designers is increasing, to find high-quality jobs, both permanent and contingent. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, there were 279,200 graphic design jobs in 2010. This is expected to increase by 13 percent by 2020, which means an additional 37,300 jobs will be created.
According to a study by Wanted Analytics, the volume of online job ads for graphic designers has been increasing over the last few months. During a 60-day period during March and April 2012, more than 6,000 graphic design jobs were posted online – an 11 percent year-over-year growth in hiring demand in the industry. The greatest volume of jobs postings were in New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco.
Graphic designers who are winning all of the high-quality positions are often demonstrating on their resume that they have experience with the key trends in the industry. As a result, it's important for designers, whether they are relatively new to the industry or an older pro, to showcase valuable skills. With the right combination of references and experience using top design software and programs, a designer can find a quality position in the greater Baltimore area.

5. Field of

v     Logo Design

v     Business Cards & Stationery

v     Illustration

v     Cartoons & Caricatures

v     Flyers & Posters

v     Book Covers & Packaging

v     Web & Mobile Design

v     Social Media Design

v     Banner Ads

v     Photoshop Editing

v     3D & 2D Models

v     T-Shirts

v     Presentation Design

v     Info graphics

v     Vector Tracing

v     Invitations

6. Using software of “GRAPHICS DESIGN”

v     Adobe Photoshop

v     Adobe Illustrator

v     CorelDRAW Graphics Suite X5

v     Adobe Indesign

v     Adobe Flash

v     Corel PaintShop Photo Pro X3

v     Art Rage 3.5

v     Adobe Premiere

v     Corel Paint

v     Wacom Tablets

7. How much earn is possible as a “GRAPHICS DESIGNER”?

It is a too impossible to answer this question. Because a graphics designer can earn in many ways. It is depending on his jobs. Some one earn 10$ per month and some one earn 1000000$ per month. It is totally depend on their honesty, industry, intelligences and on  fate.A graphic designer can either take the freelance route or opt to be hired on a full time basis. Earnings depend on skill level and service provided. An entry level designer can earn 50–100,000USD. Hourly rates are set by yourself, and sites such as people per hour.

It is a great way in marketplace to earn.

8.Which site will help you to earn?

v    Upwork (formerly oDesk)

  The average budget size of a job here is around $5,000! It’s no wonder that this online marketplace is a    

   great asset for both service providers and employers.

v     Fiver:    Sell logos, icons, illustrations, templates and more through this site. Graphic Leftovers pays higher royalties than many comparable sites.

v    Toptal

Toptal is a hiring marketplace for developers of (almost) all programming languages; it provides “A”-level developers who truly skillful in their fields. You can apply as a freelance developer with the possibility of working with top tech companies or a cool startup.

v    99designs

      Sell logos, icons, illustrations, templates and more through this site. Graphic Leftovers pays higher  

      royalties than many comparable sites.

v          Graphic Leftovers

         Sell logos, icons, illustrations, templates and more through this site. Graphic Leftovers pays higher

         royalties than many comparable sites.

v     crowdSPRING - Work on spec on a variety of design projects, competing against other designers.

v     Project4Hire.com - Bid on projects in a variety of categories including graphic design and web design.

v     DesignFirms - List your design firm and have clients come to you for project bidding.

v     Zooppa - Create ads and compete against other designers to win cash prizes.

v     LogoBash - Get paid $180 for any logo you design chosen by a client.

v     redbubble - Another artwork marketplace where you can sell wall art, t-shirts, calendars and greeting cards.

v     Minted - Submit designs to this regular contest and receive cash prizes.

v     Artbreak - Sell paintings, drawings, and photography alongside other artists from all over the world.

v     Threadless - Design a t-shirt, submit it for voting, and if it's one of the best, see it made and sold.

v     Artist Rising - An artwork marketplace that includes photography and digital art.

v     imagekind - Sell artwork in a variety of formats—framed, canvas, posters, greeting cards and more.

v     Spreadshirt - Create custom t-shirts to sell.

v     pikistore - Set up your own online t-shirt store.

v     I Vote For Art - Put your artwork up for sale and have it voted on.

v     Zazzle - Put your designs on unique products to sell

More.............
1. Logofromdreams

• Alexa Rank: 258,236
• Page Rank: 4/10

2. Logopond

• Alexa Rank: 6,513
• Page Rank: 6/10
• Submission Requirement: Account creation is needed.

3. Logomoose

• Alexa Rank: 80,983
• Page Rank: 4/10
• Submission Requirement: Account creation is needed.

4. Logofaves

• Alexa Rank: 47,554
• Page Rank: 4/10

5. Logooftheday

• Alexa Rank: 90,064
• Page Rank: 5/10

6. Logogala

• Alexa Rank: 188,859
• Page Rank: 4/10

7. Thedesigninspiration

• Alexa Rank: 17,074
• Page Rank: 5/10

8. Creattica

• Alexa Rank: 5,715
• Page Rank: 6/10
• Submission Requirement: Account creation is needed.

9. Logogalleria

• Alexa Rank: 627,713
• Page Rank: 3/10

10. Logotalkz

• Alexa Rank: 970,625
• Page Rank: 3/10

11. Graphicdesignblog

• Alexa Rank: 970,625
• Page Rank: 3/10

12. Typebased

• Alexa Rank: 1,198,607
• Page Rank: 3/10
• Accepted Logos: Type based logo designs only.

13. Logofi

• Alexa Rank: 145,015
• Page Rank: 4/10

14. Logofury

• Alexa Rank: 98,595
• Page Rank: 3/10

15. Logogallery

• Alexa Rank: 469,503
• Page Rank: 4/10

16. Czechlogos

• Alexa Rank: 6,828,398
• Page Rank: 2/10

17. Logoed

• Alexa Rank: 796,826
• Page Rank: 3/10

18. Thelogomix

• Alexa Rank: 179,420
• Page Rank: 3/10

19. Logobliss

• Alexa Rank: 498,996
• Page Rank: 4/10

20. Logospire

• Alexa Rank: 125,044
• Page Rank: 4/10
• Submission Requirement: Account creation is needed.

21. Identityview

• Alexa Rank: 726,981
• Page Rank: 2/10

22. Logolicia

• Alexa Rank: 446,960
• Page Rank: 3/10

23. Brandsoftheworld

• Alexa Rank: 4,043
• Page Rank: 6/10
• Submission Requirement: Account creation is needed.

9. Caution:

Don’t Double Dip
Your employer likely won’t have kind words to say after catching you using company time and resources to work on freelance projects. Resist the temptation to double dip your time by completing freelance tasks while on the employer’s time clock. Sure, this may lead to late nights and long weekends finishing freelance tasks. However, the two realms must be kept separate if you hope to keep your full-time job and succeed in this freelance venture.
Read Your Workplace Policy
Some companies include non-compete clauses in their employee handbooks, meaning employees aren’t allowed to accept freelance work on the side. These clauses are often found in ad agencies with employers who fear their creative professionals will begin stealing the company’s clients.
Before freelancing, review your employee handbook and ask questions on any clauses you don’t understand. This will avoid you breaking a major company rule regarding freelancing and, thus, suffering severe repercussions such as losing your job. If the policy is vague, use your best judgment regarding whether the boss should be informed of your intentions to start freelancing on the side.
Be Honest with Clients
As your freelance client list builds, you may be faced with periods of work overload. It’s typical during this time when you’ll need either quit your job and go full-time freelance or turn a few clients away. In either case, be upfront with any potential clients asking you to complete work for them. Tell the clients you’re still working full-time and specify that the work may take a little longer than usual if they still want you to complete their projects. By laying the cards on the table at the beginning of a freelance project, you’ll avoid client frustrations and negative word of mouth in the future.
Go Full-time Freelance with Care
Although you may be chomping at the bit to put in your two-week notice and go full-time freelance, make this transition with care. Only go full-time freelance when you’re confident your income from an employer’s paycheck can easily be replaced and when you have a cushion of savings to fall back on during unexpected freelance dry spells.
Freelancing while working full-time for an employer is a great opportunity to maintain the security of a steady paycheck while assessing if you’ve got the talent needed to go solo in the working world. By respecting your full-time work hours and by being up front with your freelance clients, you’ll successfully navigate this transitional period until you’re able to leave the employer behind and freelance full-time.

12. Conculation:

Graphic Design can be useful for different purposes like for showcasing purposes or as special apparatuses. These instruments can be Brochures, ads, business cards, flyers, and so on which are utilized most by making it more eye-snappy and appealing.

Great graphic design will help you pull in more business by making you emerge instead of getting disregarded. With such a variety of things seeking our visual consideration regularly you need to emerge to be taken note.

Great graphic design solution will rapidly convey what truly matters to your business and what it resembles to work with you. A potential customer can educate so much concerning your business just by taking a gander at your marking and organization material. Early introductions are of the highest significance in business. Great graphic design will guarantee you make the correct one.

We are trying to show a person how to earn from online. Further future we will try to invite a freelancer to serve with us. We will help a freelancer to get more jobs. Just stay with us and visit and observe.