I found this illustration over here and it sums up the blank stares perfectly that I get from a lot of people when I tell them I'm studying graphic design. I generally get some form of, "So... what are you going to do with that?" in this really open-ended tone of voice like they're hoping I'll fill in the blanks for them.
The funny thing is... and this is one of the reasons I chose graphic design... the possibilities are endless! How do you sum that up in two sentences or less without losing them to the minute details of what graphic design could be? I mean, I could work for a magazine doing page layout, I could sell illustrated prints, I could design fabric patterns, I could create a giant logo to go on the side of a food truck... just to name a few. And as I learned in my last project, sometimes even sleeping is working, while my brain figures out how it wants to arrange a composition!
Graphic design is about more than just getting things done... it also encompasses thinking and imagining and researching and trying new things. I experiment with different mediums (ink, marker, paint, photography, digital illustration) and styles and learn how to say the same thing a thousand different ways. It's a fun job and I'm sure it's not for everyone, but it's definitely right for me!
That illustration is perfect! Gosh, my dad thinks when i'm doing work on my computer i'm really just playing around on the internet. If only he knew what graphic design really entailed..!
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