About 12yrs.

I love it!






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I started doing graphics work back in the mid 1980s when I was still in high school. Back then most of the work was produced using "analog" methods (cut and paste, photostat camera, etc.).

Yep, I wents to art school and I gots a degree.

Happy with my career? The work is fun, but the pay isn't all that great. Without much of any standards on professionalism anymore it's tough to make an even livable wage doing graphics work. Lots of people just download cracked graphics programs and are willing to work for next to nothing. Kinda makes a four year art degree not such a great investment anymore. I would advise someone to attend a good art school only to allow the education to help them grow creatively. It sure won't help anyone make more money these days. The folks signing paychecks don't care about any of that.

I've been involved in graphics for about five years now...always been artistic, just never developed the skill till recently in life. I have no official schooling in the arts and it probably shows at times. Not super happy with my career at this time...but satisfied none the less.

cheers~
Jamaican Steve

About 6 years. A year of shchool, had i actually managed to declare a major it would have been photography, not design (at least that was my initial intent). I'm ok with my career, but its going through a slow spot. Hopefully it will pick up again.

Joined this tribe recently...

Just graduated from San Francisco State University in graphic design. I went back to school after dropping out for over 12 years (I remember college in '86 when we used to use that thin tape to create straight lines). I decided to change major from Art to Design when I returned in 2002. At different times, I have also studied theater and film. I think all my art experience helps inform my designing so I don't feel like any of it was a waste of time.

I chose graphic design because I thought it was a good base. I also needed to make a damn decision and it was the most realistic for me. I will need to get a portfolio together and start shopping around but I have a sorta part-time gig with a design network that a professor started. The professor has many good contacts and assigns jobs and I guess the goal is to possibly become a collective, if not a design firm one day. So I have no career at the exact moment but I am sure happy to be getting a chance to design rather than answering phones or serving coffee.

-Peter

I've been into graphic design for 10 yrs now. It started in high school. I had 4 yrs of college and learned a lot about print & type.

My first job out of school was boring and repetitive (phone book ads... yuck!). My chances to be creative were few and far between. Now I do design work for a high-end real estate company. I have a lot of freedom and I love it! A few freelance jobs on the side keeps my creative juices flowing.

It's true, the pay isn't that great, but it's an awesome job to do!

Been designing and animating for close to 7 years now, but it was a twisted road to get here. I graduated 10 years ago with a film/TV degree from Northwestern U. I only chose film as my major back then because it combined everything I was interested in: music, art, film, writing, animation, etc.

I never really was a "film geek" like my friends there, and I had no intention of being some indie-filmmaker, but I got a job after graduation at a commercial editing house, boxing up tapes to ship back to clients. It was not glamorous, and the pay sucked. But I stayed super-late nights learning as much of the software as I could, and ended up teaching myself enough to start working at animating logos for commercials.

Now I earn a very decent living as a self-taught freelance designer/animator for commerials/music videos/film titles, etc. I am very happy with my career, though I am looking towards 2006 as the year I turn the page and start my own design firm. I have learned plenty being behind-the-scenes at so many studios as a freelancer... it's time to turn those lessons into good use for my own company.

My advice to anyone who asks is to keep pushing yourself to learn new skills, software and techniques, and to PLAY. The moment you stand still, someone will snatch the laurels you are resting on. That said, however, it is vitally important to take enough recharge time to keep fresh. No one wants to hire the grumpy piss-pot who is always bitching about having to work overtime.

-Andrew

One year. Completed a Cert IV at TAFE and have re-entered the workforce after raising a family. I love graphics and web design and have been teaching myself how to use Paint Shop Pro this year as the budget can't extend to Photoshop :-( and that is the program used at work. PSP biggest limitation is its inability to create graphics in CMYK - still learning all about that too.

I create magazine and newspaper advertisements, simple web sites, maintain web listings, modify photographs and produce flyers among other office activities. I totally love the job and no, it isn't great pay. Am frustrated because I really want to gain more skills in graphic design, PhotoShop and web design but working full time limits this learning. Currently learning more at an evening class which will introduce more skills but this evening course is only barely scraping the surface.

I am in awe of the talent that is out there and realise that my skill set has a long way to go.

And er... I don't think of myself or even remotely presume to be a graphic designer - it is an area I would like to be involved in long term and enjoy being around like minded people.

24 years off and on, and I did go to school......love the work, always have. Started when I was about 12. First project was to fully illustrate a cook book for a local religious organization.

7 years. No college.
I love the field, Freelancing at the moment, I feel way better than while working for corporations!

I've been doing graphics for just over 7 years, and only 2 years ago, broke down and finished my BFA that I'd started a long time ago. I'm happy, though a little scared, as I just went from freelancing part-time to full-time, and trying to get my stuff together to start my own design business.

I've been doing graphic design 13 years. I have two degrees, neither are in Graphic Design.

Over all I've liked the work a lot, liked my coworkers, and like most of my bosses. Happy with my career choice.

5 years...I started at a somewhat small town newspaper right out of technical college and am still there currently. I really like it, I have a lot of freedom with just about everything I do. I'm looking to go on to something bigger and better. Just haven't found it yet.

17 years, and still learning new things about the field every day.

Hiya - just joined

I started out doing fine art at wakefield school of art and st martins school of art doing mainly sculpture and painting, (got expelled from st martins - it's not difficult!) and moved to camberwell school of art and crafts doing graphics (BAhons). travelled extensively then have worked through various sectors on the marketing and communication side of things in London (started bout 1981), including publishing, sales promotion, marketing, design agencies and consultancies, before starting my own company in 1995.

I have recently relocated up from London to Brum - I now work in a loose relationship with a group of people - we all have slightly different (but overlapping) backgrounds, and we mesh very well together as a creative team. It's one of those odd occasions where the total is more than the sum of the parts and we all have experience of working closely with both small and multinational companies. we all got together after getting rather fed up with the general "design agency' attitude (so thought we would try something a bit different) (life's too short).

but we are all finding it rather hard going at the moment - clients changing - market really weird - us not knowing what we want to end up with???
and we are all feeling a bit disjointed after a series of disruptions - I first severed a tendon in my leg (1 year to heal) my mum died last year & have just spent 3 weeks in hospital with Cellulitis (boy was that weird - or what?) hallucinations & everything - was delirious for the first week and managed to scramble my phone completely so couldn't contact anyone to tell them where I was (as if I knew?) ... didn't have time to contact anyone anyway, I was busy trying to stop strange rituals involving an enormous people eating plant that was
going to eat everyone on the planet...
and I distinctly remember at one point disassembling my intravenous stand to get the metal bar to use to
defend myself and two very large security men ...(but that bit was real)

I discharged myself on the grounds of terminal boredom (well - that and the fact one of the male nurses was mincingly gay - and I started wondering why I kept waking up in the middle of the night for no apparent reason) so thought I would get out whilst I still could - the consultant told me I should not go to work - and if I did - to keep the leg up - so I did (which is quite amusing) - well! - you try working with your leg draped over the monitor

and an associate had her dad die a few weeks ago and she has kind of fallen apart (major style) so we told her to take an extended leave of absence
(but she is responsible for all our work coming in - so we are in a quiet patch)

sorry! - didn't mean this to become so long (oops!)


am I HAPPY with my career! - design is my life man!
it's just so cool!!

just everything else really sucks at the moment

hey chupacabras! _since 1982...and yes I did my four years and I love it!

off and on like 8 years or so partime. took a few classes, but never finnished school. trying to get more in involved in it now though. do you guys recommend going back and getting a degree or at least taking classes?
right now its just learn as i go and reading up alot...
thanks
b.

6 Years in the business. Went to school and received a BA in Multimedia and than a AS in Animation. Did animation for about 3 months after school before I fell into a print design job. I have been doing print/ web design ever since, no real "graphic design" education until now, working on my MA in Pub. Design. I wish I made a little more money but I can't complain, I love what I do. I guess if I didn't do this I would be a photographer.