Are you good enouph to get a graphic designer job?

Well, are you good enough to get a graphic designer job? If so, show us your portfolio or what ever you have and lets have some answers! By the way, I am trying to get a graphic designer job so that's why I made this post. I think it would be a fun topic. Ok, lets start!

Can someone tell me how you make a living off of being a graphic designer?

I know I'm not lol

K, guess I'll start. I've worked for a failed dot-com as a designer/coder, a web consulting firm as a web designer, my own company with three other partners doing web/multimedia/print design, and I'm currently freelancing doing web/multimedia/print work. Portfolio is FigDigital. Any questions fire away...

Chris

Well I started out like most of you newer guys did, just teaching myself Photoshop and HTML, Dreamweaver, Javascript, PHP, etc etc etc. Also reading a lot about usability and how users navigate sites, and a lot more general stuff about design and web site design. Not just learning how to use the programs. Just because you are good at photoshop doesn't mean you are a good web designer. There is a whole lot more to consider than pretty pictures.

Anyway, I made a few personal sites... Then started helping my dad who had also been teaching himself web design, and he started doing some sites for Doctor friends of his. Then we formed our own company, started going to Business Network International meetings, the Chamber of Commerce, picking up clients here and there. And now we do it full time all day long.

So basically I just taught myself like all of you are doing, and eventually picked up a couple of clients, made them happy, and then they told their friends. And it went from there.

My current portfolio is at http://www.webteksites.com/derek if any of you are interested.

I've been doing graphics for print media for quite a long time (since 1987) and have really only begun to do web graphics in the past year or so.

I have learned soooo much just lurking around list like this.

The only reason I really ever started posting to this one is because it isn't a "Broad" subject forum.... it deals with Photoshop...and issues related to Photoshop. (it doesn't hurt that Pank's web design kicks ass, as do most of the regular forum visitors)

Alot of other forums deal with "web design" and photoshop just happens to be a tool used in doing it.

Anyway!
back to the subject:
I have been working on a portfolio for Web design, and Printed media but I don't have them finished yet.

I haven't got anything wrapped in a neat little package yet, but I did upload a few things to my server for a print portfolio a while ago.

http://home.hiwaay.net/~cbutts/printport will get you to the directory holding everything I have up there so far. It is only a tiny selection of stuff I have done and not necessarily my best work, just things that were the easiest to get hold of and upload.

Oh and I say....If you like working with photoshop and graphics in general....YES, you can be a graphic designer. Set your sites on it and don't let anything get in the way.
Doesn't matter if you are 17 or 77 if it is fun, do it....and if you can make money having fun....sheeesh, what are ya waiting for? ;)

I going to end my career as a paramedic in a year or two to go to school for graphic design. Do most of you guys actually doing this for a living have a degree in design? I hope all works out, my first love has always been art. Even if I become a "starving artist", I'll just let my wife support me!LOL
Later,
Justin

I don't have a degree. I went to school for graphic design for one semester, but then quit to start the company. So I'm pretty much completely self taught. It would probably be helpful to have a degree if I wanted to get a job at another web firm though.

I don't have a degree either....I looked at one one time though.

The typography sucked and the colors were all wrong. ;)

I have a degree in architecture, so take that for what it's worth. I think it's actually helped me to be able to look at design and multimedia in a different way, plus i developed a different kind of problem solving skill being in that type of curriculum. I personally needed that time in school to grow and figure out who I was as well. There are times where I do wish I'd gone thru some traditional design classes, and I do a lot of reading to make up for that (I think amazon.com knows me by first name).

IMO a degree in something art or design related isn't a bad idea, 96% of the designers I see don't know how to use type, color, or even compose an image because they're never bothered to learn how, they're glorified software operators. You can learn those skills on your own, but if you're going to do that then actually learn them, spend the time, do the reading and practice. A lot.

Chris