Students in Graphic Arts / Visual Design work on a wide variety of projects including logos, digital photography, poster design, packaging design, advertising, web design, print production, storyboarding, videos, and comics. As students progress, they work on real-world projects for community, school-based, and non-profit clients, learning the teamwork and design skills needed to prepare for design careers. Creativity, technology, communication skills, and the ability to meet tight production deadlines are emphasized. Throughout the program, students are expected to perform independent research and give oral and written presentations of their work. Depending on interest, students may wish to take art or computer programming classes along with their Graphic Arts/Visual Design classes to further their career options.
What can you do with your Graphic Arts/Visual Design career training?
Graphic Artists and Visual Designers use images, type, color, and layout to create ads, magazines, illustrations, web graphics, logos, signs, billboards, CD cover art, packaging, and more. An increasing number of graphic designers work in electronic media such as animation and presentations. Successful graphic designers have a thorough grounding in design principles as well as skills in computer design.
Training you need:
While some students may find employment directly after high school, most employers require a 2- or 4-year college degree. Employers increasingly demand a 4-year degree for entry-level jobs.
Where you can work:
Almost all graphic designers work for design firms, ad agencies, publishers, and related support service companies. A small percentage work for engineering and technology firms. About 25% of graphic designers also do freelance work in addition to or as their primary employment.
What you can earn:
Average salaries range from $30,600-$54,000. Design directors and design firm owners average $98,600-$113.000. Web developers average $50,000-$80,000.
Career outlook:
Job growth over the next 10 years is expected to be about 10%. The competition will be keen. Designers with an outstanding portfolio, good computer skills, and experience in web design and animation will have the best job opportunities. With movie studios expected to open in Massachusetts over the next few years, graphic artists with transferable skills in animation and design may find additional opportunities.
Certifications or Licenses You May Earn While in High School:
- Visual Design Program Certificate
What kind of job can you get with this training?
Web designer, assistant designer, and photo retoucher.
With additional training/education, what jobs are available?
Animator, game designer, digital video editor, illustrator, web designer, television videographer, photographer, graphic designer, CD artist, medical illustrator, and Flash animator.
Equipment/software you will learn to use:
Mac computers and their standard applications, Adobe Creative Suite CS3 including InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Flash. Digital cameras and camcorders. State-of-the-art color printers, scanners, and large format printers.
What you should know...
Students are prepared to enter a 2- or 4-year college program to study animation, video game design, web/interactive design, print graphic design, digital video editing, graphic arts, and beyond. As part of their professional resumé, each student turns their digital art into a multimedia experience by creating a personal web-based portfolio of animations, video, sounds, photos, and logos. Seniors can work at internships, giving them an inside view of the graphic design industry or even the start of a career!
Recommended Course of Study
Grade 9
English
Foreign Language
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Physical Education
Pathways
Art 1
Grade 10
English
Foreign Language
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Physical Education
Graphic Arts/Visual Design 1
Art 2
Grade 11
English
Mathematics
Science
Social Studies
Physical Education
Graphic Arts/Visual Design 2
Art 3
Grade 12
English
Social Studies
Physical Education
Graphic Arts/Visual Design 3
Publishing
Art Major
1 Elective Course