Your questions about graphic designers

Wize Guy answers:

You’re going to have a hard time finding salary statistics for designers based on associates vs. bachelors degrees. My guess is probably that a study like that doesn’t exist. How much you earn as a designer rests on three things (more or less).

1. HOW GOOD YOU ARE. Talented designers are more in demand, and because of that, they have more bargaining power when it comes to salary and can expect to be paid more.

2. WHERE YOU WORK AND FOR WHOM. Because of the cost of living differences around the country, some areas pay higher salaries. This tends not to matter though because since the cost of living is so high in those areas, it all averages out. Also, who you work for makes a difference. Bigger companies and firms have more resources and con afford to pay higher wages than a small organization.

3. YOUR EXPERIENCE. The more years you have under your belt in the business, the more you know, and the more you know, the better you are……….the more you make.

Ultimately it’s your portfolio, not your degree that determines your pay. I know plenty of designers with BFAs that are plain bad designers. I also know unbelievably talented designers who are self taught. Employers know that a degree is no guarantee of a good designer, which is why they look at your work before deciding how much you’re worth to them.

Hope that helps.
Any other questions: mattymjb@yahoo.com

Wize Guy answers:

The Adobe suite, which has now taken on board Freehand & Fireworks. Most designers I know prefer either Freehand or Illustrator. Besides these, Photoshop is pretty much the most ubiquitous program there is. And they’re all using Macs.

Wize Guy answers:

Wacom is the industry standard. These days I use a Cintiq, but I have owned the Intuos4 and Bamboo also.

Bamboo
Biggest Pro: Price, mobility
Biggest Con: Small size, lower pressure sensitivity levels than higher grade models

Intuos4
Biggest Pro: Multiple sizes S/M/L/XL, high number pressure sensitivity levels
Biggest Con: Larger models take up a lot of desk space and aren’t easily portable

Cinitq
Biggest Pro: Draw on screen LCD display, can be positioned as an upright/dual monitor
Biggest Con: Price ranges from $1000-$2000

Obviously I prefer the Cintiq, but I’m a professional. I wouldn’t recommend the average person to purchase a serious piece of equipment like the Cintiq as a first tablet. I would recommend you get either the Bamboo Fun or Intous4 S-M as a starter tablet.

Wize Guy answers:

I just answered a similar question, maybe you’ll find my answers and other answers there helpful.

English and graphic design are a great mix in my opinion. I spend a lot of time typesetting and I need to be able to catch spelling and grammatical errors all the time. I don’t know if literature really blends as well, but I don’t think it would hurt your chances at a job in graphic design.

Wize Guy answers:

Because NUMBER OF WEBSITES are increasing RAPIDLY, as people come to realize the importance of online marketing.

2006:

http://edition.cnn.com/2006/TECH/internet/11/01/100millionwebsites/

http://www.internetworldstats.com/stats.htm

Regards,

http://www.muwasalat.com/