When you imagine an artist or designer at work, you might be picturing somebody indulging in their hobby and not actually doing any ‘work’.The designer is swinging from side-to-side on their office chair and playing around on Photoshop, cropping images and trying to decide which colour to use for the background of a website.
Careers in art and design can span many different specialist areas, from painting, photography and prop design to architecture , animation and art conservation.
Fine artists , photographers , and designer craftspeople (e.g. jewellery designers, silversmiths and woodworkers) tend to take a more freelance career route in pursuing their passion, developing their own individual style, exhibiting and finally selling their work.
Graphic designers can work in many different areas, from book design in the publishing industry, to web design and packaging design for the food and drink industry. Some graphic designers work on a freelance basis, whilst many work for niche design agencies or as part of in-house departments of larger companies. You will often be working on various projects simultaneously. Life as a graphic designer can therefore be exceedingly fast-paced and challenging as well as highly exciting.