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Job outlook for creative designers in the United States
Creative designer job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected creative designer job growth rate is 3% from 2018-2028.
About 6,800 new jobs for creative designers are projected over the next decade.
Creative designer salaries have increased 12% for creative designers in the last 5 years.
There are over 44,369 creative designers currently employed in the United States.
There are 47,394 active creative designer job openings in the US.
The average creative designer salary is $69,771.
Are creative designer jobs in demand?
Creative designer job and salary trends over time
Creative designer jobs over time
Creative designer job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 44,369 | 0.01% |
| 2020 | 43,803 | 0.01% |
| 2019 | 46,954 | 0.01% |
| 2018 | 47,363 | 0.01% |
| 2017 | 47,224 | 0.01% |
Average creative designer salary over time
Creative designer salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | $69,771 | $33.54 | +2.4% |
| 2025 | $68,111 | $32.75 | +3.5% |
| 2024 | $65,837 | $31.65 | +3.4% |
| 2023 | $63,654 | $30.60 | +2.2% |
| 2022 | $62,269 | $29.94 | +1.6% |
Creative designer jobs by state
Most common states for creative designers
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 207 | 30% |
| 2 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 830 | 11% |
| 3 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 431 | 10% |
| 4 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 650 | 9% |
| 5 | California | 39,536,653 | 3,018 | 8% |
| 6 | Virginia | 8,470,020 | 683 | 8% |
| 7 | New York | 19,849,399 | 1,391 | 7% |
| 8 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 717 | 7% |
| 9 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 402 | 7% |
| 10 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 215 | 7% |
| 11 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 91 | 7% |
| 12 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 69 | 7% |
| 13 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 736 | 6% |
| 14 | Maryland | 6,052,177 | 350 | 6% |
| 15 | Colorado | 5,607,154 | 324 | 6% |
| 16 | Pennsylvania | 12,805,537 | 621 | 5% |
| 17 | North Carolina | 10,273,419 | 519 | 5% |
| 18 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 315 | 5% |
| 19 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 154 | 5% |
| 20 | Vermont | 623,657 | 32 | 5% |
Most common cities for creative designers
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Natick | 2 | 6% | $74,764 |
| 2 | Allen Park | 1 | 4% | $74,556 |
| 3 | Encinitas | 2 | 3% | $82,693 |
| 4 | Aventura | 1 | 3% | $56,067 |
| 5 | Pasadena | 3 | 2% | $85,468 |
| 6 | Altamonte Springs | 1 | 2% | $55,053 |
| 7 | Bartlett | 1 | 2% | $76,577 |
| 8 | Sunnyvale | 2 | 1% | $93,961 |
| 9 | Ann Arbor | 1 | 1% | $74,254 |
| 10 | Berkeley | 1 | 1% | $94,508 |
| 11 | Boston | 3 | 0% | $74,584 |
| 12 | Atlanta | 2 | 0% | $53,317 |
| 13 | Colorado Springs | 2 | 0% | $66,637 |
| 14 | Indianapolis | 2 | 0% | $57,994 |
| 15 | Phoenix | 2 | 0% | $68,254 |
| 16 | Anchorage | 1 | 0% | $64,253 |
| 17 | Bakersfield | 1 | 0% | $88,462 |
| 18 | Birmingham | 1 | 0% | $47,365 |
Creative Designer job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of creative designer experts
University of Hawaii at Manoa
Arcadia University
Louisiana State University and A&M College
Memphis College of Art
Pennsylvania College of Technology
Indiana University Bloomington
University of Akron
Kean University
Bethel University
Louisiana State University at Shreveport
Arkansas State University
The Illinois Institute of Art-Schaumburg
Troy University
Merrimack College
Louisiana Tech University
San Francisco State University
Columbia University in the City of New York
Louisiana Tech University
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Tiffany Prater: As we emerge from the pandemic, it's crucial to hone your communication skills, particularly in areas such as presenting your design ideas, collaborating with team members, and effectively communicating with clients. This will not only build your confidence but also help you communicate your thought processes and informed design solutions, be open to correction and criticism, and gather experience while working with senior graphic designers, creative directors, and clients.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tiffany Prater: Never stop learning because life never stops teaching. This quote by Kirill Korshikov rings true for new designers, who must know the latest trends and tools to be uniquely creative, improve their skills, and land a better design job. Knowledge and inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere in our daily lives.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Tiffany Prater: There are several ways to maximize your salary potential. If you have the time to pick up a few night classes on top of your job, take courses in either Art Direction, Copywriting, Photography, UX/UI design, Social, or Strategic planning. If you'd like to take a break from the private sector, getting a Master of Fine Arts degree is even better as it can lead to higher design jobs and teaching positions.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Frances Zhu: Get competing offers and negotiate a higher salary. Foster skills that lend to higher salaries. For example, even though marine biology may not pay the highest, if you have some coding experience, you will be one of the higher paid marine biologists in the field.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Frances Zhu: Do not feel locked into a career trajectory. Find some great mentors. So much information is conveyed through word of mouth. Put yourself in the way of luck (as assert yourself in situations of opportunities). Advocate for yourself as if your friend were advocating on your behalf.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Frances Zhu: With the rise of AI, we're seeing a lot of skills become irrelevant. Just 5 years ago, a software engineering job seemed ludicrous. Now those are the fastest jobs being replaced by AI. A skill that will never be irrelevant is creativity, which is a skill you can cultivate. Create content and think in new ways that no one (even AI) has ever thought of.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Christian Patchell: There is a ton of opportunity and burgeoning markets opening up every day. We discuss this in my classes. The landscape of the arts changes at a faster pace than ever, but change doesn’t happen in a vacuum. With each new evolution there comes new opportunities. For example, many of my students find themselves interested in UX/UI. This is an area with a lot of opportunity for a new Designer but only if there is a passion for the Market. Even though this is a field first identified in the early 90s, I’d say that in the last decade or so it really has hit the Design World hard. This doesn’t mean that designing for print has to take a back seat. Print is more popular than ever in terms of designing and creating objects (books, packaging, etc.) that many of us refer to as art objects, interactive objects, or objects of influence. Telling a good story through the design of an object is pushing Graphic Design into wonderful areas and is really starting to connect with audiences on entirely new levels. Don’t let the articles listing the “Top 10 Majors at Universities” or the “25 Most Popular Jobs” fool you, Art and Design are more relevant and more important than ever before.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Christian Patchell: A Graphic Designer will do a number of things every day. Often, there may be a beginning of the week meeting, this could be a team meeting or a one-on-one with the Art Director, Art Manager, or Senior Designer. So many of my students are finding remote employment, that makes these meetings (via Zoom or Skype) even more important. Also, there is now an added importance to Designers being good communicators, not just to other creative individuals but to additional areas outside of Design, such as Marketing, Sales, etc. Designers need to be able to speak to and/or hear input from various areas as they move through designing for a brief. Usually these meetings will sum up the week behind and the week ahead. A good Director will also be able to see where a team member might need assistance to finish something or is awaiting approval. When I worked in the Greeting Card industry these meetings not only mapped out the weeks’ worth of card design but also determined the larger picture such as planning a line of cards or an ad campaign. As a Designer, it was useful to see the smaller picture and the bigger picture as we moved forward as a team. A day to day an entry level Designer may be asked to assist in many areas with different skill sets for each. They could be proofing copy, laying out text, correcting bad links on a site or app. as well as designing an entire project from the ground up. It all depends on their area of expertise or the market in which they find themselves. My advice to those starting in Graphic Design is to “have many legs under the table of their career,” meaning: it’s a good idea to know a lot about multiple aspects of the Design Market. This is especially helpful for someone starting out, as it keeps many avenues open on the journey ahead as well as allowing for changes in the market or technology that may redirect one’s trajectory.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Christian Patchell: Oddly, what most people like and dislike are the same thing. Designers many times stand at a starting point, the line where technology and art merge into something beautiful and engaging. We are early adopters, curious where the digital and traditional merge into something new or different. Making something “new” and “different” over and over again can be a difficult climb. But if you are someone with a wealth of ideas and likes to solve problems creatively, the challenge of Graphic Design may be right for you. The other side of that coin is technology. A Graphic Designer needs to stay current on emerging technologies while maintaining an eye on trends and changes in the culture. While in school it is quite easy to stay up to date on programs that are the industry standards (Adobe Publishing Suite, Figma, etc.) it can be more difficult to do this once you have graduated. As a teaching professional I try to keep my skill set current on an annual basis (sometimes shorter) so I can be of service to my students and relevant in my field. As a Graphic Designer if you do your job right, no one may really see it. However, if you do it wrong in even the slightest way, everyone might see it. At the end of the day though there is nothing quite like seeing your design out in the wild. Whether part of a team or as an individual, a Graphic Designer is given an opportunity to share their work, their art, with an extremely large audience and instigate change while creating something personal and telling a good story. That feeling of accomplishment, for me at least, outweighs any cons there might be in this creative field.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Mary Elliott: Because this industry is constantly changing and adapting to economic forces around the world, its employees need to be highly flexible critical thinkers who love working in fast-paced environments.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Lucas Charles: As graphic design graduates embark on their careers, nurturing curiosity, continuous upskilling, networking, and collaboration are pivotal. Embracing curiosity sparks innovation, while ongoing learning ensures relevance in a fast-paced industry. Building connections fosters opportunities, and collaboration cultivates dynamic work environments.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Lucas Charles: To maximize their salary potential, graphic design graduates should focus on key strategies. Building a diverse portfolio showcases skills, while cultivating a professional network opens doors to higher-paying opportunities. Continuous upskilling ensures competitiveness, and confident negotiation of fair compensation based on expertise enhances earning potential.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Lucas Charles: In the ever-changing field of graphic design, adaptability, digital fluency, and understanding user experience are becoming more crucial. Embracing new and emerging technologies, prioritizing empathy, and fostering a mindset of lifelong learning are paramount for success.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Kathryn Anderson: Some of the day-to-day duties of a graphic designer entail some basic skills such as the following: listen attentively; engage in and interpret research (visual, text-driven, data-based, etc.); problem-solve; process and critique creative ideas; use technology in an ethical and appropriate manner; prepare digital and other work/files for printing and/or the web; and revamp concepts as per the client’s wishes.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kathryn Anderson: A Graphic Designer’s work-life is rather sedentary and repetitive. However, any astute employer will encourage a bit of exercise and play throughout the course of the day to keep their team focused and happy. Other downsides might be: fast deadlines or short turn-arounds, insufficient communication from a client, and mandatory overtime hours. Mostly, the benefits out-weight the negatives. In today’s virtual world, more designers can and do work remotely or in hybrid environments—which is a plus for those who have child-care or other familial responsibilities.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Kathryn Anderson: With the advent of AI, graphic designers must be valued for their technical and critical thinking skills. Graphic Designers of today provide more than just what the client wants or envisions, but rather a uniquely hyper-focused solution that can stand the test of time because of the insightful research and intense amount of processing and editing that is embedded in the design.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
George Logothetis Jr: Create work that is undeniably great. Work that turns heads, shows daring and provocative thinking, and is attention-getting and impossible to ignore.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
George Logothetis Jr: Being able to flex between the various media channels and show competence and imagination in them all. Young creatives have to be versatile and fluent on all communication platforms. It’s also important to maximize your craft and continually hone it. Whether you are art or copy, having a heightened sense of design and writing will not only make the job easier, but you will be more productive. The better your skills are the more work you can create. If you bring lots of work to every meeting, you will always be appreciated.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
George Logothetis Jr: Be focused on the strategic approaches that inform the creative process. Don’t think that being a creative person in advertising is solely about being creative. Show insight and appreciation for business initiatives and how strategies define them.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
David Flynn: Everything that you see has been touched by a designer. The field is expanding with technology, but basic communication design principals remain paramount. It doesn’t matter if it’s a newspaper ad or a social post, you must have a professional that knows how to communicate a message, move the viewer's eye, and make the point. Designers work in every company and in every industry, worldwide.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
David Flynn: They like that it can be very lucrative, so rewarding when you see your work in the world, nothing like it really. Downside is that “creativity on demand” is difficult to sustain and you have to purpose to take care of your creative soul.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
David Flynn: We spend our day creating items that need to communicate a message clearly and quickly to a person or public. Information, directions, product benefits, packaging, events, advertising, anything and everything is designed to inform.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Dr. Denise Anderson: When mentoring students in developing their final portfolios and preparing them for professional practice I ask them “What makes you stand out above the line” or simply put, what separates you from all the other designers looking for a job. This could be prestigious internships, knowing motion or 3D rendering skills and then I tell them to promote their strengths. For example, my student Myesha Bennett spent four years in the Navy to pay for college. What she learned along the way shaped her as the designer she is today and these lessons made her stand above the line.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Dr. Denise Anderson: The skills graphic designers will need is learn artificial intelligence software AND how to masterfully use it. The masses will tinker with the new technology but designers need to harness the power of it and use their learned skills of ideation, art direction, and image manipulation skills (Photoshop). What they also need to develop is their storytelling skills which will help them with art directing and creating AI images.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Dr. Denise Anderson: Similar to question 1, leverage what you have done prior to entering the field. It takes my students 6-8 weeks to complete their resumes and personal because the image and content needs to be authentic. Perception is a lot in our field and I train students to feel confident about themselves. Portfolios get students an interview but they need to communicate their value to get hired.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Becki Graves M.A.: I often refer to the 'swiss army knife' in my field. These students can sing, write songs, set up a stage, chart a song, lead a team, lead a room in worship, run worship software, and lead their peers. Don't just keep to one lane, try to learn the most about all of them.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Becki Graves M.A.: It is already vital in the field of creative arts and creative ministry but being a researcher. Research the current products on the market, trends in attendance, etc. This is a vital tool in being able to build the programs or ministry teams you envision.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Becki Graves M.A.: Try anything and everything—no work or job is beneath you. All your experiences will culminate into who you are as a person and employee and leader. Be ready to work several jobs. Most creative types end up being bi-vocational at some point in their career. Try to see this a gift—creative inspiration flows from having multiple lids open at once.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Allen Garcie MFA: I would tell a new graduate to begin replacing the student work in their portfolio with real-world projects as soon as possible. Sure, student work can be creative but, depending on the course it's created for, there could be other competing graduates using similar projects in their portfolios. To find real-world work, I recommend students begin looking for freelance work to gain experience working with clients. A great place to start is with local businesses. Many times, local business owners need a logo, website, flyers, etc. to promote their businesses and a new graduate can gain some great experience by working with them. I also recommend new graduates join a professional organization, such as the American Advertising Federation (AAF), so they can meet others in the field. This is a great way of developing professional relationships (People hire who they know!) and getting to know about jobs that are available.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Allen Garcie MFA: One way that a new graduate can maximize their earning potential is by gaining professional experience as soon as possible. Freelance work is a great way to do this! Another way is for a new graduate to work towards earning a field-specific professional certificate (For example, both the American Institute for Graphic Arts [AIGA] and the American Marketing Association [AMA] offer these.), a software-related certification (Adobe and Autodesk offer these.), or an advanced degree (Such as an MA or MFA.). While gaining employment in the design field is primarily related to your portfolio and related experience, additional credentials can still make you more competitive.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Allen Garcie MFA: On the technical side, software is always evolving so skills related to this are always important. However, I think keeping up with advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) is going to be most important for designers over the next 3 to 5 years. This is an area that's already changing the design field as companies like Adobe and others continue to integrate AI into their software. On the other hand, being a designer isn't all about developing technology-related skills though. I also think developing non-technical skills like creativity, collaboration, and adaptability are extremely important for any designer.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Jason Bronner: With an increasing number of tools including Artificial Intelligence, interpersonal skills will grow in importance for designers. Connecting with the client is already integral and will remain so.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Nikki Arnell MFA: People like that being a graphic designer allows them to be creative for a living, with regular pay and benefits. However, the constant revisions and critiques on creative work can be challenging, and designers must learn to balance their artistic vision with client feedback and project objectives.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Nikki Arnell MFA: Generally, a graphic designer is a visual problem-solver and liaison between client and consumer. They spend most of their day creating designs, attending meetings, and organizing and communicating with team members. Each day is dynamic and exciting in the graphic design field.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nikki Arnell MFA: Job flexibility is a key reason why Graphic Design is a good profession to enter now. A graphic designer can have various job titles and work in different settings, providing opportunities for freelance work or full-time positions. Having a strong portfolio is more important than a job title for future job prospects.
Eric Benson
Associate Professor and Chair of Graphic Design and Design for Responsible InnovationThe Illinois Institute of Art-Schaumburg
Graphic Communications
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Eric Benson: You have to work your way up to maximize your potential. However, to begin, take a look at the salary guides for the cities you want to live in, so you have an idea of the possibilities. The more technology and skills you know/have, the more money could come your way.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Eric Benson: Take advantage of your network you created and already exists at your University/college. Your friends and faculty know people, so ask them for help connecting with others in your area of graphic design interest. In addition, be humble, but confident in yourself. Be nice to everyone and open to new conversations and opportunities you weren't planning on.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Christopher Stagl MFA: This industry is all about connections with people. You have to network and market yourself. This will lead to opportunities for you creatively - which may start small but you build upon success, grow your clients, and progressively begin to charge more and more as you grow in to your field. Never stop learning, never stop making (even if it's mistakes), and never stop networking.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Christopher Stagl MFA: Definitely video, motion, animation, and effects will continue to grow as some of the most needed skills - but if you can't think creatively, if you can't be unique and different in your problem solving and design thinking approach - then it doesn't matter how much technology you know or how good you are at Ai - you won't have a place in the industry. This industry is based on ideas - not technology. Skills can be learned, the most successful creatives think different.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Christopher Stagl MFA: a. Remain curious about creative problem solving with diverse and unique approaches. b. Seek feedback. Just because your classroom projects are over doesn't mean you still shouldn't be reaching out your peers and mentors to get feedback. c. Do your research, always. Never just assume you know the market or the demographic - do your due diligence and ask all the right questions to learn about your client. d. Tell a good story. The creative industry is really about people - figure out who the people are you're speaking for and speaking to and find the story that lives in those thrulines. e. Be Hungry and Hustle. Nobody is going to do this for you - creative work isn't going to come to you - you have to go get it.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Nancy Wynn: The foundational knowledge of Design is constant, but the technology changes at a fast-pace-one can love or hate that aspect. Additionally, some people love and hate aspects of working in the business environment. Since Design is interdisciplinary, it is best to approach the profession understanding that one needs to learn many things well, which requires continued learning and research; you need to embrace collaboration; and you need to learn how to articulate your ideas in writing and orally to small and large groups of people.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Nancy Wynn: There are many different ways to intersect the creative field of graphic design or Design. You can enter utilizing production skills centered on working with an Art Director-you produce their designs with various handwork and software platforms. If you enter as a junior graphic designer-you collaborate with an Art Director and brainstorm concepts / designs for projects. You may intersect working in the service industry where you help customers produce their designs. Day-to-day tasks can be specific if you work at a very large company, or more comprehensive if you work at a smaller agency. They can range from meetings with Art Directors or marketing people; collaboration with fellow designers or other team members based on the project components; brainstorming, research, and ideation for projects; learning new technology by producing designs and client presentations; meetings with focus groups or testing of projects; and finally debrief sessions on projects results.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Nancy Wynn: Design is everywhere. Design is interdisciplinary. There are a variety of ways to find your fit in the profession, but the need is ever great and growing. More people understand the power of good design and marketing. As you consider the possibilities, you need to think about what other fields, or disciplines, are you interested in, i.e. sports, fashion, healthcare, finance, non-profits, the Arts, education, built environment, etc. Once you consider other possible connections, you focus your attention, since everything has to be designed.
Tom Futrell
Associate ProfessorLouisiana Tech University
Design And Applied Arts
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Tom Futrell: Building a killer portfolio is the baseline for students entering the design field. However, to boost earning potential, designers must go beyond the basics and set themselves apart from their competition. This may involve showcasing additional interests and skills, emphasizing design systems thinking, or excelling in presentation abilities. Successful designers won't settle for mastering software alone or consider themselves artists - they will be dedicated problem solvers and visual communicators, capable of connecting diverse ideas with diverse audiences.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Tom Futrell: For recent graduates, my advice is to embrace curiosity and consistently work hard. Dedicate time to experimentation, reading, writing, asking questions, and developing a robust design process. This effort will stand out in your work, offering potential employers valuable insight into who you are and how you think.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Tom Futrell: I firmly believe that the most successful designers will have the skills to navigate various devices and platforms. In our interconnected world, designers who can create experiences across print, digital, social, and emerging technologies for culturally diverse audiences will always be desirable.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Saskia Van Kampen: Graphic design is an exciting career choice because of the variety of opportunities that are available. There is in-house design jobs where you work for an organization and do their design work-these opportunities range from non-profits, small to mid-size companies or huge corporations. You could work for a design studio where there are multiple clients with varied needs. There are jobs in print-focused design ranging from publication design to packaging design and marketing work such as branding and identity design. There are opportunities to work digitally on websites and app development. User experience and user interface design is a very popular field for students at SF State because of our tech-central location and this is expanding into Virtual and augmented reality. Wayfinding design is another avenue design students can explore where design is integrated into environments to help users navigate through spaces. There is also the option of working as a freelance designer, but this is more challenging to do straight out of school.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Saskia Van Kampen: This question is impossible for me to answer as what one likes or dislikes about graphic design will be very individual.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Saskia Van Kampen: On a day-to-day basis a newly hired graphic designer must engage in any number of stages of the design process (research, ideation, iterating, testing, refinement, and/or finalization) - this is not a linear process. On top of this they may be asked to interact with clients and with colleagues (collaborating and critically engaging with work being produced).
Pilar Newton
Program Director of Electronic Design and Multimedia programColumbia University in the City of New York
Fine And Studio Arts
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Pilar Newton: In the constantly evolving design field, one must have faith in their skills and stay true to themselves. It is crucial to be unique and original because the world needs originality. With AI's growing presence in the design, animation, video, and other fields, it is essential to keep up with technological advancements. However, creative abilities will take you further and make you stand out more than just mastering software.
What general advice would you give to a Creative Designer?
Pilar Newton: Look into what industry you are interested in pursuing and research what the salary range is for positions that you are interested in, especially entry-level. Research what studios are looking for. Even if a studio is not hiring, reach out to them to set up informational interviews with studios that you are interested in. Often studio art directors will generously spend time on the phone, zoom, or even an in-person meeting to talk to you and tell you what the studio is looking for in potential artists that work for them. Keep sharp! Keep practicing and staying on top of the latest versions of software and keep building your skills.
What Creative Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Pilar Newton: Look into what industry you are interested in pursuing and research what the salary range is for positions that you are interested in especially entry level.
Research what studios are looking for. Even if a studio is not hiring reach out to them to set up informational interviews with studios that you are interested in. Often studio art directors will generously spend time on the phone, zoom or even an in person meeting to talk to you and tell you what the studio is looking for in potential artists that work for them.
Keep sharp! Keep practicing and staying on time of the latest versions of software and keep building your skills.
What will help Creative Designers increase their earning potential?
Jake Dugard: 1. Have an amazing portfolio - I think this goes without saying. You need to have solid work.
2. Intern somewhere - This creates connections with professionals, gives you working experience, and hopefully work to go into your portfolio. It also has the potential to turn into a job offer.