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Job outlook for production artists in the United States
Production artist job growth summary. After extensive research, interviews, and analysis, Zippia's data science team found that:
The projected production artist job growth rate is 3% from 2018-2028.
About 6,800 new jobs for production artists are projected over the next decade.
Production artist salaries have increased 12% for production artists in the last 5 years.
There are over 68,191 production artists currently employed in the United States.
There are 59,103 active production artist job openings in the US.
The average production artist salary is $61,870.
Are production artist jobs in demand?
Production artist job and salary trends over time
Production artist jobs over time
Production artist job growth rate over time
| Year | # of jobs | % of population |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 68,191 | 0.02% |
| 2020 | 67,323 | 0.02% |
| 2019 | 72,165 | 0.02% |
| 2018 | 72,794 | 0.02% |
| 2017 | 72,580 | 0.02% |
Average production artist salary over time
Production artist salary by year
| Year | Avg. salary | Hourly rate | % Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $61,870 | $29.75 | +2.4% |
| 2024 | $60,398 | $29.04 | +3.5% |
| 2023 | $58,381 | $28.07 | +3.4% |
| 2022 | $56,445 | $27.14 | +2.2% |
| 2021 | $55,217 | $26.55 | +1.6% |
Production artist jobs by state
Most common states for production artists
| Rank | State | Population | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | District of Columbia | 693,972 | 123 | 18% |
| 2 | Iowa | 3,145,711 | 544 | 17% |
| 3 | Minnesota | 5,576,606 | 903 | 16% |
| 4 | New Hampshire | 1,342,795 | 218 | 16% |
| 5 | Wisconsin | 5,795,483 | 890 | 15% |
| 6 | Indiana | 6,666,818 | 931 | 14% |
| 7 | Kentucky | 4,454,189 | 561 | 13% |
| 8 | Oregon | 4,142,776 | 529 | 13% |
| 9 | Utah | 3,101,833 | 389 | 13% |
| 10 | Vermont | 623,657 | 82 | 13% |
| 11 | Ohio | 11,658,609 | 1,373 | 12% |
| 12 | Massachusetts | 6,859,819 | 797 | 12% |
| 13 | Kansas | 2,913,123 | 343 | 12% |
| 14 | Nebraska | 1,920,076 | 234 | 12% |
| 15 | Maine | 1,335,907 | 162 | 12% |
| 16 | Washington | 7,405,743 | 804 | 11% |
| 17 | Illinois | 12,802,023 | 1,336 | 10% |
| 18 | Georgia | 10,429,379 | 1,021 | 10% |
| 19 | Michigan | 9,962,311 | 948 | 10% |
| 20 | Rhode Island | 1,059,639 | 102 | 10% |
Most common cities for production artists
| Rank | City | # of jobs | Employment/ 1000ppl | Avg. salary |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Calabasas | 1 | 4% | $75,084 |
| 2 | Saint Charles | 1 | 3% | $63,298 |
| 3 | Cupertino | 1 | 2% | $86,393 |
| 4 | Atlanta | 7 | 1% | $53,804 |
| 5 | Burbank | 1 | 1% | $74,824 |
| 6 | Hawthorne | 1 | 1% | $74,140 |
| 7 | Huntsville | 1 | 1% | $48,937 |
| 8 | Lakewood | 1 | 1% | $60,271 |
| 9 | Santa Clarita | 1 | 1% | $75,653 |
| 10 | Southfield | 1 | 1% | $63,605 |
| 11 | Boston | 2 | 0% | $68,870 |
| 12 | Modesto | 1 | 0% | $85,820 |
| 13 | Sacramento | 1 | 0% | $87,021 |
| 14 | San Francisco | 1 | 0% | $87,474 |
Production Artist job outlook: Expert opinions
Our panel of production artist experts
Florida Gulf Coast University
Arcadia University
Memphis College of Art
Pennsylvania College of Technology
University of Akron
Kean University
Louisiana State University at Shreveport
Arkansas State University
The Illinois Institute of Art-Schaumburg
Louisiana College
Merrimack College
Louisiana Tech University
What general advice would you give to a Production Artist?
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 Production Artist 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 Production Artists 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 Production Artist?
Beth Secor: Keep your eyes and ears open for job opportunities, find a job at an arts non-profit, and never quit making art. Actively engage in the profession, as it can lead to unexpected opportunities.
What will help Production Artists increase their earning potential?
Beth Secor: Many of the students I went to undergraduate and graduate school, including myself had aspirations of becoming famous artists, but it is best to develop other skills that are art-related that can help you make a living in the meantime. Internships with local arts non-profits organizations, museums, and/or galleries are a great place to start, and while working with them, it is a great opportunity to build networks with others in the arts community.
What general advice would you give to a Production Artist?
Michalis Andronikou PhD: Be open-minded and creative. You may need to combine a few different skills to find your own professional path.
What will help Production Artists increase their earning potential?
Michalis Andronikou PhD: It’s difficult to predict what skills will become more important in the field in the next 3-5 years, but creative people and people with a will to improve their skills will find a way to prevail and lead.
Steve Hughart II
Laboratory Coordinator I/ Adjunct ProfessorFlorida Gulf Coast University
Fine And Studio Arts
What Production Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Steve Hughart II: If you want to maximize your salary potential, I always say you need to have a lot of tools in your toolbox. Take your foundation courses seriously and learn as much as you can from the faculty and staff here at FGCU. Ask questions, devote time outside of class to work, time management and understanding how long it will take to complete tasks is very important. Another important aspect is social networking. Meet as many people as you can in the field you are interested in. A lot of times finding the best position isn’t based on what you know, but who you know.
What will help Production Artists increase their earning potential?
Steve Hughart II: The most important skills that I would suggest would be to learn and understand the Adobe Creative Cloud Applications such as Photoshop and Illustrator for example. These platforms will benefit you immensely in the art field in a ton of different ways. All artists will use these applications in one form or another. That being said, I would also encourage everyone to do as much work as possible with your hands. Learn to use power tools, pick up a piece of paper and pencil instead of the iPad, use a real camera instead of your phone. With AI growing so fast digital media work will all be AI generated, so focusing on improving your editing skills and creating with your hands will be where the jobs are.
What general advice would you give to a Production Artist?
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 Production Artist 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 Production Artists 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 general advice would you give to a Production Artist?
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 Production Artist 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 Production Artists 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 Production Artist?
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 Production Artist 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 Production Artists 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 Production Artist?
Professor Kate Jordahl: It is an excellent time to begin in the visual and performing arts because we have such a need for creativity and our approaches to the problems of the world, the challenges of our society, and the ever-changing fabric of business. Whether you work directly in making things and performing or you are a supervisor who organizes other people's creative tasks, this is a very rewarding area with a balance of using all of your skills to create and make projects successful
What Production Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Professor Kate Jordahl: Visual and performing arts professionals will do a variety of jobs and tasks. Part of the point of working in this area is both the creativity and the flexibility that a career a creative career can offer you. Many visual and performing arts professionals will work for themselves, so really, they are small business owners needing to negotiate, organize, and then create their artwork or perform their skill. Generally, creative professionals will find that they will spend approximately 30% of their time in their chosen area of creativity and about 70% of their time in the business of organization, negotiation, and client relations. These specialties need people who are self-starters, who really enjoy working collaboratively, and who can work independently to make deadlines and realize projects. For most visual and performing arts professionals, the last decade has been a time of great change, and being flexible is probably one of the most important things you can bring to the table.
What will help Production Artists increase their earning potential?
Professor Kate Jordahl: People like that they can be flexible in the performing arts and that there is a myriad of ways to work and thrive in this area. People dislike that the pay is sometimes less than for other professions and that the hours can be very long. Being a visual and performing arts professional means working when the work needs to be done, and it can mean long days, but the rewards are worth it.
What general advice would you give to a Production Artist?
Jeffrey Fracé: An artist at the beginning of their career, unless they are lucky enough to have a trust fund, has the unique challenge of effectively managing at least two businesses at once. Most of you will begin as a freelancer, and earn most of your money not from your art. To minimize the time it takes to earn a living with your art, keep your cost of living low, and try not to wear yourself out at your day job. Create day-to-day stability, but put your energy — your best self — into your art. Keep meeting people, keep practicing, and keep creating and producing original work. The more you diversify your skills — scripted and improvised, stage and camera, artistic and commercial, learning and teaching — the better chance you’ll have achieving a balance of satisfying work and satisfying income.
What Production Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jeffrey Fracé: More and more, the actor, director, or designer who is also a creator has a better chance of succeeding in the field. This means creating new work in any medium — original live performance, writing and shooting your own movie (low-budget or no-budget is absolutely legit), or creating online content, for example. This also means creating opportunities for yourself instead of waiting for them to arrive — “put yourself out there” is a cliché, but more necessary than ever. To have the best chances for success with your original work, you will also need to be a producer and marketer. The next most important skill is interdisciplinary collaboration. Learn how you work with other people and practice to get better at it. Hone your listening skills, and develop interest in other disciplines and how they intersect with yours. Practice bravery and flexibility in how you approach new projects and collaborative partnerships.
What will help Production Artists increase their earning potential?
Jeffrey Fracé: I recommend that before you graduate, you think about where you want to live and make a plan to move there. Consider factors such where are the artists doing the kind of work you are interested in doing, whom do you already know there, and are there opportunities to earn a living as you break into the field. Meet as many people as you can in your chosen place — whomever you want to work with, get to know their work better and reach out to them. Meanwhile, keep active by continuing to train yourself, because in theater or film/TV, it’s very common for there to be gaps between projects as you are starting out. Keep your cost of living low, and try not to wear yourself out at your day job. Do something every day that reminds you that you are an artist, whether it’s rehearsing your monologues, working on a scene with a friend, taking classes, writing, composing or playing music, whatever helps you feel creative.
What general advice would you give to a Production Artist?
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 Production Artist 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 Production Artists 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 Production Artist?
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 Production Artist 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 Production Artists 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 will help Production Artists increase their earning potential?
Hartmut Austen: Attend graduate school or broaden your education. Declutter your life and studio. Make your art and yourself visible in the context you want to be seen. Build relationships, focus on your strengths, learn from others in the discipline, and maintain integrity.
What Production Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Ananda Keator: Don't work for free, know your worth and fight for it. Also make sure there is 'life' in your 'work/life balance'. Figure out what success means to you, and it will look different for everyone. You don't have to move to NYC, you don't have to win lots of awards, etc., if that's not what makes you happy.
What will help Production Artists increase their earning potential?
Ananda Keator: Be multifaceted, don't try to specialize just yet. And see #1
What general advice would you give to a Production Artist?
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 Production Artist 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 Production Artists 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 general advice would you give to a Production Artist?
Jason Bronner: After developing strong design skills, it is important to focus on developing public speaking and listening skills for working with clients and colleagues. Making connections with clients, through effective listening and speaking skills, will improve salary potential. Working directly with clients, presenting to and teaching them about good design is crucial for maximizing salary potential.
What Production Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Jason Bronner: It is ok to take a position in design that is not your ideal position. Learn what you can from that position and keep looking toward your ideal. Additionally, consider an unpaid internship in a dream/ideal position on a limited term basis to learn more about the company/specific job while also showcasing what value you bring to the company. Sometimes, helping the employer understand what a great employee and contributor to the team you are is most important. Focus on making connections with clients, through effective listening and speaking skills, to improve salary potential.
What will help Production Artists 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 Production Artists 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 Production Artist 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.
What general advice would you give to a Production Artist?
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.
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 Production Artist?
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 Production Artist 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 will help Production Artists increase their earning potential?
Eric Benson: As I'm answering this now, I'd have to acknowledge that AI tools will become more prevalent in graphic design. We should explore them in order to take ownership of them, so we don't lose our relevancy. In addition, sustainability within the field will continue to grow and be increasingly more important to have a knowledgebase in.
What Production Artist skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Kathryn Baczeski: For visual art students leaving school and starting their careers, there is an emphasis in teaching professional development on setting up a studio or finding a space where you are able to continue your creative practice in any capacity. In some instances, this would be a work exchange at a community studio, an internship or apprenticeship at a production studio assisting in the making of work for another well established artist /design line or a job at an institution that supports creative practice such as a school or museum. Typically residencies and internships allow their staff to continue their creative practice and research so that purchasing a bunch of equipment is not an immediate expense or obstacle for someone fresh out of an undergraduate program. I have seen students who have graduated struggle making this step in aligning themselves with a job that supports them financially while also furthering their creative explorations. These opportunities are real life applications for continuing education and learning new skills which can not be replicated in the classroom. In taking a position such as those listed above, newly graduated students learn how to communicate with the public, carve out a schedule that can accommodate both their professional and personal practices along with all of the technical aspects that go into maintaining and running a studio, school or museum.
What Production Artist 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.
What will help Production Artists 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 general advice would you give to a Production Artist?
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.
Tom Futrell
Associate ProfessorLouisiana Tech University
Design And Applied Arts
What will help Production Artists 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 Production Artist?
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 Production Artist 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.