r/GraphicDesigning

im gonna milk this subscription as long as I can. I want to know what assets you'd recommend downloading that I can carry on in my future jobs!

Hey, all.

I am curious to hear from practicing graphic designers who have both an Associates and Baccalaureate degree in graphic design.

1. Did the 4-year degree open up doors that the Associates did not? For that matter, did you find the 2-year degree was sufficient by itself?
2. How much more ‘design’ did you learn with with the 4-year under your belt than just the 2-year?

Ty.

As the title says. I am very worried about the rise of AI and currently looking at some possible back up plans. I am currently employed as a designer but clients are increasingly submitting AI images and wanting them to be vectorized. I feel no enjoyment anymore, since all creativity and problem solving has been lost.

My long-time client has scaled back our retainer and would like to start generating business cards for new hires in-house. In the past, I've happily handled it for them but I get that having an agency type in names and email addresses feels like overkill.

Everything was created in Illustrator—which they don't have—and uses fonts they don't have installed. The client isn't helpless, but they aren't designers, either.

We've spent a lot of effort developing their brand system and I would prefer they not muck up the design. Is there a good alternative for creating an editable template for them with reasonable guardrails? Do I recreate the business card in Canva?

And yes, I do plan on trying to talk them out of it. How have you all dealt with this sort of thing?

Hi there, I am a new graphic designer, mostly use Canva for Marketing creatives design and Adobe PS sometimes as well.

I have been sharing dropbox links to client because the showcase is good but free plan only comes with 2gb, Should I upgrade or is there any other alternatives?

Thanks

Coming from a non graphic designer (i was in visual media arts though), how do you graphic designers feel about the new look that apps on phones are getting? It seems they are straying away from the matte look and adding some glossy touches to them. Unless im going crazy and theyre not.

Hello.

I am a highschool student sophomore, I love graphic design and have taken 2 classes, (graphic design 1 and 2) I'm also finishing up a year long program in my school that had me and a couple other designers working closely with photographers and writers to produce my schools yearbook. Along with a bit of other outside of school independent for for a cafe and a volunteer job I landed this summer, that's the extent of portfolio.

I've heard many people say the job market is completely terrible when it comes to graphic design and personal accounts from other students parents. Im just looking for advice from any graphic designers here on if I should still persue graphic design or switch well I have time.

Hey, I started learning graphic designing 6 months back. But I just feel like I am not good enough. I made a couple of pieces for portfolio and set up a Behance profile, applied to multiple jobs a week. No response, only responses I got back were a scam; selling me their resume services and pointing out mistakes in my resume. I mean which job recruiters points out your CV mistakes?! Sorry for the rant, but my real question is how do I get better at it, and make a portfolio stand out and get better at securing a job or finding clients? I am unemployed and it’s getting to me. I end up doomscrolling all day and losing interest in everything altogether.

Lately I’ve been feeling pretty defeated about the industry and wanted to know if other designers feel the same.

I genuinely love design, but more and more clients are taking the artwork I send them, running it through AI, then asking me to follow the AI-generated version instead.

I’m not talking about small feedback tweaks. I mean when the AI version starts steering the project creatively, sometimes ignoring the original design thinking, typography, layout balance, or brand rationale behind the work.

At some point it stops feeling like I’m hired for creative expertise and more like I’m just executing AI prompts and client instructions.

What’s exhausting isn’t even the AI itself. It’s constantly being told exactly what to do by clients who suddenly think they’re art directors because AI generated something flashy in seconds.

Maybe this is just the new normal, but honestly it’s making me question the future of the industry. Curious how are you guys/gals are handling this.

I recently got a new job as a Graphic Designer at a local sign making company. One of the printers they have been using for a decade makes them send files with black in them in RGB even though some files have other Pantone colors too. Has anyone else experienced this? Or know why this would be the case?

I’m currently working as a freelance designer, and it gives me good money while fitting well with my situation as a student with 2 years left before graduation.

Recently, a very successful agency in my country that works with international clients contacted me about joining them. I’m honestly confused about what to do.

On one hand, I know working at an agency would give me real experience, help me grow faster, and probably increase my value in the future. On the other hand, freelancing currently pays me more with less pressure, and right now making money is important for me.

Another issue is that the agency is far away — it would take me around 1.5 hours to commute, and I’m not even sure if remote work is possible. I also don’t know how well I could balance it with college.

In most cases, I’d probably choose the agency for the experience, but my current situation makes the decision difficult. I’d really appreciate advice from people with career experience.

Hello! I’m not great at graphic design nor I’m professional, but I do need it for what I do for a living and the app I’ve been using for years just keeps changing and deleting features that the users use the most. Can anybody recommend me an app/program that is easy enough to learn how to use? If it needs to be paid, preferably not more than $12/month.

Is it okay to ask this here?? If it isn’t I’m so sorry

It’s scary looking for a different career. I’m only 5 years into this and I want something more from life.
I’m looking into healthcare but I don’t know. I feel like Graphic Design is not for me anymore. I can’t move out from where I live and I also just don’t have a job anymore.
For those that have changed careers where did you go and how did you get into it?

Hey everyone, I’m a student trying to improve my setup and I could really use some help. Right now I’m working on a small laptop screen and it’s getting uncomfortable after a few hours. The colors also don’t look great, which makes it harder to trust my work. I’m looking for graphic displays under $500 that can give me better color and a bigger workspace. I’ve looked into a few brands like MSI, Asus, Lenovo, and BenQ, but I’m not sure which ones are worth it. I’ve also noticed that a lot of monitor designs seem similar across different manufacturers, including ones discussed from online, which makes it harder to tell what’s actually good. I don’t mind getting something simple as long as the colors are accurate and it’s comfortable to use. If you’ve used a budget monitor for design, what worked well for you and what should I avoid.