Here’s BananaBandy’s guide on getting a head start in the graphic design industry

Graphic Design In India

India has a rich history of graphic design, starting from illustrations of wars waged in the past to modern advertisements. The art of graphic design in India has evolved over multiple decades up to the explosion of visual communication in the 20th and 21st century, managing to amalgamate fine art, graphic design and advertising art. Graphic designing is more relevant still, in locations such as Mumbai, Pune, Bangalore & other cities, while the other places in India are also, gradually, coming out to explore this designing trend in India. 18% of the creative industry in India constitutes of graphic designers, with a great salary package.

Scope of Graphic Designing in India
Currently, in a vibrant economy like ours, with plenty of international and local players vying for consumer attention, good graphic design can make a world of difference in businesses. The launch of many new brands/businesses and growth in the media industry has demanded the requirement of a workforce skilled in graphic design. The Indian graphic and communication design industry is on the rise and will soon take over the world, much like a bond villain, but this time for realsies. Services such as printing, advertising, book publishing, film, FMCG, consumer durables, etc, are growing at an unprecedented rate, and so is the demand for graphic designers. Our graphic design industry has a turnover of Rs. 2,50,00,000 – 25,00,00,000 with a fourth of the companies in the industry making more than Rs. 25,00,00,000 as their turnover. Some of the popular graphic designers in India are : Satish Gujral, Shekhar Gurera, Akshar Pathak, Orijit Sen, Dashrath Patel, Gopi Prasanna, Sujata Keshava to name a few. They all have taken the graphic industry really far, And worked in diverse fields, dealing with different mediums. There are no gender biases in this industry, all one needs is a creative mind, a different perspective (one that sees extraordinary in the mundane, a passion for the arts and (optional) a heart of gold.

Skills Required By Graphic Designers In India

A graphic designer is required to think out of the box, to have good research skills and be able to analyse a piece of art and perceive it in a different light. A graphic designer visually communicates with the masses through his work, which stresses the importance of their work to be easily accessible. Here are a few skills required to be a graphic designer:

Typography

Typography is an art. Type design and modifying characters are to be performed using various illustration techniques. It is the ability to compose various characters and or sentences to be legible, coherent and most of all, appealing. It aids in the work of a graphic designer by giving them the skills to creatively display text, play on words and beautify their project.

Page layout

This aspect of graphic designing deals with arrangement of the content on the page, such as the placement of specific infographics or photographs.It is crucial to be well versed in the art of content placement in a page. A good layout can ensure that the project is clean, accessible and neat whilst a bad one can be shabby and trying the elements of the subject itself.

Visual Arts Design

A graphic designer must be proficient in a form of visual art which could range from drawing, painting, sculpting and photography to architecture and filmmaking. Before any work can be performed, the elements of the project must originate by means of visual art skills. It is not necessary that the graphic designer develops the content (painting is really really hard) but it aids in their work if they dabble a bit in the visual arts.

Salary Guide for Graphic Designers in India

A graphic designer earns an average salary of Rs. 2,30,000 per year with little to none experience in the field. In the first five to ten years, the salary sharply increases as experience is a coveted asset in this industry. Most of the high paying jobs in this field are projects related to Dreamweaver and Adobe After Effects.

Formal Education in Graphic Designing

In a survey performed in India, it was found that 87% undertook formal training in graphic designing while 13% acquired all their skills through self training. Both of these methods have their pros and cons. Undertaking a bachelor’s degree or certificate course in graphic designing provides with the opportunity to hone skills in usage of multiple design software. Time is also spent practicing and perfecting visual art skills and much wisdom is gained from professors with plenty of experience. The curriculum also gives the student the task of completing many projects and assignments in the field of design. Attending college gives the student a chance to explore their creative side in a safe space and help them find their true calling.

Here are the top Graphic Design Institutes in India

Apeejay Institute of Design

New Delhi
http://www.apeejay.edu/aid/

MIT Institute of Design

Pune
http://www.mitid.edu.in

Raffles Design International

Mumbai
http://www.rafflesmumbai.com

Symbiosis Institute of Design

Pune
http://sid.edu.in

DJ Academy of Design

Tamil Nadu
http://www.djad.in

National Institute of Design

Ahmedabad

http://www.nid.edu/

You can check out the portfolios of the talented graphic designers in India, here.