Work Settings for Graphic Designers

If you are a graphic designer, you may work either at a firm, or you might be able to work solo. What's the difference and what's best for you?

If you work for a design firm, you will probably have to work nine-to-five hours, though you might have to work later hours to complete projects. You will work in an office building. With luck, you'll have your own office to yourself, but it's likely that you'll have a cubicle or a shared office space. Either way, you'll interact with coworkers and supervisors.

At times, your interactions will be exhilarating; creative people can charge the atmosphere with ideas. At times, though, interactions might be stressful, as you and you coworkers will be under pressure to meet deadlines. The nature of your work will vary, too, depending on the size of your firm. If you work for a small firm, you might be responsible for all aspects of a project. If you work for a larger firm, you might focus on one aspect of the project, such as layout.

If you go solo as a graphics design freelancer, you'll find that you have the freedom to set your own hours and choose your own workspace, possibly at home. And you may enjoy the chance to be responsible for an entire project. Working on your own has its drawbacks, however. You won't have the creative camaraderie of a firm. You'll have to manage your time wisely. You'll have to find clients yourself, and you'll be responsible for negotiating contracts and billing.

You can't stay comfortable with some design specialty; it will be to your advantage to be versatile--able to both design Web pages and magazine layouts, for example. You'll have to supply yourself with the computer and graphics software that a firm would make available. And finally, you won't have the health insurance benefits a firm might provide you.