Challenges for Graphic Designers in 2012 and Beyond

The field of graphic design has remained pretty predictable in times past. Graphic design had become computerized, and print was starting to share the spotlight with web design and other Internet based visual design.

Fast forward to the year 2018, and the way we interact with media has changed in a big way. Print based design is shrinking at an alarming rate, and an increasing number of people are consuming their media on tablets, smartphones, and other interconnected devices. Newspapers and magazines are scrambling to figure out viable business models for mobile editions of their publications.

Time to Adapt to the Changing Times

While printed media still has a place and will for some time, it might be a good idea to start adapting to the changing times and expand your toolset into digital media. The challenge for graphic designers will be to learn how to design layouts that are flexible enough to adapt and look good on a wide variety of digital devices. Different companies have varying standards and file formats for things like ebooks, digital editions of magazines, and so on. Until these standards are unified, it will be hard to make content look the exact way it should on so many different devices. This will most likely require releasing a few versions of the same content to meet the need of the viewer. HTML 5 seems to be the standard the industry is aiming for to display this content considering both Adobe and Apple have stated this is the direction they intend to head towards. But until HTML 5 is supported on a majority of devices, there will most likely be stopgaps that the designer will have to use to satisfy the greatest number of viewers. PDFs are used a fair amount as well as older HTML standards and Flash.

Time to Retool with School?

While it seems logical that it might be a no brainer to go back to school and get some training, many programs still are looking at graphic design as a whole like it was back 5 or 6 years ago. If you decide to get some upgrading in your skillset, make sure they aren’t just rehashing dieing standards, and are focused at least somewhat with mobile output. Like it or not, that is where much of the industry is heading. There will always be room for print in the industry for the foreseeable future. If you currently are a print only designer, it’s not doom and gloom. But chances are you will have far greater chance of interesting a wider spectrum of employers should you need to find a new position in 2018 and beyond.