Graphic Design

Graphic design is a rapidly growing and ever evolving industry, and though highly competitive, it’s an exciting and rewarding career. Top designers in the field are passionate about design, love what they do, and are committed to adapting to new technology and industry trends. They have something to say and possess the drive and focus necessary to create quality work and thrive in the industry.

Designers don’t always use computers. It’s a blast to manipulate things with Photoshop or layout magazines in InDesign. However, most designers also have an affinity for creating things by hand. That could mean they enjoy drawing or sketching, printmaking, paper quilling, hand lettering, collage, and so much more. They figure out ways to bridge the analog and digital worlds.

Even though designers typically enjoy art-marking, they are creating for a different audience than a fine artist might. Designers are working to persuade or inform their public about a particular idea or topic. They solve problems and make communication accessible for their target audience.

Each day, we are surrounded by design, from ads to apps, posters to packaging, websites to wall graphics. Because our world is so reliant on design, there are many opportunities to immerse yourself in the professional world of design. You could work in a boutique agency doing a little bit of everything, or become highly specialized in branding and logo creation, UX/UI, or typography. Who knows what platforms might develop in the future! The need for highly skilled craftspeople is vast.

The daily life of a designer, however, isn’t always about making pretty things. There are brainstorming meetings that happen with the creative team, client pitches, emails to answer, phone calls to return, and many other tasks to balance. This is true whether you’re working for yourself or an agency. Many other skills come into play, including, but not limited to: communication; interpersonal skills; overall dexterity, conflict management; timeliness; and staying on task, on budget and on schedule. Developing these skills while in college helps you prepare for the “real world.”

All that hard work can result in some pretty amazing connections and opportunities. A designer can impact thousands of people and the way they experience or think about an issue, brand, or product. The feeling of sending a book to print and seeing it on the shelf months later; driving by a billboard you designed; or holding a package in a big box store that you art directed is exciting and rewarding.

The bottom line is that when it comes to developing work, the best graphic designers are well-rounded individuals, empathetic to the world around them, who can assimilate and prioritize information and effectively communicate a story through image and word.

Designer salaries vary according to geography, experience, and design specialty. An experienced art director or senior interactive designer in a large city may earn upwards of $100,000 a year, while a young BFA designer at an entry-level position in a smaller market may start at $32,000 a year. The designer equipped with the necessary character, creative drive, and comprehensive array of both hard and soft skills has the potential to advance further and earn more.

Agencies and studios have various levels of hierarchy and job titles within their corporate structure—interns, production artists, junior designers, senior designers, art directors, and at the top, creative directors. A more accurate salary range can be determined by researching national salary surveys from organizations such as:

A strong portfolio is crucial for any graphic designer. In each course throughout the program, you will create projects and refine them, in order to hone your design skills and build the pieces to include in your portfolio. Throughout your education at Southern, we’ll work with you to develop a website and curate your body of work, so by your senior year you are ready for job hunting. During your studies, every final product should be refined and added to a portfolio that shows off strong conceptual skills, expert typography, and creative use of color, image, etc. The quality and depth of your portfolio creates the sizzle that shows potential clients or employers how well you’ll handle their design needs, from logos to posters, and from web to print. The most common ways to show work in the current market are through your print portfolio and online platforms such as a personal website and popular social media outlets. For example, one of the typical ways to get new clients today is via Instagram.

Don’t delay in getting your work out there! Many students work on freelance projects while they are in school, allowing them to gain some extra cash, along with invaluable real-world experience. You can start your own website and Behance, Instagram, and Facebook pages that feature your designs and your process at any time—and there’s really no time like the present.

SAU Grants and Scholarships

Southern offers a range of grants and scholarships. If you haven't already looked into Southern's scholarship opportunities be sure to visit the following link to get more information:

• Grants and Scholarships

SVAD Create Scholarship

The Create scholarship is a creative, competition-based award, unique to the School of Visual Art and Design. The competition is open to new freshman who have applied and been accepted to Southern. Submit up to 10 pieces of your creative work, and you could win up to $8,000 toward your tuition in the School of Visual Art and Design. Learn more and submit some of your work!

View Create Scholarship

Transferring general education courses from another institution

To transfer general education course credits you have earned, either at your current university or perhaps as Advanced Placement (AP) credit in high school, you will need to provide Southern with a copy of your transcript. If those courses match with Southern’s general education requirements the courses will be transferred in and count toward your degree progress.

Transferring art courses from another institution

Transferring art courses taken at another institution requires a formal review and approval process. To initiate this, review the completed coursework portfolio from these courses must be sent to the department. The submitted portfolio must include all coursework products and associated materials for each art course completed at a previous institution. A review committee will assess all transfer requests on a per-course basis by examining syllabi, course descriptions, projects, and completed assignments in order to determine if the course taken elsewhere is commensurate with a comparable SVAD course offering. This assessment is conducted in order to confirm that courses completed at previous institutions have adequately prepared a student to succeed in subsequent SVAD courses. Transfer credit must be approved by this review process before a student may register for classes in the SVAD.

If there is insufficient portfolio material to demonstrate your skill level, or the coursework taken elsewhere has not adequately prepared you for future SVAD courses, you may be required to register for remedial coursework as specified by the portfolio review committee.

How to submit art course content for transfer review

In order to receive transfer credit for any studio-based art course, the review committee must assess the following course components:

1. Course description
2. Course syllabus
3. All completed projects (as listed in the course syllabus)
4. Exercises and process work

Digital submissions are preferred and may be submitted via email to art@southern.edu. Physical copies may also be submitted but must be dropped off in person or mailed to the department at your own expense.