Careers in Visual Communication

Visual communication is a vast field which employs all methods of communicating information with an audience through visual means, such as, graphics, web design or animation. Careers in visual communication are varied and each stream requires its own qualifications. With the nature of careers in visual communication, you are required to keep up to date with the upcoming changes and trends. Many jobs require an undergraduate degree in a related visual art such as graphic design, though completing community college may also suffice in many cases. The good news – careers in visual communication are available in almost all businesses and industries ranging from product design to their website design and advertisement.

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Some careers in visual communication include:
Creative Director:
A creative director is the head of a design department in a business or a design firm. He/she is responsible for graphic design development, advertisements and industrial publications.

Art Director:
Art directors are somewhat similar to creative directors but have a broader work domain. They are responsible for directing the workflow of a project's creative team. People an art director may be ‘directing' may include photographers, printers and illustrators among others.

Graphic Designer:
A graphic designer is the person who conceptualizes and designs images etc. which may be part of magazines, books, advertisements and other tools of corporate identity. Graphic designers may also work as art directors and creative directors.

Illustrator:
Illustrators use traditional ways and computer software to develop images which supplement text to provide a clear understanding of the subject matter to the audience. These images may include any image which is part of an advertisement, greeting card, awareness campaign and even diagrams included in school textbooks.

Photographer:
A professional photographer will capture images which are then used by visual communication departments to create a powerful visual message for their project. Photographers may narrow down their fields further, for instance into fashion photography, food photography, conceptual photography and so on.

Web Designer:
Web designers design the whole layout and site map of a website. They also determine the overall design and visuals of the website. Web Developer:
While a web designer will decide the general layout of a website, web developers put this plan into action and program the website. Sometimes, the same person can work in both capacities depending on his/her capabilities.

Animators:
Animators work on creating graphics that seem to move. There are two types of animations – 2D animation and 3D animation. 2D animation includes comics, cartoons, advertisements and graphic novels. On the other hand, 3D animation deals with creating characters that have a 3D feel to them and which move and interact as real characters.

Copywriter:
A copywriter develops, edits and finalizes content used by companies or advertising agencies to promote and publicize products or companies.

Content Developer:
A content developer will write text or produce other forms of content, such as graphics and audio, which are used on a website.

Game Designer:
A comparatively recent addition to careers in visual communication is that of a game designer. Game designers work on creating video and mobile games from scripting them to designing graphics for them.