As an artist or creative professional, it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed when choosing a career path. From illustration to photography to brand and logo design, there’s no shortage of directions you can take.
Like many creatives, you’ve probably considered stepping into a design-focused role. The fields of graphic design and creative digital media are two of the most popular (and marketable!) among creative professionals.
The differences between these careers aren’t always clear, and making a career decision can be tricky. Thankfully, having guidance on key differences between fields can help you decide which opportunities to pursue. Here’s an overview of graphic design and creative digital media to help you discover which is right for you.
What is graphic design?
Graphic design is a broad and varied field that revolves around the creation of visual content. The purpose of graphic design is to communicate an idea to audiences in compelling, creative ways.
With each type of graphic design, the intent behind the design work is different. While an advertisement design may intend to convert customers to their product or service, a design on the cover of a magazine may intend to catch someone’s eye in a store.
Graphic design work is present in many places like digital advertisements, posters, and infographics. While some graphic designers are interdisciplinary and work across different mediums and channels, others specialize in specific areas. Some common forms of graphic design include:
Logo design
This form of graphic design revolves around the creation of logos and other graphic design branding materials. Logo design can help organizations differentiate themselves from other companies and forge a deeper connection with audiences.
Web design
Graphic designers working in web design work to make digital spaces appealing to audiences with digital graphics. It’s important to differentiate the work graphic designers do from user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design, as these practices revolve more deeply around website building and functionality.
Advertisement and marketing
In advertising and marketing, graphic designers work with other professionals to create design materials for promotional content. In some cases, companies may use marketing to sell a product or service. In other cases, they may use it to build their brand identity.
Print design
All graphic design that is printed onto physical materials, such as magazines, books, and brochures, fall into this category. Graphic designers specializing in print design will typically have a keen sense of page layout and design hierarchy, which helps them bring their graphic design work to life.
What is creative digital media?
While it may sound unfamiliar, chances are you come into contact with creative digital media every day. While it involves many aspects found in graphic design, the field extends even further to include a range of other practices including motion graphics, typography, audio, social media, and even video.
At its core, creative digital media is about conveying stories. Given the rise of digital technology and our growing interactions with it, this discipline aims to convey stories and ideas strictly to people in digital spaces.
The digital world is special in that it lends itself well to a variety of creative content, such as graphic design, video, and audio. The field of creative digital media helps budding professionals gain a deeper understanding of the various ways to creatively communicate with audiences through these different forms of media.
Often, those working in creative digital media utilize their skills and expertise to help position, market, or sell a product or service. In other cases, creative digital media can be used for branding and conveying specific ideas. Ultimately, the point of creative digital media is to tell stories effectively through a vast array of digital formats and platforms.
Individuals with an education in creative digital media can step into careers like:
Social media coordinator
These professionals typically manage an organization’s social media pages. Duties can include scheduling posts, developing strategies to grow followings, planning promotional campaigns, and forging a deeper connection and sense of brand loyalty with consumers.
Digital marketer
Like marketing, digital marketing is a broad field with a variety of specializations and career paths. Those with an educational background in creative digital media are well-suited to a wide variety of roles in the digital marketing space.
Content creator
Content creators are professionals whose job is to create digital content for growing and maintaining audiences. While some content creators may create content for their own personal brands, others help organizations develop content that can help them grow and connect with their audiences.
In addition to learning how to utilize a number of digital applications to bring digital media content to life, those who study creative digital media also typically engage in communication courses. This helps professionals in this realm understand the nuances of how audiences respond to different types of content and information, putting them in a better position to effectively communicate with a wide variety of consumers.
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Who are you called to be?
Pursue your purpose at PLNU.
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Key differences between graphic design and creative digital media
While it’s not always easy to differentiate between the fields of graphic design and creative digital media, there are certain key distinctions between the fields, including:
- Creative digital media utilizes a variety of techniques: While graphic design is applied solely to static design work, creative digital media incorporates a range of different techniques including audio, video, and photography.
- Graphic design is only one component of creative digital media: Though creative digital media utilizes graphic design principles and techniques, it also includes a range of other disciplines such as motion graphics, audio, and social media.
- Creative digital media focuses solely on digital spaces: While graphic design is present across a variety of media, such as print and online, creative digital media solely focuses on digital materials.
While there are distinct similarities between these two fields, they each allow creators a chance to tell stories in different ways. If you’re struggling to decide which path is right for you, it’s important to think about the type of work and stories you aspire to tell. Do you gravitate toward print design, digital illustration, and logos? Or do you like a variety of creative forms with an emphasis on connecting to viewers? Once you have a clear image of the creative work you’d like to engage in professionally, you’ll be able to decide which career path you’re better suited for.
Begin your path to becoming a creative professional today
If you’re ready to turn your creative ambitions into a reality, PLNU can help you get there. With laudable graphic design and creative digital media bachelor of arts programs, we have the resources to help you hone your skills and step into a fulfilling career.
Explore our creative programs today and see how we can help you on your journey to becoming a creative professional.