Introduction:

The development of technology has made the profession of a graphic designer highly valued. Therefore, if we have the right artistic abilities and aesthetic sense, we should consider whether this might be the right job for us.

Graphic designers create various graphic projects using specialized computer programs, such as Adobe Photoshop or Corel Draw. A computer artist must demonstrate high creativity and create unique graphics with every project. Computer graphic designers can find employment in advertising agencies, media, publishing houses, and graphic design studios.

Their work often involves photo editing, creating visualizations, logos, banners, flyers, posters, book covers, or magazine covers. A good computer graphic designer is truly a treasure in virtually any company.

If an artistic job is your dream, it’s worth considering how to become a computer graphic designer. First and foremost, it is important to know graphic design programs, and it’s best to know a few. Currently, many private and post-secondary schools offer courses in computer graphic design.

The most respected graphic designers are graduates of the Academy of Fine Arts, who develop their aesthetic sense and creativity over five years. Combined with knowledge of graphic design programs, this forms a very solid foundation for a career in this field. Computer graphic designers can also come from computer science or technical backgrounds.

A graphic designer's primary tool is a computer, and more precisely, the programs installed on it – the most important ones include Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, QuarkXpress, Corel Draw, and InDesign. Of course, there is much more available software, and the choice of a specific program depends on the designer, who may specialize in certain applications. A computer graphic designer works on vector graphics (company logos, charts, drawings, etc.), adjusting fonts to text, setting line spacing, style, paragraph indentations, and title and subtitle settings for publications, and finally, preparing the layout of publications (combining text with images and arranging them on the page).

However, knowing how to use the programs is not everything. Contact with the publishing process means that a designer needs to know much more. They must know how to operate printers, scanners, the types of paper, and printing techniques. Their duties include printing texts for first corrections and often applying corrections to the final, composed text. The designer prepares color proofs and measures them (coverage, calibration). A person in this position typically also interacts with clients and calculates the cost of printing services.

An artist graphic designer is primarily someone with artistic talents and a strong imagination, who thinks creatively. This profession requires attentiveness and the ability to quickly notice details that later may become inspiration for the work. A graphic artist should also have a general curiosity about the world. They should be expressive, able to convey emotions through their work, while also being very patient, persistent, and precise in their execution, as this work often takes a lot of time. Essential traits of a graphic artist also include concentration and good hand-eye coordination. Great designers are often engineers with artistic flair.

Key qualities needed in the profession of a computer graphic artist also include independence, which is important when the designer organizes their own work and acquires clients or faces competition in the art market.

Work in this field depends to a greater or lesser extent on others, especially when working in a team, so the ability to collaborate and persuade is essential.

It is essential for a graphic designer to have artistic interests. They must stay up-to-date with trends in the industry, including methods of creating graphics. Technical interests are also useful.

The physical and health requirements for a graphic designer include good eyesight, including visual acuity, color recognition, and stereoscopic vision. Good tactile sensitivity may also be important for some methods. Graphic artists, except for those using computer graphics exclusively, should have dexterous hands and fingers.

In a computer graphic designer's work, concentration, a good memory, logical thinking skills, and creative problem-solving abilities are very helpful. Creativity, imagination, and inventiveness are critical. Technical skills, accuracy, and patience are important. Flexibility and the ability to work quickly are essential. Independence is necessary, especially if the designer organizes and plans their own work. They should also have the ability to manage a team.

This work requires a lot of patience and persistence. Managerial interests are helpful, especially for those running their own business.

A computer graphic designer does not need to meet special physical or health requirements because their work is not physically demanding. However, they should have good eyesight and dexterity in their hands and fingers (for operating the computer). Due to constant contact with coworkers and clients, hearing should also be in good condition to allow smooth communication.

A computer graphic designer is also involved in the entire production process, from planning the technological process to selecting the materials for production and choosing the appropriate devices and machines to carry out the work, up to determining the production costs and overseeing the process. They select the type of print (offset, intaglio, typographic), choose materials for the products (printing inks, the appropriate proportions of printing metals – lead, antimony, tin), paper type (standard printing, for accidentals, newsprint, poster paper, illustration paper, map paper, banknote paper, valuable paper, stamp paper, offset, intaglio), finishing materials (book bindings, calendar bindings, glues, threads, wires, finishing elements, decorations).

Besides artistic skills, a computer graphic designer must also keep up-to-date with technological innovations. Knowledge of graphic design programs is their ongoing responsibility. Today, practically "there’s no day" without software updates, including graphic programs. To stay connected with the technological advances that allow them to perform their work in the best possible way and remain competitive in the market, a graphic designer must have technical proficiency in computer handling and a wide variety of graphic design programs. Without updating their knowledge, they will lose clients and stop being competitive in the graphic design market. Continuously updating knowledge in this area will allow a good graphic designer to acquire new clients and take on more interesting projects. Combining artistic skills with technical knowledge may help a graphic designer gain new clients and maintain an advantage over competition, which is immense in the computer graphic profession.

Your task is to take on the role of a computer graphic designer and create a multimedia presentation showcasing your original works from both an engineering and artistic perspective.

You will work in three groups, each preparing a plan for the presentation and including the best works of team members.

When preparing materials, remember that you must collaborate primarily within your group but also between groups – you need to consult with others and have insight into what the other groups are working on.

Remember, computer graphic design services are not cheap because they combine precision and engineering qualifications with artistic traits. When presenting your project to the class, you will explain the inspiration that led to the creation of your presentation.