Designs on a Degree? Online Training for the Digital Designer

Digital design is a field that involves creating images and animation using computer software. Digital designers use technology to create visual media that communicate messages, tell stories, sell products, or entertain. If you're good with computers, have an artistic eye, and communicate well, an online digital design degree might just be right for you.

What Does Digital Design Training Look Like?

There are various specialties in the digital design field, including game design and development, graphic design, visual communications, and digital animation. Of course, the specific degree you choose depends on your desired career path. There are various digital design courses that you will take as your earn any digital design degree, including the following:

•    Layout Design
•    Graphic Design
•    3-D Modeling and Animation
•    Digital Photography

The length of your program--and which specific digital design courses you'll take--depends on whether you choose to earn an associate's degree or a bachelor's degree. Your digital design courses can give you the right knowledge and experience, as well as valuable portfolio samples.

What Careers Does a Digital Design Degree Prepare Me For?

Any job you choose in digital design will likely be a specialization in one of the following areas:

•   Graphic Design: As a graphic designer, you create visual communications for advertising, magazine layouts, book illustrations, or Web sites. You design packaging, logos, and signs for businesses. Most entry-level careers in graphic design require an associate's or bachelor's degree in digital or graphic design. You have to have an eye for balance and color, and additional courses in psychology, culture studies, and communication can also be helpful as you design images to convey messages. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), employment in this area is growing as fast as the national average between 2006 and 2016, and the median annual salary is $46,750.
•    Multi-Media Animation: In this field, you help design 3-D animation and visual effects in movies and computer games. This career is growing faster than any other art career: 26 percent growth between 2006 and 2016--much faster than the national average, according to the BLS. The field is competitive, so a passion for your job, a great portfolio, and up-to-date digital design training are all essential. For most jobs, a bachelor's degree in a digital-design-related field is required. But the career training pays off, since the median annual salary for multi-media artists is $62,380, according to the BLS. Of course, you aren't limited to working just in movies or video games; many corporations, Web sites, and advertisers require some kind of digital animation to communicate a message or promote a product.

What the Benefits of Earning a Degree Online?

Flexibility is the major advantage of earning your degree online. You can study when it's convenient for you from any place with Internet access. If you have obligations such as family or full-time work that keep you from being able to attend traditional classes, online digital design courses offer a convenient alternative.

Completing digital design training is essential to starting a career in this field. Make sure you know your strengths, and look into online degree programs carefully to select the right one. Education and experience go a long way toward helping you start your ideal job.