The city of Tulsa, Oklahoma, with a resident population of almost 400,000 and about fifty thousand corporate entities, is home to well over a hundred professional graphic designers. Many types of companies all around Tulsa use graphic design professionals to solve a continuous assortment of visual communications problems.
Tulsa Schools and Training Programs for Graphic Design
Several scores of colleges and Universities in the state of Oklahoma offer degree programs in graphic design. Popular Tulsa design schools include Tulsa Community College, Tulsa Technology Center, Oral Roberts University and Vatterott College. In addition to local design training and degree programs, many aspiring artists in Tulsa earn their degrees online. Among the most successful accredited design colleges with online degree programs are The Art Institutes, ITT Tech, University of Phoenix and DeVry. Each of these schools also features many physical locations throughout the United States and Washington DC. Graphic artists at Tulsa design schools frequently focus on fine arts, but can also major in photography or visual communications.
Working as a Graphic Designer in Tulsa, Oklahoma
Graphic designers in Tulsa, Oklahoma often work for leading local advertising agencies. Among the most successful of these are Phillips-Johnson, Lauer Media and Walsh Associates. Some local artists design credits, captions, visual displays and promotional materials for top Tulsa movie producers like Anello Productions, Avcom Productions and Million Dollar Sounds, among others.
Communications designers in Tulsa, Oklahoma are also employed by retailers, colleges, book publishers, consulting firms, software developers and many different kinds of private businesses. Local design jobs available to Tulsa graphic designers include technical illustrations, clinical charts, company logos, web pages, product packaging design and character development for comic books, cartoons and video games.
More than 280,000 graphic designers hold paid positions at U.S. commercial enterprises. Salaries are based on education, experience, talent and commitment, not to mention geographic location. Data compiled by the Bureau of Labor Statistics states that the mean annual salary for a graphic designer employed in Oklahoma is around $34,475, with an average hourly wage of about $16.60. Fifty percent or more of all graphic designers professionally employed in America earn between $30,000 and $60,000 a year. Oklahoma ranks third from last among states in average annual salaries for graphic designers. However, the state's relatively low cost of living helps compensate for this deficiency, and artists working in large cities like Tulsa tend to earn more than similarly employed designers in less populated regions.
Skills of a Graphic Designer
Professional graphic designers have advanced drawing skills. The artist must quickly render detailed sketches based on verbal descriptions of undeveloped concepts. Graphic artists possess stylistic flexibility, able to produce cartoons, technical drawings and anatomical forms from many different viewpoints. Professional graphic designers also need masterful color selection, typographical expertise, basic photography skills and proficiency with graphic design software. The most preferred personality trait of a professional graphic designer is immense creative talent with genuine mainstream appeal.