Oklahoma City, with a resident population of about 580,000 people and roughly 62,000 commercial enterprises, is home to about 200 professional graphic designers. Companies all throughout Oklahoma City recruit local design specialists to execute an endless variety of visual communications projects.
Oklahoma City Schools and Training Programs for Graphic Design
Colleges and Universities in the state of Oklahoma offer many fine degree programs in graphic design. Popular Oklahoma City design schools include Oklahoma City Community College, Oklahoma Technology Institute and Oklahoma State University. In addition to local graphic design schools, many aspiring Oklahoma City artists earn degrees online. Among the largest accredited design colleges with online degree programs are The Art Institutes, ITT Tech, University of Phoenix and DeVry.
Graphic artists at Oklahoma City design colleges frequently focus on fine arts. Course work might include online marketing, psychology and sociology, as well as visual design skills like drawing, photography, typography, digital artwork, animation, video game design and other related subjects.
Working as a Graphic Designer in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Quite a few Oklahoma City graphic designers work for leading local advertising agencies. Among the most successful Oklahoma City ad firms are Jordan Associates, Austin Properties and Skyline Media. Some local artists design film credits, captions and related visuals for highly acclaimed Oklahoma City motion picture producers like Garman Productions, Generation Productions and Presentation Services.
Communications designers in Oklahoma City are also recruited by art galleries, event coordinators, colleges, community groups, news syndicates, software developers and many other local companies. Available jobs for graphic designers in Oklahoma City include technical illustrations, instructional diagrams, video game characters, company logos, book covers, web pages, product packaging and literally hundreds more.
American businesses currently employ over 280,000 graphic designers. Base income depends on education, experience, demonstrated design skills and level of commitment, as well as, in some cases, geographic location. The mean annual salary for a graphic designer employed in the state of Oklahoma is around $34,475, with an average hourly rate of around $16.60. Roughly half of all professional graphic designers employed in the U.S. earn between $30,000 and $60,000 a year. Oklahoma ranks third from last among states in average annual salaries for graphic designers, although the overall cost of living is similarly low.
Skills of a Graphic Designer
The most basic professional graphic arts design qualifications are advanced drawing skills in many styles and techniques, masterful color selection, typographical expertise, digital graphic artwork, photography and some web page design. Preferred personality traits of professional graphic designers are intense concentration, attention to detail and a healthy sense of perfectionism, not to mention genuine creative talent.