Respectable graphic design does not come easy. There are lots of hard times, difficulties, and annoyances that will want to break you on your way. From small things like the programs, to the big things like time and money, even some things you don’t think would be an issue like choosing a color. Make sure you put thought into it before picking graphic design as your major. Not everyone truly knows what he or she is getting into.

1. Brainstorming Ideas

It takes time, lots of time to brainstorm original, out of the box ideas, to go through a million drafts, and half giving up before you get a suitable idea.

2. Fighting Printers

Jams that you don’t know how to fix because when your paper got stuck it ripped and you’re now puzzled pulling little pieces out at a time.

3. Programs are Bad too

Learning your way around the programs takes time. If you have learned all the keyboard short cuts by heart than you are a master.

4. Computers are the Worst

They are slow, they freeze, they crash, and they crash before it even saves because the computer froze while trying to save the large file.

5. Colors are Complicated

Blue is not just blue; it can be navy, a teal, or maybe even cobalt. Then trying to find the exact color in the swatches or color picker… good luck finding gold or silver.

6. Never Ending Font Issues

Finding a font that fits the tone and attitude is hard. Finding multiple fonts that fit the tone and attitude and then compliment each other is even harder. Avoid fonts including but not limited to, Comic Sans, Papyrus, Hobo, Brush Script and Arial.

7. Not Enough Time

You will never honestly have enough time. Be prepared to work on your projects all day and all night with little to no sleep.

8. Being Broke

Being already in debt for just attending a college and then paying for your technology, the supplies like paper, ink, matting boards, items you only use once for one class, and extra storage devices can make that bill even higher.

9. Never Liking Your Own Work

Casually staring at your piece using phrases like “I like it, but I don’t”, “I feel like it needs something else”, or “It just does not look complete.”

10. Critiques

Standing in front of the class as they criticize every detail of the piece that took you days to perfect. Not to mention then trying to be nice while telling someone else that there piece is awful.

11. Design in Everyday Life

You begin criticizing real world graphic design everyday. That menu is too unequal, that business card was cut wrong, and that font doesn’t fit.

12. Feeling Unappreciated or Unacknowledged

You put all this work and effort into what you think is a masterpiece and no one even recognizes the amount of work and thought put into it.

In the end, you know your not alone and it’s all worth it when you have a good respectable graphic design piece you are proud of and love.