To anyone who's ever questioned the major of Graphic Design, I have this to say. Without graphic designers, your stuff would be ugly and unusable (not really, just more so).
Graphic designers hold the unique position of being influencers and creators, people who not only give you beautiful things to look at and use (think smartphones and other objects) but we also make them functional (more user experience area).
Graphic designers not only make your websites and products look attractive, but we're also the ones who design your textbooks, book covers, apps, and just about anything that requires you to look at it and use. We're always thinking about how to make things look better, attract and keep your attention, and are pleasing to use and look at. We want objects to be as effortless as possible. Items or apps that are difficult to understand or use should be redesigned.
If we didn't have people going into these fields of graphic design and user experience, your websites would still look at the 1990s version of websites with just text and a picture that doesn't fit the screen or is too tiny to really see.
We also influence the way you make your purchasing decisions. You're more likely to buy from a company with a well-designed website, brochure, or business card, than you will from a website that is confused or not pleasing to the eye (ever think about that time when you're researching companies and the websites that look like they're badly designed, you're more likely to distrust them or think of them as scammers).
You're also more likely to buy a product that is displayed nicely or somehow is more pleasing on the shelf. You probably think that loose-leaf tea is of a high quality and should be more expensive that's kept in a tin can vs tea bags in a cardboard box. You're probably willing to pay more money for that tin can as well even though the tea is basically the same.
Design also improves the quality of life. Our buildings, apps, furniture, food, packaging, and just about everything can be improved through design which will improve the quality of our lives to make it richer and more pleasing.
Design also incorporates other subjects. We use math and ratios to figure out how to make things pleasing, we learn how to use science and technology, engineering, philosophy, psychology, sociology, English, grammar, communication, typography, history, biology, and just about every feild of study in order to give our users- you- a better life. Whether that's through corporate brochures or creating a poster or work of art that makes you think, or a cup that looks like a cat when you fill it with liquid, we create things that you will use.
So next time you meet a graphic designer, you might take the time to wonder how they've been influencing you and take the time to appreciate everyday objects and how they wouldn't be as nice without us.
