Layout Design Jobs
When you walk into the supermarket or the convenience store, you probably take the magazine rack for granted, don’t you? Even if you don’t go in to grab a magazine for yourself, you just kind of interpret them as part of the atmosphere. But I bet you never sat down to think about the fact that all the magazine pages in every single issue is part of a layout someone designed at some point in time. Somebody was given some photos, pre-written copy and layout software and they put that page together with strategically-placed design elements and specifically-chosen color schemes, fonts and graphics. Considering all the reading material seen in stores, it’s safe to assume magazine layout design and book layout desgin are both in-demand services.
Layout designer jobs are not hard to find…they’re hard to get, like most art jobs, but that’s a whole other story. Seriously, just look on Craigslist or here on the job board and you’ll more than likely find layout design jobs available from someone who is looking for an artist to design their book, brochure, newsletter, e-book, or magazine. But, like any specific graphic design job, people aren’t going to hire just some dumb schmuck with a computer to plan their magazines…if they want said material to sell, anyway. So, you need to be equipped to show possible clients that you know how to put together a convincing layout. This means getting a hold of software like InDesign or Quark (don’t use Quark – it will make your brain bleed) and learning how to use it, usually in conjunction with Illustrator to make pretty non-photographic graphics.
As part of the job, you’ll need to choose appropriate color schemes for the subject matter covered in the magazine (or CD booklet or brochure or whatever you’ve been hired to design), as well as a fitting font type and color. For example, if you’re trying to sell something to women, you shouldn’t use thick, blocky, chrome letters on a black background. Why? The design world tells us that in order to sell to women, the design should incorporate delicate type and a palette of pastel colors, while material sold to men should contain ‘rough’ colors and thick strong fonts. This probably symbolizes the stereotype that men are powerful and women are frail. Sexist? Yeah. But it sells.
In addition to text, photographs usually need to be arranged in a certain way so they guide the reader’s eyes in the proper direction. You, as a layout designer, need to know how to execute this little magic trick. No fair just making guesses either – you’ve got to know not only how to work the distribution of design elements, but also why exactly said placement of pictures works. BSing your way through an explanation might work in college, but if you don’t get it, layout design will be your worst enemy.
Why there’d be any other direction to read in but left to right like we’re taught in school is beyond me – are designers afraid consumers will forget how to read halfway through the magazine and will need a reminder of what direction to turn the pages? If you all of a sudden completely forget how to read, you should be in the ER because you’ve probably had a stroke. Maybe we’d get bored with just the one direction. It’s human nature, after all. Regardless, that little guiding photo ruse is incredibly subtle, but it does make a difference. Our eyes are very interesting little things and designers have to know how to manipulate them in order to make their living.
It can be difficult to teach oneself about layout design or Adobe software to the extent that you’ll need, so if you really are serious about pursuing a layout designer job for a living, I suggest biting the bullet and taking some college classes. A professional’s insights into the software and the industry’s demands will provide invaluable knowledge and skill for your own future career endeavors.
Posted in: Jobs for Graphic Designers
