<p>Basically, I'd like it if someone could weigh the pros and cons of both proffessions (someone with experience in both fields would be a tremendous help). Also are there similarities between the two fields (creatively)?</p>
<p>I wish I could elaborate further (I will at a later time). Thanks in advance.</p>
<p>Graphic design has become a very tough field. It used to be hard to work with specialized printers go get brochures, annual reports, advertisements, etc. printed with accurate color, so it took a professional to get it done. These days anybody with a personal computer can call themselves a graphic designer. The results may not be very good, but they are acceptable for a large portion of the population. So graphic designers have had to move upstream into web design, branding, and other advanced communications technologies. There are still some wonderfully creative people in the field, but even some of the talented designers that I work with have really had to change and adapt over the last few years.</p>
<p>The educational requirements are non-existent, and though there are some fine schools out there many of the best designers are self-taught or come from another field. There are very low barriers to entry. On the other hand there are few constraints, you seldom get sued, and it has a very high proportion creative work to production work.</p>
<p>Architecture is a profession. You have to go to an accredited school to get a professional degree, work a number of years under a registered professional and take 8 or 9 exams in order to call yourself an architect. It is still a tough profession because of the economic ups and downs in the real estate market, but there is some limit on your competition. However the creative up-front portion of the work may only be 20% of the project and the rest consists of documenting and developing the design so it can be built and to make sure it meets all of the regulatory requirements. Projects may also take years to complete, not the instant gratification you get with graphic design.</p>
<p>Both can be great careers, but very different tracks.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Am I wrong in assuming that what makes architecture a profession is the stuff that isnt taught in the design classes? The material concerning regulations and whatnot?</p>
<p>I am very interested in both fields and I thought getting a BFA in GD and an March in architecture may seem like a good idea. Have you known anyone that has done this or is there someone that has done this? Do graphic design skills translate well into architecture skills? I once heard a graphic designer give a lecture saying that the way graphic designers think about 2d space on a layout is similar to the way architects think of 3d space. Also, I have noticed that model building plays a significant part in architecture academically. Do graduate schools teach you model building or do they exspect you to already know?</p>
<p>Some of the things that make architecture a profession are taught in ancillary courses, but much of it you learn in studio; things like structural concepts, building exiting and a basic understanding of codes. All of these courses mixed with what you learn in the profession add up to make you a registered professional.</p>
<p>Could you do a BFA and then go into architecture? Absolutely, the design skills you learn will certainly translate. You will have to supplement your design classes with calculus and physics. However the more common thing that I see are architects with a love of graphic design who leave architecture to open a design office.</p>
<p>In these days of crazy college costs I tend to suggest the more direct route. How about a BS in architecture in a school with a strong art and graphic design department? Then if you decide to stay in architecture you can do a 2 year MArch, and if you find you love GD more, you have a strong basic education with which to practice it.</p>
<p>rick</p>
<p>Thank you for the quick response. I was looking at the university of cincinatti. It’s a state school I think, so tuition would probably be cheaper, and people say good things about it. It also seems to have a good design program for visual art. The only thing is that it seems to be more technical than design oriented(Im actually not too certain what that means, does that mean they focus more on regulations and the science of architecture than design?).</p>