Multimedia Design

Multimedia Design Career Overview

Multimedia design is a way of communicating a concept or information through a variety of media forms. A multimedia professional will be skilled in manipulating images and information including:

• Audio
• Video
• Still images
• Animation
• Physical objects
• Text
• Soundtracks
• Digital Data

As a designer, you will work with programs such as Adobe Premier and Photoshop, Macromedia Director and possibly even Microsoft Powerpoint for presentations. Macromedia Flash has become popular to use for work on the internet as well.

Multimedia Design Training and Education

Multimedia design can be studied on its own or as part of a media or web design program. Most programs will provide a variety of courses within them to help students master many aspects of multimedia design. Programs that offer hands on experience will be more beneficial since they will allow coordination between strands of media. Courses may include study of:

• Story boarding
• Retouching
• Compositing
• Flash animation
• Site design
• Video and sound editing
• Motion graphics production
• User interface design

Multimedia designers will need to know how information technology works, so basic training in website coding and operation will be essential to staring a career. A career in multimedia also requires a lot of creativity, so courses in graphics animation and design are also a plus.

Multimedia Design Career and Salary Outlook

After successfully graduating from a multimedia program, students need to start looking for a career in which they can apply their new skills. There are several industry options for multimedia graduates. A few of them are:

• Scriptwriter for multimedia
• Web designer
• Multimedia producer
• Computer based training designer
• Web script language developer

There are many entry level opportunities in fine arts, entertainment, commercial art, journalism, and software. Careers in multimedia design are rapidly growing due to advancing technology that makes multimedia design is not just for games anymore. Multimedia communications are becoming more mainstream thus opening endless opportunities for those with the appropriate training. An average salary of a multimedia designer ranges from $35,000 to $60,000 a year.

Career Fields/Specializations

Interactive Animator Career

As an interactive animator your primary responsibility is being able to bring things to life. Using your fundamental understanding of drawing and creating, you will turn ideas into lifelike or cartoon style drawings. Animators are often used to develop graphics for several areas including:

• Educational programs
• Movies
• Television shows
• Advertisements

In the rapidly growing world of video games and graphics, animators are often responsible for graphics, backgrounds and storyline. As an animator, you must be able to work closely with many members of a team in order to complete the overall idea. From the original creator of the idea, to the person who puts a voice to your characters, you as the animator must be flexible and able to put up with many revisions before handing over the completed job.

The median salary for a cartoonist/animator is approximately $57k per year while lead animators for a video game can earn up to $64k per year. All is dependent upon degrees and experience.

Multimedia Developer Career

Multimedia developers are those who can combine artistic ability with technical proficiency design and create multimedia products. Developers typically work for independent studios. They must be very people oriented in order to succeed in their field. Their technological skills are just as important. Developers will work with many multimedia applications including:

• Computer-based
• Interactive training
• Data presentation and information kiosks
• CD-ROMs
• Entertainment and educational products
• Multimedia presentations

Developers will need to take on a combination of roles such as author-based programmer, computer-based graphic designer, digital video-sound editor and instructional designer. Web design and hands on experience are often needed before becoming a developer. However, the additional training and experience can earn you upwards of $68k per year.

Interactive Web Designer Career

As an interactive web designer you will work with elements of audio, video, animation and photos to create your overall design. The Graphical User Interface (GUI) is what sets interactive design apart from audio visual. Your job will be to make sure that all media elements tie in together and allow the user to navigate and find information they seek through the GUI. As a web designer you will need knowledge of HTML, FrontPage and graphics. Other areas of knowledge should include:

• Sound
• Video
• Ecommerce technology
• Active server pages
• Access
• Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator
• Dreamweaver
• Fireworks

Future employment in this field is very favorable and with a median salary of $59 per year or more with experience, it is a great career choice.

Multimedia Project Manager Career

A multimedia project manager, sometimes called project leader or media consultant, in general takes care of the entire organization or a multimedia project. They are responsible for the timing, financial planning and realization of the finished project. Some of the skills required of a project manager are:

• Leadership
• Management
• Customer relations
• Technical problem solving
• Conflict management
• Team management
• Risk and change management

Project managers should typically be familiar with Microsoft Project, Microsoft Word and Excel in order to complete requisitions, chair Critical Design and Kick Off Meetings. Expected salaries range from $50k to upwards of $100k depending on experience.

Motion Graphics Designer Career

A motion graphics designer creates animated artwork for several mediums including internet, television and movies. Most graphics designers will want to create an accessible online reel of edited motion graphics work or professional Flash movie clips to show prospective employers. Applications that will prove beneficial to learn are:

• Photoshop
• Flash
• After Effects
• Adobe Premier
• Final Cut Pro
• Avid

Graphic designers will carry a BFA/BA in Design, industrial design, information design or the equivalent. Designers employed by larger advertising agencies or firms will expect to work regular hours. However, those who find freelance employment or employment with a smaller design firm can expect that their schedules will be dictated by the client. Employment for graphics designers is in high demand with salaries ranging from $30-$65k per year.

A career in the multimedia design field is a smart choice and a great opportunity for those with imagination, creativity and the drive to produce projects for many different consumers.