Architectural Designs

Architecture or Graphic Design as a Career?

I am twenty years old and have decided it is time to get back into school after a year off of deciding what I want to do with my life. My first two years of school consisted of Music Engineering and then Visual Arts. Now I have decided I am either going to go into Architecture or Graphic Design. Now a little background about that. I took four years of architectural and mechanical design in High School. But I have always been an above average artist and work pretty efficiently on a computer. Now, I love both so either would be an option. My question is, which is the better job in life today. Which one would provide more stable work and more advancement to better positions for higher pay?

Public Comments

1. There is a higher need for Graphic Designers than Architects, especially in today's economic market. There are far more websites and advertising campaigns and posters and brochures than there are buildings to be built. Graphic Designers (or Digital Designers, if you're interested in TV/Web stuff) are able to do freelance work, while architects cannot. It's up to you what you want to do, but in my experience, graphic designers are more in-demand and have less competition for good jobs than architects. A mediocre designer will still work on pretty interesting jobs, while a mediocre architect will only be an assistant to a very good architect.
2. Ok, I'm a graduate architect. My mother and my best friend are graphic designers. Some of the statements in the first response I agree with, and others I don't. It is true that there are more opportunities for working freelance as a graphic designer. My mom and friend both do. You can be self-employed as an architect but you have to pay a lot for errors and omissions insurance, so many don't. Or, if your state is like mine, you can do residential design without an architecture degree. One thing to keep in mind about job security is this- when times are tough, marketing budgets are the first thing to get cut. Buildings always need to be built or renovated, whether they are the wrong size or they are just getting old. Also, there may be more jobs out there for graphic designers, but there are also a lot more graphic designers out there to compete with. In my city, it seems like when one architecture firm slows down and lays people off, another has just got a huge project and needs to hire. Another consideration- how much time do you want to spend in school? Graphic design is typically a 2 or 4 year degree. Most architecture programs are 5 or 6. It seems to me that my mom spends more time actually being creative than I do, while I spend more time problem solving. I love the times I get to be creative but I also enjoy the mental challenge of solving problems and working out details. I wouldn't say that one is better than the other, it just depends on what you think fits your capabilities and desires.