For the past decade, freelancing websites like UpWork and crowdsourcing sites like 99designs have caused massive disruption in the graphic design industry. Some of the changes have been good – it’s easier than ever to find a graphic designer, especially for small businesses, it’s easy to break into the industry, just make an account, and of course Google has made it easier than ever to learn how to design.
With that said, inexpensive freelancers on Fiverr and similar websites have developed a reputation for providing low quality, often stolen and reworked designs.
Then there’s the designer’s perspective, where it’s becoming increasingly difficult to earn a decent wage. With time, hiring methods and wages should stabilize, but, the role an artist or designer has will be quite different.
When it comes to the future of graphic design, the big thing on everyone’s mind is animation and VR. Print media is on its way out, digital media is rapidly becoming the future of graphic design.