You may already know that graphic design careers are projected to be among the fastest growing jobs in the nation. You have probably also realized that the demand for graphic designers is growing in a variety of interesting fields such as advertising, video games, mobile phone applications and more.

What you may not know, however, is how the best graphic design professionals set themselves apart from the less-talented masses. To give our readers a better understanding of the realities of graphic design, we recruited four top graphic artists to participate in a group email interview. The designers did not see one another’s answers ahead of time.

For artists of all kinds, regular doses of inspiration are a must. If you already visit the web pages of our featured designers, we congratulate you. If you don’t, we highly recommend it.

Featured Designers:

• Andrew Kelsall: http://www.andrewkelsall.com/
• Chad Mueller: http://inspiredology.com/
• Chris Spooner: http://www.blog.spoongraphics.co.uk/
• Jacob Cass: http://justcreativedesign.com/

The interview includes six questions about schooling and graphic design careers. Each artist's response is listed below the question, in no particular order. Thanks again to our contributing experts.

#1. What should students look for in a top-notch graphic design school?

Andrew Kelsall: The only thing I'd look for is its reputation and what grades the students receive. I wouldn't focus on how large it is or how many awards it has. Look into past students that have attended and see what they're doing now!

Chad Mueller: I think, if possible – asking previous students how they feel about the school. Look at the alumni and see where they are and what they have created – this might give you a goal and some insight on some skills learned at the school.

Chris Spooner: I'd say it's worth checking through the details of the course you're looking to attend to make sure it covers the more up-to-date web design topics. For instance, you would want to stay away from a course teaching Dreamweaver web design but reach out to those teaching HTML5 and CSS3. It would also be worth checking the facilities that are available. Some schools have the latest computer equipment, which might be the persuading factor if you're choosing between a few options.

Jacob Cass: This depends on what you are looking for, but I personally chose my design school based on lifestyle choice rather than the school's education reputation. If you are going to spend three to four years of your life in a location studying, then you want to have a good time in that location. As for me, I had a choice to study at a coastal, laid-back university or a university in the city filled with international students. The latter definitely had a better reputation but it certainly didn't have as many perks. If you are disciplined, passionate and dedicated to your education, you will succeed in any design program.

#2. How did you get your first graphic design job?

Andrew Kelsall: I'll never forget how I got my first design job. Basically, I used a very creative method of catching potential employers' attention by posting out tins of empty Spam! You can read more of the story, along with images here: http://www.andrewkelsall.com/how-to-get-a-design-job-using-tinned-meat/.

Chad Mueller: While I was in school, I met a friend who introduced me to some bands – I ended up creating merch and a CD cover (it was a freelance gig) – but I would say that was my first paying client that I dealt with. Networking and socializing as a professional with everyone goes a long way.

Chris Spooner: I was actually quite lucky in that I'd just graduated and was looking forward to taking the summer off before looking for a full-time job, however I spotted an ad in the local paper for a Graphic/Web Designer at a small local studio and decided to apply just to gain interview experience. It turned out I got the job and started a week or two later.

Jacob Cass: I was doing 'design' as a hobby and ran photo gallery websites for friends (this was before MySpace or Facebook) and from this I got exposure of what I was capable of (which really wasn't much back then). I then got asked if I wanted to create a website for a business and it went from there.

#3. What do you consider your most valuable lesson from graphic design school?

Andrew Kelsall: Probably the most valuable lesson is learning to accept constructive criticism. I never received that much of it before going to university, but received plenty while I was there.

Chad Mueller: Most valuable lessons are more about the business, creativity, instead of skills learned. I tend to lean on the creative business side of design. I assume a lot of people in this group interview will say typography, and colors.

Chris Spooner: One lecturer in particular offered great business advice in his classes. It was probably his lessons that gave me the confidence and basic knowledge to go out into self-employment. Many of the actual design skills I've learnt I developed after my education by experimenting and self-teaching, but the opportunity to learn the basics during the course was a helpful head start.

Jacob Cass: Don't be a passive learner. Design school is only there to teach you the principles and for guidance. You will learn more by reading books, doing tutorials and by practicing on your own.

#4. What do you wish you had learned in school but had to discover on your own as a beginning designer?

Andrew Kelsall: I wish that the tutors taught more about the logo design process. I thought this was something that I'd learn. However, whilst in Design School, myself and the rest of the students received logo design projects where we'd design logo concepts to be discussed and critiqued. We never 'learned' the process of designing them. Ironically, you can gain much more information about such matters from design blogs nowadays.

Chad Mueller: I didn't learn much interface design and UI, but back then – it wasn't emphasized as much as it is now. Interface design is a full-time category with the various amounts of new devices.

Chris Spooner: When I landed my first design job it was during the movement from table-based web design to CSS layouts. I wish I'd learnt about HTML and CSS during my design course, as I then had to completely re-learn how to build websites in order to keep up with the industry.

Jacob Cass: The business of design and how to get real paying jobs ... this is such an overlooked aspect of design education (at least at my school), and I think there should be dedicated classes for these crucial areas.

#5. Tell about a time you did design work for a (relatively) boring business such as an accounting firm or commercial real estate company. What challenges did you encounter and how did you solve them?

Andrew Kelsall: To be honest, I love designing no matter who the client is. As long as I've chosen to work with them – then I do my utmost to be interested in the project. There are sometimes occasions when aspects of a project become boring, such as preparing files for print, but the important thing to remember is just to do a good job and have a positive mindset.

Chad Mueller: I wouldn't call them boring – I could categorize them as a stale, flat corporate company, but they do have an audience and if their audience isn't mesmerized by lens flares and web 2.0 gradients then you have to keep it simple. You can always add your own creative flair to any project; you just have to keep a balance.

Chris Spooner: Many of the boring projects I worked on were during my employment. Back then I obviously had to work on these jobs so I just put my head down and got on with it. When I began taking on my own projects as a freelancer, I was much more picky as to what kind of jobs I took on and only accepted the ones that seemed interesting in order to keep myself motivated.

Jacob Cass: It's a fact that at one stage or another you're going to have to work on a 'boring' job, but you can't think of it like that. You need to make the most of it and learn from it. As an example, the past three websites I've worked on here in NY have been as corporate as can be ... blue, green and white color schemes, yet they are all so very different. They are different due to the different techniques and styles used on each one.... this takes the 'boring' aspect away, for a while at least.

#6. When you run into a mental block, how do you kick-start your creative process? You can list blogs you visit, favorite books you return to or experiences.

Andrew Kelsall: I have a fair few metal blocks on a weekly basis, but I often read various design blogs and catch up on the latest design news via Twitter. I'm a great fan of StumbleUpon too!

Chad Mueller: I have come to the conclusion that if you aren't creative – then you’re not going to be no matter how hard you try. If a mental block occurs, I shut down the machine and spend some time with my wife. Watch a movie, go out for dinner and drinks, workout and have a good night's sleep. You will wake up with a fresh mind.

Chris Spooner: I'll usually drop the project altogether if I can't get my brain into gear. I always have something else to get on with such as checking up on emails, Twitter or RSS feeds, which are all low-brain-power type jobs. When I'm feeling refreshed the next day I'll pick back up on a project and can usually get started. Leaving something overnight is always a good way to combat blocks, etc. You often think of ideas at unexpected times when you're away from the computer, so remember to keep a notepad handy!

Jacob Cass: I think taking breaks is crucial to refreshing yourself, both in the short and long term.... traveling works for me. If I'm after quick inspiration, I often find myself heading to my sketch book, to my Delicious bookmarks (http://delicious.com/justcreative) and to Dribbble/design galleries.