)
Video editing and graphic design are two relevant passions and potential careers that allow you to blend you to express your creativity through technology. Both involve various tasks that require a fair amount of knowledge and skills, but if you were faced with the decision to pursue one of the two, which is the easier option?
Neither video editing nor graphic design is overtly easy. Both require time, patience, and dedication to learn. How quickly someone acquires skills relevant to these fields is dependent on the individual. Objectively, graphic design tends to involve more complex software while video editing incorporates more elements (ex. sound, music, visuals).
In this article, we will compare the challenges posed by video editing and graphic design to help you conclude which might be easier for you. As you read, you’ll learn about the common skills, tasks, programs, and other factors are involved with each field that might render one “easier” than the other.
Video Editing Vs. Graphic Design: Which is Easier for You?
Determining whether video editing is easier than graphic design and vice versa is a common debate between individuals who are familiar with these fields. Although many will take a stance and firmly state that one is undoubtedly easier than the other, in the end, the answer is subjective and really depends on the individual.
One of the quickest ways to determine which option will be easier for you is often to decide which you are more passionate about. As we stated previously, both of these fields will require ample patience and motivation to learn, and so, usually the one that comes easiest is the one that interests you most.
Now, what if you can’t decide which option interests you more. In that case, you’ll want to consider what skills you currently have and what forms of creative expression you prefer.
Video editing is the ideal choice for individuals who enjoy using their creativity to weave a story. It will also fit those who enjoy working with various elements, from sound to images to music in order to create that ideal tone and communicate your message.
Comparatively, graphic design is the ideal choice for anyone who is more artistically inclined and enjoys digitally drawing, painting, or editing images to convey a message. Incorporating a layout and text is often involved as well, especially when creating marketing tools, such as advertisements, brochures, magazines, etc.
If that doesn’t help, here is a more in-depth comparison of the two and some of the points individuals make that one is harder than the other.
Video Editing
Anyone interested in film, commercials, television shows, or even social media videos, like those found on YouTube, will find a lot of value in video editing versus graphic design.
While some argue video editing is easier because the individual is usually provided with the raw footage, versus graphic design where you often create it from scratch, the most challenging aspect of this field is that you are working with both static and moving elements.
Not only are you trying to edit the video in a way that is engaging and results in your desired outcome (ex. fear, persuasion, motivation), but you also have to utilize various forms of media to achieve this without sacrificing visual or sound quality. It isn’t a simple matter of cutting out poorly shot frames.
Most people agree that the software itself required for video editing is often easier to learn quickly than the endless array of graphic design program features. However, once you know how to use it, mastering skills such as synchronization, content organization and management, sequence identification, and more can be a grueling process.
Graphic Design
As we alluded to previously, the software required for graphic design is often this field’s biggest challenge. Many beginners find it extremely difficult to learn the ins and outs of how all these editing and drawing features work. Layering alone takes a great deal of practice to utilize properly.
That being said, once someone gets the hang of these tools, many individuals argue that mastering graphic design becomes much easier.
There are tools out there to make graphic designer “easier”, such as Placeit.net, by offering templates for graphic design.
The other challenge here is the number of skills often involved in graphic design. Video editing might involve several types of media in one stretch of raw footage, but in the end, you are always editing video. Comparatively, there are numerous types of graphic design someone could learn, including:
- Web design
- Advertising and marketing design
- Packaging design
- Illustrations
- Publication and typographic design
- Branding
While many graphic designers tend to specialize in one aspect of graphic design, such as company branding or marketing, it is common, and oftentimes, beneficial, for them to be a “jack of all trades,” so to speak, at least to start.
Final Thoughts
To reiterate, neither of these fields is “easy.” If that is what you prioritize in a hobby or career, then avoid both. If you don’t mind some hard work and have a fair amount of patience, then we recommend choosing the field that aligns most with your interests. Alternatively, you could try to learn both. Many individuals in one or both fields claim they are often interconnected and that learning both of their skills is almost always beneficial.
