Ah, to be a newly christened design school graduate with the world in your eyes and a pen in hand! We remember the fine days of trying to decide where to take our skill in the pursuit of a job. It’s a real mess if you don’t know where to look, and to be honest, you’re more often than not better off with options unlike the big names: New York, LA, Atlanta, etc. You see, there are so many better places to pitch your graphic design skills and start a business, and if you’re willing to move to pursue a better career, you can really reap the benefits of these locations. Want to know what these undiscovered gems are? If so, then wait no further! Jump on down below the break to see our whole rundown.

  1. Nashville, Tennessee: If you haven’t been to Nashville yet, you’re really missing out. The town has long been known as the home of country and all things honkey tonk, but it’s really getting a new name and a new image for itself. They’re getting more public transportation, more parks, a whole lot of yuppies, and enough microbreweries to warrant a second look. Nashville is quickly becoming the hip and young portion of the South, and if you’re looking for new areas to take your design skills to, we can hardly recommend any other city over it. If you don’t believe us, then just go spend a week-end there. We promise you’ll change your mind.
  2. Seattle, Washington: It’s not as small as some of the other cities we might could name, but if you’re itching for a very specific group to cater to, nothing beats Seattle. It’s part punk, part nerd, and all Internet. Seattle is a modern town with a whole lot of Web driven business, which makes it great for designers like to you capitalize on!
  3. Denver, Colorado: What can we say? There are solid reasons to design here. We’ve got more microbreweries than anyone else, more startups, and one of the biggest tech industry presences outside of Southern California. All of this adds up to a business network that’s just rife for your skills, and itching to get itself promoted. If you don’t mind the altitude and the biting winters, there’s no better place to live and thrive.