How important is it in this day and age to be a specialist in one area of design, rather than a master of many?

It is difficult to be specialist in many fields, but you can be specialist in one topic and have much info about other fields.

Graphics industry got very high ranks in last10 years.
There are thousands of options in a designing software that an individual can't learn if he or she keep busy in learning every designing software..

Keep the knowledge about all field but be prefessional in a specific field which suit you and inspire you.

 

It is important but willingness to learn more as per requirment is most important

Master of few tools is always better. Same time have an exposure to other tools too support as time / career progress. Most of the people grow to manage multiple people and coordinate with clients and departments. Then communication and knowledge about multiple fields supports to perform well. Today difficult to say sticking to only a tool is good. Best to be flexible, keep learning, keep improving communication (most important)...Now border between fields are getting narrower. Some places, single tool only and master of it works, not majority and market and competition is keep growing. Choosing best tools gives an edge for long term. Again communication skill is above or parallel to technical skills.

jack of all trades is a master of nothing specialized in one design batch gives you the opportunity to know every small piece of that batch

This is a question I live with everyday. I have a broad range of experience in print design, digital design, web design, animation, marketing, content. But I believe this wide range of knowledge and experience has, in most cases, impressed the recruiter. The world is now integrating all forms of media- print is now closely linked to E-publishing, newspaper publishing is usally accompanied by a digital campaign, a mobile app design usually has a web version.... and so on. Having skill in one area limits your growth, and have a broad range of experience makes you a perfect candidate for a Manager role.

Design must be a part of your VISIONS & MEMORIES so Design in one area much smaller phenomena then Mastering the many area of designs which expolre your VISIONS & MEMORIES to Execute one Special Design.

It is only a matter of frequency of how you are using that specialty. If you have several specialties and you are not using it anymore, chances are that you may have forgotten some of the skills inherent to that specialties.Shift to other specialties may have caused by change of career, job and responsibilities, interest, salary, work place, stress, etc. It is imperative that we keep one specialty at expert level and keep other specialties at intermediate level and try to make use of it in our job.