What Does a Graphic Designer Do?
Although the concept of combining imagery and text to convey a message can be traced back to 15,000 BC, graphic design as we know it today has only been around for the last 100 years. When Frank Lloyd Wright released his book, “The Art and Craft of the Machine,” which outlined modern design principles, businesses started applying them to create logos to brand their businesses in order to stand out in the business boom created by industrialization. That’s when the graphic design industry came into its own as a profession.
What Is A Graphic Designer?
Graphic designers are visual storytellers who combine various design elements (text, images, lines, and symbols) and graphic design skills to create graphics that convey a message. They create beautiful designs that are striking and memorable to advertise businesses across a wide range of media. Some graphic designers still use traditional tools, but as computer design technology evolved, more and more designers started using digital design tools or a combination of the two. These tools have recently been further developed into online drag-and-drop design apps or AI-powered design tools that will enable anyone who can use a computer to do graphic design work.
What is Graphic Design?
Graphic design is the art and practice of planning and projecting ideas and experiences with visual and textual content.
Graphic design is all around us. It permeates the business and consumer space and is virtually omnipresent in almost everyone’s lives, including remote and isolated places around the world. Graphic design is a form of visual communication that involves designing visuals and visual concepts for anything from a company logo to a magazine ad to a social media post.
In essence, graphic design is a form of visual communication that transforms ideas into visual narratives, making information more accessible and engaging. Images, words, colors, and shapes are combined in an aesthetically pleasing way to create distinctive designs that attract attention, garner interest, inspire desire, and encourage the target audience to take action.
What is Visual Communication?
Visual communication is the practice of using visual elements like images, illustrations, typography, colors, diagrams, and videos to convey information, evoke emotions, or communicate ideas in a way that is engaging and easily understood. It relies on the power of visual cues to complement or replace text, making complex concepts simpler and messages more accessible.
Common examples include infographics, advertisements, logos, web design, and presentations, all of which aim to connect with audiences by appealing to their visual perception and creating memorable impressions.
Things Graphic Designers Make
The list of things graphic designers make is continually expanding so it would be impossible to list them all, but here are some of the graphic design services that are in high demand in 2022.
1. Logos, Branding, and Corporate Identity
Designing a logo or an identity for a company is every graphic designer’s dream job. Luckily, every business and organization needs at least a logo so, as long as there are new businesses or brands being launched, graphic designers will have this work to rely on.
2. Printed Advertising and Marketing Material
Designing advertising and marketing materials for print media is the average graphic designer’s bread and butter. Companies always need stationery, print ads, flyers, banners, brochures, invoices, and other printed materials designed. Printed materials need to be very precise, and you need to understand the basic principles of good layout, typography, and imagery as well as be able to produce print-ready artwork.
3. Social Media and Content
There are endless opportunities for graphics designers to create designs for digital media use. From customized graphics for social media posts to infographics to advertising banners to white papers, a graphic designer can make a myriad of graphics to enhance social media and online content.
4. Websites
There are many website designers who started off as graphic designers and then specialized in website design enabling them to develop both the back and front end of a website. However, when it comes to websites, you will generally have a graphic designer who designs the look and feel of the website, and a web developer who then takes the designs and executes them on the website.
Graphic designers need to be able to pay attention to detail in order to ensure that they deliver quality designs that are pixel-perfect and translate exactly to whichever medium they are intended for.
5. UX/UI Design
With mobile app technology and online tools exploding, UX/UI design is probably one of the graphic design services that are currently in demand. User interface design, like web design, requires a little more specialized expertise than an ordinary graphic designer.
6. Editorial Design
Designing for print and digital publications is one of the most rewarding areas of graphic design. Editorial design involves creating layouts and covers for magazines, journals, books, and zines, combining typography, imagery, and structure to engage readers. Designers in this field must understand the balance between readability and creativity, ensuring the content is visually compelling without sacrificing clarity. Whether it’s a sleek corporate annual report or an edgy indie magazine, editorial design provides opportunities for graphic designers to showcase their storytelling and layout skills.
7. Apparel and Merchandise
Creating designs that go on clothing, textiles, gazebos, promotional items, and other merchandise is also becoming a service that has increased in demand. This is largely due to the increase of online stores offering one-stop merchandising and print services.
8. Video and Animation
Video has become the most popular form of content on the Internet, which has led to an increase in the number of businesses using video as part of their content marketing strategy. There is a high demand for designers to create informational and promotional videos for their clients as well as social media videos that are entertaining and have the chance of going viral, increasing brand identity. Using animation for television advertisements has also become very popular because it is much more cost-effective than producing a traditional TV ad.
9. Packaging Design
Product packaging is another one of the things that graphic designers love creating. Packaging design tests a designer’s mettle as it demands high attention to detail and expert use of their design skills while understanding the psychology of attracting a target audience.
10. 3D Modeling and Visualization
3D modeling and visualization are rapidly becoming essential skills for graphic designers working in fields like marketing, architecture, and product design. These projects involve creating photorealistic renderings of products, immersive architectural layouts, or even conceptual art for advertisements. Designers must master specialized CAD software to produce lifelike models that accurately represent their vision. This field is ideal for those who enjoy pushing the boundaries of traditional design and exploring the latest in digital art techniques.
11. Photography and Retouching
It is highly recommended that graphic designers are adept at taking decent photographs and are able to retouch them as needed. In a world where we are continuously exposed to messages from brands all competing for attention, being able to create and manipulate imagery is a good skill for graphic designers to have.
12. Data Visualization
With all the information we are exposed to on a daily basis it is far better to communicate statistical information graphically. A graphic designer can make it easier for data to be understood and interpreted by enabling the audience to visualize data using graphics.
13. Documents and Presentations
A presentation, funding pitch, or document is far more appealing to the intended readers if it is well-designed. Graphic designers can make the most boring document look interesting and add that special spark to a pitch or presentation.
14. Specialist Software
There are many graphic designers who specialize in designing using a particular piece of software. There are businesses who want their websites designed in Wix, for example, or their presentations in Microsoft Sway so it can be extremely lucrative to be an expert in popular specialist software.
15. Environmental and Experiential Design
Environmental and experiential design focuses on shaping physical spaces with creative, informative, and interactive visual elements. From wayfinding systems and event booths to branded interiors and public murals, this type of design transforms environments into immersive experiences. Successful environmental design requires an understanding of spatial dynamics, branding, and user behavior to create visuals that guide, inspire, or delight those who encounter them. It’s an exciting way for designers to leave a lasting impression in the real world.
16. Gaming Design Assets
Graphic designers who love gaming can channel their creativity into designing assets for video games. From character designs and user interfaces to custom icons and background visuals, this field merges art with interactivity. Gaming design requires a keen understanding of storytelling and gameplay mechanics to create assets that enhance the player’s experience. As the gaming industry grows, opportunities for designers to specialize in this niche are becoming more abundant, offering a dynamic and highly creative career path.
17. NFT Art and Digital Collectibles
The rise of blockchain technology has opened a new frontier for graphic designers with NFT (non-fungible token) art and digital collectibles. Designing NFTs offers artists the opportunity to create one-of-a-kind digital works that can be sold in online marketplaces. This booming trend combines artistry with innovation, allowing designers to experiment with unique concepts, motion graphics, and interactive designs. As NFTs gain popularity, graphic designers can position themselves at the cutting edge of this digital revolution.
The Benefits of Hiring a Graphic Designer
Hiring a graphic designer can provide businesses with numerous advantages that directly impact their growth and branding efforts. Key benefits include:
- Consistent, identifiable branding: Graphic designers ensure a cohesive visual identity across all platforms, making the brand instantly recognizable.
- Effective visual communication: They create visually appealing designs that communicate ideas and messages clearly, enhancing audience engagement.
- Increased sales and competitiveness: High-quality designs help businesses stand out, attract more customers, convey professionalism, and build trust, leading to better market positioning.
- Professional presentation: Graphic designers elevate the quality of marketing materials, ensuring businesses make a lasting impression on potential clients and partners.
The Benefits of a Career in Graphic Design
A career in graphic design is a fulfilling choice for creative individuals, offering a blend of artistic expression and professional rewards. Key benefits include:
- Creativity and expression: Designers get to unleash their imagination and turn concepts into impactful visuals.
- Flexibility: Many graphic designers work as freelancers, allowing them to choose projects and work remotely.
- Diverse opportunities: Designers can specialize in various areas, such as branding, web design, UX/UI, and motion graphics.
- Steady demand: Businesses across industries continually require skilled designers to enhance their branding and marketing efforts.
- Competitive earnings: With a median annual salary of $58,910 and the ability to take on freelance projects, graphic design offers financial stability.
- Personal growth: Constant learning and adapting to trends in technology and design keep the work fresh and challenging.
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Robust search and filter feature Types of Graphic Design (Specializations)
Graphic design is a diverse field with several specializations, each focusing on different aspects of visual communication:
- Visual identity graphic design: This specialization focuses on the visual elements of a brand, such as logos, typography, color palettes, and image libraries. Visual identity graphic designers create cohesive and recognizable brand identities that resonate with audiences.
- Marketing and advertising graphic design: Used to sell products or services, this type of graphic design involves creating assets for marketing strategies and campaigns. Designers in this field produce everything from print ads and brochures to digital banners and social media graphics.
- Web design: Web designers plan and build the appearance, layout, structure, and design of websites. They ensure that websites are visually appealing, user-friendly, and aligned with the brand’s identity.
- Publication graphic design: This specialization focuses on creating layouts and selecting typography and artwork for books, newspapers, magazines, and catalogs. Publication designers work to make printed materials visually engaging and easy to read.
- Packaging graphic design: Packaging designers develop concepts, mockups, and print-ready files for product packaging. They create designs that not only protect the product but also attract and inform consumers.
- Motion graphic design: Involves creating animations, banners, title sequences, trailers, or video games. Motion graphic designers bring static designs to life through movement, enhancing the storytelling aspect of visual content.
- Environmental graphic design: This field combines graphic, architectural, interior, landscape, and industrial design to connect people to places. Environmental graphic designers create wayfinding systems, signage, and other visual elements that enhance the user experience in physical spaces.
- Illustration for graphic design: Illustrators create original artwork through a combination of media and techniques. Their work can be found in books, advertisements, packaging, and more, adding a unique and artistic touch to graphic design projects.
What Skills Do Graphic Designers Need?
Whether you are a professionally trained graphic designer or self-taught, there are a couple of skills that all graphic designers need. Graphic designers focus on the visual aspects of design, emphasizing elements such as branding, typography, layout, and composition.
1. Creativity and Innovation
A graphic designer must be creative and innovative, much like graphic artists who create original artwork using various media and techniques. They need to be able to think outside of the box and use their creativity to devise concepts that they then bring to life through their design.
2. Understanding Design Principles
More often than not, you will find that the difference between a good design and a bad design is the level of understanding the designer has of the basic principles of design. It is vital for a graphic designer to understand the effects of composition, layout, typography, color, balance, form, and shape on a design as well as how they should be applied to different media in order to produce good designs.
3. Attention to detail
Graphic designers need to be able to pay attention to detail in order to ensure that they deliver quality designs that are pixel-perfect and translate exactly to whichever medium they are intended for. In graphic design, particularly for print and large format execution, a design can flop if it is so much as 1-inch out and or the color associated with the brand is not exactly the same as on all other designs for that brand.
4. Specialized Software Skills
Graphic designers specialize in using specialized software to create their designs. Whether designing an icon for an app or a massive billboard, graphic designers need computer software like Adobe or free online design tools like Canva to turn ideas into a digital format that can be used to produce the final product.
5. Organizational Skills and Time Management
As a creative person, it can be very difficult to constrain the creative process over time so it is essential that graphic designers learn to manage their time without stifling their creativity. They are often working on more than one project and will need to be very organized to ensure that they deliver on deadline and within budget.
6. People skills
A graphic designer needs to have good people skills in order to deal with clients effectively, understand their requirements, and interpret their ideas. People skills are also important when it comes to considering a particular audience and how you are going to create a design that appeals to them.
What Tools Do Graphic Designers Need?
Before technology took the graphic design world by storm, most graphic designers would design their graphics by hand, using pen, ink, Letraset, and Pantone felt tips to create a mock-up of their design. Thanks to the exponential growth of technology, particularly when it comes to graphic design, it is so much easier to bring an idea to life on screen.
There are all sorts of online tools available for graphic designers from mood boards to color pickers to apps that turn photographs into art. These are generally nice to have but there are some tools that are essential for a graphic designer to have.
1. Design Programs
Graphic design professionals use state-of-the-art design software like Adobe CC, which allows designers to create designs for print, web, video, music, animations, and a range of other online outputs. CorelDRAW has also been around for decades and has seasoned designers who would not use anything else. Corel fans will be delighted to hear that Insight has teamed up with them to offer the complete CorelDRAW Graphic Suite online. Both these programs are professional-level tools and will have a learning curve for first-time users. They do also come at a higher cost than the alternatives.
Technology has advanced to the point where there are several amazing drag-and-drop online applications that are ridiculously easy to use and affordable, some even free. This means that anyone can do their own graphic design without any major learning curves, without compromising quality, and without breaking the bank. Canva and Creatopy are two such graphic design programs that even professionals are enjoying. An added advantage is that these types of programs integrate with social media accounts making social media management easier.
2. Office Suite
Graphic designers need access to an office suite like Microsoft Office 365 so that they can have to use various tools like Word for text editing, Excel for housing data to generate graphs, and Powerpoint for presentation design.
3. Notepad and Pen
It is always a good idea for any creative person to have a notepad and pen handy to jot down surprise inspirations or doodle with a logo idea. Some may think this is old-fashioned, but it isn’t. There is a process that happens in your brain when you put pen to paper that unleashes creativity that dragging and clicking a mouse doesn’t.
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What Are a Graphic Designer’s Responsibilities?
Being a graphic designer is not just about designing amazing graphics. There are a lot of additional responsibilities that come with the job. These are some of them:
- Receiving a brief from clients or the art director.
- I’m meeting with the client or the art director to determine the scope of the project and ensure everyone is on the same page.
- Researching the competition and the target market.
- Conceptual brainstorming with the art director and copywriter.
- Using creativity, skills, and tools to create a range of design options that interpret the brief.
- Liaising with the production manager to do costings for the project where applicable.
- Presenting the design concepts and rationale behind them to the client or art director.
- Making any changes from client input and producing final designs.
- Double-checking the final artwork for any errors.
- Checking proofs and final product.
- Keeping up to speed with communication, design, and technology trends and developments.
Where Do Graphic Designers Work?
Graphic designers can be found in a wide range of industries and workplaces, reflecting the versatility of their skills. Some of the common places where graphic designers work include:
- Advertising agencies: Here, graphic designers create compelling visuals for advertising campaigns, helping brands communicate their messages effectively.
- Design studios: These specialized firms focus on various aspects of design, from branding to product design, providing a creative environment for graphic designers.
- Marketing firms: Graphic designers in marketing firms develop visual content that supports marketing strategies, from digital ads to print materials.
- Publishing companies: In the publishing industry, graphic designers work on the layout and design of books, magazines, newspapers, and other printed materials.
- Web design firms: These firms specialize in creating and maintaining websites, with graphic designers focusing on the visual aspects of web design.
- Non-profit organizations: Graphic designers in non-profits create materials that support the organization’s mission, from fundraising brochures to social media graphics.
- Government agencies: Government agencies employ graphic designers to create public information materials, reports, and other visual content.
- Educational institutions: Schools and universities hire graphic designers to develop educational materials, promotional content, and more.
- Freelance or independent contractors: Many graphic designers choose to work independently, offering their services to a variety of clients on a project-by-project basis. These clients include businesses in the tech, hospitality, catering, retail, and health fields. This path offers flexibility and the opportunity to work on diverse projects.
How Do Graphic Designers Find Work?
Thanks to websites like Upwork and Fiverr, it is relatively easy for graphic designers to find work. These sites have created a platform that gives all designers and writers access to a global market, and clients access to global talent. They have systems in place to protect both the employer and the employee and have been used by many people to build solid businesses as freelancers.
One of the things graphic designers do that hasn’t been mentioned yet is have fun! Despite super tight deadlines, sometimes having to burn the midnight oil, or having to accept a design change you may not agree with, graphic designers have a lot of fun. There is nothing quite as rewarding as using your creativity and skills to bring an idea to life that is stunning, speaks to the right audience, and delivers results.
Final Thoughts
Graphic design is more than just creating beautiful visuals — it’s about storytelling, problem-solving, and connecting with audiences in meaningful ways.
As technology continues to evolve, so do the opportunities for graphic designers to innovate and expand their creative horizons. Whether designing logos, crafting engaging social media content, or developing immersive experiences, graphic designers leave an indelible mark on the world around us.
For those with a passion for creativity and communication, graphic design offers an exciting and rewarding career path that blends artistry with purpose. So, embrace the tools, refine your skills, and unleash your imagination to transform ideas into impactful designs that inspire and captivate.
FAQs
Q: What does a graphic designer do?
A: Graphic designers create visual concepts using text, images, and other elements to communicate ideas, promote brands, and captivate audiences across various media.
Q: What tools do graphic designers use?
A: Graphic designers use tools like Adobe Creative Suite, CorelDRAW, Canva, and specialized software for tasks like 3D modeling, animation, and web design.
Q: What industries do graphic designers work in?
A: Graphic designers work in advertising, publishing, web design, education, non-profits, and as freelancers, offering services like branding, marketing materials, and more.
Q: What skills are essential for graphic designers?
A: Key skills include creativity, understanding design principles, attention to detail, proficiency with design software, time management, and effective communication.
