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How to become a Graphic Designer

Graphic Designer

Career progression and salary expectations for a Graphic Designer

As a Junior Graphic Designer, you'll begin your career by assisting senior designers with various tasks such as creating layouts, editing images, and producing visual content. This role provides valuable hands-on experience and opportunities for skill development in design software and creative processes.
As a Graphic Designer, you'll take on more responsibility for conceptualizing and creating visual designs for a variety of projects, such as branding, marketing materials, and digital media. This role involves working independently or as part of a design team to develop innovative and effective design solutions that meet client objectives.
In this advanced role, you'll lead design projects, oversee junior designers, and take on a more strategic approach to design initiatives. As a Senior Graphic Designer, you'll be responsible for maintaining brand consistency, mentoring junior staff, and collaborating with clients and stakeholders to deliver high-quality design solutions.

The role of a Graphic Designer

Always being told that doodling at work won’t get the job done? Try telling that to a Graphic Designer…

Graphic Designers create and develop visual concepts. This could range from producing artwork or marketing brochures, through to helping with company logos and website design. Wherever there’s a brand in desperate need of some creative flair, a Graphic Designer is never far behind.

Typical duties for a Graphic Designer could include:

  • Gathering a creative brief from a client, stating the projects objectives
  • Coming up with concepts to help meet those demands
  • Using a range of different mediums (sketches, photos, wireframes, digital designs) to bring their ideas to life
  • Making tweaks and amendments to designs based on client recommendations
  • Objectivity, and the ability to see the ‘big picture’
  • Present the final versions back to the clients for business approval
To become a Graphic Designer, it almost goes without saying that you’ll need a good level of creativity. You’ll need to be able to come up with ideas for a wide range of different projects, so if you often find inspiration lacking this may not be the job for you.

However, contrary to popular belief, excellent drawing skills are not necessarily essential, and your ideas should not be limited to your skillset. Many Graphic Designers rely on digital design techniques to help get their job done, and may only use sketchpads to help develop rough concepts.

A complete aversion to Comic Sans preferred, but not essential for this role.

  • A good eye for colour and form
  • Visual thinking skills
  • Problem solving skills
  • Adaptability, especially when shaping your ideas to meet client demands
  • Excellent attention to detail s
"I've worked in design for around five years, and I honestly can’t imagine doing anything else. Basically, this job is all about making things look good. Coming up with creative ideas can be tough, and your designs won’t always work, but it’s a great feeling to see something you've made finally go into production. I've helped design websites, marketing brochures, and even album covers since I started, and I now work freelance from home for a range of different companies. If you’re obsessed with photography, typography, and design done properly, you can’t go wrong as a Graphic Designer."

Get qualified as a Graphic Designer

While formal qualifications aren't always essential, most employers will look for candidates with a degree or diploma in graphic design, visual communication, or a related field. However, a good portfolio of your designs and some experience using specific design-based programs (such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign) - whether it's in a previous role, by taking online courses, or as part of your hobbies and interests - may be enough to help you secure an entry level role.

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