A graphic designer creates visuals for all kinds of projects, from web pages to print ads. Learn about the skills, salary, requirements, and why you should consider a career in this field.
Combining art and technology, graphic designers use various design elements to create distinctive images for clients and businesses. A graphic designer can work with print or digital media, and designs can be made by hand or with computer programs. Being on top of technology and design trends makes working in this evolving sector an exciting and challenging career choice.
What does a graphic designer do?
A graphic designer creates useful, meaningful, and functional images using various technological means. The job is highly dependent on the needs of the client or the company, but the designer’s general responsibilities may include: developing visual assets to support a marketing campaign, designing a graphic overlay for social media posts, formalizing the design of a print ad, and retouching photos for digital signage.
What is graphic design?
Graphic design is a form of communication that uses colors, shapes, images, and words to create visual content that surrounds us in many forms, specifically in print and digital media. Effective designs communicate information in ways that inspire and inform consumers, making it a critical element of any company’s success.
Graphic designers create images and designs for some of the following elements:
- Company brand identity (logos, typography, and color palettes)
- User interfaces in apps and websites
- Books, magazines, newspapers, and other publications
- Product Packaging
- Advertisements and advertisements
- Signage for shops, transport, stadiums and event spaces
- Video games
Where do graphic designers work?
As graphic designers can work in many environments, their tasks and responsibilities can vary. They can work in a company or agency, or in their homes as freelancers. Graphic designers typically work on:
- Advertising agencies
- Web Design Companies
- Marketing Companies
- Print and Online Publishers
- Online and in-store retailers
- Non-profit organizations
Skills Needed to Become a Graphic Designer
If you’re a creative person by nature and have a keen eye for visually compelling design, a graphic design career may be a good fit for you. Cultivate your talent as a graphic designer by taking the time to develop some of the following key skills:
- Audience segmentationwill help you identify and analyze who your design is targeting and why.
- Color theoryis a series of rules and guidelines that you’ll apply to your work to create aesthetically pleasing visual elements. This involves choosing a suitable color palette for a project and understanding how people perceive color in various situations.
- Communication skills will help you communicate, actively listen, problem-solve, and understand what clients and other stakeholders need when collaborating on a project.
- Computer-aided design (CAD) softwarewill help you create complex two- and three-dimensional designs. Some of the computer programs used in graphic design include Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Paintshop Pro, and Corel Graphics Suite.
- Computer drawinggives you creative flexibility that hand-drawn and coloring can’t offer. Drawing software also allows you to quickly apply changes to a design.
- Desktop publishinghelps you effectively manipulate the visual space of a printed page or screen to engage readers or visitors.
- Typeface designhelps you tell appropriate, enjoyable, and easy-to-read stories by using the right categories of typefaces and typefaces.
- Website developmentprovides you with the knowledge to design on a variety of content management platforms. While not always necessary, understanding various programming languages, such as HTML and CSS, can also help.
Why should you pursue a career in graphic design?
By pursuing a career in graphic design, you can put your creative skills to use while learning and implementing new technologies in your work. If you want to have a decisive influence on the way a company, a brand, or a product is presented to the world, it is worth pursuing a career in graphic design.
How much do graphic designers make?
According to Payscale, the average annual salary for graphic designers in Mexico is currently 173,793 MXN (127.50 MXN per hour). Those with branding skills and Adobe Creative Suite tend to earn 175 percent and 143 percent—respectively—more than those without them.
Job Outlook for Graphic Designers
As in many creative fields, the job prospects of graphic designers are very competitive. According to Data Mexico, the states with the largest population of graphic designers at the end of 2021 were Mexico City (15,300 MXN), State of Mexico (10,700 MXN), and Nuevo León (4,330 MXN) [2].
How to Become a Graphic Designer
Academic background
Many graphic designers have a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related field. Earning a degree not only helps you acquire the basic skills for your career, but it also presents you with the opportunity to start building a portfolio of work to showcase to potential employers.
Look for programs from private higher education institutions (IESPs) that are accredited by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (COPAES). Courses in these programs typically include design principles, computer design, printing techniques, studio art, and web design.
Make the most of your graphic design training
While enrolled in a design program, there are a few things you can do to be more competitive when looking for a graphic design position.
- Consider an internship that will allow you to work with more experienced designers in a real-world setting.
- Offer your design knowledge to local charities.
- Get certified in popular graphic design products like Adobe.
- Join a design organization. Membership often entails access to networks and professional development opportunities. You can join the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) as a student.
Graphic Design Careers
Being a graphic designer can open doors to numerous careers and industries. Within a company’s design department, you can hold management positions, such as creative director or project manager. Many people who have started out as graphic designers have also expanded into exciting new fields, such as augmented reality and virtual reality, where visuals are used for interactive experiences.
Get started with Coursera
Choosing a career as a graphic designer allows you to use your creativity to help businesses convey their messages to their clients. Get started in the creative world of graphic design with the California Institute of the Arts’ Graphic Design Specialization. Complete a guided project to enhance your professional portfolio in less than two hours.
– CMYK: A color model typically used in visual printing that represents the four colors used on ink plates: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black)
– Hex Code: A six-digit HTML code representing a color used in a computer design program
– Infographic: Visual representation of data designed to present information clearly and effectively
– JPEG: Format for Compressing Graphic Image Files
– Notice board: A collection of images and text that communicates the overall aesthetic message of a project or brand
– PPI: Pixels per inch, an important term that measures the pixel density on the screens of various devices to determine resolution
– Resolution: The amount of detail that an image or digital display can display, measured in dots per inch (printed image) or in pixels per inch (digital image)
– Typography: Manipulating the style and appearance of printed or digital materials so that they are legible, legible, appropriate, and aesthetically pleasing.
– User Interface (UI) Design: The design of interfaces in software, applications, websites or computing devices to maximise their usability
– Vector Image: A graphic file constructed by dots in a grid that can be adjusted without losing resolution
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it necessary to know how to draw to be a graphic designer?
Illustrators should know how to draw, but graphic designers should not. Graphic designers, on the other hand, must have a high sensitivity to color, typography, and layout, in order to be able to bring together various elements in a visually appealing way.
Do graphic designers need to know how to code?
Graphic designers don’t need to know how to use a programming language, but it often helps to know HTML or CSS, which are used to build and design web pages.
Is graphic design difficult?
Graphic design isn’t difficult, but it requires being creative, as well as a firm understanding of design-based programs like Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, and more.