Learn about the role and career path of a visual designer, including tips for getting started in the field.
Brand identity represents a company’s public persona. As a communications expert, a visual designer plays a pivotal role in shaping this identity by designing and overseeing the visual elements of a company’s brand across all touchpoints. Discover more about the visual designer role and key strategies for launching your career in this field.
Visual design focuses on enhancing the aesthetic and usability of a digital product. It is the strategic implementation of images, colors, fonts, and layouts. Although many visual design elements deal with a product's look, the product's feel is equally important. Visual design aims to create an interface that provides users with the optimal experience.
Visual design and graphic design share many similarities. However, visual designers and graphic designers have notable differences. First, graphic design may encompass print publications and other non-digital media forms. Visual design typically refers to web-based and digital product enhancement. The goal of graphic design is to communicate a specific idea or message. In contrast, visual designers are responsible for shaping the larger brand image.
User interface (UI) design is the creation of an application’s visual elements. It has two primary focus areas—interaction design (how elements are organized in an interface) and visual design. UI designers tend to focus on creating a seamless, visually pleasing user experience. Conversely, the primary goal for visual designers is to effectively demonstrate the image a brand wants to convey to its consumers through its digital designs.
Visual designers work in many different industries across various platforms, with companies or organizations hiring them to design websites, games, movies, and other digital design projects. Certain specializations require knowledge of a specific business sector. The following section is a sample job description for a visual designer role.
Work with a brand’s guidelines to establish the look and feel of their digital interfaces.
Source image and video assets
Collaborate with marketing, development, information technology (IT), and operations teams.
Create and manage data visualization, production assets, interaction models, mockups, and more.
Manage multiple projects and strategize deadlines.
Design logos, infographics, and icons
User experience (UX) design focuses on helping users complete tasks efficiently by planning user flows and journeys. Visual design focuses on creating aesthetically pleasing designs that follow brand standards while also enhancing overall user experience. UX designers can benefit from understanding visual design elements and principles, while visual designers must also be familiar with UX principles to create a cohesive user experience.
The average annual salary for a visual designer in the US is $77,921 [1]. According to Glassdoor, visual designers report additional yearly pay of $12,790 [1]. Combined, these figures equal a total annual compensation of $90,711. Several factors can influence a visual designer's salary, including industry, specialization, expertise level, and company.
In the US, 75 percent of visual designers hold a bachelor’s degree, and 12 percent have an associate degree [2]. Common areas of study include visual communication, graphic design, and fine arts. You can learn more about pursuing this career path in the following walkthrough.
1. Build the essential skills. Creativity is a critical component of a visual designer’s role. You must be able to strategize the use of color, lines, typography, and white space. Since visual designers often work closely with design teams and companies to create brand imagery, you must also possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.
2. Familiarize yourself with visual design tools. A few of the most popular visual design tools include Figma, Adobe Photoshop, and Canva. You can get started with Canva and practice creating your own digital products for free with the following Guided Project:
3. Enhance your resume. Transitioning into a new role can be a rewarding experience, even without on-the-job experience. In lieu of experience, you can build portfolios of your best work. These portfolios are an opportunity to showcase specific skills and knowledge. You can build your portfolio by working on projects independently or enrolling in a Guided Project like the one mentioned above.
4. Choose an area of focus. Another way to increase your competitiveness as a candidate is to choose a specialization. For example, suppose you plan to become a visual designer specializing in UI design. In that case, you may consider earning a UI/UX design certificate from the California Institute of Arts or a UX Design Professional Certificate from Google.
5. Stay current with the industry. When you stay updated with the visual design industry, you can demonstrate expertise to employers and learn about the latest trends and technologies. You may follow industry experts on social media or subscribe to relevant blogs and YouTube channels. In the design field, you can check the website of AIGA, the professional association for design. You’ll find updates on design industry events like upcoming conferences and awards. Check out relevant Slack channels like the Designed Slack discussion to explore design processes and tools, visual design jobs, and more for peer-to-peer connection.
As a visual designer, you’ll focus on elevating both the aesthetics and the ease of use of a product. Continue building your visual design expertise by enrolling in The Language of Design: Form and Meaning, a course from the California Institute of the Arts, or explore a Specialization with the Google UX Design Professional Certificate.
Glassdoor. “How much does a Visual Designer make? https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/visual-designer-salary-SRCH_KO0,15.htm.” Accessed February 5, 2025.
Zippia. “Visual Designer Education Requirements, https://www.zippia.com/visual-designer-jobs/education/.” Accessed February 5, 2025.
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