What Does a Graphic Designer Do? And How Do I Become One?

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Graphic design combines art and technology, and graphic designers use a variety of design elements and techniques to create distinctive visuals for clients and companies. A graphic designer may work with print or digital media and create designs by hand or using computer software. Staying on top of the latest technology and design trends makes working in this evolving industry an exciting and challenging career choice.

Learn more about what a graphic designer does, the skills you need to become one, and how to start your career in graphic design.

What does a graphic designer do?

A graphic designer creates useful, meaningful, and functional visuals using various means of technology. The work depends largely on a client’s or company’s needs, but general designer responsibilities may include:

• Developing visual assets to support a marketing campaign

• Designing a graphic overlay for social media posts

• Formalizing the layout for a print ad

• Creating company logos

• 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 in many forms—namely, print and digital media. Effective designs communicate information in a way that inspires and informs consumers, making it a critical element for any business’ success.

Graphic designers create images and layouts for some of the following:

• Company brand identity (logos, typography, and color palettes)

• User interfaces on apps and websites

• Books, magazines, newspapers, and other publications

• Product packaging

• Advertisements and commercials

• Signage for stores, transportation, stadiums, and event spaces

• Video games

Where do graphic designers work?

Since graphic designers can work in many settings, your tasks and responsibilities may vary. You may work in-house at a company or agency or at home as a freelancer. Graphic designers often work in:

• Ad agencies

• Web design firms

• Marketing firms

• Print and online publishers

• Online and brick-and-mortar retailers

• Nonprofit organizations

Graphic designer skills

If you’re naturally creative and have a good eye for visually compelling design, a career in graphic design may suit you well. Nurture your talent as a graphic designer by spending time building a few key skills:

• Audience targeting helps you identify and analyze who the design should appeal to and why.

• Color theory is a set of rules and guidelines you can apply to your work to create aesthetically pleasing visuals. This involves choosing the right color palette for each project and understanding how people perceive color in various situations.

• Communication skills help you communicate, actively listen, problem-solve, and understand what clients and other stakeholders need when collaborating on a project.

• Computer-aided design (CAD) software helps you create complex two- and three-dimensional designs. Some of the computer software programs useful in graphic design include Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Dreamweaver, Paintshop Pro, and Corel Graphics Suite.

• Computerized sketching gives you creative flexibility that sketching and coloring by hand cannot offer. Sketching software also allows you to quickly implement changes to a design.

• Layout can help you effectively manipulate the visual space of a print page or screen to attract viewers.

• Typeface design can assist you in telling appropriate, pleasing, and easy-to-read stories by using the ideal categories of font and typeface.

• Website development gives you the knowledge to design on various content management platforms. Although not always necessary, an understanding of some programming languages, such as HTML and CSS, can help you succeed.

Read more: What Is Responsive Web Design? And How to Get Started

Why pursue a career in graphic design?

When you pursue a career in graphic design, you get to flex your creative skills and put them to use while you learn and implement new technologies in your work. If you want to have a critical hand in shaping how a company, brand, or product comes across to the world, it may be worth pursuing a career in graphic design. 

How much do graphic designers make?

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the median annual salary for graphic designers is $58,910 as of 2023, or $28.32 per hour [1]. Graphic designers working in advertising and public relations tend to earn on the higher end of the pay scale.

Job outlook for graphic designers

As with many creative fields, the job outlook for graphic designers is competitive. BLS predicts that there will be a 2 percent increase in the need for graphic designers from 2023 to 2033 [1]. This growth is slower than average due in part to the decline in graphic design jobs at newspapers, magazines, and traditional print publishing companies. It is balanced by an increase in companies’ digital presence. Demand for online design will increase, according to market research company IBISWorld [2]. 

How to become a graphic designer

If you’re ready to pursue a career in graphic design, follow these steps to streamline your process:

1. Pursue an education.

According to Zippia, 68 percent of graphic designers have a bachelor’s degree, while 23 percent have an associate degree [3]. Earning a graphic design degree (or a degree in a related field) may help you build foundational career knowledge and give you opportunities to begin building a portfolio of work to show potential employers.

You can look for programs accredited by the National Association of Schools of Art and Design. Coursework in these programs will typically include principles of design, computerized design, studio art, printing techniques, and website design.

2. Gain exposure to the field.

While you are enrolled in a design program, work on building relevant skills to become more competitive when you’re job-hunting for a graphic design position. You may choose some of these approaches:

• Find an internship and work with experienced designers in a real-world setting.

• Volunteer your design skills to local charitable organizations.

• Tak courses on specific graphic design topics, such as the University of Sydney’s Innovation through Design: Think, Make, Break, Repeat course or the Google UX Design Professional Certificate.

• Pursue certification in popular graphic design products, such as Adobe.

• Join a design organization. Membership often comes with access to networking and professional development opportunities. You can join the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA) at different levels, including student, emerging, professional, leader, or educator.

Glossary of graphic design terms

CMYK: A color model typically used in print visuals that stands for the four colors used in ink plates: cyan, magenta, yellow, and key (black)

Hex code: A six-digit HTML code that represents a color used in a computer design program

Infographic: A visual representation of data designed to present information clearly and efficiently

JPEG: A format for compressing graphic image files

Mood board: A collection of images and texts that communicates a project or brand’s overall aesthetic messaging

PPI: Pixels per inch, an important term that measures the density of pixels on the screens of various devices to determine resolution

Resolution: The amount of detail an image or digital display shows, measured in dots per inch (printed image) or pixels per inch (digital image)

Typography: The manipulation of the style and appearance of printed or digital matter so it is legible, readable, appropriate, and aesthetically pleasing

User interface (UI) design: The design of interfaces in software, apps, websites, or computer devices to maximize their usability

Vector image: A graphic file built by points on a grid that you may adjust without losing resolution

3. Hone your graphic design skills.

While completing a degree and gaining exposure to the field of graphic design, be sure to hone the skills that employers look for in a graphic designer. For example, Zippia’s resume data show that the most-referenced skill among graphic designers is Adobe Creative Suite, with other top skills including typography, brochures, and PowerPoint [4].

Read more: 5 Popular Graphic Design Software and How to Choose One 

Two effective ways to get up to date on the most in-demand skills include:

• Researching career sites like Zippia, Glassdoor, and Indeed, and reading job descriptions.

• Watching for trends through graphic design news hubs, like WIRED, PRINT, and Graphic Design USA. Through sites like these, you can discover such happenings as the use of graphic design in NFTs, cryptocurrency, and sustainability movements, as well as the rise of motion graphics and AI-powered designs. How might these trends correspond to skills you need to develop?

4. Explore career paths in graphic design.

Being a graphic designer can open doors to numerous careers and industries. As of November 2024, Glassdoor reports that top-rated* companies currently hiring graphic designers include Brigham Young University (education), Marketing 360 (marketing), Power Home Remodeling (construction), The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (religious institutions) and Lamar Advertising (advertising and public relations) [5].

*Glassdoor scores companies based on how their employees rate culture and values, diversity and inclusion, work-life balance, compensation and benefits, and other factors.

Within a design department at a company, you may be able to advance into managerial positions, like creative director or project manager. Many people who have started as graphic designers have also expanded into new and exciting fields, such as augmented reality and virtual reality, where visuals impact interactive experiences.

Read more: Graphic Artist vs. Graphic Designer: Understanding the Difference

Get started as a graphic designer with Coursera

Graphic designers create designs for various media in industries ranging from public relations to manufacturing to film and television. Choosing a career as a graphic designer empowers you to use your creativity to help companies get their messages across to their customers.

In the Xbox Graphic Designer Professional Certificate, you'll learn foundational graphic design principles and software, such as Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma, while also creating effective marketing materials and building a professional portfolio.

You might also consider getting started in the creative world of graphic design with the Graphic Design Specialization from the California Institute of the Arts.

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