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

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 can work with print or digital media, and designs can be accomplished by hand or using computer software. Staying on top of cutting-edge technology and design trends makes working in this evolving industry an exciting and challenging career choice.

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 colours, shapes, images, and words to create visual content that surrounds us 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 colour 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

• Non-profit organizations

Skills needed to become a graphic designer

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 is intended to appeal to and why. 

• Colour theory is a series of rules and guidelines you’ll apply to your work to create aesthetically pleasing visuals. This involves choosing an appropriate colour palette for a project and understanding how people perceive colour 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 used 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 colouring by hand cannot offer. Sketching software also allows you to quickly implement changes to a design.

• Layout helps you to effectively manipulate the visual space of a print page or screen to attract readers or visitors.

• Typeface design helps you tell appropriate, pleasing, and easy-to-read stories by using the right categories of font and typeface.

• Website development gives you the knowledge to design on various content management platforms. Although it may only sometimes be necessary, an understanding of multiple programming languages, such as HTML and CSS, can also go far. 

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’s worth pursuing a career in graphic design. 

How much do graphic designers make?

According to Glassdoor, the average graphic designer salary in Canada is $51,242 [1]. Keep in mind different factors can influence your salary like location, experience level, industry, and company.

Job outlook for graphic designers

The job outlook for graphic designers in a majority of the regions of Canada is moderate, according to the Government of Canada Job Bank. The outlook for Quebec and Alberta is good [2].

How to become a graphic designer

If you're ready to pursue a career in graphic design, follow the steps below to streamline your process.

1. Get a graphic design education.

Many graphic designers have a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or a related field to work at a top company. Earning a degree not only helps you build foundational skills for a career but also gives you opportunities to begin building a portfolio of work to show potential employers.

Freelance graphic designers can benefit from a strong portfolio to show to potential clients. Certificate programs in graphic design can also boost your credentials.

The Design Professional of Canada offers certification as a design professional as well as networking opportunities. You may also find programs accredited by the Society of Graphic Designers of Canada.

2. Gain exposure to the field.

While enrolled in a design program, you can do some things to make yourself more competitive when you’re job-hunting for a graphic design position.

• Consider an internship that will allow you to work with more experienced designers in a real-world setting.

• Volunteer your design skills to local charitable organizations.

• Pursue certification in popular graphic design products like Adobe.

• Join a design organization. Membership often comes with access to networking and professional development opportunities. 

Glossary of graphic design terms

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

Hex code: A six-digit HTML code that represents a colour 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 can show 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 can be adjusted 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. These may include proficiency in Adobe Creative Cloud, typography, brochures, and PowerPoint, for example.

Two effective ways to stay up-to-date on the skills that are in demand include:

• Reading graphic designer job descriptions on career sites like Glassdoor and Indeed.

• Watching for trends through graphic design news hubs, such as RGD, WIRED, and PrintMag. 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 up doors to numerous careers and industries. Within a design department at a company, you may be able to advance into managerial positions, like a 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 are used for interactive experiences. 

Get started with Coursera.

Choosing a career as a graphic designer empowers you to use your creativity to help companies get their messages across to their customers. Get started in the creative world of graphic design with the Graphic Design Specialization from the California Institute of the Arts. Complete a Guided Project to enhance your professional portfolio in less than two hours.

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