14 Types of Graphic Designer Career Jobs That Are Worth Trying

Updated: 03 Jun, 2024 • • min read

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14 Types of Graphic Designer Career Jobs That Are Worth Trying

Graphic Designers work on the websites you visit, the advertisements you see, the films you watch, the games you play, the branding and rebranding of companies, and the packaging & logos of the products you buy. Although an interest in design cannot necessarily be taught, most graphic designers have attended art or design school to achieve their current careers.

Graphic design requires creativity, and the path to career success is different for everyone. After some thought, you started to consider pursuing a graphic design career path. But before you spend the time and money necessary to obtain the formal training that many companies require, you need a better idea of your potential job prospects after graduation.

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Whether you're a beginner curious about how to become a graphic designer or a seasoned professional looking to move into another field, keep reading to explore the most popular career paths for graphic designers this year. This blog is about careers in graphic design and how you can pursue them.

Who is a Graphic Designer

Graphic designers are visual communicators who create concepts using specialized graphic design software. They communicate ideas to inspire, inform or captivate consumers through physical and virtual art forms that include images, words or graphics. Through constant communication with clients, customers and other designers. They ensure that their designs accurately reflect the desired message and express information effectively.

Graphic designers combine art and technology to communicate ideas by using various design elements to achieve artistic or decorative effects. They develop the overall layout and design of advertising products, brochures, magazines and company reports. This usually starts with producing a rough illustration of a design idea, either by hand sketching or using a computer program.

Graphic Designer Job Profile

Job Description: Graphic designers create beautiful images and graphics that are published in print or electronic formats for educational, entertainment, or advertising purposes.
Salary: According to the BLS, the average annual salary for designers is $54,680.
Job Security: Worth it as the demand for graphic designers globally is very high nowadays
Job Satisfaction: Good if you like to be creative at work.
Work-life balance: Good because you have free weekends.
Future prospects: Decent because good graphic designers are always needed in the future.
Requirements: You need a degree to become a graphic designer.

Job Opportunities for Graphic Designers

Advertising art director
Animation maker
Art worker
Concept artist
Creative director
Graphic designer
Illustration
Exhibition designer
Interior and spatial designer
Medical illustrator
UX Designer

Graphic designers can also be hired by advertising companies, design firms, publishers, and other businesses that need design professionals.

Graphic Designer Salary Structure

According to BSL, the average annual salary for graphic designers globally stands at $54,680. Coupled with his experience, a designer's salary has stagnated at $54,680 per year. However, with the advent of the internet, there are lots of opportunities for designers to freelance design for many clients, besides that you can also take advantage of your design skills to create design products to sell on online digital markets. Furthermore, you can also create, run & manage your own ads such as Instagram, WordPress, Blogger, etc. and earn additional income through clicks, likes & visitors.

Roles and Responsibilities of Graphic Designers

Graphic designers create visual concepts to communicate information. They create everything from posters and billboards to packaging, logos and marketing materials. Graphic designers use elements such as shape, color, typography, images and others to convey ideas to the audience. Graphic designers can work in-house, creating custom designs for a brand, or in agencies or on a freelance basis, where they work with clients.

Graphic designers vary depending on their place of work. Some of the tasks a designer may perform include selecting photos and typography, developing a layout, and designing a logo. Graphic designers may specialize in a particular area, such as motion graphics or print media.

General Requirements for Graphic Designers

To be successful in the graphic design industry, you must pay attention to style, overall layout, and function shaped by a deep understanding of composition, typography, color theory, and graphic design principles. In addition to artistic abilities, you must also be skilled in the use of various computer software packages, including design software, photo editing software, and computer software, including layout software. Other key skills required for graphic designer jobs include:

Excellent communication, problem solving and critical thinking skills.
Technical expertise and proficiency with specialized graphic design software such as Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign.
Detail oriented with strong project management skills.
Ability to think beyond traditional design concepts and produce design ideas that inspire and captivate consumers and meet client needs.
Knowledge of HTML and basic coding used in web design.

Graphic Design Program for Graphic Designers

Motion graphics, animation, design theory, project management and portfolio development are some of the main objectives in the graphic Design program. Courses such as digital media business, interactive publishing, and digital effects teach a broad knowledge base that will be useful across all areas of business and marketing.

Advanced typography and advanced 3D modeling are examples of specialized courses that provide more specific skills that are valued in the industry. Overall, students in this program should be equipped with technical design skills as well as useful project management and general business knowledge.

If you don't see yourself specializing in one area, you should stay open to all types of graphic design jobs to gain experience and learn more about what you like and what you don't want to spend time on. This industry is flexible enough to give you many choices.

Types of Careers as a Graphic Designer

Graphic Designers have a variety of responsibilities depending on their specialty and workplace. Usually, they will meet with the client or art director to determine design needs. Using design software, they will combine images, illustrations, and text to bring ideas to life. They may also need to present their ideas and incorporate input from colleagues or clients into subsequent drafts. some of the main careers as a graphic designer are:

1. Logo Designer

Logo designers develop visually appealing graphics or symbols to represent a company, product, brand or service. They researched their target demographic to get a solid understanding of what symbols they found attractive and memorable. The designer then chooses different colors and shapes that relate to and form the brand identity of the company or product. Logo designers should also be aware of other designs on the market so they don't copy or recreate trademarked logos.

The job requirements of a logo designer will vary based on the company, but typically an associate's or bachelor's degree in graphic design is required. Strong illustration skills and an understanding of consumer advertising may be considered in lieu of a degree. Logo designers can work freelance or full-time for advertising agencies, both of which may require an attractive portfolio.

2. Photo Editor

Photo editor with real images to adjust, color correct, or combine images to create the desired final image. Image editing can be done as simple as adjusting the lighting and color balance in a photo or as drastically as changing the color of clothing or adding logo or banner information to the image. In-depth knowledge of Photoshop and other photo editing software is required. Many companies may prefer photography, graphic design or product design, but it may not be necessary for candidates to have expert knowledge of photo editing software and have a strong portfolio of work.

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3. UI User Interface Designer

The user interface designer is responsible for ensuring every web page or step of the final product follows the intent of the UX user experience designer. They usually have basic coding skills and are able to develop a designer's vision by working with software programming experts. UI designers make web pages, advertisements, and electronic programs easy for consumers to interact with. They must ensure that the UX design is feasible and implemented well.

A minimum of 2 years of experience in UI design, graphic design or computer programming is usually required for UI designers. However, some companies may prefer that prospective employees have sufficient experience.

4. UX User Experience Designer

UX designers make products, services and websites enjoyable and accessible to users. They consider the product's intended end use and how the product will feel in the eyes of consumers to ensure the product or service is user-friendly. UX Designers Most often work in web design to make websites visually appealing and easy for customers to navigate. they also work with other technology-based products, including software, gaming systems, computers and cars to develop visual aesthetics and graphics. UX designers ensure the product has a logical flow from one step to the next. They test the product under normal use and resolve any inconsistencies in appearance or flow.

UX design roles typically require a two-year degree in UX design, graphic design, or computer programming. knowledge of all three specialties is useful for combining a strong design look with a functional product. Some companies may prefer candidates who have a bachelor's degree.

5. Web Designer

Web Designers help in developing websites by creating individual web pages, designing page layouts, and developing graphics for websites. they are also responsible for designing navigation menus, drop-down options, and website structure. They may have coding and programming skills, which allow them to develop a website or marketing team to determine what content to include on each page and where to place graphics, as well as to ensure continuity as consumers navigate the website.

As online sales and advertising continues to grow, entrepreneurs are looking for web designers with a strong knowledge of technology, website layout design, programming and graphic design. most jobs require previous web design experience, a good portfolio.

6. Graphic Illustrations

Graphic illustrators are usually tasked with creating illustrations for commercial and editorial purposes, as well as illustrations for web design and social media. Graphic designers of this type often create their illustrations digitally, but some may also use more analog tools and then digitize the images. As a graphic illustrator, Sbat will work on projects such as the following:

Digital Products
Blog posts & articles
Books & Magazines
Games
Clothes
And many more

If you are an illustrator, you can also create stock illustrations for wider use. This can be a source of passive income as well as a way to build a reputation as an illustrator.

7. Multimedia Designer

Multimedia designers create complex animated images and videos using art and computerized animation programs. They plan the animation by sketching, creating scale models, and developing computerized graphics to build the story. they are responsible for creating art designs for the story's characters, background scenes and props.

A career in multimedia design requires creative thinking and strong imaginative abilities to develop innovative fantasy designs.

8. Clothing Designer

Clothing graphic designers create original and individual images for clothing. they develop a strong understanding of the brand's customers and ensure their graphics are visually appealing to that audience. They design a variety of font-based images and graphics for screen printing on t-shirts, pocket embroidery designs and other custom printed designs that brand design executives want to include on their apparel.

9. Packaging Designer

A packaging designer or production designer develops boxes, containers and labels on a product to protect the product during shipping and communicate important features to customers. They use CAD software to write product details in appropriate fonts, add graphics to explain its function and show what the product looks like and how to use it. They also often design packages as a marketing tool, so they partner with marketing and product design specialists to deliver important product details to customers.

10. Advertising Designer

Advertising designers use graphic design, sketching, and photography to create visually appealing marketing materials for a brand or company. They create everything from billboards, magazine ads, website ads, and other requested promotional materials. They sketch or use software to develop initial concepts based on marketing and public relations strategies. They may create several variations of the concept to present to advertising leadership.

A career in advertising design requires a strong knowledge of design and marketing techniques.

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11. Publication Designer

Publication designers develop layouts, visual displays, and graphics for a variety of print publications. Companies that create annual reports, research papers, books, catalogs, and user guides use in-house or freelance publication designers to add images and graphics to written information. The designer is responsible for developing images and graphics and incorporating them into the publication in a visually appealing way.

Experience in design, visual, user experience or print design is usually required for a career in publication design. These designers have a high level of creativity in translating written information into a sketch and developing appropriate designs to best display the data.

12. Art Director

An art director is a high-level executive responsible for guiding the design team's vision, directing theme concepts, and overseeing all design artwork. they can work in a variety of industries including fashion, print publications, advertising, television or consumer products. Directors may be employed by brands or on a freelance basis, but they always work closely with clients or sales teams to understand their artistic vision.

Art director positions typically require extensive industry-related experience for a strong understanding of business objectives. Experience in any field of art or design is usually required, but some companies may prefer candidates to have extensive experience in business or art.

13. Font And Lettering Designer

A specialty of graphic design that is often overlooked is font & lettering design. These graphic designers create everything from typography and fonts to handwritten designs. Font & lettering designers must have a thorough understanding of the principles of typography, what makes fonts & lettering easy to read, how concepts such as kerning and line height play a role in the overall readability of a typographic design.

Hand lettering artists often create things like signs, flyers, murals and even wordmark logos. They may create designs either by hand or digitally. on the other hand, type designers often focus more on creating typography. There is a lot of overlap between what Font & Lettering designers do.

14. Data Visualization and Infographic Designer

Data visualization and infographic designers need to have a strong understanding of how to present data accurately and in a way that makes it easier to understand. Working in a graphic design role like this means you need to understand how to work with large data sets and how to make that information digestible for people who are not data scientists.

It is helpful for data visualization and infographic designers to have at least some background knowledge and experience with data science. The better they understand the data presented, the better prepared they are to translate that data into easy-to-understand visuals. Infographics and data visualizations may be static or interactive.

Conclusion

Whether you choose to specialize in a particular type of graphic design or become a jack of all trades, you should remember that those with a focused specialization can often command higher prices and are usually more in demand for the work they do. Whatever type of design career you choose, remember to build a compelling design portfolio that reflects the types of projects you want to work on.

A career in graphic design is one of the most popular professions taken by many people with creative qualities and skills today. If you feel you have potential and imagination, you have to do it. It's not easy to be successful in a career in this field, so you have to be really confident or develop your skills.

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That's the article about 14 types of freelance designer jobs that you should try, hopefully it will always be useful and successful. Greetings author!