The 10 Most Interesting Graphic Design Jobs
With the evolution of digital technology in the contemporary world, the love and craze for animation and graphics have been growing tremendously. Today, people visualize every object with a different pair of lenses. Most of them strive to carve out aesthetic and thought-provoking messages out of any content.
If the passion for art & designing drives you too, and you equally have a keen interest in technology, then indubitably, the graphic design jobs would be the best career option for you!
To have an in-depth insight regarding this field, let us read more about the context of graphic design jobs & the Top 10 career prospects in the article below.
What is a Graphic Design job?
A Graphic design job is a professional outlook that involves the intricate work-responsibilities of planning, designing, editing, and developing digital & creative products such as graphics, animation, layout, logos, photographs, commercials, and websites.
The main job-role in this career field is to communicate some innovative & inspiring ideas through different coherent visual designs & prints and persuade the audience to consider new perspectives. The designers use various digital techniques and computer software to create visual concepts, illustrations, drawings, images, and animated designs.
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Types of Graphic Design Jobs
The field of graphic design provides numerous career possibilities to youngsters. The designers can even explore leadership positions in the later stages. In graphic design jobs, both freshers and experienced players get a chance to work in highly creative organizations and large corporations, including the entertainment industry, advertising agencies, industrial design firms, reputed publishing houses, etc.
Here is the list of Top 10 interesting job profiles you can opt for with a certified diploma/degree in graphic design-
- Web Designer
- Creative Director
- Multimedia Artist/Animator
- Logo Designer
- Video & Film Editor
- Layout Artist or Layout Designer
- Drafter (Architecture and Engineering)
- Product Designer
- Photo Editor or Photoshop Artist
- Brand Identity Designer
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1. Web Designer
The term web design refers to the planning, developing, and designing the content on various digital platforms through web apps, websites, or web pages.
A Web Designer is an IT Professional who plays a pivotal role in creating aesthetic designs, visual appearance, layouts, usability, and sometimes, even the textual content for a website or web pages. In this job profile, an individual is also responsible for designing and developing the Navigation designs & Site structure.
An efficient web designer tends to have both technical & innovative graphic skills. They should be competent enough to conceptualize how a site will appear & how it will operate. So the designers work out the graphical design of the site & develop a functional website from the prelim designs.
They make informed decisions regarding graphics, layout, choice of content, continuity, etc. In today’s world, every professional wants to establish their digital presence. And the website is one of the effective mediums to connect with the target audience on a large scale.
Henceforth, the need for web designers is recurring in nature. This job profile will continue to be in high demand in the future. Bearing this in mind, it remains one of the most coveted and in-demand graphic design jobs.
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2. Creative Director-
The Creative Director is a creative professional who leads & directs the whole creative team at the management level. They cast the creative vision for a project at the earliest stage and manifest that vision through digital & print media.
The Creative team generally consists of art directors, copywriters, photographers, web developers, and other graphic designers. They work closely with the technical & marketing departments to deliver engaging content as per the customer’s expectations and preferences.
A creative director manages the creative process right from the inception to the final execution of the project. They oversee the client pitches and present the designs as per their proposals.
Creative directors also organize brainstorming meetings & creative sessions with their team members to bring out new solutions and innovative ideas for a project. They are also responsible for planning company advertisements, supervising promotional campaigns, reviewing presentations, and shaping brand standards.
These professionals get a chance to work in the advertising agencies or in-house marketing departments of a company.
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3. Multimedia Artist or Animator
Being a multimedia designer (artist or animator) is one of the most prevalent career prospects and highest among graphic design jobs. Multimedia Artists and Animators specialize in creating two- and three-dimensional models, animations, and visual effects for various forms of media and entertainment like- television, movies, video games, and commercials.
They use art, sound, and design skills to make videos, audio and animated pictures. Such professionals employ different computer programs & film techniques to develop technical illustrations, motion graphics, and visual effects.
Multimedia Artists and Animators usually work as part of a team that develops a movie, video game, or VFX. Each designer works on a particular segment of the project like texture, motion, environment, and character-building and subsequently integrates & executes all the individual pieces of work into one cohesive animation.
This job profile also involves in-depth research work. A Multimedia designer needs to do proper research on upcoming projects to create realistic designs and animations. Also, it is a multi-tasking job. Hence, multimedia artists often work within a specific area. Some focus on developing electronic games or animated movies; others create visual effects for films and television shows.
Although most multimedia artists are self-employed, some professionals look for job opportunities in various multimedia fields like television production, film studios, set designing, motion picture & video industries, software publishers, etc.
4. Logo Designer
A logo is a graphically designed element customized in a distinctive way with perfect color choices, shapes, and designs to represent an organization, product, company, agency, or service. A logo is not merely a symbol; it is a visual brand mark for a company or a product.
The logo conveys the brand personality and fosters brand loyalty. It helps in creating a discernible & unforgettable image of the company or product in the customers’ minds and reaching out to their desired products with ease.
Thus, a Logo Designer is a professional graphic designer who exclusively designs a customary visual image of a specific product or an organization for individual clients. They can either work as a freelancer or a full-time employee at a design firm or advertising agency.
This job profile always offers a bright scope. As every business, firm, or major corporation want to have unique brand recognition in the market, the said professionals mostly stay in demand. The different clients can consult the logo designers either by outsourcing or permanently hiring them for in-house requirements.
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5. Video and Film Editor
A video & film editor is a highly skilled individual from the entertainment industry, assigned with the movies and video editing job role. These experts play a crucial role during any post-production process. Their key responsibility is to edit the given visual media form and synchronize soundtracks with them along with requisite graphics & animations to produce a final film or video product.
Initially, an editor might receive a brief, or sometimes even himself studies the scripts to get in touch with the storyline. Throughout the filming process, they carefully assemble and handle all the other aspects, such as raw (camera) footage, sound effects, motion graphics, and visual effects for creating a final product. The editing experts also administer the audio engineering section and keep a rigorous check on editing quality & progress.
Today, digital technology & specialized computer software have replaced the traditional linear editing methods. Film editors nowadays use the Non-linear editing technique. This job division frequently experiments with new styles & techniques of designing the graphic elements.
Film and video editors often get a chance to associate with different kinds of production teams working on Feature films, Television Shows, Music Videos, Corporate training videos, or Commercials. Since the Indian cinema and entertainment industry is also growing widespread, Video & film editing has emerged as one of the rewarding career options among the youth.
6. Layout Artist or Layout Designer
A layout artist is a graphic designer who communicates information visually through a cohesive animated design or series.
The layout artist closely cooperates with the director to design the shot frame and handle the camera angles & movements, lighting, depth, perspective, and scale for every shot of an animated sequence. They interpret illustrations, photographs, and drawings from the storyboards into sequences of action.
The layout artists team also takes charge of a few things like determining the position of characters within each frame, researching the genre, and creating backgrounds that support the storyline.
On the other hand, a layout designer works on the structure and layout of text & images for a publication project (be it screens or printed media). This job profile entails them creating the perfect blend of texts and images. They need to ensure the page elements (including font sizes, styling, spacing, image size & position) are balanced & readable so that an individual gets a pleasant reading experience.
They typically specialize in designing & organizing page composition for miscellaneous products like- booklets, magazines, posters, web pages, brochures, flyers, and other advertising mediums.
Layout artists & designers often get employment opportunities in various fields such as marketing, advertising, and publishing.
7. Drafter (Architecture and Engineering)
A drafter is a technician who works in collaboration with architects and engineers. They prepare the architectural & structural designs of buildings for construction projects. The drafters use computer-aided drafting (CAD) software to produce sketches, models & blueprints and convert the complex designs & layouts into a set of technical drawings.
At the initial stage, they acquire the necessary information from the concerned architects, engineers, and clients related to project specifications & requirements. It may include the facts & figures about the construction site such as elevation, access roads, utilities, etc. Afterward, they specify the dimensions, suitable materials & procedures and construct the drawings with the latest engineering techniques & construction principles.
During the design & drafting process, the drafters modify and update the design based upon new information or at the client’s request. The drafters may submit multiple versions of a drawing to the team for final approval. Eventually, their technical drawings provide a visual guideline regarding the structure or product.
This line of professionals may specialize in various divisions like architectural, civil, electrical, or mechanical drafting. Among different graphic design jobs, this is popular among people with engineering and architecture passion.
8. Product Designer
A product designer is an expert who sets up the product goals for a specific business and seeks to identify & address the problems related to their products. These professionals utilize their technical knowledge & design skills to incorporate improvements in the appearance, usability, quality, and cost of the existing products. And at times, they have to design an entirely new product.
The product designer’s job revolves around various production activities like user research, preparing blueprints, prototyping, testing, analyzing, and communicating the final results to upper-level management & other teams.
The product designer is an integral part of every stage of product development. They held meetings with the concerned managers & clients to discuss the product specifications and gather feedback from the product users. Such professionals also emphasize identifying new opportunities for a particular product, keeping the business objectives & budget in their mind.
They believe in delivering the best version of a requested product to the target customers & refining their user experience. Moreover, they also derive all the possible product solutions within the given timeframe and monitor their brand position in the market over the years. Like all other graphic design jobs, it also grabs the attention of aspirants fervently.
9. Photo Editor or Photoshop Artist
A photo editor is a professional who collects, analyses, and selects suitable photographs and photo illustrations for a particular project. They primarily hire & manage a team of photographers and work for different kinds of publications. Their core responsibility is to oversee the photography that appears in books, magazines, newspapers, websites, art galleries, or even corporate product catalogs.
On the contrary, a Photoshop artist is an expert who gives an eccentric look to their photos by adding relevant digital elements to them. Photoshop is an artwork where photography compliments the digital drawing to add a deeper meaning to the elementary photos & snapshots. Photoshop artists often try to present images with special effects & digital alterations that fit into an imaginary universe.
Both the photo editors and photoshop artists endeavor to create a visually rich experience for the audience through their creativity, imaginative skills, and broad vision.
At present, most of the editors and artists ranging from amateur to experienced professionals use Adobe Photoshop- a computerized photo-editing program. As the name suggests, it was developed & published by Adobe systems nearly three decades back and is still leading the market for photo manipulation work. Therefore, choosing your career line as a photo editor or Photoshop artist promises lucrative job possibilities shortly. Hence, it remains a popular choice of career for aspirants of graphic design jobs.
10. Brand Identity Designer
Branding is a kind of corporate visual design that depicts how a company wants to be recognized by its customers in the competitive market. It emphasizes portraying the visual identity of the company.
A company brand identity coalesces throughout all the corporate advertising components such as business cards, company letterhead, stationery, packaging, signage, company brochures, and more. It creates a favorable impression in the market and helps the customer remember the brand in the long run.
A brand identity designer is an expert who utilizes designing elements like illustrations, color palette, typography, image style, logo, and tagline to design a unique visual identity for a company. They combine suitable images and text to express the ideas & vision of a particular business.
In this job profile, the designers have to invent or re-invent a visual brand for their respective clients. Many organizations hire an in-house brand identity designer, or sometimes they consult the advertising agencies to create brand identity designs for them.
Duties & Responsibilities Of A Graphic Designer
Graphic design jobs comprise several activities like planning, designing, and editing. The graphic designers also work in different expert lines such as animation, layout, photo editing, video editing, web designing, logo making, etc. Therefore, graphic design jobs involve multiple professional roles. With that, it brings several tasks and responsibilities alongside such as
- Designing web pages, signs, books, magazine covers, layouts, etc., and selecting appropriate illustrations, colors, images, and typefaces for specific publication work.
- Creating visual elements for an organization like logos, letterhead, and business cards.
- Preparing marketing instruments like catalogs, brochures, flyers, posters, billboards, and other advertisements.
- Proficiency in handling different computer software such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe InDesign, CorelDRAW, Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, etc., to create the above communication materials.
- Meeting with clients to understand the specifications & scope of a project. They are also responsible for discussing the project progress with both internal teams and external partners.
- Collaborating with other professionals like web developers, photographers, technical writers, publishers, architects, engineers, etc.
- Present designs as per the client’s needs & requirements and incorporate changes recommended by them in the feedback.
- Consistently review designs to eliminate any chances of error before publication and ensure that the final product reflects the desired theme & tone as per the proposed communication.
Educational Qualifications & Remuneration
An aspirant must have a graduation degree or diploma in either graphic design, fine arts, marketing, journalism, or other relevant fields (as per the job specification).
The students should have a basic understanding of graphic design tools and computer programs.
Secondly, remuneration in graphic design jobs highly depends upon individual skills, experience, and industry. The annual package for a newcomer may start from Rs. 3-4 lacs and can expand later on.
* The required educational qualifications may vary from job to job or the sector in which an individual is involved.
Requisite Skillset In The Graphic Design Jobs
Graphic designers have to fulfill various work responsibilities. To accomplish their designs efficiently and effectively, they need to show some extraordinary skills in their content, visuals & compositions. These exceptional skills help them to outsmart their competitors in the long run. It also brings new massive projects to them (either through the company or the freelancing set-up).
Some of the required skills for graphic design jobs are as follows-
- Innovative and Creative thinking- The first quality that defines a graphic designer as good is his/her ability to think out of the box. They should use their imagination and creativity to generate new ideas & designs. The creative ability also helps the designer solve complex problems and look for new approaches.
- Analytical skills- A graphic designer should visualize their creative work at the initial stages from the customer viewpoint. This skill helps them to analyze their designs and animations in advance so that their final product carries the correct perception in the market.
- Artistic ability- Graphic designers must use their creative artistry to prepare engaging and intellectual content for their readers & viewers. They should create top-class designs that are fascinating and captivating to the clients and customers.
- Research skills- Since the graphic designing job is very complicated and there is a lot of competition in the market, it is always recommended that designers must carry out proper research work before setting their hands on a project. They must collect & assemble all the relevant information, evidence, materials, techniques, and personnel beforehand. It enhances the quality of their graphic designs and easily connects them with their audience.
- Presentation skills- The graphic designers & artists must give a desired shape to the prelim designs into successful creative work. Also, they should be able to deliver compelling, engaging & informative presentations before the client. How a designer presents his/her designs to the clientele thoroughly defines their project deal.
- The graphic designers should have basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and other Web Designing software like Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, CorelDRAW, CAD, After effects, and more.
- Communication skills- Graphic designers should communicate with their respective clients & colleagues at regular intervals. They should firmly discuss the project and ensure that their final designs perfectly reflect the desired message with a significant theme & tone.
- Teamwork– The graphic designing job often comes with several colossal, expensive, and time-consuming projects. That is when the idea of teamwork essentially comes into the scene. A Graphic designer must have the ability to collaborate with other designers & artists on different creative projects. They should work in harmony & meet their deadlines efficiently.
- Problem-solving ability – Professional designers should solve their work-related problems effectively and timely. They must identify the problematic cause within time and implement the best alternative solutions as soon as possible.
- Time-management skills- Graphic designers often have to work on multiple projects simultaneously. And the work schedule becomes more hectic when individual projects have different deadlines. Therefore, the designers should deliver the final designs & layouts to their clients within the specified time.
Top Recruiters
With the growth of digital technology, digital photography, animation, and motion graphics have become quite popular nowadays. Reputed companies and independent professionals usually look for graphic designers who can design and develop visual concepts, illustrations, graphics, layouts, websites, logos, etc., for their brand. Henceforth, graphic design jobs allow the aspirants to work across distinct fields or sectors like
- Advertising agencies
- Web planning firms
- Design consultancies
- Television & Film studios
- Branding Specialists
- Publishing Companies
- PR Agencies
- Construction industry
Usually, most graphic designers prefer to work as a freelancer. However, they can also approach the corporate sectors for permanent recruitment to meet their in-house requirements.
So this was all about the most promising graphic design jobs and their scope. May you choose the best career prospect & pursue your passion forever!
