Graphic Designer Job Description, Key Duties and Responsibilities

Graphic Designer job description, duties, tasks, and responsibilities — Graphic Designers create visual concepts that capture their clients’ message to the public.

This post presents detailed information on the job description of a graphic designer, including the key duties, tasks, and responsibilities they perform.

What Do Graphic Designers Do?

Graphic designers, who are also called graphic artists or communication designers are the creative minds that use hand-rendering or computer software to design or create visual concepts, to communicate an idea for specific commercial or promotional purposes.

The job description of graphic designers entails using various mediums to develop layout and production design for magazines, brochures, advertisements, and corporate reports.

Their designs are needed for a large number of products and services, such as books, websites, magazines, advertisements, posters, displays, product packaging, corporate communication, corporate identity, and much more.

Graphic designers play different roles in the organizations they work for, depending on the area they are specialized. For example, some are experts at photography while some are multimedia wiz.

Graphic Designer Job Description Sample/Example/Template

A graphic designer usually manages more than one design projects at a time and appropriating the relevant amount of time based on the value and urgency of the job.

A typical graphic designer does the duties, tasks, and responsibilities shown in the following job description sample:

Interact with clients to determine and analyze the scope of a project
Review final layouts to make needed suggestions for improvement
Recommend to clients strategies to reach a certain audience
Design graphics that identify a product or communicate an idea
Determine colors, images, text style, and shapes to create layout
Act as instructor to team of workers that arrange and prepare layout for printing
Create electronic version of designs using computer software
Study information and materials to plan concepts for design
Perform administrative duties, such as managing information and assigning tasks to subordinates
Prepare rough draft of material based on agreed brief of client or art director
Relate with external printers or contractors on a regular basis to ensure highest quality and deadline are met
Proofread designs for errors before final printing or publishing
Perform research for new software or design tools
Develop new business idea and contacts
Conduct research on competitors and market trends
Incorporate recommended changes by the clients into the final design
Create an interactive design
Work as part of a team with stylists, photographers, illustrators, copywriters, web developers, and other specialists
Commission other artists

Graphic Designer Job Description for Resume

For a successful job hunting for the post of graphic designer, you will need to have a good resume. To prepare the work experience section of the resume, the job description sample provided above can be used in completing it.

The job description highlights important functions of graphic designers, which when used in making the work experience part of the resume tells prospective employers you are capable of doing the job.

Important Skills and Qualities of Graphic Designers

Graphic designers generally need the following skills and qualities to succeed on the job:

Computer skills: Graphic designers make use of specialized graphic design software for design
Communication skills: He/she communicates information to supervisors, co-workers, subordinates, persons outside the organization in the course of doing their job. This information can be communicated in person, in writing, by e-mail or telephone call, which the designer must be able to effectively carry out
Information generation: The designer must have the skills to generate information from all relevant sources, such as clients, patients, and from other sources
Analytical skills: He/she must be able analyze how consumers will perceive the information being passed out, and be sure their client’s message is conveyed effectively
Creativity: Graphic artists must be able to develop unique ways to communicate ideas to consumers
Consultancy skills: He/she must be able to provide expert advice to others
Attentions to details: Graphic designers work with both text and graphics which must convey the same messages, therefore, they must be able to give attention to the minutest detail to get things right
Deadline oriented: Most assignments come with frequent deadline, therefore the ability to meet deadlines is needed to excel on the job
Flexibility and multitasking skills: Graphic designers must be able to work on more than one assignment at a time to be able to complete projects before their deadline is reached
Interpretation skills: The ability to interpret an idea into arts using hand-rendering or computer software is a great skill a graphic artist should have

Note: These skills can also be used in making graphic designer resume.

Sample of Job Titles for Graphic Designers

Graphic designers can specialize and work in various fields requiring designing skills. Here are the different job titles that represent areas of specialization for the occupation:

Art Director
Artist
Catalog Illustrator
Concept Artist
Design Director
Food Stylist
Graphic Producer
Graphic Art Designer
Forms Designer
Digital Artist
Desktop Publisher
Creative Manager or Director
Commercial Artist
Graphics Coordinator
Graphics Specialist
Interface Designer
Visual Designer
Photo Stylist
Multimedia Specialist or Artist
Layout Artist
Technical Writer

Popular Graphic Design Jobs

A study done by Rasmussen.edu shows the top 15 graphic design jobs usually requested by employers. 28,000 real graphic design jobs cutting across all industries and experience levels were studied and the result shows Photoshop to be the highest in demand by employers followed by website design.

See the list:

Photoshop was requested in 15,317 of the over 28,000 jobs studied.
Indesign—————————-8,854
Website design——————-5,708
Illustrator————————–5,008
Typesetting————————4,468
Concept development———-3,411
Dreamweaver———————3,378
Visual design———————-3,350
Java script————————-2,535
Packaging————————–2,430
Marketing Materials————2,015
Art Director———————–1,912
User Interface Design———-1,771
Print Production—————–1,647
Multimedia———————–1,633

Work Environment for Graphic Designers

Most graphic designers are self employed or are freelancers. Some work for specialized graphic design companies as part of a design team. Some designers also telecommute (work from home) for clients from around the world.

Most graphic designers are employed in industries such as publication houses, specialized design services, manufacturing, advertising, public relations and related services.

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