Graphic designer

As a graphic designer, you'll use your design skills in colour, composition, layout, and typography to work on a variety of creative products and activities. You’re likely work on one or more of the following formats:

• websites, apps and social media channels
• adverts
• books, reports and magazines
• posters, flyers, banners and programmes
• billboards
• video games
• product packaging
• exhibitions and displays
• corporate communications, campaigns and identity, i.e. giving organisations a visual brand.

After agreeing a brief with the client, creative director, or account manager, you'll develop appropriate concepts that meet the client's objectives. Here, you’ll get to truly showcase your design skills in order to bring an idea to life, even for more corporate tasks.

The work demands creative flair, up-to-date knowledge of industry software, and a professional approach to time, costs, and deadlines.

Responsibilities

As a graphic designer, you'll need to:

• meet clients or account managers to discuss the objectives and requirements of the job
• estimate the time required to complete a task and provide quotes
• develop and pitch briefs that suit the client's purpose
• think creatively to produce new ideas and develop interactive design
• find innovative ways to redefine a brief within time and cost constraints
• present finalised concepts to clients and/or account managers
• work with a range of media, including computer-aided design (CAD), as well as keep up-to-date with emerging technologies
• proofread for accuracy and high-quality work
• demonstrate illustrative skills with rough sketches and work on layouts ready for print
• commission illustrators and photographers
• work alongside printers, copywriters, photographers, stylists, illustrators, other designers, account executives, web developers, and advertising and marketing specialists.

Salary

• Starting salaries for junior graphic designers in the UK are in the region of £20,000 to £25,000.
• At a middle level, you can expect to earn an average of £29,000 to £30,000, with £35,000 being at the top end.
• Salaries for senior graphic designers or creative leads can range from £35,000 to £50,000, while a creative director can make around £67,000, with the potential to earn as much as £100,000.

As a freelancer, you can earn between £150 to £350 a day, depending on your experience, proven track record, and recommendations from clients.

Graphic design salaries vary based on several factors, such as type of employer, sector, location, level of experience and responsibility, and reputation. The best paid jobs are usually in London and other large cities.

Specialist recruitment agencies, such as Gabriele and Represent, provide insights into current salaries.

Income figures are intended as a guide only.

Working hours

Working hours are typically 37 to 40 hours a week, Monday to Friday, with some flexibility around start and finish times. It's likely that you'll have to work extra hours when deadlines are approaching.

Part-time opportunities exist, but may be hard to find. Self-employed designers are likely to find themselves with irregular hours and will need to rely on their networking skills and experience to gain additional work.

What to expect

• You'll often be based in a shared studio or office, as some jobs involve working in teams, although you may work alone on occasions. If you're a freelancer, you could share offices, rent studio space, or work from home.
• Design work often involves sitting and working at a computer for long periods of time.
• Job satisfaction comes from creating high-quality artwork, seeing your designs in use, and building a reputation.
• Jobs are available in major cities and towns across the UK. There may also be opportunities to work abroad.
• Although work is mostly studio-based, you may need to travel to meet clients.

Qualifications

A visual arts subject or qualification is the standard for a graphic design career. In particular, a degree, foundation degree, or HND in the following subjects may increase your chances:

• art and design
• fine art
• graphic design
• illustration
• product design
• photography
• visual communication.

Any design-based course that gives you a good grounding and knowledge of design, art history and printing techniques is useful.

It's vital to build up a strong portfolio of work alongside your degree to show to potential employers. This will add value to your qualifications, as well as highlight your talent and passion.

You should also have strong knowledge of relevant design software, such as Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop, Canva, or Figma. This is especially the case if these weren't covered within your degree.

You may be able to get a job without a degree or HND if you have a strong enough portfolio. However, progress without some kind of formal training can be difficult.

A pre-entry postgraduate qualification isn't needed, but experience is essential.

Skills

You will need:

• passion and enthusiasm for design, along with a creative mindset
• a flexible approach when working in a team
• effective networking skills to build contacts
• the ability to create and manage good working relationships with colleagues and clients
• excellent communication skills to interpret and negotiate briefs with clients
• good presentation skills and the confidence to explain and sell ideas
• time management and organisational skills
• accuracy and attention to detail when finalising designs
• good general IT skills, particularly MS Office (PowerPoint, Outlook, Word, Excel)
• a willingness to accept feedback and suggestions for improvements
• project management skills, especially when it comes to working on several projects at the same time
• self-motivation and the determination to undertake further training and develop your career as a graphic designer.

If you're working on web content, it's also useful to have a basic knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Work experience

An internship or placement experience is extremely useful, especially if you have a reference who can recommend you and provide evidence of what you've done.

The most valuable work experience comes from involvement in a live project, along with building your portfolio. Try to include a mix of both commercial and self-initiated projects, as well as a range of print and digital work.

If you can't find a placement, consider approaching voluntary organisations to see if you can assist on their communications and campaigns. Student societies may also welcome your design skills to help promote their activities.

Having your portfolio assessed while at university can be helpful as it will give you the chance to talk confidently about your work, which you'll need to do at job interviews. A student assessment scheme is offered by the International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD). Any experience that allows you to practise your presentation skills is also valuable.

You can become a member of the Chartered Society of Designers (CSD) while studying, allowing you to network with other graphic designers. Membership also provides access to events and resources that will help you keep up-to-date with developments in the industry.

Find out more about the different kinds of work experience and internships that are available.

Employers

The majority of vacancies are found in agencies specialising in advertising design, including identity and event branding or corporate communication.

You can also find roles with in-house teams of various businesses and organisations, including:

• video games studios
• design groups
• educational establishments
• local government
• magazines
• manufacturing companies
• multimedia companies
• packaging industry
• publishing companies
• television.

Look for job vacancies at:

• CampaignJobs
• Creativepool Jobs
• If You Could
• Dribble
• Design Jobs Board

Some websites advertise internships as well as permanent jobs for qualified graphic designers.

As well as looking on agency websites, you can register with a specialist design recruitment agency, such as Gabriele.

Professional networking sites, such as LinkedIn, also advertise vacancies.

It's also common to make speculative applications, either for internship positions or junior roles. Recruitment agency Represent has compiled The Ideal Candidate, a project where some of the leading studios share what they're looking for and what you can do to make sure you stand out.

Other tips for making speculative approaches include:

• matching your portfolio to the design agency by researching the company and selecting relevant, appropriate pieces
• create an effective website and business card
• make sure any images you send are clear, not pixelated, and that the PDF file is no bigger than 10MB
• address your email to a named person.

Professional development

Most learning is done on the job, except for formal training in industry-specific software. As a graphic designer, you'll need to be skilled in using a variety of design software.

Some employers fund training courses, but if you're freelance or self-employed, you'll need to organise and pay for training yourself. You'll often learn new skills to meet the demands of a particular project. Relevant courses are available from creative organisations such as D&AD.

It's essential that you keep learning throughout your career, staying current with advances in technology. It's also helpful to read the latest industry news, such as via Design Week.

Membership of professional bodies can enhance your knowledge by providing access to useful resources, advice, and training. Relevant organisations include:

• Chartered Society of Designers (CSD)
• International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD).

As a member of the CSD, you can be included on their 'Find-a-Designer' directory for clients and employers.

You may choose to work towards chartership with the CSD. To achieve chartered designer status in graphic design, you need to prove you're operating professionally and that you meet required competences. The process involves a professional portfolio and review. Find out more at CSD - Chartership.

Career prospects

You'll typically start as a junior graphic designer, assisting senior designers and developing your skills and knowledge. At this stage, developing a reputation, networking, and making contacts are important.

Your first few jobs will act as stepping stones as you take on more responsibility and progress to a graphic designer role. At this point, you'll be working on new ideas and creating content for a range of projects.

Once you reach a senior level, your role will become more strategic and you'll be leading projects while mentoring junior designers. In large partnerships, it may be possible to achieve promotion from designer to management positions, such as studio manager or creative director.

In general, you'll need to move jobs to progress your career in order to widen your experience and develop your portfolio further. You'll have to think strategically about career moves and consider the opportunities within each role.

With experience, it's possible to become self-employed if you've built up a good reputation and network of contacts. Gaining chartered status with the CSD can also help with career progression, as it shows you're working at a specific professional level.