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Graphic Designer Job Description: Top Duties and Qualifications

A Graphic Designer, or Graphic Artist, uses computer software programs to communicate a given message visually. It is common for a Graphic Designer to use different design elements such as fonts, colours, images, motion graphics, logos, or shapes.

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What does a Graphic Designer do? 

The role of a Graphic Designer is to help bring marketing and branding ideas to life. Graphic Designers are involved in the creation of a company’s promotional materials, whether they are print or digital. A Graphic Designer generally works in the marketing department. They may also collaborate with other business departments within a firm.

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Graphic Designer Job Description Examples:

Graphic Designer duties and responsibilities

When writing a job description for a Graphic Designer, it’s important to specify the main functionalities of the role by explaining whether the job applicant will be working in digital, print, or both. Below is a list of the most important duties for the job and responsibilities needed to excel for a Graphic Designer: 

  • Design company logos, letterheads, brochures, presentations, promotional materials, and website elements.
  • Meet with clients or other team members to determine requirements and vision for design elements, which may include multiple strategy meetings.
  • Create multiple different versions of a similar product and send them through approvals.
  • Keep up-to-date with the latest design trends by attending workshops, courses, and reading relevant material.
  • Review finalized materials to be sure there are no errors.
  • Work with internal technology software and hardware.
  • Select fonts, colours, shapes, designs, styles, and layouts for projects.

Graphic Designer skills and qualifications

A successful Graphic Designer candidate will have various prerequisite skills and qualifications needed for duties for this job. After posting the most important job functionalities for a Graphic Designer, follow up with the skills and qualifications required to perform those jobs. Some examples of the skills used in a Graphic Designer role include: 

  • Time management skills to work on multiple projects at once and with various deadlines, especially if working in an agency
  • Attention to detail to ensure that all client or team specifications are met and free of any errors
  • Patience to send creative designs through multiple approval processes and often work with several different people to get a job done
  • Creative mindset to be able to bring a design to life with simple instructions
  • Strong organisational skills to keep up with various client needs or team projects
  • Technical skills to work with popular graphic design programs like the Adobe suite
  • Flexibility to be able to switch between projects or pivot quickly should the requirements of the project change

Graphic Designer experience requirements

It is ideal to hire a Graphic Designer who has three to five years of experience. If you are dealing with more complex projects, you may consider hiring one who has worked in the industry much longer. Some agencies may hire Graphic Designers with minimal experience for basic design tasks. An agency may also employ Graphic Designers with varied skill levels to cater to different projects.

Graphic Designer education and training requirements

Many Graphic Designer job postings require at least a university or college degree in a related discipline. Some employers may look for additional education qualifications like workshops, seminars, or training sessions. This can help determine if the applicant has stayed up-to-date in the industry.

Graphic Designer salary expectations

According to Indeed salaries, the average salary for a Graphic Designer is $21.28 per hour. The salary can fluctuate depending on experience, location, or the company that is hiring.

Job description samples for similar positions

If a Graphic Designer isn’t quite what you are looking for, other related job descriptions include:

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Graphic Designer job description FAQs

What is the difference between a Graphic Designer and a Web Designer?

There are four main differences between a Graphic Designer and a Web Designer. The first is that they work with different visual elements, one example being colours. Graphic Designers will typically use what’s called a CMYK colour mode whereas a Web Designer will generally use RGB as the colour mode. A Graphic Designer creates static work whereas a Web Designer needs to create work that is dynamic.

A Graphic Designer can work with many different types of materials (paper, cloth, digital) whereas a Web Designer will only work with digital media. Lastly, a Graphic Designer typically puts art above everything, whereas a Web Designer is mostly concerned about the technology and how it works.

How can you make your Graphic Designer job description stand out?

A great way to make a Graphic Designer job stand out is to start with the benefits of working at the company. It’s also important to be specific with the types of materials and programs the Graphic Designer will be using day-to-day. This will help to filter out applicants fit to perform the job.

Job Description Examples

Need help writing a job description for a specific role? Use these job description examples to create your next great job posting. Or if you’re ready to hire, post your job on Indeed.

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