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Graphic Designers

Graphic designers use illustrative, sound, visual and multimedia techniques to convey a message for information, entertainment, advertising, promotion or publicity purposes, and create special visual effects and animations for computer games, film, interactive and other media.

Wages

New workers
AVERAGE
Experienced
£ 17,879
£ 26,173
£ 53,294

New workers start around £17,879. Normal pay is £26,173 per year. Highly experienced workers can earn up to £53,294.

Available jobs

In the past year there were 71,994 vacancies for this type of job

2.46%

Projected job growth over the next 8 years

Related courses

People work towards these careers by taking these courses at college and uni.

What they do most days?

  • Produces or oversees creation of the final product.

  • Liaises with other parts of the production team to ensure graphic design fits with other elements, processes and timescales.

  • Prepares specification and instructions for realisation of the project.

  • Prepares sketches, scale drawings, models, colour schemes and other mock-ups to show clients and discusses any required alterations.

  • Undertakes research into project, considers previous related projects and compares costs of using different processes.

  • Liaises with client to clarify aims of project brief, discusses media, software and technology to be used, establishes timetable for project and defines budgetary constraints.

Hard Skills

Hard skills are specific, learnable, measurable, often industry or occupation-specific abilities related to a position.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Adobe Photoshop

  • Adobe Illustrator

  • Marketing

  • Adobe InDesign

  • Graphic Design

  • Adobe Creative Suite

  • Brand Management

  • Adobe After Effects

  • Branding

  • Typography

Soft Skills

Soft skills can be self-taught and usually do not necessitate a certain completed level of education.

Skills are ranked based on the number of job adverts that list them as required skills.

  • Communications

  • Detail Oriented

  • Presentations

  • Innovation

  • Sales

  • Time Management

  • Management

  • Self-Motivation

  • Research

  • Microsoft PowerPoint

How do I get a job like this?

People in these types of job started their career paths after studying courses like the ones below.

Routes to this career

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