Graphic design careers allow you to express your creativity and personality as part of your job? If you enjoy the art of visual communication, learning graphic design opens the door to many possible careers in various graphic design related fields.
Learning graphic design prepares you for a number of potential job titles beyond graphic designer. From web design and photo editing to logo design and everything in between, the options for graphic design careers are practically endless and include graphic designer, web designer UX designer and more. Graphic design career options include:
- Graphic designer
- Web designer
- UX designer
- UI designer
- Creative director
- Freelance designer
More information about each of these graphic design careers is below:
Graphic Designer
Working as a graphic designer may be the most obvious choice, so we'll start there. Graphic designers are typically responsible for creating unique graphics and illustrations for brands. This can include anything from designing a company logo to developing all the graphics for an organization's website. From digital to print, graphic designers are a sort of jack-of-all-trades and can work in just about any industry imaginable.
Web Designer
If you're more interested in the digital side of graphic design, you can pursue a career as a web designer. These professionals exclusively handle the graphics, layouts, and visual components of websites. This can include creating graphics for banners and logos to coming up with the right color schemes and typography.
UX or UI Designer
If you enjoy the more technical side of design, then a career as a user experience (UX) or user interface (UI) designer may be your best bet. With this type of work, your design decisions are focused on creating products and services that are intuitive and enjoyable for other people to use. This is a great career option for those who enjoy troubleshooting, problem-solving, and thinking outside the box.
Creative Director
Many graphic designers and web designers go on to become creative directors later in their careers. Typically, creative directors oversee teams of graphic designers to ensure that projects stay on-target and that designs mesh with a brand's overall aesthetic and identity.
Freelancer
One of the best things about obtaining an education in graphic design is that you can always choose to work for yourself. Many successful graphic designers become freelancers who dictate their own schedules and choose which projects they wish to take on with new clients. This can be a great option if you want to have the most creative freedom, but it can take some time to get yourself established and build a client base.
The Many Career Options in Graphic Design
There are many career options available to graphic designers, from entry level roles to senior level positions as art director and creative director, marketing specialist, photo editor, and product developer.
For those wanting to work in the field of graphic design, there are many education and training options to provide a starting point. Graphic design courses, workshops, and certificate programs all provide paths to learn graphic design. Options are available for learning graphic design with live online classes and workshops, or in-person courses at the American Graphics Institute (AGI).