The role of graphic designers is essential in today’s world of advertising and marketing. Graphic designers create visual communication through illustrations and creativity with a brand’s audience. Considering that our world is almost entirely digital, brands are always looking to hire a professional that creates designs and illustrations for a brand.
Every graphic design position has different qualifications. Whether they are a junior graphic designer or a senior graphic designer, a visual designer or a user interactive designer, skillsets vary with every role. It can be hard to understand what skills you should have handy in your tool belt, so here are the top ten skills you need to cover all of your bases.
Adobe InDesign
One of the most popular programs that graphic designers use is Adobe’s Creative Suite. Adobe InDesign is one of the most popular programs that designers use for designing things like infographics, pamphlets, posters, presentations, etc. The program is known for its ability to let a designer create a visual aid for a brand.
Adobe Illustrator
Another popular graphic design program that is an essential skill to have is Adobe Illustrator. Illustrator is one of the popular programs, if not the most popular program, graphic designers use. This program gives the designers freedom to create anything from logos to illustrations to branded products. Most designs and branded items are designed in Illustrator because of it’s flexibility and many features.
Adobe Photoshop
Whether you are a designer or not, you have heard of Photoshop, unless you live under a rock, of course. Photoshop is the premier photo editor and collage creator. Whether you are editing a photo or morphing images together, Photoshop is one of the most valuable skills for designers.
Design Aesthetic
One of the most powerful skillsets that designers need that aren’t a required program is having a reliable design aesthetic. Every designer has a different type of style they use when creating images and illustrations. Every designer is unique to the point of using their work to brand themselves. Companies are looking to hire designers that have an aesthetic that will match the branding of their company. Some companies look for clean-cut designs, while others look for bright colors, etc.
Typography
Graphic designers need to have a strong skillset in choosing different fonts and typography. Design is all about visualizations, so they must understand what typographies go with the brand, what fonts look good together, etc. Typography goes hand in hand with the ability to have an eye for the design aesthetic.
Flexibility
The last skill that is necessary for almost every graphic designer is the ability to be flexible. Graphic designers are known for taking on freelance and project positions, meaning that their project could start tomorrow and could end just as fast. The world of design is an always-changing environment, so designers need to learn to be flexible in terms of projects, jobs, and feedback from professionals.
Overall, each graphic designer and each design role have and require different skillsets. These skills are not set in stone, but as recruiters, we see these skills for almost every designer. We wish you the best of luck in your job search!
Clutch is a creative staffing partner. We connect digital, creative, and marketing professionals with companies looking for freelance, temp-to-hire or direct hire resources.
