What is a Graphic Designer?
The work of a graphic designer generally involves using graphic design software to create two-dimensional graphic designs for a variety of medias, including flyers, book covers, company letterheads and logos, labels, carrier bags and signs for shops, brochures, advertising posters, website and CD-ROM pages, magazines and newspapers. Some graphic designers also produce three-dimensional designs for product packaging, exhibitions and displays.
Using a design brief supplied by the client, senior designer or account executive, a graphic designer will choose a style to suit the product and create rough sketches or visual of a suitable design.
However, a graphic designer’s role does not just involve making a nice design, they must also make sure the design achieves its purpose, which could be anything from advertising a product to showing someone how a machine works. And the graphic designer must do all this while keeping within the constraints of a budget and a tight deadline.
Once the client has approved the design, the graphic designer will draw up detailed instructions specifying typefaces, sizes and colours for a printer, or will provide the printer with the graphic designs on a disc.
Graphic designers are generally creative and imaginative, with the ability to draw, a working knowledge of printing techniques and photography, and are good at time management, meeting deadlines and working within a budget. Professionals in the graphic design industry usually either work as a freelance graphic designer or for a graphic design agency or graphic design consultancy.
In most cases, a graphic designer will have a design related degree, and should have a working knowledge of graphic design software packages such as QuarkXpress, Photoshop, Illustrator, 3D Studio Max, Dreamweaver and Flash.
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