5 answers
Alexandra
Student
Anaheim, California
1
Question
Asked
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What do people look for in a graphic designer?
I want to know what kinds of skills/qualifications employers look for when hiring a graphic designer.
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5 answers
Ares Sakamoto
UX - User Experience Design
3
Answers
Austin, Texas
Updated
Ares’s Answer
Hi Alexandra! What a fantastic and exciting field.. So glad you are interested in it!
I have been doing Design for 45 years, but the last 25 has been primarily Digital User Experience Design. But that means I did Graphic Design for 20 years, and honestly, at the end of the day, they are very, very similar to one another!
People my debate this but my experience has been that Fine Art is about expression, but Design is a commercial art, meaning, it's all about Money! Be it Logos that need to visually convey the emotions and identity of a company, an advertisement image showcasing how beautiful or cool something is, a light clean magazine lay out with modern fonts and white space.. Everything Design does it about getting Humans to first feel something and then get them to act in the manner desired (Usually to buy or use something)
Using Fine Art.. Illustrations, paintings etc is just one component that Design uses to get to the desired outcome
So for myself, in the last 45 years, what I have seen in the very best Graphic Designers, and what I look for, are individuals who have a solid understanding of Human Psychology and know to use information to help them inform how to best evoke the right Emotion from the viewer and get them to act in the desired manner
For example, look Apple (https://www.apple.com/store). They use colors, tones, imagery, fonts all to generate a very clean, modern look that appeals directly to their consumer base of Designers and Creatives. It has become so much so they have created almost a cult like following by delivering again and again the same Emotional experience with everything that they do. As opposed to say an dark Alienware (https://www.dell.com/en-us/gaming/alienware) where they appeal to Gamers through darker themes, bold and strong colors, exciting imagery. Different audiences that require different Graphic Design solutions
Design isn't about the visual aesthetics looking good (that is just one part of Design), but rather influencing Humans to desired Outcomes
So, long short, what I look for are Graphic Designers that can explain in detail what they were attempting to get Humans to do with their Design. Why they thought this particular color palette would evoke the right emotion from Humans.. Why Humans would relate to that particular font.. How the images chosen would be familiar to the Human and thus build a sense of Trust. Before asking about the "What" of the Design, I always ask about the "Who" and the "Why". Designers that can answer these questions are the very best I have had the pleasure of working with!
And this goes for all Design: Graphic Design, UX Design, Industrial Design, Game Design, etc. If it was made by Humans, someone gave thought to these things. Take a look all around you and ask "Why did they think _____ would be best for a Human"? The next logo you see. The next e/magazine you see. The next article of clothing.. Question every decision from the perspective of both the Designer and the Viewer.
Design is all about Human Influence!
I have been doing Design for 45 years, but the last 25 has been primarily Digital User Experience Design. But that means I did Graphic Design for 20 years, and honestly, at the end of the day, they are very, very similar to one another!
People my debate this but my experience has been that Fine Art is about expression, but Design is a commercial art, meaning, it's all about Money! Be it Logos that need to visually convey the emotions and identity of a company, an advertisement image showcasing how beautiful or cool something is, a light clean magazine lay out with modern fonts and white space.. Everything Design does it about getting Humans to first feel something and then get them to act in the manner desired (Usually to buy or use something)
Using Fine Art.. Illustrations, paintings etc is just one component that Design uses to get to the desired outcome
So for myself, in the last 45 years, what I have seen in the very best Graphic Designers, and what I look for, are individuals who have a solid understanding of Human Psychology and know to use information to help them inform how to best evoke the right Emotion from the viewer and get them to act in the desired manner
For example, look Apple (https://www.apple.com/store). They use colors, tones, imagery, fonts all to generate a very clean, modern look that appeals directly to their consumer base of Designers and Creatives. It has become so much so they have created almost a cult like following by delivering again and again the same Emotional experience with everything that they do. As opposed to say an dark Alienware (https://www.dell.com/en-us/gaming/alienware) where they appeal to Gamers through darker themes, bold and strong colors, exciting imagery. Different audiences that require different Graphic Design solutions
Design isn't about the visual aesthetics looking good (that is just one part of Design), but rather influencing Humans to desired Outcomes
So, long short, what I look for are Graphic Designers that can explain in detail what they were attempting to get Humans to do with their Design. Why they thought this particular color palette would evoke the right emotion from Humans.. Why Humans would relate to that particular font.. How the images chosen would be familiar to the Human and thus build a sense of Trust. Before asking about the "What" of the Design, I always ask about the "Who" and the "Why". Designers that can answer these questions are the very best I have had the pleasure of working with!
And this goes for all Design: Graphic Design, UX Design, Industrial Design, Game Design, etc. If it was made by Humans, someone gave thought to these things. Take a look all around you and ask "Why did they think _____ would be best for a Human"? The next logo you see. The next e/magazine you see. The next article of clothing.. Question every decision from the perspective of both the Designer and the Viewer.
Design is all about Human Influence!
Emily Navis
Project Program Management
4
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Emily’s Answer
Hi Alexandra, are you looking for school advice, or do you already have a degree?
Gloria Ortiz
Instructional Designer
850
Answers
Irving, Texas
Updated
Gloria’s Answer
Hi Alexandra,
You have gotten some great advice here. I would add that you should consider how you want to use your graphic design skills - for marketing, web sites, even in teaching. I am an Instructional Designer and we depend heavily on graphic design skills of our peers.
Gloria
You have gotten some great advice here. I would add that you should consider how you want to use your graphic design skills - for marketing, web sites, even in teaching. I am an Instructional Designer and we depend heavily on graphic design skills of our peers.
Gloria
Pam Atilano
Independent Designer
44
Answers
Illinois, Illinois
Updated
Pam’s Answer
The best way to find out what employers are looking for is to look at current job ads. Of course, you will need to learn a variety software programs and plan to do most, if not all, of your work on the computer. The (2) programs you should try to start learning in high school are Illustrator and Photoshop.
If you read a few job ads for entry level Graphic Design positions, I'm sure you will start to see some similar skills employers are looking for.
Good luck in your research.
If you read a few job ads for entry level Graphic Design positions, I'm sure you will start to see some similar skills employers are looking for.
Good luck in your research.
Elizabeth Flagge
Executive Director, Education
4
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Elizabeth’s Answer
Hi Alexandra,
What a great question! In terms of what people look for - I can only speak to the areas I work in, but when we are hiring graphic designers, there are about 3 core things we look for.
The first is technological proficiency with the systems and software we prefer to use for our design work - as the responder noted above, illustrator and photoshop are a great start! Other programs can wind up quite useful for other applications depending on the kind of design you specialize into. Some jobs may require very deep knowledge of specific software, where others may require more surface level knowledge or be more open to you learning on the job.
The second is what I'm going to call design eye/vision. This is where your portfolio or any work samples you may share really come into play. This is often a very subjective measure, but essentially a potential employer is going to be trying to figure out based on the work that you've shared with them whether you would be able to deliver work that fits their vision. Does your aesthetic match closely enough with their company current branding/vision, or if they're rebranding, do they like the look of your style? Have a portfolio that displays a variety of work can be really helpful for this step - it shows off both your technical skills as well as your versatility.
The final thing we look for is flexibility and responsiveness to feedback. Design can be an incredibly fun process or an incredibly stressful and negative one. As an employer, often we'll interview candidates and try to assess the degree to which they're open to feedback, and how strongly they'll advocate for their own vision. In my personal experience, a great designer is one who is able to clearly explain why they built something the way they did and defend their vision appropriately, but who is also willing to work with the client based on feedback to make necessary adjustments - and be tactful about those interactions. I'd also add that, as someone who might be working with employers, I know that there are definitely people who make unfair demands or don't give designers good feedback in the first place. Something that'll be good for you to get a feel for is - what kind of feedback helps you? Seek out employers who are going to have a healthy and positive relationship with their designers.
Best of luck in your journey!
What a great question! In terms of what people look for - I can only speak to the areas I work in, but when we are hiring graphic designers, there are about 3 core things we look for.
The first is technological proficiency with the systems and software we prefer to use for our design work - as the responder noted above, illustrator and photoshop are a great start! Other programs can wind up quite useful for other applications depending on the kind of design you specialize into. Some jobs may require very deep knowledge of specific software, where others may require more surface level knowledge or be more open to you learning on the job.
The second is what I'm going to call design eye/vision. This is where your portfolio or any work samples you may share really come into play. This is often a very subjective measure, but essentially a potential employer is going to be trying to figure out based on the work that you've shared with them whether you would be able to deliver work that fits their vision. Does your aesthetic match closely enough with their company current branding/vision, or if they're rebranding, do they like the look of your style? Have a portfolio that displays a variety of work can be really helpful for this step - it shows off both your technical skills as well as your versatility.
The final thing we look for is flexibility and responsiveness to feedback. Design can be an incredibly fun process or an incredibly stressful and negative one. As an employer, often we'll interview candidates and try to assess the degree to which they're open to feedback, and how strongly they'll advocate for their own vision. In my personal experience, a great designer is one who is able to clearly explain why they built something the way they did and defend their vision appropriately, but who is also willing to work with the client based on feedback to make necessary adjustments - and be tactful about those interactions. I'd also add that, as someone who might be working with employers, I know that there are definitely people who make unfair demands or don't give designers good feedback in the first place. Something that'll be good for you to get a feel for is - what kind of feedback helps you? Seek out employers who are going to have a healthy and positive relationship with their designers.
Best of luck in your journey!