Graphic Designers

Also Called:

Artist,

Graphic Designer,

Designer,

Graphic Artist

What they do: Design or create graphics to meet specific commercial or promotional needs, such as packaging, displays, or logos. May use a variety of mediums to achieve artistic or decorative effects.

What do they typically do on the job?

  • Key information into computer equipment to create layouts for client or supervisor.
  • Review final layouts and suggest improvements, as needed.
  • Determine size and arrangement of illustrative material and copy, and select style and size of type.

Personality

People interested in this work like activities that include creating, designing, and making your own rules.

Interests

Career interests describe the perspectives and interests of people who enjoy the type of work involved in this career.

Discover what your interests are by taking the Interest Profiler Quiz

Knowledge

People who want to pursue this career have knowledge in these areas.

Engineering and Technology
  • Design

  • Computers and electronics

Arts and Humanities
  • Music, dance, visual arts, drama, or sculpture

  • English language

Communications
  • Multimedia

Business
  • Sales and marketing

Abilities

Whether you have received formal training or not, these types of abilities are helpful in this career.

Verbal
  • Read and understand what is written

  • Listen and understand what people say

Ideas and Logic
  • Create new and original ideas

  • Come up with lots of ideas

Skills

People who want to pursue this career have skills in these areas.

Basic Skills
  • Listening to others, not interrupting, and asking good questions

  • Talking to others

Problem Solving
  • Noticing a problem and figuring out the best way to solve it

Social
  • Changing what is done based on other people's actions

  • Understanding people's reactions

Work Values

Work values describe how your core beliefs align with those commonly needed for this career.

Achievement

Occupations that satisfy this work value are results oriented and allow employees to use their strongest abilities, giving them a feeling of accomplishment. Corresponding needs are Ability Utilization and Achievement.

Independence

Occupations that satisfy this work value allow employees to work on their own and make decisions. Corresponding needs are Creativity, Responsibility and Autonomy.

Recognition

Occupations that satisfy this work value offer advancement, potential for leadership, and are often considered prestigious. Corresponding needs are Advancement, Authority, Recognition and Social Status.

Does this sound like something you'd like to do?

1. Do some research
  • Identify how your interests, values, and strengths match this occupation
  • Talk to someone who works in this field or spend a day job shadowing
  • Use the colleges and training directory to explore programs related to this career
2. Plan your next move

Data for NSI career cards comes from the following: Idaho Department of Labor, US Bureau of Labor Statistics, O*NET, MyNextMove, and Career OneStop