| Official Names: | Graphic designer |
| Type: | Profession |
| Activity Sector: | Advertising, book design, branding, illustration, page layout, typography, webcomic, web design, programming, digital animation, 3D modeling |
| Competencies: | Technical knowledge, cultural relevance |
| Related Occupation: | Production artist, graphic artist, website designer, desktop publishing |
A graphic designer is a professional who practices the discipline of graphic design, either within companies or organizations or independently. They are professionals in design and visual communication, with their primary focus on transforming linguistic messages into graphic manifestations, whether tangible or intangible.[1] [2] They are responsible for planning, designing, projecting, and conveying messages or ideas through visual communication.[3] Graphic design is one of the most in-demand professions with significant job opportunities, as it allows leveraging technological advancements and working online from anywhere in the world.[4]
Generally, a graphic designer works in areas such as branding, corporate identity, advertising, technical and artistic drawing, multimedia, etc. It is a profession that exposes individuals to various academic fields during their university career,[5] [6] [7] because they need to understand human anatomy, psychology, photography, painting and printing techniques, mathematics, marketing, digital animation, 3D modeling, and some professionals even complement their skills with programming,[8] providing a comprehensive view of a company by addressing the three essential factors evaluated: structure, team, and product.[9]
Graphic designers can work with singular clients or multiple people including collaborations. This is where communication is crucial because misunderstandings can lead to setbacks. [10]
Professional requirements for graphic designers vary from one place to another. Designers must undergo specialized training, including advanced education and practical experience (internship) to develop skills and expertise in the workplace, which is necessary to obtain a credential that allows them to practice the profession.[11] [12] Practical, technical, and academic requirements to become a graphic designer vary by country or jurisdiction, although the formal study of design in academic institutions has played a crucial role in the overall development of the profession.[13] [14] [15]
Designers should be able to solve visual communication problems or challenges. In doing so, the designer must identify the communications issue, gather and analyze information related to the issue, and generate potential approaches aimed at solving the problem. Iterative prototyping and user testing can be used to determine the success or failure of a visual solution. Approaches to a communications problem are developed in the context of an audience and a media channel. Graphic designers must understand the social and cultural norms of that audience in order to develop visual solutions that are perceived as relevant, understandable and effective.[16] Directly speaking with individuals from set audiences can prevent any complications. [17]
Graphic designers should also have a thorough understanding of production and rendering methods. Some of the technologies and methods of production are drawing, offset printing, photography, and time-based and interactive media (film, video, computer multimedia). Frequently, designers are also called upon to manage color in different media.[16] For instance, graphic designers use different colors for digital and print advertisements. RGB — standing for red, green, blue — is an additive color model used for digital media designs. However, the CMYK color model is made up of subtractive colors — cyan, magenta, yellow, and black — and used in designing print media. The reason for the different models is that when designing print ads, colors look different on the screen and when printed onto paper. For example, the colors appear darker on paper than on screen. [18]