Graphic Design Skills: A List of the Necessary Skills to Become a Graphic Designer

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Introduction

Graphic design is a career in which visual art and text is created as a form of communication between businesses, organizations, individuals and the groups of people that they serve or are reaching out to. It is often a fast-paced job that requires multitasking and juggling several projects at once. If you’re considering working in this profession, read on for more information about the skills you need for graphic design.

The top skills needed to be a graphic designer

• The ability to communicate. Because the entire profession is built off the notion of communicating through images and text, it makes sense that communication is one of the most important skills needed for graphic design. Not only is this skill used to create the actual product, but is also needed to coordinate and work with companies, clients, and employers. Your communication skills should include the ability to provide a consultation, to exude confidence in your skills and your client’s message, and to provide quality customer service.
• Strong IT skills. You can’t review the skills needed for graphic design without mentioning that much of a graphic designer’s work is performed on the computer through various design and photo-editing software. Depending on the type of graphic design you do, you may also need web design skills as well as proficiency with web design content management platforms such as WordPress.
• Creative problem-solving skills. Graphic design is a creative field that requires creativity in problem-solving, as well. Among the graphic design skills and abilities, attention to detail should be found, along with the ability to balance artistry with audience appeal and the ability to use sketching and brainstorming to bring a concept to life.
• Time management. Graphic designers are often working on multiple projects simultaneously. This creates a need for decisive action, strategy, critical thinking, prioritizing, and flexibility.
• Business skills. Among desired graphic design skills is also the ability to be professional. Graphic designers are required to listen to the needs of their clients and to translate those needs into actionable solutions. This requires a number of business skills in order to develop a project cost, communicate project requirements and deadlines to colleagues, actively listening to a client’s needs and artistic preferences, and the ability to understand how to turn a project from a concept to a catalyst for sales.
• Typography. The ability to develop well-designed type is also among the skills needed for graphic design. The graphic designer should be familiar with choosing fonts, creating logos and storyboard creation, spacing, and producing a final layout with exact specifications for typeface, letter size, and colors.
• Accuracy. If the graphic designer’s job is to communicate ideas, it makes sense that the communication would need to be accurate. Graphic designer skills and abilities rely on accurately presenting information that is free from errors that would draw the viewer’s thoughts away from the intended message of the design. This includes not only the ability to proofread the material for errors, but also to modify the design in order to make it more effective in its messaging.