Graphic Design Jobs: 5 Career Paths to Explore

Key takeaways

Graphic design jobs span many industries and offer creative professionals multiple paths with strong growth potential.

• The graphic design field is growing, with online advertising driving particularly strong demand and creating opportunities for digital designers.

• Graphic design opens doors to roles like web designer, illustrator, animator, creative director, and brand specialist, giving you flexibility to follow your interests while building valuable creative and technical expertise.

• You can start exploring graphic design careers by learning industry-standard software and design fundamentals that will prepare you for the specific path that excites you most, whether that's freelancing or joining a creative team.

Use the following article to explore five types of graphic design jobs, as well as the skills and software knowledge you'll need to work in the industry. Afterward, if you'd like to get started right away, consider enrolling in the Adobe Graphic Designer Professional Certificate.

5 graphic design jobs to consider

The world of graphic design offers plenty of specialization options, each with its own focus and skill requirements. Whether you're drawn to digital interfaces or traditional print work, there's likely a niche that matches your interests and strengths. Here are five popular graphic designer career paths to explore:

• Web or digital design

• Print, publication, and layout design

• Infographics and data visualizations

• Marketing and creative direction

Increasingly, many of these jobs require GenAI skills, which are only going to grow in demand over the coming years. Consider strengthening your skill set with the University of Michigan's AI for Creative Work Specialization. Over three courses, you'll explore AI's relationship to creativity as you learn how to use this technology sustainably and successfully.

1. Web design

As a web designer, you create the visual and functional aspects of websites and digital platforms. You may work on projects such as website design, mobile app interfaces, landing pages, and user experiences. Additional responsibilities include:

• Using technologies to create functional websites

• Ensuring sites are easy to navigate

• Incorporating the needs of users and clients

• Translating a brand's image into colors, fonts, graphics, and layouts

• Presenting content to clients or other stakeholders

• Updating websites as needed

Job titles in this field:

• UI Designer: Focus on the visual interface elements of websites and apps, creating buttons, layouts, and interactive components that users directly engage with.

• UX Designer: Research user behavior and design the overall user experience, creating wireframes and prototypes to ensure websites and apps are intuitive and user-friendly.

• Web Designer: Combine visual design with technical functionality to create complete website experiences. Web designers can work for large or small companies, and some work remotely as freelancers.

• Digital Designer: Work across various digital platforms and mediums, creating graphics for social media, email campaigns, digital ads, and interactive content.

2. Print, publication, and layout design 

As a visual designer specializing in print, publication, and layout design, you need strong typography and photo editing skills plus a solid grasp of color theory. You must know what images work best in print-ready copy. Material you may work on includes:

• Book covers

• Greeting cards

• Newspaper and magazine layouts

• Museum exhibit catalogs

• Menus

• Brochures

• Album covers

• Apparel

• Stationery

• Business cards

• Ad designs and layouts

Job titles in this field:

• Layout Artist: Create printed media layouts for advertising, PR, publishing companies, and magazines, finding the most aesthetically pleasing way to arrange text and images on various materials.

• Print Designer: Specialize in creating graphics and layouts specifically for physical print materials, working closely with printers to ensure quality reproduction.

• Publication Designer: Focus on books, magazines, and editorial design, managing multi-page layouts and maintaining consistent visual style throughout publications.

• Packaging Designer: Create product packaging designs that are both visually appealing and functional, working within manufacturing constraints and retail requirements.

3. Brand identity and logo design

A brand identity designer will often need graphic design skills, but the role overall is highly strategic. In this type of graphic design job, you help a brand design and maintain its identity through various mediums, including content, advertising, marketing, design, and more. As such, while you’ll usually need a graphic design background and the technical skills that come with it, you also need experience in successfully leading creative campaigns. 

As a logo designer, you can create logos to match the personality of businesses or organizations. The goal of the logo is to have instant brand recognition. Nike, FedEx, Coca-Cola, Pepsi, and Apple are examples of recognizable logo designs. 

Job titles in this field:

• Brand Identity Designer: Develop comprehensive visual identity systems including color palettes, typography, imagery styles, and brand guidelines that work across all touchpoints and mediums.

• Logo Designer: Specialize in creating distinctive logos and brand marks that capture a company's essence and ensure instant brand recognition in the marketplace.

• Visual Brand Strategist: Combine design expertise with market research and business strategy to develop brand positioning that resonates with target audiences through visual communication.

Read more: What Is a Brand Strategy? And How to Create One

4. Infographics and data visualizations

In this specialized area of graphic design, you can work with complex data sets to make information clear and engaging for everyday audiences. Common job titles in this field include data visualization designer, infographic designer, information designer, and visual data analyst.

• Infographics: Visual representations of facts, stats, and other information that tell a story and draw conclusions or show relationships among items. For example, you might create infographics for marketing content, blog posts, case studies, or resumes.

• Data visualizations: Visual representations of data organized to make it easier to understand and analyze. Common places you may create data visualizations include user dashboards on apps, reports, newsletters, and editorials.

Data visualization and infographic designers often benefit from background knowledge in data science, and many roles like business intelligence designer or data storyteller combine design skills with analytical thinking to help companies make data-driven decisions.

Job titles in this field:

• Data Visualization Designer: Create charts, graphs, and visual displays that make complex data accessible to audiences.

• Infographic Designer: Transform information into visual stories for marketing content, blog posts, case studies, and other communications.

5. Creative direction

If you enjoy behavioral psychology and consumer behavior, marketing and advertising design offer careers focused on understanding what drives purchasing decisions. Job titles in this space include creative director, art director, brand manager, marketing designer, and advertising designer. You may work with ad campaigns that involve print and digital advertising, social media graphics, posters, banners, marketing emails, and brochures.

Job titles in this field:

• Creative Director: A senior-level role requiring ownership of entire creative projects, including text elements and overall visual design across multiple mediums. Involves overseeing creative strategy for brands or campaigns plus leadership responsibilities like budgeting and hiring.

• Art Director: Lead creative teams and establish the visual direction for advertising campaigns, working across various mediums while managing budgets and project timelines.

• Marketing Designer: Focus on creating visual content for marketing campaigns, including digital ads, social media graphics, email designs, and promotional materials.

How to get remote graphic design jobs

If you want to choose your own hours but work in a creative profession like graphic design, a remote position gives you both. Follow these steps if you want remote graphic design jobs:

1. Get a graphic design degree or gain equivalent experience.

2. Make a graphic design portfolio and resume.

3. Display your work and services on a personal website.

4. Consider using social media to build a brand.

5. Find companies and job boards that hire remote graphic designers.

How to get a graphic design job

Breaking into graphic design requires a combination of education, technical skills, portfolio development, and hands-on experience. While educational requirements vary by employer and can include micro certifications, associate degrees, or bachelor's degrees in fine arts or liberal arts, many designers can succeed with strong portfolios and solid knowledge of design principles, even without formal degrees. Essential skills include mastering color theory, typography, and design software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, plus newer tools like Canva and WordPress depending on your specialization. Building a compelling portfolio that showcases your best work through a professional website is crucial for landing positions, and gaining experience through internships, volunteer projects, and entry-level roles helps demonstrate your capabilities to potential employers.

Here are a few resources to get you started:

• How to Learn Graphic Design: 7 Steps to Build Your Skills

• What Does a Graphic Designer Do? (And How to Become One)

• Which Graphic Design Professional Certificate Is Best for You? Adobe vs CalArts

• Subscribe to our LinkedIn newsletter, Career Chat to stay up-to-date on in-demand skills and more

• Check out Coursera's Youtube channel to hear from established professionals, compare online courses, and more

• Visit the Career Resource Hub to take career path quizzes, skill assessments, and more

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