What is a Graphic Designer

A graphic designer creates visuals for various media.

A graphic designer creates ads, logos, 3d art, animations, animated graphics, illustrations, and all types of visuals for all types of digital and print media. There are numerous types of graphic designs and so many tools and software that it’s hard to put all graphic designers into one category, especially as the field evolves and keeps expanding.

Graphic designers can make visuals of any style or combine styles of art, photography and typography. Experienced graphic designers will know how to communicate well and understand their client’s needs, requirements and objectives and use this information to create a visually appealing design. They may research, brainstorm and use their artistic and technical talent to create a design that evokes emotions, loyalty and response.

A graphic designer may also collaborate with other professionals depending on the scope of the project, their employer or their freelancing associates. The freelance graphic designers may collaborate with other professionals on an as-needed basis. When they do collaborate with others it’s usually because the project is a bigger project or the client may be a bigger company where they have others performing specific tasks.

The definition of a graphic designer certainly changes over time as new technologies come forth and new areas spring up. The definition of a graphic designer is actually a really broad category that encompasses many different areas and industries.

A graphic designer may have one, many or all of these skills and more:

• Illustration
• Graphics
• Digital Artist
• 3D artist
• Graphics Animator
• 3D animator
• Typography Designer
• Photography
• Photo-editing
• Web Design

What makes defining a graphic designer more difficult is that, depending on the project or what wants to be accomplished, the designer may use different skillsets within the same project and may also use skills from auxiliary industries. Experienced freelance graphic designers are more likely to use a combination of different skillsets to achieve an end result.

Aside from the different types of work a graphic designer may do, there is also the auxiliary work that graphic designers must also sometimes perform. For instance, clients may expect a freelance graphic designer to also write copy, taglines and do coding. The job of the freelance graphic designer is probably the most demanding and all encompassing in regards to the type of work that is expected and all the duties one must perform.

Though the freelance graphic designer has the most creative freedom, it is probably the most demanding. There are many auxiliary skills that the freelancer must know in order to be successful. In fact, there are skills completely unrelated to graphic design that a freelancer must be proficient in, such as accounting. A freelancer is running a business and thus must have a handle on the business side of things just like any other business. A freelance graphic designer wears many hats and must do it with zeal to be happy and keep clients happy.

As a freelance graphic designer in Los Angeles, the competition in the field is extremely high, very demanding, and probably the most difficult. In Los Angeles, a very broad skillset is almost necessary because of the movie, tv, marketing and advertising companies.

An employed graphic designer has the safety and security of having a steady income and being protected by worker’s rights and laws and the umbrella of their employer. As an employee, the designer may have limited creative freedom depending on the type of employer, industry, and employer’s control or lack of. Of course, the creativity can be restrained by being a part of a team, like a marketing team, a supervisor, boss or anyone working in a higher rank. There may also be a limitation in the software and hardware used to create graphic designs, illustrations or animations, etc.