Art Careers / Graphic Designer
What Does a Graphic Designer Do? An Art Career for Kids
Curious about this job? Here is what the work looks like, a typical day, the tools, where people do it and how to get started, plus a small activity so you can try it yourself.
What a graphic designer does
A graphic designer puts words, pictures and colors together so people notice and understand a message. They make logos, posters, book covers, packages and website graphics.
Real-world examples: Paul Rand, who designed logos for IBM and UPS.
A day on the job
- Meet with a client or art director to learn what they need
- Sketch ideas and build designs on the computer
- Choose fonts, colors and layouts
- Make changes based on feedback and check for mistakes before printing
Tools of the job
- Computer
- Design and layout software
- Photo editing software
- Drawing tablet
- Sketchbook and markers
- Color and font guides
Where they work
- Design studios
- Advertising agencies
- Publishing and printing companies
- Home offices (some are self-employed)
The path in 4 steps
Start now
- Design a logo for yourself or your family
- Make posters for school events
- Notice fonts and logos on cereal boxes and signs
In your teens
- Take art, graphic design or digital media classes
- Design for the yearbook, school clubs or small local events
- Learn a free design or layout program
Training
Most graphic designers have a bachelor's degree in graphic design or a related art field. People with a degree in another subject sometimes take technical design training instead. Internships help, and a strong portfolio is key for getting hired.
Build a portfolio
A mix of real or practice projects: logos, posters, packaging, layouts, each with a short note about the problem it solved.
Skills that help
- Typography (using letters well)
- Color
- Layout
- Listening to clients
- Software skills
Try this job
A small taste of the real work, using things you already have.
Invent a pretend business, like a cat cafe or a sock shop. Design a logo using only two colors and one simple shape. Make one version big and one version tiny, the size of a postage stamp. Can you still tell what it is when it is tiny? Great logos work at every size, and that is a real test designers use.
Ms Artastic lessons
Lessons that practise skills this career uses.
Watch with Ms Artastic
Videos from my YouTube channel that practise skills from this job.
Related art careers
Learn more
For pay, job outlook and training details, read the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook page for this kind of work.
Which art career fits you?
Answer a few quick questions and see which art jobs match what you love to do.
Take the Which Art Career Fits You quizQuestions teachers and parents ask
What does a graphic designer do?
A graphic designer puts words, pictures and colors together so people notice and understand a message. They make logos, posters, book covers, packages and website graphics.
How do you become a graphic designer?
Most graphic designers have a bachelor's degree in graphic design or a related art field. People with a degree in another subject sometimes take technical design training instead. Internships help, and a strong portfolio is key for getting hired.
What skills does a graphic designer need?
Typography (using letters well), Color, Layout, Listening to clients and Software skills.
The Artastic Collective art curriculum
Full art lessons, videos and units for the whole year, ready when you are. Monthly, yearly and VIP plans.
