Graphic designers

Average National Salaries (2020)

Age 20

£15,080

Age 35

£30,160

Age 50

£35,880

Average salary in the East Midlands: £20,800

What does this career do?

Graphic designers use illustrative, sound, visual and multimedia techniques to convey a message for information, entertainment, advertising, promotion or publicity purposes, and create special visual effects and animations for computer games, film, interactive and other media.

Typical tasks

liaises with client to clarify aims of project brief, discusses media, software and technology to be used, establishes timetable for project and defines budgetary constraints
undertakes research into project, considers previous related projects and compares costs of using different processes
prepares sketches, scale drawings, models, colour schemes and other mock-ups to show clients and discusses any required alterations
prepares specification and instructions for realisation of the project
liaises with other parts of the production team to ensure graphic design fits with other elements, processes and timescales
produces or oversees creation of the final product.

Current entry requirements

Entrants have usually completed a foundation course, a BTEC/SQA award, a degree and/or postgraduate qualification. NVQs/SVQs in Design (in various disciplines) are available at Levels 2 and 3. Portfolio work is also important for entry.

Percentage in work

Employed
Unemployed

Male
(2020)

Female
(2020)

Due to insufficient sample sizes, some data was excised.

Predicted employment status in 2022

Full-time
Part-time
Self Employed

Predicted employment levels in the East Midlands

Career related courses available at West Notts

About the statistics

Data is powered by LMI for All and is sourced from labour market statistics from the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Institute for Employment Research, the Department for Works and Pensions, and the UK Commission for Employment and Skills.