Learn about the role and career path of a visual designer with this article.
Visual design focuses on enhancing the aesthetic and usability of a digital product. It involves the strategic implementation of images, colours, fonts, and layouts. Although many visual design elements deal with a product's look, its feel is equally important. Visual design aims to create an interface that provides users with the optimal experience.
Visual design and graphic design have many similarities. However, there are some critical distinctions between them. First, graphic design may encompass print publications and other non-digital media forms. Visual design typically refers to web-based and digital product enhancement. The goal of graphic design is to communicate a specific idea or message. In contrast, visual designers are responsible for shaping the larger brand image.
User interface (UI) design creates an application’s visual elements. It has two primary focus areas—interaction design (how elements are organised in an interface) and visual design. UI designers focus on creating a seamless, visually pleasing user experience. Conversely, the primary goal for visual designers is to effectively demonstrate the image a brand wants to convey to its consumers through its digital designs.
Visual designers work in many different industries across various platforms. Companies or organisations may hire them to design websites, games, movies, and other digital design projects. Accordingly, certain specialisations require knowledge of a specific business sector. The following section is a sample job description for a visual designer role.
Work with a brand’s guidelines to establish the look and feel of their digital interfaces.
Source image and video assets.
Collaborate with marketing, development, information technology (IT), and operations teams.
Create and manage data visualisation, production assets, interaction models, mockups, and more.
Manage multiple projects and strategise deadlines.
Design logos, infographics, and icons.
The average annual salary for a visual designer in the UK is £34,703 [1]. Several factors can influence this salary, including industry, specialisation, expertise level, and company.
While having a degree is not mandatory, many visual designers in the UK do, and many job openings ask for one. Common areas of study include visual communication, graphic design, and fine arts. You can learn more about pursuing this career path in the following walkthrough.
1. Build essential skills. Creativity is a critical component of a visual designer’s role. You must be able to strategise using colour, lines, typography, and white space. Since visual designers often work closely with design teams and companies to create brand imagery, you must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills.
2. Familiarise yourself with visual design tools. A few of the most popular visual design tools include Figma, Adobe Photoshop, and Canva. You can get started with Canva and practice creating your own digital products for free with the following Guided Project:
3. Enhance your CV. Transitioning into a new role can be intimidating when you haven’t yet gained on-the-job experience. In place of experience, visual designers can build portfolios of their best work. These portfolios allow job seekers to showcase specific skills and knowledge. You can build your portfolio by working on projects independently or enrolling in a Guided Project like the one mentioned above.
4. Choose an area of focus. Another way to increase your competitiveness as a candidate is to choose a specialisation. For example, suppose you plan to become a visual designer specialising in UI design. In that case, you may consider earning a UI/UX design certificate from the California Institute of Arts or a UX Design Professional Certificate from Google.
5. Stay current with the industry. When you stay up-to-date with the visual design industry, you can demonstrate expertise to employers and learn about the latest trends and technologies. You can follow industry experts on social media or subscribe to relevant blogs and YouTube channels. Check out relevant Slack channels like the Designed Slack discussion to explore design processes and tools, visual design jobs, and more for peer-to-peer connection.
Continue building your visual design expertise by enrolling in The Language of Design: Form and Meaning, a course from the California Institute of the Arts, or explore a specialisation with the UX Design Professional Certificate from Google.
Indeed. "Visual designer salary in United Kingdom, https://uk.indeed.com/career/visual-designer/salaries." Accessed July 23, 2024.
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