Graphic design

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Advertising art director
• Animator
• Artworker
• Concept artist
• Exhibition designer
• Graphic designer
• Illustrator
• Multimedia specialist
• UX designer
• Web designer

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Creative director
• Digital marketer
• Fine artist
• Game artist
• Interior and spatial designer
• Medical illustrator
• Multimedia programmer
• Printmaker
• Production designer, theatre/television/film
• Urban designer

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Courses often provide the opportunity to work on live briefs with businesses and organisations. There may also be opportunities to take an optional work placement in industry either in the UK or abroad.

Internships remain one of the most effective ways to gain experience, make industry contacts and build your portfolio. The design world is well networked, and agencies will frequently recommend interns who have impressed them or contact them when suitable opportunities arise.

Participating in competitions, online showcases and exhibitions can help you to promote yourself and build up your network of contacts. You could also try and get some work experience, for example working for a film production company, television channel or even a magazine, or do some voluntary work on local projects.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

Graphic designers work across a range of sectors. Typical employers in the creative industries include:

• advertising firms
• branding specialists
• creative agencies
• design consultancies and studios
• media and communication companies
• packaging companies
• PR agencies
• publishing companies.

Opportunities for in-house graphic design roles in other sectors are available with employers such as:

• charities, NGOs and cultural institutions
• finance and fintech organisations
• gaming, immersive media and XR studios
• healthcare and life sciences companies
• retail and e-commerce brands
• technology companies.

In the public sector, you could also find employment with local authorities, schools, colleges and hospitals. Other options include working in fashion, television and film or architecture.

Many graphic design graduates choose to work on a freelance basis, either immediately after graduation or alongside part‑time employment as part of a portfolio career. Some graduates set up their own studios and work as exhibiting artists or join creative collectives. Find out more about self-employment.

Find information on employers in creative arts and design, marketing, advertising and PR, media and internet and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

A graphic design degree develops your understanding of effective graphic communication and enables you to build a good mix of subject-specific and technical skills, including:

• animation
• branding
• coding
• computer software skills, e.g. Adobe Creative Cloud and Figma, and web design skills
• design
• digital media
• drawing and sketching
• moving image
• photography
• printmaking
• typography
• UX/UI.

You also develop a range of other skills that are sought after by many employers. These include:

• creativity - to effectively convey ideas or meanings
• communication - essential for discussing projects with the client and colleagues
• teamwork - collaborating on a range of creative projects with other graphic design students and those from other creative courses, e.g. filmmakers, fine artists, dancers, philosophers and writers
• time management - managing and delivering a range of creative projects to deadline
• analysis - evaluating visual choices, user needs and design problems to make informed decisions
• research - gathering insights from users, audiences, trends and contexts to inform your work
• ability to work independently - to produce your own work and build your portfolio
• presentation - for sharing your work or a project with others
• entrepreneurial - your portfolio must be creative, imaginative and commercial
• ethical awareness - understanding accessibility, sustainability and the responsible use of AI.

Further study

Studying for a Masters degree can help you develop in-depth knowledge of a specialist topic, for example typography, illustration, motion design or digital product design. Alternatively, it can enable you to move into a related area such as multimedia, landscape architecture or interior design.

Some Masters courses offer the opportunity to collaborate - either formally or informally - with other creatives, such as fine artists, film makers, developers or data specialists. Studying at postgraduate level also gives you time to enhance your portfolio and build a wider professional network.

Short courses and micro-credentials are another good option for learning new technical skills or updating your knowledge of emerging tools and technologies.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search for postgraduate courses in graphic design.

What do graphic design graduates do?

Almost half (47%) of graphic design graduates are working as graphic and multimedia designers 15 months after graduation. A further 7% work as advertising and marketing associate professionals (5%) or in design occupations (2%).

Find out what other art and design graduates are doing 15 months after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.