What is a Graphic Designer and what does he do? Duties

Graphic design guide

Scope of the guide

Graphic designer is the person who organizes the message that a brand or institution wants to convey with text, images, colors and placement, and transforms it into a truly usable visual communication that the target audience can read correctly. In short: it puts the content in a meaningful order, establishes a visual language appropriate to this order, and translates this language into files suitable for usage areas such as logos, catalogues, packaging, displays or campaigns.

I am Selçuk Aker; I have been doing graphic design for over 19 years, first in advertising agencies and now independently. In this guide, I do not leave the profession with its dictionary definition. I explain what a designer actually does during the day, what areas he specializes in, who he works with, and where his responsibilities end, with examples from my own projects.

Who is a graphic designer?

Graphic design is a visual communication profession. The designer's first question is "how does it look good?" but “who will see what, where and in what order?” is the question. On a poster, this might be a single message that will be read in a few seconds on a busy road. It means that hundreds of information can be found in a product catalog without confusion.

Therefore, what distinguishes a graphic designer from an artist is that he works within a certain purpose and constraints. Measurement, budget, calendar, brand rules, printing technique or screen size determine the framework of the design. A good design does not ignore these constraints; He looks for the clearest and most memorable solution among them.

In Turkey, different titles such as "graphic designer", "graphic designer", "graphic designer" and in recent years "visual designer" are used for the same profession. I discussed the difference in usage between these titles in detail in graphic designer comparison. The short answer is: rather than the title, it is necessary to look at the responsibility the person assumes in the project.

What does a graphic designer do during the day?

From the outside, it seems like the designer is drawing something on the screen all day long. In reality, what is seen as “designing” is only a part of the job. The following tasks often intertwine in a workday:

• Reading the incoming request, that is, the brief, and asking for missing information
• Putting texts and images in order of importance, deciding what to read first
• Examining brand files, previous applications and examples in the industry
• Preparing sketches and first layouts, comparing alternatives
• Selecting fonts, colors, photos and icons
• Presenting the design and explaining the rationale for decisions
• Collecting feedback, distinguishing which is correction and which is new work
• Adapting the approved design to different sizes, languages and media
• Preparing and checking files for printing or publication
• Coordinating with the printing house, software developer, copywriter or photographer
• Archiving files with version names so that the next update is easy

None of the works on this list look like “design” on their own, but the quality of the final image depends heavily on them. When a product name changes, not only the cover but also the contents page, related headings and price list may be affected. The designer keeps track of which parts of the file the change propagates to. For a concrete working day example, read a graphic designer's workflow from briefing to delivery.

Duties and responsibilities

It is more revealing to read the graphic designer's duties along with the resulting deliverables:

The boundaries of these tasks are also important. The designer controls layout, readability, and file quality. The authorized person of the brand confirms the accuracy of product information, price or legal statements. Writing the content responsible, design approval, technical production and publication approval in separate lines at the beginning of the job prevents problems from arising on the last day.

Working areas of graphic designer

Graphic design is a broad profession. Most designers go deep in a few areas; It is not expected that all of them will have the same experience.

Corporate identity and brand design

Logo, color system, fonts, visual language and the rules explaining how to use them are the subject of this field. The hard part usually starts after the logo: it is necessary to ensure that the same brand is recognized on every surface, from business cards to vehicle wraps, from the website to the exhibition stand.

Packaging and label design

The packaging designer designs a surface that is noticeable on the shelf in a few seconds, but the same surface must also contain the contents, barcode, manufacturer information and legal statements. Cutting line, folding, distinction between materials and product types are the technical side of this field.

Catalog, brochure and editorial design

Multi-page works such as magazines, books, catalogues, brochures and annual reports are in this group. The key skill here is to organize dense information into a page system. The cover attracts attention, but the main job is to keep the product tables and long text readable.

Digital and social media design

Social media posts, advertising images, e-mail designs and web banners are included in this area. Speed ​​and mass production are important. The same campaign needs to remain consistent across dozens of dimensions and be read on the small screen.

Interface (UI) design

Designing the screens of websites, mobile applications and software panels is the branch of graphic design that extends to digital products. In addition to the visual layout, user flow, blank screens, error situations and components to be delivered to the developer are also considered. This is a specialization that requires separate experience.

Motion graphics

Logo animations, social media videos, presentation transitions and information animations are the subject of motion graphic design. Constructing how a static design expands over time requires a different way of thinking.

Advertising and campaign design

In campaigns consisting of posters, billboards, press releases and digital advertisements, the designer usually works with an art director and copywriter. Once the main idea is established, it is then distributed consistently across multiple media.

Where do graphic designers work?

The same profession turns into a very different daily job depending on where you work:

The most important thing I learned at the agency was that an idea must be established strong enough to withstand dozens of adaptations. Working independently, there is an added responsibility: establishing the brief, schedule and approval flow directly with the client. No workplace is more “real” design than another; only responsibilities are distributed differently.

What programs does a graphic designer use?

Vehicle selection varies depending on the job to be done. The most commonly used in the industry are:

• Adobe Illustrator: Logo, icon, unpacking and scalable vector drawings
• Adobe Photoshop: Photo editing, retouching, visual composition
• Adobe InDesign: Multi-page jobs such as catalogs, brochures, magazines and books
• Figma: Web and mobile interface, component library and prototype
• Adobe After Effects: Motion graphics and animation
• Adobe Acrobat: Pre-press PDF control and approval processes

Alternative programs such as Affinity and browser-based tools are also used for quick work. AI-powered tools have become an accelerator in visual production and idea screening in recent years; However, the designer still decides which idea fits the brand, in what order the information will be read, and whether the file is suitable for production. Program knowledge is a tool of the profession, not itself.

How does a design project proceed?

Although the project type varies, the skeleton of the workflow is largely the same:

1. Brief: Target audience, message, usage areas, deliveries, calendar and approval person are put in writing.
2. Research: The current practices of the brand, examples in the sector and technical conditions are examined.
3. Concept: One or several visual aspects are developed; The difference is not just in color but in the level of approach.
4. Presentation and feedback: Direction is evaluated through use cases; Comments are collected in a single list.
5. Application and adaptation: The approved direction is carried over to all pages, dimensions and products.
6. Print or publication preparation: Size, bleed, color profile, resolution and platform conditions are checked.
7. Delivery and archive: Usage files, source files and necessary notes are delivered regularly.

Skipping one of these steps usually results in a waste of time in the next step. The most common example I see is adapting before the content is approved. When the text changes, all dimensions must be rearranged.

Who does a graphic designer work with?

Graphic design is rarely a one-man job. Depending on the size of the project, the following roles are worked side by side:

• Art director and creative director: Determines the visual direction of the campaign or brand and controls consistency
• Copywriter: Writes headlines, slogans and description texts
• Photographer and illustrator: Produces original visuals to be used in design
• Customer representative or project manager: Manages the calendar, budget and approval flow
• Marketing team: Determines targets, channels and campaign plan
• Developer: Transforms the interface design into a working product
• Printing house and producer: Determines printing and production conditions, prepares proofs and samples

In small teams, several of these roles may be combined in the same person. I explained how a designer progresses to art director and creative director in the agency hierarchy in the graphic designer, art director and creative seniority guide.

What should not be expected from a graphic designer?

False expectations are the most common source of disagreements in design projects. The following tasks are not considered the natural responsibility of the graphic designer unless they are also discussed and written in the proposal:

• Text writing and translation: The designer places and edits the text; Producing content is a separate job
• Accuracy of information: Price, technical specifications, date and legal statements are approved by the brand.
• Photography: Product or location shooting is the job of the photographer
• Software development: Designing an interface and coding a working website are different scopes.
• Printing and production: The designer prepares the file, printing and production is the job of the printer or manufacturer
• Account and advertising management: Designing a social media image does not mean managing the account or managing the advertising budget
• Sales result promise: Design strengthens communication, but sales are also determined by product, price, distribution and traffic
• Unlimited revisions: Evaluation rounds and new direction requests are defined at the beginning

Of course, there are designers who offer some of these jobs as an additional service. The important thing is that it is written from the beginning which one is in the scope.

Sample tasks from my real projects

The most honest way to describe a job is to show what tasks are performed in real jobs. Three examples from my own work:

Pedaş: the same brand language from catalog to exhibition stand

I work on different surfaces for Pedaş, such as catalogues, brochures, price lists, packaging, social media and fair stands. The main task here is to ensure that it is understood at first glance that they all belong to the same brand, rather than doing each job separately. In the catalogue, this means setting up a page system that organizes dense product information; The same information remains readable in a more compact order in the price list. You can see how the inner pages are set up in Pedaş catalog work.

Yatcim: web interface of the yacht rental marketplace

I designed the entire Yatcim website. The mission in a marketplace is much more than a single elegant landing page: boat profiles, availability calendar, and booking and payment steps must be set up in a way that the user can proceed without getting lost. This project shows how graphic design skills are brought to interface design.

Danone: digital experience for campaign and product content

I designed the interface of a corporate digital experience showcasing campaign and product content for Danone. The designer's job in a large brand is to be able to convey content on the screen in a new layout while remaining true to existing identity conventions. This balance between rule-making and rule-following is a common thread in corporate business.

Becoming a graphic designer and career steps

A significant portion of graphic designers in Turkey come from universities' two-year associate degree or four-year undergraduate programs; Courses and self-learning are also among the ways to enter the profession. I graduated from Marmara University, Faculty of Fine Arts, Department of Graphic Design. Still, what employers and clients look at most is the portfolio: what problems you solved and how.

Careers often progress from implementation-oriented entry-level roles to experienced designers running their own business from start to finish, and from there to team-leading roles. You can find training options, portfolio preparation and a step-by-step roadmap for your first job in the how to become a graphic designer guide.

For businesses: before hiring a graphic designer

Before meeting with a designer, preparing the following information will make it easier for you to choose the right person and receive comparable quotes:

• To whom and what the design will tell and where it will be used
• List of deliverables and how many adaptations are required
• Ready-made contents: logo, text, photo, product information
• Target date and person who will give final approval
• Your expectation of source file and usage rights

You can use the graphic designer selection guide to compare candidates by portfolio, scope of proposal and work method.

Do you have a design project?

This guide provides information about education and profession. You can share your existing content and delivery expectations for your design project.

• Communication purpose of the project
• Mediums to be used
• Needed deliveries