With the web graphic designs evolving and changing every year, it is necessary for the graphic designers to upscale their skills too. So, if you are looking for making a career in graphic designing or you are already working as a graphic designer but want to upgrade yourself with the current graphic designing skills that are in demand then this article is just for you. The role of a designer constantly changes, so it is necessary for them to keep up with these changes so that they don’t get left behind.
If you are pondering over the skills of designing that are currently in demand then read the article till the very end. I will be mentioning seven skills that you need to have in order to become a successful graphic designer in these changing times.
7 Skills every graphic designer should have
Here are listed seven skills that you need to have as a graphic designer. Let’s get right into it
1. Image editing skills
This is one of the most important skills to have if you are a designer. Now that we are surrounded with visuals all over the internet. Image editing has become the need of the hour. Modifying and retouching images is an important part for surviving on social media. As simple images are often overlooked. So, if you have some really god image editing skills then you can create beautiful, unique images that everybody will like.
The most famous platform for editing images is Adobe Photoshop, though there are many new image editing software coming up but Adobe Photoshop will always be on the top.
Images can be cropped and edited on this platform. There are many features present in Adobe Photoshop which you should know and also how to use them.
2. Digital Typography
Typography is the art of arranging letters and sentences using different fonts and styles in such a manner which makes them appealing to the eyes of the user. And when this typography is done online then it becomes digital typography. This is another important skill that you need to have.
For this, you need to have a creative mind. You need to have the ability to try different combinations using variable fonts and responsive types which makes the text look attractive. If you are not aware of this topic much there are many online tutorials and blogs that will teach you a lot about this digital typography.
3. Photography
Before editing images, you need to have good photographic skills. Capturing original pictures that are beautiful as well can be a great ability to have. If you have the capability to click beautiful pictures then you are already ahead of most of the designers. Good photographic skills reduce your dependence on stock imagery which increase the originality of your work.
This is a skill that you can improve on your own, you just need to have a good quality camera and you are good to go. If you are working for a website that is about nature, or a fashion website then this good photographic skills will benefit you a lot. You should have the ability to experiment with different aspects of camera and photography like resolution, contrast, brightness, saturation levels, frame curves etc.
4. UX design
Since the design industry has become digital-centric now, creating a great User experience (UX) design is a basic necessity for every designer. UX designing is designing the part of the web page with which the user interacts and this skill is in demand. This includes creating a user friendly interface, user can easily navigate a particular page and easily use the products on the page.
UX design is distinct from graphic design but even then this is an important part of website development so every designer should have this skill regardless of his discipline. Especially if you are designing an e-commerce website this is the one skill that you need to possess. Because a website like Amazon need to have a great UX design in order to provide a great web service and user experience to its user.
Even though this work is unrelated to a graphic designer, having this skill can upscale your ability and your profile. If you know how to create a great UX design you can easily make a connection between the graphic design and UX design and can communicate with the user better.
5. Software skills
You may or may not have the knowledge about software related to web designs but if you do then it gives you an upperhand over those who don’t know it. Regardless of your field software skill is a skill that every designer needs to have. Because if you know much about software then you can improve your editing skills too, you can use different software and don’t have to rely on just a few.
It is important to focus on software skills that will help you grow other skills that you already have. For instance, if you have great image editing skills, you may try out Blender in order to develop your 3D modelling skills. Adding after effects is a great skill to learn, you can also learn the motion graphics or how to build animations. All these skills are in high demand.
6. Coding skills
Being a graphic designer, nobody will expect you to know how to build a website from first to last step. That is the job of a web designer who knows coding to build a website. But if you learn coding to develop a website then you can integrate it with your graphic designing skills which will help you in designing a web page that will complement the graphics. Coders are in demand all over the world. So if you possess this skill it will only add to your value.
Related article: Common web designing myths you need to get rid of
7. Problem solving skills
This is without a doubt the most in demand skills not just for a designer but in many other disciplines too. Sure, you know all the skills that I mentioned previously but if don’t have the problem solving skills that you may get lost in the process.
As a designer you can face any problem or issue anytime but if you can’t think of the solutions to that problem with a wide view then you will not be able to deliver with your full capacity. You need to experiment with things so that you face issues and you solve them. This skill is one of the most important to possess in every field of work.
Conclusion
Graphic designing or any other kind of designing required the same set of skills some at high level like expert level and some at beginners level. It will be a huge boost for your career or company if you have multiple skills because then the ability to deal with multiple issues simultaneously will teach you a lot of lessons and give you the experience that will help you all along your career.
