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Creative designer vs graphic designer/production

The differences between creative designers and graphic designer/productions can be seen in a few details. Each job has different responsibilities and duties. It typically takes 6-12 months to become both a creative designer and a graphic designer/production. Additionally, a creative designer has an average salary of $69,771, which is higher than the $48,619 average annual salary of a graphic designer/production.

The top three skills for a creative designer include sketch, graphic design and adobe creative suite. The most important skills for a graphic designer/production are graphic design, adobe photoshop, and adobe illustrator.

Creative designer vs graphic designer/production overview

Creative DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Yearly salary$69,771$48,619
Hourly rate$33.54$23.37
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs47,39495,831
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age3838
Years of experience1212

What does a creative designer do?

A creative designer's duties depend on their place or industry of employment. Typically, their responsibilities revolve around meeting with clients to learn their needs and preferences, understanding the message and purpose of the subject, developing concepts and ideas, drafting preliminary designs and prototypes for approval, and updating clients on the progress of procedures. In a company setting, a creative designer must coordinate with different teams and personnel for the production processes, all while adhering to the company's policies and regulations.

What does a graphic designer/production do?

A Graphics Designer in production is the person in charge of designing and interpreting ideas pointed out by the client or the company. The graphics designer must use market standard applications and techniques to produce attention-grabbing designs intended to market a product, service, or company. Graphic designers are an integral part of a company's digital marketing, especially over the internet. The graphic designer must have a good eye for style, typesetting, and the use of colors.

Creative designer vs graphic designer/production salary

Creative designers and graphic designer/productions have different pay scales, as shown below.

Creative DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Average salary$69,771$48,619
Salary rangeBetween $48,000 And $101,000Between $35,000 And $67,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAMenlo Park, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaMaryland
Best paying companyMetaOptimum Nutrition
Best paying industryAutomotiveTechnology

Differences between creative designer and graphic designer/production education

There are a few differences between a creative designer and a graphic designer/production in terms of educational background:

Creative DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 72%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorGraphic DesignGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Creative designer vs graphic designer/production demographics

Here are the differences between creative designers' and graphic designer/productions' demographics:

Creative DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 51.2% Female, 48.8%Male, 57.0% Female, 43.0%
Race ratioBlack or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%Black or African American, 3.4% Unknown, 5.0% Hispanic or Latino, 10.6% Asian, 10.4% White, 70.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.4%
LGBT Percentage13%13%

Differences between creative designer and graphic designer/production duties and responsibilities

Creative designer example responsibilities.

  • Manage website redesign including copywriting and updating all website content.
  • Design functional and effective website with wide knowledge of UI design, HTML.
  • Implement PHP and JavaScript to make sites dynamic to deliver the best user experience.
  • Design of large scale posters.
  • Create concept design, style frames and animation for channel bumpers.
  • Assist with updating and maintaining social media site such as Facebook.
  • Show more

Graphic designer/production example responsibilities.

  • Manage production of products; custom banners, t-shirts, satin flags, from concept to final product.
  • Manage various publications including catalogs, catalog inserts, brochures, mailers and advertising material.
  • Develop and update conference materials, including PowerPoint presentations, posters, handouts, badges, table tents, and folders.
  • Produce corporate identity systems and collateral print materials, print advertising, product/capabilities brochures, direct mail and newsletters.
  • Produce daily, weekly and monthly newsletters in both print and HTML.
  • Create cleaner HTML email templates and help others within the group improve their HTML skills.
  • Show more

Creative designer vs graphic designer/production skills

Common creative designer skills
  • Sketch, 15%
  • Graphic Design, 9%
  • Adobe Creative Suite, 5%
  • Design Concepts, 5%
  • CSS, 4%
  • HTML, 4%
Common graphic designer/production skills
  • Graphic Design, 14%
  • Adobe Photoshop, 9%
  • Adobe Illustrator, 8%
  • Art Direction, 6%
  • Adobe Indesign, 5%
  • Signage, 5%

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