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.
Creative designer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real creative designer resumes:
- 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.
- Customize Wordpress website templates using advance CSS skills to create an online member magazine.
- Create and maintain social media presence on twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.
- Generate creative ideas, HTML roughs, client mock-ups, and high quality designs for production.
- Create PDF and PowerPoint templates of corporate materials, such as employee reviews and sales decks.
- Design print collateral for medical conference; postcard, brochure, program, posters, and directional maps.
- Create design packages, which includes spec sheet, detail information, cad designs for pattern, stripes etc.
- Produce company promotional animation video.
- Develop and strengthen public interest and industry connections through twitter and other social media.
- Involve in architecture solution to provide amicable solution to meet business need and complexity.
Creative designer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 15% of Creative Designers are proficient in Sketch, Graphic Design, and Adobe Creative Suite. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Artistic ability, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Creative Designers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Sketch, 15%
Initiated and oversaw development from initial concept sketch to final production, working closely with Chinese engineering and manufacturing vendors.
- Graphic Design, 9%
Accomplished creative director with advanced level copywriter and senior level graphic design skills.
- Adobe Creative Suite, 5%
Utilized Adobe Creative Suite to create electronic technical renderings for 2D and 3D creative elements for prototype during floor set approval.
- Design Concepts, 5%
Collaborated with clients and media representatives to hone design concepts and ensure customer satisfaction.
- CSS, 4%
Designed front-end layouts using XHTML/HTML5, CSS, JavaScript & Ajax as per latest W3C Web Standards for Page3 Entertainments.
- HTML, 4%
Generated creative ideas, HTML roughs, client mock-ups, and high quality designs for production.
"sketch," "graphic design," and "adobe creative suite" are among the most common skills that creative designers use at work. You can find even more creative designer responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a creative designer to carry out their responsibilities is analytical skills. This skill is important for the role because "graphic designers must be able to perceive their work from their consumers’ point of view to ensure that the designs convey the client’s message." Additionally, a creative designer resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "analyze open rate and sales from blasts and utilize information for future email campaigns. "
Artistic ability. Another soft skill that's essential for fulfilling creative designer duties is artistic ability. The role rewards competence in this skill because "graphic designers must be able to create designs that are artistically interesting and appealing to clients and consumers." According to a creative designer resume, here's how creative designers can utilize artistic ability in their job responsibilities: "supervised 3 graphic designers and provided artistic direction in print, web and branding projects for quarterly magazine development. "
Communication skills. creative designers are also known for communication skills, which are critical to their duties. You can see how this skill relates to creative designer responsibilities, because "graphic designers must communicate with clients, customers, and other designers to ensure that their designs accurately and effectively convey information." A creative designer resume example shows how communication skills is used in the workplace: "partnered regularly with communications specialist to plan photo shoots and special events. "
Computer skills. For certain creative designer responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "computer skills." The day-to-day duties of a creative designer rely on this skill, as "most graphic designers use specialized graphic design software to prepare their designs." For example, this snippet was taken directly from a resume about how this skill applies to what creative designers do: "supervised four artists in production environment creating 2d/3d computer animation, presentation graphics, and video. "
Creativity. Another crucial skill for a creative designer to carry out their responsibilities is "creativity." A big part of what creative designers relies on this skill, since "graphic designers must be able to think of new approaches to communicating ideas to consumers." How this skill relates to creative designer duties can be seen in an example from a creative designer resume snippet: "work closely with product development, manufacturing, and merchandising to build the line & set the creative strategy each season. "
Time-management skills. Another skill commonly found on creative designer job descriptions is "time-management skills." It can come up quite often in creative designer duties, since "graphic designers often work simultaneously on multiple projects, each with a different deadline." Here's an example from a resume of how this skill fits into day-to-day creative designer responsibilities: "provided technical assistance to the design team managed design projects effectively coordinating with clients to meet deadlines. "
The three companies that hire the most creative designers are:
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Creative designer vs. Designer/art director
An art director collaborates with the design and art staff for books, public relations firms, advertising agencies, or newspaper publishers. Art directors create designs and layouts that embody the organization and send the message they want the audience to get. They work with producers and directors of theatres, television, and movie productions to oversee set designs. Being an art director also includes critiquing people's work, working to reach deadlines while still following the budget allocated for a certain project, and (on occasion) disciplining designers who are slacking off on the job.
There are some key differences in the responsibilities of each position. For example, creative designer responsibilities require skills like "digital marketing," "web development," "design solutions," and "css3." Meanwhile a typical designer/art director has skills in areas such as "creative concepts," "product design," "fine arts," and "content marketing." This difference in skills reveals the differences in what each career does.
Designer/art directors really shine in the media industry with an average salary of $100,319. Comparatively, creative designers tend to make the most money in the automotive industry with an average salary of $105,287.The education levels that designer/art directors earn slightly differ from creative designers. In particular, designer/art directors are 0.4% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a creative designer. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Creative designer vs. Motion graphics designer
A motion graphic designer specializes in producing artworks used in television, film, and web. Their responsibilities often revolve around submitting within a deadline, attending creative meetings, collaborating with fellow designers, following directives from clients, producing trial designs, and editing them in adherence to senior designers or clients' recommendations. There are also instances when a motion graphic designer must manage documentation, address inquiries and concerns, and report to higher-ranking personnel. Furthermore, one may choose to work for a company or independently.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that creative designer responsibilities requires skills like "graphic design," "design concepts," "motion graphics," and "javascript." But a motion graphics designer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "style frames," "filmmaking," "cinema," and "video content."
Motion graphics designers may earn a lower salary than creative designers, but motion graphics designers earn the most pay in the technology industry with an average salary of $66,825. On the other hand, creative designers receive higher pay in the automotive industry, where they earn an average salary of $105,287.motion graphics designers earn similar levels of education than creative designers in general. They're 2.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for creative designers in the next 3-5 years?
Associate Professor, Graphic Design Art, Mansfield University of Pennsylvania
Creative designer vs. Graphic designer, marketing
A graphic designer of marketing specializes in developing creative imagery as part of a company's marketing efforts. Their responsibilities typically revolve around coordinating with the marketing team to share insights and strategies, conceptualizing designs in adherence to objectives and deadlines, and preparing presentations. One may also subject designs into various revisions and edits as needed. Furthermore, as a graphic designer, it is also essential to keep abreast of the latest trends and have an understanding of the target audience.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from creative designer resumes include skills like "design concepts," "motion graphics," "photography," and "ui," whereas a graphic designer, marketing is more likely to list skills in "blog posts," "flyers," "in-house," and "email blasts. "
Graphic designers, marketing earn the highest salary when working in the technology industry, where they receive an average salary of $52,640. Comparatively, creative designers have the highest earning potential in the automotive industry, with an average salary of $105,287.Most graphic designers, marketing achieve a similar degree level compared to creative designers. For example, they're 2.6% less likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.2% less likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Creative designer vs. Graphic designer internship
In a graphic design internship, one of the primary responsibilities is to accomplish tasks while under the supervision of more experienced colleagues. An aspiring graphic designer may use this opportunity to observe and participate in designing for various industries, handle different clients, participate in creative meetings, and learn strategies from experts. Furthermore, there may also be technical tasks involving research and analysis, gathering materials, coordinating with vendors, and producing reports and other necessary documentation. They may also be responsible for maintaining a database and responding to calls and inquires.
Even though a few skill sets overlap between creative designers and graphic designer interns, there are some differences that are important to note. For one, a creative designer might have more use for skills like "ui," "javascript," "digital marketing," and "web development." Meanwhile, some responsibilities of graphic designer interns require skills like "graphic design intern," "blog posts," "flyers," and "typography. "
The professional industry tends to pay the highest salaries for graphic designer interns, with average annual pay of $41,614. Comparatively, the highest creative designer annual salary comes from the automotive industry.In general, graphic designer interns hold similar degree levels compared to creative designers. Graphic designer interns are 4.4% less likely to earn their Master's Degree and 0.2% less likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Types of creative designer
Updated January 8, 2025











