How long does it take to become a digital designer?

It takes between six months and five years to become a digital designer. Some digital designers prefer not to adhere to the traditional education track and find themselves deep in the digital designer career path with certifications, mentorships, or other non-traditional means of gaining knowledge and practical application.

Is digital design hard?

No, digital design is not hard for those interested in pursuing a career in the field. Most digital designers have a passion for graphics, art, and expanding their creativity. The principles can be learned in certification courses or via traditional methods. Once learned, most digital designers can explore their own style and niche.

What degree do you need to be a digital designer?

You need a bachelor's of graphic or digital design or a degree in graphic or digital art. Some digital designers have reported being self-taught or learning via online certification programs. Regardless of the education path you choose, it is imperative to create a portfolio and ensure you grasp design basics.

What is the difference between a digital designer and a graphic designer?

The difference between a digital designer and a graphic designer is the final product being produced; digital designers are geared towards more interactive forms of media, while graphic designers are geared toward graphics and stationary media.

What is a digital designer and how to become one

Updated January 8, 2025

4 min read

Quoted expert

Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.

A digital designer combines visual art, design, and technology to create engaging digital content and user experiences. Their work includes website design, mobile app development, digital marketing campaigns, and more. Digital designers use software such as Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, and Figma to create designs that are both aesthetically pleasing and functional. They collaborate closely with developers, project managers, and clients to ensure that their designs meet the project's requirements and are delivered on time.

What general advice would you give to a digital designer?

Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.

Department Chair Visual and Performing Arts, Professor of Music and Humanities, College of Central Florida

I was once told, if you do what you love, you will never "work" a day in your life. I have found this true in my own career and hope our VPA graduates will find it true in theirs as well. The arts offer such a unique means of engaging and we, as arts educators, have an ability to "reach" those we have contact with, in a unique way.

ScoreDigital DesignerUS Average

Salary

5.7

Avg. Salary $72,987

Avg. Salary $59,228

Stability level

4.2

Growth rate 3%

Growth rate 0.3%

Diversity

4.5

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 0.37%

Asian 10.42%

Black or African American 3.42%

Hispanic or Latino 10.63%

Unknown 4.99%

White 70.17%

Gender

female 40.04%

male 59.96%

Age - 37

Race

American Indian and Alaska Native 3.00%

Asian 7.00%

Black or African American 14.00%

Hispanic or Latino 19.00%

White 57.00%

Gender

female 47.00%

male 53.00%

Age - 37

Stress level

4.2

Stress level is moderate

7.1 - high

Complexity level

8.5

Complexity level is advanced

7 - challenging

Work life balance

3.9

Work life balance is poor

6.4 - fair

What are the pros and cons of being a digital designer?

Pros

Creative freedom
Competitive salary
Collaboration with other creative professionals
Wide range of industries to work in
Chance to work on projects with global impact

Cons

High pressure environment with deadlines
Limited face-to-face interaction with clients and team members
Challenging to maintain a healthy work-life balance
Difficulty in standing out in a crowded market
Job security can be impacted by economic downturns.

Key steps to become a digital designer

Explore digital designer education requirements

Most common digital designer degrees

Bachelor's

74.2 %

Associate

13.0 %

Master's

7.8 %

Start to develop specific digital designer skills

Skills	Percentages
Sketch	11.78%
Digital Marketing	7.09%
Graphic Design	7.06%
Digital Design	6.16%
Adobe Creative Suite	5.23%

Complete relevant digital designer training and internships

Accountants spend an average of 1-3 months on post-employment, on-the-job training. New digital designers learn the skills and techniques required for their job and employer during this time. The chart below shows how long it takes to gain competency as a digital designer based on U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics data and data from real digital designer resumes.

Research digital designer duties and responsibilities

Manage various clients and projects as a sole proprietor, specializing in creative design, animation, and illustration.
Use ASP.NET and XML to automate common workflow tasks due to extremely high volume of designs to be create.
Manage website redesign including copywriting and updating all website content.
Work in SharePoint, Dreamweaver, HTML5, CSS, wireframes, storyboards, and WordPress.

Prepare your digital designer resume

When your background is strong enough, you can start writing your digital designer resume.

You can use Zippia's AI resume builder to make the resume writing process easier while also making sure that you include key information that hiring managers expect to see on a digital designer resume. You'll find resume tips and examples of skills, responsibilities, and summaries, all provided by Zippi, your career sidekick.

Choose from 10+ customizable digital designer resume templates

Build a professional digital designer resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 10+ resume templates to create your digital designer resume.

Apply for digital designer jobs

Now it's time to start searching for a digital designer job. Consider the tips below for a successful job search:

Browse job boards for relevant postings
Consult your professional network
Reach out to companies you're interested in working for directly
Watch out for job scams

How do digital designers rate their job?

-/5

5 stars

4 stars

3 stars

2 stars

1 star

Digital designer reviews

A zippia user wrote a review on Jul 2022

Pros

There is so much to like about working as Graphic Designer ... the seeing how all the elements of words, space, colors, visuals (photos, graphics, charts,...) come together on a page...sharing info with others to learn and use

Cons

When working with others who can not make up their minds as deadline approaches nor take responsibility and blames others for their own "misdoings".

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Pros

It is something I enjoy! Something I’m good at! Something I could do as hobby and get paid for

Cons

That I don’t get to do it more often

A zippia user wrote a review on Dec 2019

Cons

I usually don't like impatient people and those u quickly judge what I do having not seen the results

What is a digital designer and how to become one

What general advice would you give to a digital designer?

What are the pros and cons of being a digital designer?

Digital designer career paths

Key steps to become a digital designer

Explore digital designer education requirements

Most common digital designer degrees

Start to develop specific digital designer skills

Complete relevant digital designer training and internships

Research digital designer duties and responsibilities

Prepare your digital designer resume

Choose from 10+ customizable digital designer resume templates

Apply for digital designer jobs

How did you land your first digital designer job

Average digital designer salary

How do digital designers rate their job?

Digital designer reviews

Digital designer FAQs

How long does it take to become a digital designer?

Is digital design hard?

What degree do you need to be a digital designer?

What is the difference between a digital designer and a graphic designer?

Search for digital designer jobs