Automatically apply for jobs with Zippia
Upload your resume to get started.
Graphic design teacher skills for your resume and career
Updated January 8, 2025
2 min read
Quoted experts
Anne Beekman,
Nancy Miller
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical graphic design teacher skills. We ranked the top skills for graphic design teachers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 25.9% of graphic design teacher resumes contained graphic design as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a graphic design teacher needs to be successful in the workplace.
15 graphic design teacher skills for your resume and career
1. Graphic Design
Graphic design is the art of making visual content to communicate messages. Designers apply different page layout methods and visual hierarchy by using letters and pictures to meet the need of end-users. Most companies use graphic design to sell their product or services and to convey complicated information by using infographics.
Here's how graphic design teachers use graphic design:
- Designed, developed and taught a curriculum to teach students graphic design software and the industry standard on printing.
- Developed and taught curriculum for Art I, Art II, Graphic Design I, Graphic Design II
2. Adobe Photoshop
Here's how graphic design teachers use adobe photoshop:
- Implemented numerous page designs using Adobe Photoshop Illustrator, and InDesign.
- Teach students to use Adobe Photoshop & Illustrator.
3. Design Curriculum
Here's how graphic design teachers use design curriculum:
- Design Curriculum and Learning Modules for each course emphasizing collaboration, creativity and professional design experience.
- Developed innovative graphic design curriculum compliant with Columbus City Schools teaching guidelines.
4. Student Learning
Here's how graphic design teachers use student learning:
- Participate within various staffing committees in promoting student learning by planning educational activities based on thematic units learned in the classroom.
- Provided accurate assessment of student learning abilities, designed and implemented developmentally appropriate instruction to ensure meeting all individual student needs.
5. Web Design
Here's how graphic design teachers use web design:
- Integrated technology with lessons based on Web Design.
- Developed curriculum and skill-based projects for graphic and web design courses Instructed algebra and geometry courses according to Massachusetts Frameworks
6. Adobe Indesign
Here's how graphic design teachers use adobe indesign:
- Designed & produced interactive digital forms for staff and patients using Adobe InDesign and Acrobat Pro.
- Utilized Adobe InDesign to produce full-color advertisements, brochures and marketing pieces.
Choose from 10+ customizable graphic design teacher resume templates
Build a professional graphic design teacher resume in minutes. Our AI resume writing assistant will guide you through every step of the process, and you can choose from 10+ resume templates to create your graphic design teacher resume.7. Learning Environment
Here's how graphic design teachers use learning environment:
- Collaborated with other high school and college instructors to establish a dynamic learning environment focused on community building and professional growth.
- Provided an engaging and safe learning environment by addressing personality issues such as bullying in addition to potential physical safety issues.
8. Digital Photography
Here's how graphic design teachers use digital photography:
- Expanded program to include Digital Photography, Video, Digital Illustration.
- Trained students in Digital Photography, Photoshop, InDesign.
9. Adobe Creative Suite
Here's how graphic design teachers use adobe creative suite:
- Utilize Adobe Creative Suite/Creative Cloud tools for web, digital, print, email, branding, and advertising projects.
- Applied skills in Adobe Creative Suite Applications, SolidWorks, VUE Infinite, Unity, and other content creation tools.
10. Color Theory
Here's how graphic design teachers use color theory:
- Teach fundamentals of color theory, drawing, design and design studio to undergraduate art majors and elective students.
- Created curriculum which included art history, black and white to color theory, composition, etc.
11. Fine Arts
Here's how graphic design teachers use fine arts:
- BOARD MEMBER Served on the Board of Directors for the Texas Boys Choir/ Fort Worth Academy of Fine Arts
- Handled 40 hour weeks while getting Bachelor's degree in Fine Arts.
12. Design Programs
Here's how graphic design teachers use design programs:
- Redesigned the curriculum for the Graphic Arts and Design program to focus on the Elements and Principles of Design.
13. Multimedia
Multimedia is a growing developmental career in the digital, information, and technology industry. It entails the creation of content in text, visual, audio, and animations. Information and technology keep changing, and companies are actively searching for candidates with the right skills and expertise to meet up with these growing changes. These skills include graphic design, content creation, copy and scriptwriting, photography, Adobe creative suite, web content, video production, Html, voice-over, photoshop, CAD, XML, and audiovisual formatting/layout
Here's how graphic design teachers use multimedia:
- Developed and implemented various digital and multimedia lesson plans utilizing age-appropriate material and focusing on industry relevant projects and design methods.
- Developed, implemented, and presented classes for Associates and Bachelors degree multimedia courses.
14. PowerPoint
Here's how graphic design teachers use powerpoint:
- Provide many PowerPoint presentations and SMART Notebook software with interactive lessons to enhance the learning environment during lesson instruction.
- Displayed excellent technical skills in preparing several creative and educational PowerPoint presentations per week to facilitate student learning.
15. Public Schools
Public schools are available for everyone. They are funded and controlled by the government. With state guidance, each school board determines the curricula, finances, and jobs for schools within its borders. The government also decides on academic standards and standardised tests.
Here's how graphic design teachers use public schools:
- Provided engaging instruction and developed positive relationships with students who had not been successful in comprehensive public schools.
- Supervised and facilitated the opening of the Howard County Public Schools Automotive Technology program.
5 Graphic Design Teacher resume examples
Build a professional graphic design teacher resume in minutes. Browse through our resume examples to identify the best way to word your resume. Then choose from 5+ resume templates to create your graphic design teacher resume.
Create my resume
Build a professional resume in minutes using this template.
What skills help Graphic Design Teachers find jobs?
Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.
What graphic design teacher skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?
Anne Beekman
Associate Professor of Graphic Design & Illustration, University of Findlay
Designers with a broad range of skills- technology, creativity, and communication-with a strong aesthetic will continue to find jobs.
What type of skills will young graphic design teachers need?
Nancy Miller
Program Coordinator and Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Texas A&M University
As faculty teaching graphic design, keeping up with the ever-evolving shifts in technology, and forecasting occupational trends in professional practice can be overwhelming. When predicting post-graduation employability for graphic design students, I'm obligated to recognize that there is an over-saturation of entry-level designers in the applicant pool. As reported by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2020), "Employment of graphic designers is projected to decline 4 percent from 2019 to 2029. Graphic designers are expected to face strong competition for available positions." Despite this statistic, a degree in Graphic Design can kick off a creative career with many exciting professional roles available. Students can become tomorrow's fulfilled and accomplished professionals, with a better understanding of the workforce that they are entering into. No matter what the market conditions, to be competitive job candidates, students must possess relevant technical skills and developed creative and strategic competencies.
At a minimum, technical proficiency in industry-standard software applications like Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat are expected for new graduates. They should be able to use these applications for composition and layout in creating various print and digital touchpoints. As social media continues to rise in importance to companies, students will need to stay abreast of changes with popular social networking sites to constantly appeal to users and engage audiences across the board. Behind social media design, knowledge of marketing fundamentals (research, tactics, media, copywriting), interactive user design (websites, apps, interactive displays), and motion design (animated graphics, videos, ads) are also critical to applicants in setting them apart and making them more competitive in the candidate pool. Strategic competencies such as creative problem solving, visual communication, and the ability to parse information uniquely and originally will allow candidates to seize career opportunities and stand out in the current labor market. In addition to successful coursework and projects, students should aspire to showcase work done for clients, in order to establish a record of imaginative, creative strategy in response to client needs and/or business goals.
Many of the aforementioned skills should be evident in the curated work shown and supported in the new graduate's professionally-vetted portfolio website. In her book, "Stand Out: Design a personal brand. Build a killer portfolio. Find a great design job.," author and Assistant Professor, Denise Anderson (2016, viii) declares, "In the field of professional design, your portfolio is the single most important apparatus you have for demonstrating your talents, skills, and body of work." The visual portfolio is a critical and non-negotiable part of a job application for new graduates. Students should support their polished works with concise and reflective contextual statements to give potential employers insight into their challenges, process, and solutions for each project. In the typical hiring process, the portfolio is the apparatus that allows the student to be vetted for the ensuing in-person or virtual interview. It is in this more intimate opportunity that the student will sell their interpersonal skills in collaborative dialogues with professionals. They are establishing a level of comfort talking with professionals and clients before this juncture that will prepare students for exceptional performance in this defining employment situation.
At a minimum, technical proficiency in industry-standard software applications like Adobe InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop, and Acrobat are expected for new graduates. They should be able to use these applications for composition and layout in creating various print and digital touchpoints. As social media continues to rise in importance to companies, students will need to stay abreast of changes with popular social networking sites to constantly appeal to users and engage audiences across the board. Behind social media design, knowledge of marketing fundamentals (research, tactics, media, copywriting), interactive user design (websites, apps, interactive displays), and motion design (animated graphics, videos, ads) are also critical to applicants in setting them apart and making them more competitive in the candidate pool. Strategic competencies such as creative problem solving, visual communication, and the ability to parse information uniquely and originally will allow candidates to seize career opportunities and stand out in the current labor market. In addition to successful coursework and projects, students should aspire to showcase work done for clients, in order to establish a record of imaginative, creative strategy in response to client needs and/or business goals.
Many of the aforementioned skills should be evident in the curated work shown and supported in the new graduate's professionally-vetted portfolio website. In her book, "Stand Out: Design a personal brand. Build a killer portfolio. Find a great design job.," author and Assistant Professor, Denise Anderson (2016, viii) declares, "In the field of professional design, your portfolio is the single most important apparatus you have for demonstrating your talents, skills, and body of work." The visual portfolio is a critical and non-negotiable part of a job application for new graduates. Students should support their polished works with concise and reflective contextual statements to give potential employers insight into their challenges, process, and solutions for each project. In the typical hiring process, the portfolio is the apparatus that allows the student to be vetted for the ensuing in-person or virtual interview. It is in this more intimate opportunity that the student will sell their interpersonal skills in collaborative dialogues with professionals. They are establishing a level of comfort talking with professionals and clients before this juncture that will prepare students for exceptional performance in this defining employment situation.
What soft skills should all graphic design teachers possess?
Jenn Stucker
Associate Professor, Chair of The Graphic Design Division, Bowling Green State University
A good designer's soft skills include empathy, critical thinking, context, collaboration, leadership, networking, and the ability to present and articulate ideas.
What hard/technical skills are most important for graphic design teachers?
Diana Boyd
Faculty, Highline College
-Adobe Illustrator - Vector drawing skills
-Adobe Photoshop - Working with raster images
-Adobe InDesign - Layout skills
-Adobe Animate - Animation
-Adobe XD - UX/UI prototyping
-Wordpress/Adobe Portfolio/Adobe Dreamweaver - web design/development
-Microsoft Word /PowerPoint
-Adobe Photoshop - Working with raster images
-Adobe InDesign - Layout skills
-Adobe Animate - Animation
-Adobe XD - UX/UI prototyping
-Wordpress/Adobe Portfolio/Adobe Dreamweaver - web design/development
-Microsoft Word /PowerPoint
Do you want to know more?
Read more about what experts have to say about graphic design teacherList of graphic design teacher skills to add to your resume
The most important skills for a graphic design teacher resume and required skills for a graphic design teacher to have include:
- Graphic Design
- Adobe Photoshop
- Design Curriculum
- Student Learning
- Web Design
- Adobe Indesign
- Learning Environment
- Digital Photography
- Adobe Creative Suite
- Color Theory
- Fine Arts
- Design Programs
- Multimedia
- PowerPoint
- Public Schools
- HTML
- Computer Graphics
- Mac
- Computer Lab
- Embroidery
- Promotional Materials
- CSS
Updated January 8, 2025
Updated January 8, 2025