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Head designer vs graphic designer/production

The differences between head 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 head designer and a graphic designer/production. Additionally, a head designer has an average salary of $116,986, which is higher than the $48,619 average annual salary of a graphic designer/production.

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

Head designer vs graphic designer/production overview

Head DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Yearly salary$116,986$48,619
Hourly rate$56.24$23.37
Growth rate3%3%
Number of jobs53,87695,831
Job satisfaction--
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Average age3838
Years of experience1212

What does a head designer do?

The Head Designer is the overall command over the creative team's design and the entire company. The heads of the organization look toward the head designer to provide insights into the artistic path the company will take to achieve a unique brand in the market. The head designer is highly-creative, good in management, and can articulate abstract ideas clearly and relay them to company administrators, customers, and clients. A head designer's responsibilities are to handle the creative team, train each member, and provide guidance in every part of the designing process.

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.

Head designer vs graphic designer/production salary

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

Head DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Average salary$116,986$48,619
Salary rangeBetween $71,000 And $191,000Between $35,000 And $67,000
Highest paying CitySan Francisco, CAMenlo Park, CA
Highest paying stateCaliforniaMaryland
Best paying companyAirbnbOptimum Nutrition
Best paying industryHospitalityTechnology

Differences between head designer and graphic designer/production education

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

Head DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Most common degreeBachelor's Degree, 66%Bachelor's Degree, 63%
Most common majorGraphic DesignGraphic Design
Most common collegeUniversity of PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania

Head designer vs graphic designer/production demographics

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

Head DesignerGraphic Designer/Production
Average age3838
Gender ratioMale, 50.1% Female, 49.9%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 head designer and graphic designer/production duties and responsibilities

Head designer example responsibilities.

  • Help manage e-commerce website with adding new product to the site and uploading of website banners, and photography.
  • Create HTML files and CSS style sheets for integration with JavaScript.
  • Create interface mock-ups out of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript for integration into the broader, web-base application.
  • Sketch, design artwork, develop tech packs and communicate overseas to assure the understanding of the details of garment.
  • Provide production level UI design tweaks need for development.
  • Produce video cassette labels, brochures, newsletters and advertisements.
  • 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

Head designer vs graphic designer/production skills

Common head designer skills
  • Product Design, 12%
  • UI, 9%
  • Sketch, 9%
  • User Experience, 8%
  • Product Development, 6%
  • Lead Design, 5%
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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