What does a junior graphic designer do?
A junior graphic designer is an entry-level professional who creates imaginative and impressive designs that promote the vision of an organization. Under the supervision of a senior graphic designer, junior graphic designers must help design digital marketing materials by using graphic design applications such as Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. They must collaborate with the team to launch projects and improve their skills by using feedback from other designers. Junior graphic designers should also be able to create logos, banners, and interfaces.
Junior graphic designer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real junior graphic designer resumes:
- Manage website redesign including copywriting and updating all website content.
- Assist in creation and launch of Google banners, newspaper advertisements, and the design of client PowerPoint presentations.
- Help in the development of their marketing and advertising collateral, mainly coupons, flyers, posters, etc.
- Design advertisement campaign for newspapers, magazines, grocery shoppers, flyers, banners and a wide range of print media.
- Code HTML email templates to be send out to a mailing list weekly.
- Implement a model for advertising to online real estate search engines using HTML language.
- Prepare approve artwork for production in screen printing, embroidery, or tackle twill.
- Design a CSS driven template that replaces the previous text-only email and incorporates the corporate branding used in the new website.
- Provide ROI reporting and list management services for exhibitor purchase ad e-blasts, attendee registration promotion, and all conference mailings.
- Maintain company website using Dreamweaver.
- Develop PowerPoint presentations for sales staff.
- Design in-house promotional advertising and brochures.
- Design promotional brochures and in-store signage.
- Create animations for PDF PowerPoint presentations.
- Illustrate artwork for digital embroidery collections.
Junior graphic designer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 16% of Junior Graphic Designers are proficient in Graphic Design, Adobe Creative Suite, and PowerPoint. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Artistic ability, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Junior Graphic Designers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Graphic Design, 16%
Job description included creative development, graphic design, and online reputation management.
- Adobe Creative Suite, 8%
Conceptualized and executed advertising initiatives in small and large format using established design principles with Adobe Creative Suites and Flexi-Sign Pro.
- PowerPoint, 5%
Developed PowerPoint presentations for sales staff.
- HTML, 4%
Implemented a model for advertising to online real estate search engines using HTML language.
- Digital Marketing, 4%
Redesigned corporate identity and administered digital marketing.
- Adobe Photoshop, 3%
Practiced skills with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and After Effects.
"graphic design," "adobe creative suite," and "powerpoint" are among the most common skills that junior graphic designers use at work. You can find even more junior graphic designer responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. To carry out their duties, the most important skill for a junior graphic designer to have is analytical skills. Their role and responsibilities require that "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." Junior graphic designers often use analytical skills in their day-to-day job, as shown by this real resume: "managed and updated property & community cms database system. "
Artistic ability. Another essential skill to perform junior graphic designer duties is artistic ability. Junior graphic designers responsibilities require that "graphic designers must be able to create designs that are artistically interesting and appealing to clients and consumers." Junior graphic designers also use artistic ability in their role according to a real resume snippet: "create user-friendly, artistic website designs and accompanying images. "
Communication skills. This is an important skill for junior graphic designers to perform their duties. For an example of how junior graphic designer responsibilities depend on this skill, consider that "graphic designers must communicate with clients, customers, and other designers to ensure that their designs accurately and effectively convey information." This excerpt from a resume also shows how vital it is to everyday roles and responsibilities of a junior graphic designer: "work on a variety of projects such as advertising, marketing campaigns, corporate communications and corporate identity. ".
Computer skills. For certain junior graphic designer responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "computer skills." The day-to-day duties of a junior graphic 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 junior graphic designers do: "create two-dimensional images depicting objects in motion using computer animation software, after effects. "
Creativity. Another common skill required for junior graphic designer responsibilities is "creativity." This skill comes up in the duties of junior graphic designers all the time, as "graphic designers must be able to think of new approaches to communicating ideas to consumers." An excerpt from a real junior graphic designer resume shows how this skill is central to what a junior graphic designer does: "utilized mostly adobe creative cloud programs including photoshop, illustrator, indesign, and powerpoint on mac platform. "
Time-management skills. Lastly, "time-management skills" is an important element of what a junior graphic designer does. Junior graphic designer responsibilities require this skill because "graphic designers often work simultaneously on multiple projects, each with a different deadline." This resume example highlights how junior graphic designer duties rely on this skill: "gained skillsexperience with tight deadlines.art direction"
The three companies that hire the most junior graphic designers are:
- CBRE Group3 junior graphic designers jobs
- Prescient Edge3 junior graphic designers jobs
- Carrier2 junior graphic designers jobs
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Compare different junior graphic designers
Junior graphic designer vs. Graphic artist
A graphic artist is either an illustrator or an animator who creates art work that will be used in graphic projects such as advertisements, posters, or even book covers. Although a graphic artist has his/her own style of artwork, he/she may be often commissioned to create art specifically for a particular project. A graphic artist may work with a graphic designer in order to convey the overall message of a project. The portfolio of a graphic artist includes cartoons, illustrations, and graphic novels.
These skill sets are where the common ground ends though. The responsibilities of a junior graphic designer are more likely to require skills like "digital marketing," "wordpress," "html css," and "animation." On the other hand, a job as a graphic artist requires skills like "photography," "sample layouts," "web design," and "motion graphics." As you can see, what employees do in each career varies considerably.
Graphic artists tend to make the most money working in the non profits industry, where they earn an average salary of $68,382. In contrast, junior graphic designers make the biggest average salary, $57,386, in the professional industry.The education levels that graphic artists earn slightly differ from junior graphic designers. In particular, graphic artists are 0.4% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree than a junior graphic designer. Additionally, they're 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Junior graphic designer vs. Assistant designer
Assistant designers act as administrative support to senior designers in creating innovative designs by negotiating with the vendors about the prices of decoration materials. They are keen and up-to-date to the latest fashion and trends by conducting surveys and research. They are exceptionally creative and innovative and have excellent IT skills as they use illustration, typography, and photography layouts in the design process. However, being an assistant designer, career development relies on his/her /her specialism, reputation, and experience depending on how its opportunities are influenced by the company he/she works for.
While some skills are similar in these professions, other skills aren't so similar. For example, resumes show us that junior graphic designer responsibilities requires skills like "graphic design," "adobe creative suite," "html," and "digital marketing." But an assistant designer might use other skills in their typical duties, such as, "tech packs," "line sheets," "trend research," and "garment construction."
Assistant designers may earn a higher salary than junior graphic designers, but assistant designers earn the most pay in the construction industry with an average salary of $57,526. On the other hand, junior graphic designers receive higher pay in the professional industry, where they earn an average salary of $57,386.assistant designers earn similar levels of education than junior graphic designers in general. They're 1.2% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.1% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for junior graphic designers in the next 3-5 years?
Dr. Sarah Satterfield Ph.D.
Department Chair Visual and Performing Arts, Professor of Music and Humanities, College of Central Florida
Junior graphic designer vs. Web designer
A web designer is a creative professional responsible for creating and redesigning the content and layout of websites. Web designers are required to meet clients and users to discuss the needs and goals of their clients. To create graphics, colors, and fonts, web designers usually use HTML coding to alter the website's layout. Web designers must build their portfolio by taking on unique projects for themselves and the people they know.
The required skills of the two careers differ considerably. For example, junior graphic designers are more likely to have skills like "digital marketing," "brochures," "adobe indesign," and "animation." But a web designer is more likely to have skills like "javascript," "ui," "html5," and "jquery."
Web designers earn the highest salary when working in the internet industry, where they receive an average salary of $81,039. Comparatively, junior graphic designers have the highest earning potential in the professional industry, with an average salary of $57,386.When it comes to education, web designers tend to earn similar degree levels compared to junior graphic designers. In fact, they're 4.1% more likely to earn a Master's Degree, and 0.3% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Junior graphic designer vs. Designer
A designer is someone who creates a master plan of the look or workings of something before it will be made. It could be tangible or intangible objects, products, procedures, laws, events, games, graphics, services, and even experiences. Designers are creative thinkers with a great eye to configure the skeletal and structural properties of the targeted output. They work in several fields, such as fashion, architecture, web graphics, and user experience. In spite of the variety of professionals in the design industry, all of them are artistic, passionate, inspiring, and emotionally connected to their projects and brands.
Types of junior graphic designer
Updated January 8, 2025
