What does a lead graphic designer do?
A lead graphic designer is responsible for creating, designing, and updating the company's visual aspects. The lead graphic designer works closely with the branding department alongside the advertising and marketing team. It is essential for the lead graphic designer must be creative, willing to think outside the box, and brave to dare novel ideas. The lead graphic designer is also responsible for leading the creative department in accomplishing assigned tasks from management.
Lead graphic designer responsibilities
Here are examples of responsibilities from real lead graphic designer resumes:
- Manage website redesign including copywriting and updating all website content.
- Web projects (website design, HTML web updates and email marketing design and code).
- Create all PowerPoint, marketing and print materials; including but not limit to trade-show booth, and give-a-ways.
- Design and supervise production of all artwork for print apparel.
- Create all social media presence including twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and Blogspot.
- Format HTML graphics for e-blasts, web banners, e-marketing tools, web publishing platforms.
- Utilize social media networking tools like blogs, facebook, twitter, and e-mail blasts, etc.
- Increase client capture by increasing effectiveness of presentations using flash base presentations and advance PowerPoint features.
- Receive recognition from senior management for contributing to accelerate revenue growth as a result of developing and implementing comprehensive design strategy.
- Play key role in rebranding out-date literature and web sites to align with modern design and technology trends.
- Work closely with customers to answer their inquiries concerning good PC health.
- Utilize rebranding strategies to modernize and revamp the company's look and feel, while maintaining and attracting new clientele.
- Research and recommend solutions for creation of company intranet.
- Secure preliminary design approvals and convert artwork to PDF format.
Lead graphic designer skills and personality traits
We calculated that 7% of Lead Graphic Designers are proficient in Adobe Photoshop, Graphic Design, and Design Concepts. They’re also known for soft skills such as Analytical skills, Artistic ability, and Communication skills.
We break down the percentage of Lead Graphic Designers that have these skills listed on their resume here:
- Adobe Photoshop, 7%
Delivered requested professional visual assets using Adobe Photoshop.
- Graphic Design, 7%
Lead graphic designer focusing on logo development, marketing materials, advertisements and marketing campaigns for micro-businesses in the local market.
- Design Concepts, 7%
Hired, trained and directed staff members who developed design concepts into art layouts or who prepared layouts for printing.
- Adobe Illustrator, 5%
Developed more than 5,000 technical drawings in Adobe Illustrator for US Navy projects including US Army Watercraft & DRSKO instruction manuals.
- Adobe Creative Suite, 5%
Create video advertisements utilizing Adobe Creative Suite.
- Project Management, 5%
Expanded responsibilities to include additional project management and support functions to provide additional value to client.
"adobe photoshop," "graphic design," and "design concepts" are among the most common skills that lead graphic designers use at work. You can find even more lead graphic designer responsibilities below, including:
Analytical skills. The most essential soft skill for a lead graphic 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 lead graphic designer resume shows how their duties depend on analytical skills: "created dynamic employment advertisements, using adobe creative suite and proprietary database, for major newspapers and trade journals worldwide. "
Artistic ability. Many lead graphic designer duties rely on artistic ability. "graphic designers must be able to create designs that are artistically interesting and appealing to clients and consumers," so a lead graphic designer will need this skill often in their role. This resume example is just one of many ways lead graphic designer responsibilities rely on artistic ability: "utilized adobe photoshop and illustrator to achieve various artistic and graphic designs. "
Communication skills. Another skill that relates to the job responsibilities of lead graphic designers is communication skills. This skill is critical to many everyday lead graphic designer duties, as "graphic designers must communicate with clients, customers, and other designers to ensure that their designs accurately and effectively convey information." This example from a resume shows how this skill is used: "served as lead graphic designer for the corporate communications arm of a not-for-profit utility serving over 400,000 customers. "
Computer skills. For certain lead graphic designer responsibilities to be completed, the job requires competence in "computer skills." The day-to-day duties of a lead 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 lead graphic designers do: "developed computer skills to be promoted to lead graphic design with in first seven months. "
Creativity. A commonly-found skill in lead graphic designer job descriptions, "creativity" is essential to what lead graphic designers do. Lead graphic designer responsibilities rely on this skill because "graphic designers must be able to think of new approaches to communicating ideas to consumers." You can also see how lead graphic designer duties rely on creativity in this resume example: "demonstrated outstanding versatility and creativity to maintain network integrity and availability while simultaneously contributing graphic design concepts to production team. "
Time-management skills. Lastly, "time-management skills" is an important element of what a lead graphic designer does. Lead 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 lead graphic designer duties rely on this skill: "worked collaboratively to complete multiple web/graphic design projects with overlapping tasks and deadlines to achieve web-based interactive solutions. "
The three companies that hire the most lead graphic designers are:
Choose from 10+ customizable lead graphic designer resume templates
Build a professional lead graphic designer 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 lead graphic designer resume.
Compare different lead graphic designers
Lead 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 lead graphic designer are more likely to require skills like "project management," "product photography," "print collateral," and "email campaigns." On the other hand, a job as a graphic artist requires skills like "photography," "posters," "sample layouts," and "web design." 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, lead graphic designers make the biggest average salary, $85,443, in the technology industry.On average, graphic artists reach similar levels of education than lead graphic designers. Graphic artists are 0.6% less likely to earn a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to graduate with a Doctoral Degree.Lead 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.
Each career also uses different skills, according to real lead graphic designer resumes. While lead graphic designer responsibilities can utilize skills like "motion graphics," "brochures," "product photography," and "print collateral," designers use skills like "customer service," "html css," "revit," and "aided design."
Designers earn a lower average salary than lead graphic designers. But designers earn the highest pay in the technology industry, with an average salary of $87,754. Additionally, lead graphic designers earn the highest salaries in the technology with average pay of $85,443 annually.designers earn similar levels of education than lead graphic designers in general. They're 2.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.What technology do you think will become more important and prevalent for lead 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
Lead graphic designer vs. Visual designer
A visual designer is someone who creates designs for a variety of platforms such as Internet and intranet sites, games, and wearables. The duties of visual designers depend on the specific project or industry in which they are working. Duties include creating user-centered interaction models, working with information technology and business teams to resolve complex issues, and designing logos, icons, and infographics. The qualifications to become a visual designer include possessing strong problem-solving, communication, and negotiation skills and obtaining a bachelor's degree in design.
Some important key differences between the two careers include a few of the skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of each. Some examples from lead graphic designer resumes include skills like "brochures," "product photography," "mac," and "print production," whereas a visual designer is more likely to list skills in "visual design," "ui," "user experience," and "visualization. "
Visual designers make a very good living in the start-up industry with an average annual salary of $121,675. On the other hand, lead graphic designers are paid the highest salary in the technology industry, with average annual pay of $85,443.visual designers typically earn similar educational levels compared to lead graphic designers. Specifically, they're 4.9% more likely to graduate with a Master's Degree, and 0.0% more likely to earn a Doctoral Degree.Lead graphic designer vs. Junior designer
A junior designer is an entry-level professional who is responsible for creating high-quality designs according to the requirements of clients. Under the supervision of senior designers, junior designers must understand project requirements and projects and use various techniques to create drafts, models, and prototypes. They collaborate with team members to pitch in creative ideas and produce final design solutions that can include banners or logos. Junior designers must also take on specially design tasks and use feedback from other designers to improve.
Types of lead graphic designer
Updated January 8, 2025
