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Senior Designer skills for your resume and career

Updated January 8, 2025
5 min read
Quoted Experts
Dr. Jennifer Jorgensen Ph.D.,
Samantha Osborne
Senior Designer Example Skills
Below we've compiled a list of the most critical senior designer skills. We ranked the top skills for senior designers based on the percentage of resumes they appeared on. For example, 15.2% of senior designer resumes contained sketch as a skill. Continue reading to find out what skills a senior designer needs to be successful in the workplace.

15 senior designer skills for your resume and career

1. Sketch

Here's how senior designers use sketch:
  • Developed electrical schematic of switching power supply from engineering sketch.
  • Research current trends, hand sketch initial ideas, and translate into jewelry designs in Illustrator for the target market.

2. 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 senior designers use graphic design:
  • Experienced in working in a multidisciplinary background that includes environmental graphic design, signage and interior architecture.
  • Advertised company through web and graphic design using flash animation, print advertisements and multimedia solutions.

3. Human Centered Design

Here's how senior designers use human centered design:
  • Created high fidelity prototypes using the practices of human centered design.

4. User Experience

Here's how senior designers use user experience:
  • Redesigned existing user interfaces of mobile division applications, resulting in the increase of functionality and an overall satisfying user experience.
  • Helped design overall User Experience of consumer applications.

5. UI

Here's how senior designers use ui:
  • Translated business and customer requirements into functional UI that met business objectives.
  • Identified complex architectural issues and proposed successful solutions through UI elements.

6. CAD

Here's how senior designers use cad:
  • Coordinate architectural designs with the production of Cad generated drawings for the erection and fabrication of structural and miscellaneous members.
  • Audited and repopulated existing CAD Database and Library, eliminating duplicate and contradicting design release data.

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7. Autocad

Here's how senior designers use autocad:
  • Develop two-dimensional civil, structural and architectural detail design drawings using AutoCAD and/or MicroStation for various industrial and commercial projects.
  • Created engineering drawings and documents for production using Pro/Engineer and AutoCAD for residential and commercial water heating use.

8. Design Concepts

Here's how senior designers use design concepts:
  • Developed design concepts for various clients' marketing/advertising plans, including corporate identity, print advertising, and collateral materials.
  • Review pricing, materials and customization for projects and provides design support for completion/execution of design concepts.

9. Design Solutions

The design solution is a process that is used to simplify or translate high-level client requirements into a simpler form that may be also be regarded as a solution. For this purpose, the technical requirements and models are to be transformed into alternative designs which are then analyzed and the best one among all the alternatives is chosen as the ultimate solution.

Here's how senior designers use design solutions:
  • Designed and developed internet marketing and design solutions that promote a variety of industries from telecommunications to finance.
  • Created design solutions in-house for direct mail advertising, promotional material, packaging and Point-of-Purchase displays.

10. Product Design

Product design can be described as a process of imagining, creating, and iterating products that solve user's problems and talk about the specific needs of users in the market. Product design is an engineering disciple and it is the basic design and idea that goes before the mass production of the product.

Here's how senior designers use product design:
  • Worked closely with our manufacturing department and CNC/conventional operators to increase stability of product design and lower overall costs.
  • Worked closely with fabrication technicians to ensure product design changes and other modifications were made and documented.

11. Project Management

Here's how senior designers use project management:
  • Gathered and analyzed workforce metrics using web-based applications including Learning Management Systems (LMS) to complete Project Management Directive reports.
  • Managed projects while ensuring consistency in design and development of training products using Project Management and Instructional System Design methodologies.

12. CSS

Here's how senior designers use css:
  • Assisted Creative Director in the development and maintenance of CSS and PHP based websites.
  • Acted as mentor to junior designers by teaching HTML, CSS, and Flash.

13. HTML

Here's how senior designers use html:
  • Supported technical team in production of HTML, ASP, and PHP web page layouts.
  • Reviewed all HTML emails, and newsletters for design, compatibility, and brand consistency.

14. Invision

Here's how senior designers use invision:
  • Put together clickable prototypes and demos for management and sales in Invision.

15. SR

Here's how senior designers use sr:
  • Coordinated manpower and workload for the L-1011 drawing preparation cycle, provided leadership and guidance to designers and other Sr.
  • Worked and resolved Several Service Request (SR) related to TRAX Interface.
top-skills

What skills help Senior Designers find jobs?

Tell us what job you are looking for, we’ll show you what skills employers want.

What skills stand out on Senior Designer resumes?

Dr. Jennifer Jorgensen Ph.D.Dr. Jennifer Jorgensen Ph.D. LinkedIn Profile

Assistant Professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

The retail industry is robust and requires many skills. Content and industry-related knowledge are essential, including comfort with computer applications like Adobe Creative Suite and Microsoft Excel. Beyond knowledge of the industry, job candidates need excellent communication skills in written and oral forms. It's also highly recommended that job candidates have work experience in their area of interest, which could include an internship, job shadow, or part-time position.

What soft skills should all Senior Designers possess?

Samantha Osborne

Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Owner, Samantha Osborne Design, Eastern Illinois University

Three soft skills stand out most: an ability to see the big picture, an ability to "read" people, and an ability to make a convincing argument for your design solution(s).
i. An ability to see big picture: there are an infinite number of details in graphic design, whether you work in website design on the front or back end, or in print media with physical outputs. It's easy to get caught up on the details, especially when clients are making specific demands about things such as paper type. A skilled designer must be able to see beyond the details and look at the big picture for an effective design solution. For example, a client may be asking for an invitation design for an up-coming event. A skilled designer will ask questions and dig in, eventually uncovering that perhaps for a successful event, the client also needs a splash page and social media, either in place of or in addition to an invitation. A skilled designer addresses design problems holistically, rather than minutely.
ii. An ability to "read" people: designers are trained in art-specific vocabulary. Hue, saturation, pixels, gestalt...most non-art folks don't use or speak that language. When clients are describing their goals, they aren't using art-vocabulary. It's a designer's job to translate what the client is saying into an advanced and effective creative solution. They must be able to speak and understand the language of non-creative folks, as well as the language of the broader creative industry.
iii. An ability to make a convincing argument for your design solution(s): many young and inexperienced designer tend to get their hearts broken when a client smashes one of their [very well thought-out] ideas. Rather than rolling over, a designer must learn to navigate how best to build support for their idea(s). That might mean in some instances you work more fluidly with the client throughout the design process, so that they feel they have ownership in the development of the solution. In other instances it might mean that the designer is presenting options, rather than a single solution, so that the client feels empowered to make choices throughout the design process. And in some instances, it might be a matter of better explaining and presenting your idea to a client; perhaps the designer needs to push back more, perhaps they need to provide more research as to why their solution is best, or maybe they simply need to present it with more excitement and enthusiasm.

What hard/technical skills are most important for Senior Designers?

Samantha Osborne

Assistant Professor of Graphic Design, Owner, Samantha Osborne Design, Eastern Illinois University

This completely depends on which sector of the graphic design industry you're involved in. Generally speaking, a working knowledge of the Adobe Creative Suite is essential, with expertise in other software as it applies to your field. I also find it refreshing and highly effective when designers can begin exploring and developing solutions in an more analog fashion on the front-end of projects, before jumping to the computer. For example, it's easier to visually organize complex ideas via a post-it/mood board wall in which you can physically move ideas around, especially when you're working with a team, which is more common than not.

What Senior Designer skills would you recommend for someone trying to advance their career?

Carmita Sanchez-FongCarmita Sanchez-Fong LinkedIn Profile

Professor and Chairperson, Fashion Institute of Technology, SUNY

Sketch, sketch, sketch, and work on your portfolio. Use the many resources at FIT to stay current with technology, including 3d printing, laser cutting, and virtual reality. Volunteer with one of the professional organizations, attend virtual conferences, enter a competition, develop your personal/professional profile, and become familiar with digital material resources. Work on your research and presentation skills. Create a well-organized digital library of your 2d and 3d assets. Prepare yourself to go back. Take some masterclasses. Volunteer as a virtual artist-in-residence at a local school. Be creative, remain engaged.

What type of skills will young Senior Designers need?

Nancy MillerNancy Miller LinkedIn Profile

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.

List of senior designer skills to add to your resume

Senior Designer Skills

The most important skills for a senior designer resume and required skills for a senior designer to have include:

  • Sketch
  • Graphic Design
  • Human Centered Design
  • User Experience
  • UI
  • CAD
  • Autocad
  • Design Concepts
  • Design Solutions
  • Product Design
  • Project Management
  • CSS
  • HTML
  • Invision
  • SR
  • Prototyping
  • Design Process
  • Design Development
  • Design Projects
  • User Interface
  • Product Development
  • Work Ethic
  • Client Facing
  • PowerPoint
  • Animation
  • Emerging Technologies
  • Adobe Illustrator
  • Art Direction
  • Web Design
  • Fine Arts
  • Design Reviews
  • Creative Direction
  • Web Site
  • R
  • Industrial Design
  • Design Direction
  • Design Standards
  • Aided Design
  • Engineering Drawings
  • Market Research
  • End Design
  • Tech Packs
  • Lead Design
  • Photo Shoots
  • Cost Estimates
  • Brand Design
  • RF

Updated January 8, 2025

Zippia Research Team
Zippia Team

Editorial Staff

The Zippia Research Team has spent countless hours reviewing resumes, job postings, and government data to determine what goes into getting a job in each phase of life. Professional writers and data scientists comprise the Zippia Research Team.

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