Graphic Design: Skills Required and Career Opportunities

Graphic Design is a field in the group of visual communication, using images, colors, writing, symbols and layouts to convey messages visually, clearly and convincingly to viewers. This is a combination of aesthetic thinking, artistic knowledge, technology and problem-solving skills, in order to create products such as:

• Logo, brand identity

• Advertising publications, posters, brochures

• Website and application interface

• Product Packaging

• 3D visuals, motion graphics

• Digital content on social networks

In the context of digital transformation, Graphic Design has gone beyond mere drawing, but also the activity of building user experience, shaping brand identity, and visual storytelling. Therefore, this is an industry that requires continuous creativity, the ability to use design tools proficiently, and an understanding of user behavior.

The Graphic Design major encompasses many different fields of expertise, allowing students to choose a direction that suits their strengths, personality and career goals. Here are the most common areas that students studying Graphic Design often pursue:

2.1. Brand Identity Design

Brand design is one of the core and most influential areas in the Graphic Design industry. This is the process of building an entire visual system that helps businesses express their personality, core values and position in the market through visual language.

A complete brand identity typically includes:

• Logo & Logo System: Includes logo marks, wordmarks, and flexible variations that can be applied in any context.

• Color Palette: A collection of dominant and secondary colors, selected based on brand personality and positioning.

• Typography: The main set of fonts that represent the brand

• Iconography & Illustrations: Unified icons or illustrations, which increase recognition and support visual communication.

• Brand Applications: The elements that best express the brand to users such as business cards, brochures, posters, website interfaces, signs, and advertising items,...

• Brand Guidelines: A document that specifies all design standards: how to use logos, colors, typography, layout to ensure consistency across all platforms.

2.2. UX/UI Design

UX/UI Design is one of the fastest-growing majors in the field of Graphic Design thanks to the explosion of websites, mobile apps, and e-commerce.

• UX Design focuses on the user journey and experience: researching the needs, behaviors, and flow of digital product usage to ensure that every operation is easy to understand, convenient, and effective.

• UI Design focuses on interface design and visual elements: colors, layouts, icons, buttons, typography – all of which users see and interact with directly.

2.3. Print & Publication Design

This segment focuses on the creation of print and publishing products, which help convey information in a clear, legible, and aesthetic way.

In the graphic design major, this field includes a variety of types, widely used in marketing, advertising, retail, event organization and publishing:

• Brochure, catalogue, leaflet, flyer

• Poster, banner, billboard

• Magazines, Newspapers, Books (Publication Design)

• Packaging

• Labels, hang tags, warranty cards

• Event publications: tickets, cards, standee

2.4. Advertising & Creative Design

Advertising and Communication Design is a design segment that focuses on building ideas, developing visual concepts, and creating engaging media products to support marketing, advertising, and sales campaigns. This is a specialty that requires a combination of creative thinking, strategic analysis, and a deep understanding of consumer behavior.

This field is often involved in activities such as:

• Key visual development for the campaign

• Design posters, banners, OOH (Billboard, Bus Shelter, LED screen...)

• Producing images for TVCs, advertising videos, event content

• Advertising item design: POSM, standee, backdrop, booth activation

• Collaborate with copywriters to create a consistent communication concept

• Digital marketing publication design (social media ads, Facebook/Instagram posts, Google Display banners)

2.5. Illustration Design

Illustration design focuses on creating interpretive and narrative images that convey ideas, stories, or emotions in a visual and artistic way.

Illustration is applied in the following areas:

• Book & Editorial Illustration

• Game & Animation Illustration

• Advertising – Brand (Commercial Illustration)

• Digital Illustration

2.6. Motion Graphics Design

Motion Graphics & Animation is an area that focuses on creating motion images that convey messages that are more vivid, memorable, and engaging than still images. This is a field that combines graphics, motion, sound and storytelling, which is widely used in advertising, social media, games, movies and digital content.

Popular products when studying this field:

• Promotional Video (TVC)

• Brand video

• Social media video (Reels/TikTok/YouTube Shorts)

• Intro/outro for media channels

• Logo animation

Graphic design is a discipline that combines art - technology - problem-solving thinking. Therefore, to pursue and succeed in this major, students need to possess or practice the following qualities:

• Creative thinking: The ability to see problems from a new perspective and come up with unique and effective solutions. Creativity is expressed through visual storytelling, conceptualization, and simplification of complex information.

• Good aesthetic sense: The ability to understand and perceive the harmony of colors, compositions, images, and visual accents.

• Perseverance and curiosity: Stay up-to-date with new design trends, new technologies, and different art styles in the world.

• Problem-solving thinking: Ability to understand project objectives, analyze needs, and come up with logical design solutions.

• Communication and teamwork skills: Ability to present ideas clearly and work effectively with other team members

• Time Management Ability: Ability to work under deadline pressure and manage multiple projects at the same time, while ensuring design progress and quality.

• Visionary Spirit: Design is a process of continuous editing. Getting used to feedback, being ready to fix and perfect the product is a very important factor.

Graphic design is one of the industries with high recruitment demand today. Graduates can work at agencies, technology companies, commercial enterprises, creative studios, or as freelancers with global markets.

Here are common occupational groups:

Brand & Communication Design Team: Suitable for those who love branding, marketing and visual identity.

• Brand Identity Designer

• Graphic Designer / Visual Designer

• Creative Designer

• Marketing Designer

UX/UI & Digital Product Design Team: Suitable for you who like digital products, user experience

• UI/UX Designer

• Product Designer

• Interaction Designer

• UX Researcher

Motion & Animation: Suitable for those who like video, storytelling, effects and animation.

• Motion Graphics Designer

• 2D/3D Animator

• Video Editor + Motion Artist

• VFX Artist (Visual Effects)

• Cinematic Designer (in-game/film)

Illustration & Illustration Group: Suitable for students with strong drawing abilities, love visual storytelling and personal style.

• Illustrator

• Concept Artist

• Character Designer

• Editorial Illustrator

• Storyboard Artist

• Background Painter

Currently, students have many options to pursue Graphic Design at universities such as the University of Architecture, University of Fine Arts, Van Lang University or FPT University. At the same time, students can study at centers to improve their software skills or build a portfolio such as: ColorME, DPI Training, MAAC Animation & VFX.

If you are considering studying Graphic Design abroad, here are the courses that you can refer to for your study path.

• Graphic Design Training Courses in Australia

• Graphic Design Training Courses in Canada

• Graphic Design training courses in the UK

• Graphic Design Training Courses in the USA

• Graphic Design Training Courses in New Zealand

If you are in need of the right pathway to pursue a career in graphic design in top countries, contact IDP for support in choosing a school, choosing a course and completing your application completely free of charge.

The income level of the Graphic Design major depends on the job position, experience, professional skills as well as the working market (whether you want to work in Vietnam or internationally). However, in general, this is an industry with quite good income and high growth opportunities, especially in the field of digital and UX/UI.

• Australia: Students working in Graphic Design typically receive a salary of around AUD 55,000 - 85,000 per year. UI/UX Designer and Motion Designer positions can be up to AUD $90,000/year.*

• UK: Graduates earn about 25,000 – 40,000 GBP/year for Graphic Designers, about 45,000 – 70,000 GBP/year for UI/UX Designers.

• USA: According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average salary for Graphic Design is about $50,000 – $85,000/year for Graphic Designers. UI/UX Designer positions can reach USD $90,000 – 130,000/year.

• Canada: The average salary for a bachelor's degree in Graphic Design ranges from CAD 45,000 – CAD 70,000 per year depending on the field.

*Salary information is collated and aggregated from a variety of trusted data platforms, including Glassdoor – Salary Insights, Payscale, Indeed, and SalaryExpert.

Graphic Designer is a potential choice in the era of creativity and strong technological development. Whether you choose to study in the country or study abroad in countries with developed design industries, career paths are open if you know how to improve yourself and constantly update new trends. With the right preparation, Graphic Design can become a sustainable, creative and promising career for the future.

To find out more about schools that offer Graphic Design, you can check out the IDP website - Study Abroad Advice—or contact IDP for national advice and choose the right school for your academic ability. With a team of experienced professionals and a global network of partners, IDP is ready to assist you:

• Comprehensive study abroad advice: From choosing a school, choosing a major, preparing documents, registering for the IELTS test to applying for a visa and hunting for scholarships to study in Australia. In addition, you can participate in study abroad exhibitions organized by IDP tomeet and answer questions directly from school representatives, find out all information about schools, majors that attract human resources and bring high demand for settlement as well as job opportunities after graduation.

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