What Are the Different Graphic Design Careers?

Professionals with graphic design careers are tasked with a wide variety of challenges, including bringing ideas, visions and concepts to life. Many graphic designers work in the publishing industry and play an integral role in the day-to-day production of newspapers, magazines and books. Online graphic design careers include creating graphics, multimedia elements and artwork for websites. Designers also create various elements of the website, such as logos, backgrounds and banners. Advertising agencies frequently employ graphic designers as part of a team to develop advertising campaigns to promote or elevate a client's products, services and image.

Graphic design careers with newspapers range from performing page layout and creating graphics to accompanying stories to developing print and online advertisements for the newspapers' stable of advertisers. When designing a newspaper page, the designers will incorporate a variety of art elements onto the page, implementing the best typography practices and arranging the headlines, stories and photos for optimum impact and to best suit the readers. The designer can also be tasked with creating graphic illustrations to provide a snapshot of key elements within a story or to serve as an art element to draw a reader's attention to a story.

Many advertising agencies rely on people working in graphic design careers to be a part of an advertising team tasked with meeting clients' needs. Many companies advertise on several different platforms, such as print, online and mobile sites, so versatility is key for workers with graphic design careers in the advertising industry. A new client may need a designer to simply develop a company logo, while an existing client may want to revamp its public image or breathe new life into an old product using a new ad campaign. Opportunities also exist for designing website elements, such as interactive media and online advertisements, for companies, nonprofits and organizations.

Book and magazine publishers rely on people in graphic design careers to make sure products are visually appealing and organized on the page to the best advantage. Graphic designers typically design the magazine and book covers, as well as many of the art elements and page designs used between the covers. Many larger businesses, manufacturers and nonprofit organizations find employing in-house graphic designers to be more cost effective and convenient than hiring the work done from an outside firm. Depending on the size and needs of the company, there may be an entire department devoted to completing graphic design duties.