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20 Graphic Designer Resume Examples That Work in 2024

Graphic Designer Resume

• Graphic Designer Resumes by Experience
• Graphic Designer Resumes by Role

Writing Your Graphic Designer Resume

You can whip up a new logo in a flash, your friends turn to you when they need help with Photoshop, and you’re always doodling on your notes. You’re a great graphic designer, and it shows.

But when it comes to writing great resumes to prove your skills (not to mention writing cover letters ), employers want more than just your portfolio pieces. Plus, discussing your design skills and experience on your resume can take a lot of effort.

Our graphic designer resume examples have  helped graphic designers land highly coveted jobs at companies like Stripe and Apple,  so they’re an excellent place to get inspired to create your great resume.

or download as PDF

Why this resume works

• This can be tricky for some graphic design roles, so it’s okay if your work isn’t the sole reason for improvement. Simply highlight your overall impact as part of the graphic design, marketing, or sales team.
• Portfolios are more or less a requirement for graphic design roles, so make sure to include a link to your own.
• If you choose to add a  resume objective  to your graphic designer resume, you need to customize it for each job to which you apply. One way to do this is to include keywords from the job description. Don’t forget to mention the company by name! 

Beginner Graphic Designer Resume

• One thing that you can count on is a career objective that’s both inspiring and clear on what you intend to do once you’re hired.

Junior Graphic Designer Resume

• If you’re light on relevant work experience, include any relevant projects or internships. Just make sure to include metrics when you can, as any recruiter will treat an internship like a job and will thus expect a demonstration of your impact.
• You don’t have to be an expert, but generally speaking, only include skills you can talk about in an interview.

Senior Graphic Designer Resume

• Demonstrating your impact proves you’re a designer who thinks about your work within a broader context and does their best to help a company grow.
• If you’re wondering what to include, start with metrics relating to time or people. How many hours did you help your team save? How many new customers did you gain? How many people viewed your designs?
• The activities section isn’t always a good choice, but it can be a useful addition in some cases. If your  resume’s section of hobbies and interests  demonstrates leadership, persistence, or other useful skills, you can include this section to give you a boost over the competition. 

Graphic Design Student Resume

• Showcase projects where you’ve used Affinity Designer, Adobe Fresco, or Canva to create compelling visuals or your use of resources like Pixabay and Coolors for inspiration and project enhancement.
• School work totally counts, too, so highlight available metrics from completed projects like grades or peer reviews.
• This approach underscores your hands-on experience with design tools and ability to complete projects successfully, irrespective of traditional employment.

Self Taught Graphic Designer Resume

• In addition, line up one or two projects, which if adopted into real-world scenarios, would help transform marketing trends and outcomes for all-size businesses.

Graphic Designer Illustrator Resume

• Capitalize on your graphic designer illustrator resume’s side columns to parade graphic design and illustration tools you’re well-versed in. Brandon, for instance, curates a list of tools (cue GIMP, Vectr, Prezi and more), and then weaves in evidence of him wielding these tools in the work history section.

Creative Designer Resume

• If you can back your creative designer resume with a fine arts degree in graphic design, you’ll be able to show your enthusiasm for the work and be on the hiring list for any employer.

Visual Designer Resume

• Mention tools like Adobe Photoshop, Inkscape, Figma, and InVision that speak volumes about your artwork. Adding such skills will convey that you’re well-versed with the latest design tools and can create modern designs with ease!

Logo Designer Resume

• Borrow a script from how Ben weaves competencies in Blender, Figma, CorelDRAW, and so on to get things done and increase user engagement.

Motion Graphic Design Resume

• An experience at a junior level accompanied by what you learned and your input can be an effective anchor you can use to boost the chances of your motion graphic designer resume making it beyond the shortlisting stage.

Social Media Graphic Designer Resume

• Put everything in its place and let the hiring teams find it easy to follow your career path. Most importantly, ensure there’s no clutter because that is a big turn-off.

Web and Graphic Designer Resume

• Following the same tactic, achieving 97% customer satisfaction for several projects is a true testimony to your work ethic and client-focused approach.

Freelance Graphic Designer Resume

• Highlight how you’ve leveraged Adobe Photoshop, Sketch, or CorelDRAW to deliver creative solutions to client projects, citing specific examples.
• Discuss using project management tools like Asana to meet deadlines and coordinate with clients—all while delivering high-quality work.

Graphic Design Specialist Resume

• For example, you mention how your work generated more traffic on social media or how you helped the marketing team create a campaign.
• Including numbers that highlight your impact will drastically increase your chances of landing an interview. Companies often receive hundreds of applications for a single role, so as you  craft your resume , keep in mind how you can stand out.
• Graphic designers are expected to be proficient with many different tools, especially the industry standard, Adobe Creative Suite. So make sure to let employers know if you’re skilled at Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.

Creative Graphic Designer Resume

• Some of the most popular mediums we’ve seen are print media, video, website design, and logo design.
• Make sure to add any experience you have with heading a project or leading a team.
• Showing an increase in responsibility throughout your career is another great way to show your initiative.
• For example, mentoring other graphic designers demonstrates positive growth as a leader.

Production Artist & Graphic Designer Resume

• You can improve your format by choosing two tastefully contrasting fonts, utilizing white space throughout your resume, and using bold (but not garish) colors in your header and titles.
• Don’t get so caught up in formatting that you neglect your content—use a  resume template  to help speed up the formatting process.
• Focus on picking relevant projects that have some link to the job description.

Marketing/Graphic Design Coordinator Resume

•  If you choose to include a summary, you’ll need to ensure it’s unique and personalized for every application you submit. Otherwise, skip adding it and focus on your work experience instead.
• Specialize your summary by mentioning the specific job title you’re seeking, the company’s name, and any examples of work you’ve done throughout your career that’s highly relevant for the job. Just be sure to keep it under three sentences. 

Senior Apparel & Graphic Designer Resume

• Giving a two-to-three sentence rundown of your career can be a challenge, so break it down into three components: who you are, your biggest success, and what assets you bring to the company.
• Think back on your career and list your biggest accomplishments that you can quantify/explain in a single sentence. Did you increase site engagement by 72 percent by incorporating a more modern, user-friendly layout and graphics? Did you design the company’s newsletter which was sent out to 2,000 customers? 
• Adobe offers certification courses for many of their Creative Cloud products, and there are many courses offered through universities to give you a leg-up over the competition. 

Graphic Designer/Administrative Assistant Resume

• Since you’re in a creative field, you can include more kinds of projects than a technical role would allow, but try to limit your choices to activities/projects that require(d) taking initiative, additional research, or learning a completely new skill. 
• If you choose to include one, you’ll need to ensure it’s unique and personalized for every application you submit. 
• Though including a  resume objective  is optional, it gives you a chance to address the employer by name and establish what they will gain by hiring you. 

Related resume guides

• Interior Design
• Social Media Manager

Graphic design is one of the most profitable professions in the freelance industry, and the position is growing more popular. Graphic designers serve as visual communicators who craft concepts using a stroke of their pen or a click of their specialized graphic design software.

Their main aim is to convey ideas to inform, inspire, or capture customers through physical and virtual art forms like words, images, and abstract elements like colors and shapes. However, graphic designers aren’t just glued to their drawing tables—they spend a lot of their time communicating with clients, customers, and other creators to ensure that their designs replicate the intended message and hit the intended audiences.

Standing out in the graphic design field isn’t easy. There are about 266,000 graphic designers already in the competitive market, and the number continues to rise. Even if you’re working on your letter of resignation email and giving your job application your best shot, you don’t want to end up in the “reject pile” because of your resume.

The best way to increase your chances of getting hired is to  craft a perfect graphic designer resume . You can showcase your skills, explain your experience, and quantify your impact in a way your portfolio can’t.

When it comes to your graphic designer resume,  we’ve got four critical tips for taking your resume from the trash bin to the top choice . When you understand the role of your skills section, resume formatting, metrics, and customization, you’ll be well on your way to landing your next job. 

Put the spotlight on your graphic design skills

Most recruiters don’t have time to go through the nitty-gritty details in your graphic designer resume. They have only seconds to spare, which they’ll likely use to examine your  resume’s list of skills  and determine whether or not they’re relevant to their needs.

Recruiters aren’t the only ones you have to impress; when recruiters have a stack of resumes to weed through, they depend on an applicant tracking system (ATS) to filter out resumes lacking keywords—skills relevant to the specific job. 

That’s why the skills section of your graphic designer resume is vital. Because graphic design jobs can differ greatly in duties and requirements, your skills section should reflect your knowledge and abilities in relation to the company or organization. If you properly showcase your various skills, you can easily beat the ATS.

Here’s how you can spotlight your skills in your graphic designer resume:

• Write specific skill keywords in a bulleted list in your resume’s skills section
• Use numbers and examples to quantify and demonstrate your skills in the work experience section
• Emphasize your most relevant skills in the resume objective or summary

We don’t recommend adding more than 10 skill keywords to your skills section, but there’s still plenty of room to catch an employer’s eye. Here are some of the top hard (technical) and soft (general) skills you could include in your graphic designer resume: 

• Adobe Illustrator 
• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe InDesign
• Gravit Designer 
• Sketch 
• Activating negative space
• Color theory
• Typography 
• Visual hierarchy 
• JavaScript 
• Communication
• Organization

Formatting your graphic designer resume

Your resume is more than just your relevant experience, employment history, education, and skills; it also serves as a marketing tool. Recruiters only spend seconds looking at a given resume and tend to pass over the boring or generic ones. They want to see your unique accomplishments and the value you can provide to their company.

This is a direct ticket to an interview. That’s why you should ensure your resume reveals the best  you  possible. As such, you’ll want to choose the right  resume format  for your graphic designer resume. While many job seekers choose skills-based or hybrid-based formats, it’s almost always best to choose a reverse-chronological format. Employers can hone in on your most recent and relevant experience, letting your most relevant accomplishments and achievements shine. 

Consider these vital points when crafting your graphic designer resume:

1. Fixing up your resume’s appearance:

• Consistency in layout, punctuation, font, and font size
• Work experience is in bullet points for readability
• Minimal color (headers and titles only)
• Left-aligned text (your contact header is the exception)
• Headers to distinguish sections

2. Meeting organization and technical requirements:

• Only a page long
• A recognized file format (such as PDF)
• An objective/summary when necessary

Graphic designer resume objective

Speaking of an objective/summary, perhaps you’re wondering whether you need one in your graphic designer resume. First, let’s explain the difference between the two.

A  summary  is a two-to-three-sentence statement that summarizes your skills, work experience, and any specializations. It’s best used when someone has been in graphic design for 10+ years. 

On the other hand, an  objective  is a two-to-three sentence statement that introduces your interests, qualifications, and how you’ll add value to the role you’re seeking. A  resume objective  is best used for career changers or entry-level job candidates. 

The two are very similar, so it’s less important to understand the difference between them and more important that you pay attention to what you write for them. Vague statements and generalizations waste your and the recruiter’s time, so if you’re in doubt or are struggling to get it right, exclude it altogether. 

If you’re a graphic designer looking for an entry-level position, an objective can specifically emphasize personal qualities and skills. To get the recruiter’s attention, mention the company by name and share how you intend to contribute to your desired company: 

How to measure your impact as a graphic designer

Clients and customers appreciate your designs, but it can be tricky to link graphic design to business growth. Don’t gloss over metrics, though; they’re worth the extra effort. 

Design can become a key contributor to success, but only if you demonstrate how design is related to growth. There are various ways you can measure your impact on your graphic designer resume:

• Online success: if you’re dealing with digital design projects like a website or email marketing, it’s easy to trace metrics like engagement and conversions. A/B tests may also help you compare particular design details to determine which projects perform best.
• Improved sales: your design project(s) may facilitate an increase in the number of customers or number of purchased goods, pointing to successful work on your end.
• Increased customer retention: if your graphic design work piques a customer’s interest, they’re more likely to stick around and purchase something. Or, they can share your work and increase your company’s reach.
• Customer reviews and comments: keep track of good client reviews to show companies that your work is loved and impactful. 

You may be thinking, “that’s great, but how do you translate that into a resume?” Our samples can provide some worthwhile inspiration, as seen here: 

Build a custom graphic designer resume

For every graphic design job you apply for, you need to tailor your resume accordingly. Customizing your graphic designer resume not only demonstrates competency but also care and attention towards the employer and the specific position. Trust us: there aren’t many job seekers taking the extra time to tailor their resumes accordingly, so make yours unique by tailoring your skills, work experience, and objective/summary sections for every job.

We also have customization tips for different  graphic designer job descriptions  and  graphic designer cover letters .

Graphic designer or graphic design specialist resume

• As a graphic designer or graphic design specialist, you likely have solid experience under your belt already, so this might be the time to include a summary statement highlighting your best skills and achievements. 
• Again, pay close attention to the skill keywords listed in the job description.

Creative graphic designer resume

• For example, if you design ads for social media, reflect this in your skills and work experience. 
• Leverage your job description bullet points to showcase your leadership and teamwork abilities. Include any work on various projects with co-workers or cross-functional teams. 

Senior graphic designer resume

• Lead a team 
• Communicate with cross-functional teams and internal management
• Manage (and finish) projects
• Additionally, with this level of experience, you may choose to include a career summary. Don’t forget to tailor it to the new role you’re seeking! 

Junior graphic designer resume

• Nabbing that first real job can feel daunting when most employers want at least a year of experience, but all is not lost.
• Include any internship experience, if you have it. If you don’t, consider getting an internship to gain useful skills and a new addition to your resume.
• Projects can also be priceless. Have you designed a custom website for a friend? Did you create a logo for your aunt’s small business? These sorts of one-time projects may not pay well (or at all), but they can prove you have what it takes to do the job. 

Key points for your graphic designer resume

By taking your graphic designer resume seriously, you’ll be far ahead of the average applicant and much closer to accepting a job offer. 

Now it’s time to put the pedal to the metal and actually write your resume. Upload an old resume or start from scratch with our  user-friendly resume maker . You can choose from our  best resume templates  for an attractive and ATS-friendly layout that’s sure to snag the attention of recruiters.

Your dream job is just around the corner, so get your resume in tip-top shape and land the job you’ve been waiting for!

Graphic Designer Resume Sample & Guide [21+ Examples]

You’re a graphic designer. You’re smart. You’re creative.

You design creative ads, product packaging, and websites on a daily basis.

But when it comes to creating a resume, you’re stumped.

How do you make a graphic designer resume, anyway? 

Is it exactly the same as a resume for any other profession?

Do you attach your portfolio with the resume? Or do you include the links inside?

There’s a ton of things that are not clear when it comes to making a graphic designer resume, which brings out to this article.

We’re going to walk you through the entire process of creating a graphic designer resume step-by-step!

• A job-winning graphic designer resume example
• How to write a designer resume that’ll keep getting you invited to interviews
• How to make your graphic designer resume stand out [with top tips & tricks]

Now, before we move on, here’s some inspiration:

A graphic designer resume example, created with our very own resume builder:

How to Format a Graphic Designer Resume

Before you can start working on your resume, you need to decide on the formatting.

After all, the hiring manager will think twice before hiring a graphic designer who’s resume isn’t well-formatted.

In 2024, the most common resume format is “reverse-chronological,” so we’d recommend starting with that:

Other resume formats you could try are:

• Functional Resume - This format is a lot more about your skills as opposed to professional experience. It’s good if you don’t have a lot of experience, are transferring to a new industry, or have gaps in your employment history.
• Combination Resume - As the name suggests, a combination resume is a mix between “Functional” and “Reverse-Chronological.” Meaning, it focuses both on skills AND work experience. You can use a combination resume if you have a lot of work experience or changing industries.

Once you’ve decided on the format, you need to get your resume layout right.

Here’s what we recommend:

• Margins - One-inch margins on all sides
• Font - Pick a font that stands out, but not too much. Do: Ubuntu, Roboto, etc. Don’t: Comic Sans
• Font Size - Use a font size of 11-12pt for normal text and 14-16pt for headers
• Line Spacing - Use 1.0 or 1.15 line spacing
• Resume Length - Don’t go over the 1-page limit. Having trouble fitting everything into one page? Check out these one-page resume templates.

As a designer, you have a lot more freedom on what kind of resume design you go with. Feel free to pick a more creative template to show off your imagination!

Use a Graphic Designer Resume Template

If you’ve ever made a Word resume, you’d probably agree with us: it’s a total pain.

You have to play around with the formatting longer than it actually takes you to fill in the contents.

Then, you decide to make a single, small layout change, and BAM! Your entire resume layout falls apart.

Want to make your life easier? Use a graphic designer resume template .

What to Include in a Graphic Designer Resume

The main sections in a graphic designer resume are…

• Contact Information
• Work Experience

If you want your resume to stand out more, you can also try these optional sections:

• Awards & Certification

Interests & Hobbies

Now, we’re going to go through each of those sections, and explain how to write them.

Not sure which sections to use? Check out our guide to What to Put on a Resume .

How to Get Your Contact Information Right

Even if you get everything else right in your resume, if you mess up the contact information section , you won’t be getting a lot of interview invitations (mainly because they won’t be able to call your misspelled phone number).

For your contacts, include:

• Title - In this case, “Graphic Designer.” Make this specific (the role you’re applying for), and don’t try to be too creative (Master of Designs).
• Phone Number - Double-check, triple-check this. One small tiny can really mess up your chances.
• Email Address - Make sure to use a professional email address ([email protected]), and avoid that email you created back in 5th grade ([email protected]).
• Portfolio Link - Behance , Dribble , or your personal website
• (Optional) Location - Applying for a job abroad? Mention your location.
• Josh Fakester, Graphic Designer. 101-358-6095. [email protected]
• Josh Fakester, Graphic Design Guru. 101-358-6095. [email protected]

How to Write a Graphic Designer Resume Summary or Objective

Fun fact - recruiters spend less than 6 seconds reviewing each resume. This isn’t that surprising, though. You can’t expect them to read all 200 resumes end-to-end.

So, if the recruiter doesn’t see that you’re relevant for the job in a single glance, your resume won’t even be read.

Now, the question is, what can you do to hook the recruiter the moment they look at your resume.

The answer is simple: use a resume summary or objective .

As a quick intro, both resume summary and objective are sections that go on top of your resume, just under the contact information section.

The main difference between the 2 sections is that:

A resume summary is a 2-4 sentence summary of your professional experiences and achievements.

• Graphic designer with a strong background in marketing design. 5+ years of experience in creating infographics, Facebook ad creatives, banners ads, and more. Passionate about working in a marketing agency, as that involves creating graphics for clients in all sorts of fields.

A resume objective , on the other hand, is a 2-4 sentence snapshot of your professional goals and aspirations.

Motivated graphic design student looking for an entry-level job at Software Company X. Passionate about web & UX / UI design. Experience creating websites designs for made-up businesses as a student at University X. Skilled in Adobe Creative Suite, including Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, and more.

So, which one do you pick? A summary, or an objective?

As a rule of thumb, you always go for Summary if you have any work experience, and you go for Objective if you’re new to the field (student, graduate, or switching careers).

How to Make Your Graphic Designer Work Experience Stand Out

Work experience is the most important section in your resume (after your portfolio, of course).

Sure, your design skills are super important, but so is your professional experience. Here’s how to structure your work experience section:

• Position name
• Company Name
• Responsibilities & Achievements

Or, here’s what it looks like in practice:

Now, if you really want to stand out, you should focus on talking about your achievements instead of responsibilities.

Instead of saying:

“Charged with designing client companies...”

“Designed 15+ client company websites from start to finish”

So, what’s the difference between the two?

The second one is more specific. You know exactly what the person did, and you can say that they’re reliable.

The first example, on the other hand, is too generic. Sure, you were charged with designing client websites, but you can’t tell if you’re a complete newbie (designed 1-3 websites), or an expert (designed 15+ different websites).

What if You Don’t Have Work Experience?

Maybe you’re a recent university graduate looking for your first design job?

Or maybe, you just picked up graphic design from online courses, but have no real experience in the field?

Whichever the case might be, don’t worry!

If you’re applying for entry-level graphic designer positions, there’s a good chance they won’t be asking a lot about your experience.

What really matters here is your portfolio.

If you already have some designs, feel free to put them up online and link it in your resume (we’re going to explain how in a bit).

If you don’t, though, you can always make them now.

Here are several ways you can get a portfolio (and get paid for it):

• Pick up some freelance gigs on UpWork
• Ask your friends & acquaintances if they know anyone that needs cheap design work
• Join an online contest on a site like 99 Designs
• None of the above options working? Sit down in your own time and create some mock-ups. Design a website , some flyers, product packaging, whatever you’re interested in!

If you’re a recent graduate, you might want to check out our guide on how to make a student resume !

Use Action Words to Make Your Graphic Designer Resume POP!

• “Responsible for”
• “Worked in”

These are the most common words you’ll find on ANY resume.

And since you want YOURS to stand out, we’d recommend avoiding them as much as possible.

Instead, use some of these power words to make your responsibilities and achievements stand out:

• Conceptualized
• Spearheaded

How to Add a Portfolio to Your Resume

You can add a portfolio section pretty right about the same way you’d add work experience.

Create a header named “Portfolio,” link to your website (or Behance / Dribble), and list the designs you’ve worked on. And here’s how this looks like:

If you don’t want a dedicated section for your portfolio, you can simply link to your online portfolio in your contact information section.

How to List Education Right

The next section in any graphic designer resume is the “Education.”

This one’s pretty straightforward. Simply list out your education entries, and you’re gold!

• Degree Type & Major
• University Name
• Years Studied
• GPA, Honours, Courses, and anything else you might want to add

And here’s a practical example:

B.A. in Graphic Design

Boston State University

• Relevant Courses: Typography 101, Introduction to Graphic Design, Advanced Graphic Design, Web Design

Clear? Good!

Before we move on, here are some of the most frequent questions we get about education on a resume (and their answers!):

• Q: What if I haven’t finished college?

A: Whether you’re still a student, or you dropped out, you should still mention your degree. All you have to do is include the years studied, and you’re good.

• Q: Do I list my high school education?

A: Only if you don’t have a higher education. No one cares about your high school education if you have a B.A.

• Q: What goes first, education or experience?

A: If you have any relevant work experience, then experiences go on top. If you don’t, though, then education.

Still have some questions? Check out our guide on how to list education on a resume .

Top 17 Skills for a Graphic Designer Resume

When the HR manager is going through your resume, they’re looking to see if you have the right skills for the job.

Imagine this: you’re the best graphic designer in the world and your resume is impeccable. BUT, you still get rejected, because you didn’t mention that you know HTML and CSS in your resume, which was one of the main requirements.

Not sure which skills to pick?

Here are some of the most common graphic designer skills.

Hard Skills:

• Illustrator
• UX / UI Design
• Print Design
• Infographic Design
• Product Packaging Design

Soft Skills:

• Communication
• Time-Management
• As a general rule, we’d recommend not to go overboard with “Soft Skills.” They’re a lot harder to back up, especially if you’re a student or a recent graduate. Just about anyone can say that they’re “creative,” but not a lot of people are experts at InDesign.

Looking for a more comprehensive list? Here’s a mega-list of 150+ must-have skills in 2024 .

Other Resume Sections You Can Include

At this point, you’re probably ready to wrap up your resume and call it a day.

After all, we’ve covered all the essential sections, right?

Well, not exactly. See, the #1 goal of your resume is to stand out.

And if your resume looks exactly the same as everyone else’s, that’s where you fail.

If you’re already a good match for the job in terms of skills and experiences, these sections could end up being the deciding factor that gets you hired (and makes you stand out from the rest).

Awards & Certifications

Did you win a design competition during university?

Do you have a bunch of online courses completed on Coursera?

Whichever the case may be, definitely mention all of them in your resume!

• Infographic X published on entrepreneur.com
• User Experience Research & Design Coursera Certificate
• Adobe Certified Expert
• Advanced Graphic Design Class at MadeUpUniversity
• Video Game Concept Art Coursera Certificate

Are you passionate about graphic design?

Well, awesome! That’s exactly what your next employer likes to hear.

And what’s a better way to show off your passion than with a project.

Whether it’s a university project or a personal side-hustle, HR would love to know more.

Here are some of the potential projects you could mention…

• Instagram page showing off your designs & art
• Mock-up website you designed at a hackathon
• University project where you designed a website for a fake business
• Side-hustle designing logos for clients on Fiverr
• Designing your own blog

An extra language or two can always come in handy, even if it doesn’t have anything to do with the position you’re applying for.

If you know any foreign language & have extra space in your resume, feel free to add a language section.

Make sure to split the languages by proficiency:

• Intermediate

Now, you might be thinking, “what does my skateboarding hobby have to do with my profession as a graphic designer?”

Well, nothing, but it does have something to do with you as a person.

Most companies aren’t hiring a robot who’s going to pump out design after design, 9-to-5, every day.

They’re looking for someone they’re going to enjoy working with, someone they’ll get along with.

And what’s something you can bond with potential employers about? Hobbies and interests, exactly!

Not sure which hobbies & interests you want to mention? We have a guide for that!

Match Your Cover Letter with Your Resume

Yep, that’s right.

You might be thinking, “A cover letter?! I’m a designer, not a writer!”

Well, here’s the thing: cover letters are still very important.

They show the recruiter that you’re passionate about working for THIS position in THIS company, and you aren’t just sending your resume all over the place.

Having a solid cover letter with your resume can significantly boost your chances of getting the job.

The first step to writing a convincing cover letter is to get the structure right. Here’s how to do that:

And here’s what you’d write in each section:

Contact Details - Your personal contact information, including full name, profession, email, phone number, location, website (or Behance / Dribble).

Hiring Manager’s Contact Information - Full name, position, location, email

Opening Paragraph - Your introduction should be very strong. If you don’t manage to hook the hiring manager here, chances are, they’re not going to read the rest of it. So, mention:

• The position you’re applying for
• Your experience summary and top achievement

The Body - Once you’ve got the hiring manager hooked, you can go through the rest of your background. Some of the points you can mention here are...

• Why you want to work for this specific company
• Anything you know about the company’s culture
• What are your top skills and how are they relevant for the job
• If you’ve worked in similar industries or positions

Closing Paragraph - This is where you:

• Wrap up any points you missed in the body paragraph
• Thank the hiring manager for their time
• End with a call to action. Something like, “I’d love to further discuss how my experience as an X can help the company with Y”

Formal Salutations - Use a formal closing, such as “best regards” or “Sincerely.”

Need more inspiration? We get it - creating a cover letter is very hard work. But don’t worry, we’ve got you covered with your step-by-step guide on how to write a cover letter .

Key Takeaways

If you followed everything we just taught you to the T, you’re pretty much guaranteed to land the job.

Now, let’s go through everything we’ve learned real quick:

• Get the right formatting for your graphic designer resume. Use a reverse-chronological format, and follow the best practices we mentioned on getting the layout right.
• Use a resume summary or objective to catch the hiring manager’s attention.
• In your work experience section, try to talk more about your achievements than your responsibilities.
• Get your portfolio section right. After all, this is the section that’s going to land you the job.
• Match your graphic designer resume with a convincing cover letter.

Related Resume Examples

• Architect Resume
• Construction Project Manager Resume
• Career Change Resume

Suggested Readings:

• 9+ Essential Resume Ideas [to Get Your Next job]
• +10 Best Answers for Why Should We Hire You?
• 40+ Best Job Search Sites in 2024 [For Every Industry]

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Resume Worded   |  Proven Resume Examples

• Resume Examples
• Design Resumes

14 Graphic Designer Resume Examples - Here's What Works In 2024

Graphic designers are more in demand than ever, which makes now the perfect time to apply for that graphic design role. this guide will teach you the most important steps for writing an effective graphic designer resume, including templates for you to use and industry-specific tips..

Graphic designers create customer-focused designs, frequently working on projects like websites, games, product packaging, and advertising campaigns. Most graphic design work is based around marketing and visual branding, but employment opportunities can include everything from creating logos for multinational corporations to working with local governments and schools. As a graphic designer, you’ll work account managers and creative directors to create a brief, develop concepts, and finalize a design that meets the client’s objectives. You’ll need excellent time management, the ability to collaborate well and work under pressure, and of course a hefty dose of creativity. Traditionally, graphic designer jobs ask for an undergraduate graphic design degree, but recent trends have seen the industry move away from requiring formal qualifications and toward online short courses. Either way, you’ll need hard skills with a variety of design software including Acrobat, Dreamweaver, Illustrator, and InDesign, along with an impressive portfolio to showcase your skills.

Graphic Designer Resume Templates

Jump to a template:

• Graphic Designer
• Junior Graphic Designer
• Senior Graphic Designer / Director of Graphic Design
• Graphic Design Manager
• Freelance Graphic Designer
• Creative Graphic Designer
• Minimalist Graphic Designer
• Motion Graphic Designer

Jump to a resource:

• Keywords for Graphic Designer Resumes

Graphic Designer Resume Tips

• Action Verbs to Use
• Bullet Points on Graphic Designer Resumes
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Related Design Resumes

Get advice on each section of your resume:

Template 1 of 14: Graphic Designer Resume Example

A graphic designer communicates ideas through visual concepts. Their role is to conceptualize and develop a layout that communicates what stakeholders need to show. Graphic design can be used for many purposes, including captivating, informing, or inspiring consumers. That’s why their work is often used in advertising, social media channels, or reports. To become a graphic designer you should ideally have a bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design or a related field. However, it’ll depend on your potential employer’s requirements. There are many high-talented graphic designers out there with non-traditional training. Yet, you should consider one thing; highlight your technical and creative skills on your resume.

We're just getting the template ready for you, just a second left.

Tips to help you write your Graphic Designer resume in 2024

   mention your user experience skills..

User experience (UX) is the way users interact with a particular product or design. This design should be accessible, usable, and appealing. This is particularly important when you’re working or trying to get a job in tech: recruiters want to know whether you can apply your offline skills to the online world. Even though both developers and graphic designers are not related, they can work together on integrating a design into web/software development.

   Emphasize projects where you crafted a brand or identity.

Branding and identity play a huge role in graphic design. It’s a combination of visual elements that represent a company’s identity. It is the way they want to portray themselves to the consumers.

Skills you can include on your Graphic Designer resume

Template 2 of 14: graphic designer resume example.

As a graphic designer, you’ll be working closely with clients to develop their brands and ensure the success of their advertising and marketing campaigns. Put your best foot forward with a resume that emphasizes your hard skills, proficiency with graphic design software, and experience contributing to the success of client projects.

   Bullet points feature strong action verbs highlighting graphic design skills

Structuring your bullet points to lead with strong action verbs like “conceptualized,” “designed,” and “developed” emphasizes your role in the projects you’ve worked on. By focusing on accomplishments rather than simply listing job duties, you’re telling potential employers what they want to know and highlighting the skills you’ll need on the job.

   Good use of skills section to highlight graphic design skills

You don’t need a long list of skills to impress a recruiter — in fact, the more concise you can be, the better. Keep your list of skills down to the ones most relevant for a graphic designer role, like design software, advertising, social media, and branding.

Template 3 of 14: Junior Graphic Designer Resume Example

The role of a junior graphic designer is to assist senior colleagues in crafting designs based on their specifications. They should also report to the senior graphic designer. In this role, you should demonstrate initiative and creativity, so it’s essential to demonstrate that in your resume. You can talk about previous projects in which you came up with innovative ideas. This way, your resume will not go unnoticed.

Tips to help you write your Junior Graphic Designer resume in 2024

   include relevant art-related experience..

It’s ok if you don’t have extensive experience in graphic design. However, it doesn’t mean you can’t showcase your expertise. You can also include other art-related experiences, such as photography or art assistance. This is an opportunity to showcase your transferable skills.

   Highlight your collaborative skills.

As a junior graphic designer, you will be constantly working with team members. This is a role that requires excellent collaborative skills. That’s why it is important to highlight them in your resume. You can mention previous experiences in which you coordinated with a varied team.

Skills you can include on your Junior Graphic Designer resume

Template 4 of 14: junior graphic designer resume example.

Landing a role as a junior graphic designer isn’t as hard as you might think. Most employers are looking for graphic design ability — as evidenced by your portfolio and qualifications — over extensive experience, which means emphasizing your hard skills and any relevant educational background. If you’re a recent graduate, don’t forget about university projects and internships, which can go a long way toward making up for minimal work experience.

   Strong Education section highlighting graphic design interest

As a recent graduate — or even if you’re a few years out and still applying for junior roles — your education section is a lot more important than it is for someone with more experience. You can use your education section to your advantage by listing any awards you’ve won, professional memberships, or specific qualifications that stress hard graphic design skills.

   Internships and university projects relevant to graphic design

If you’re applying for an entry-level graphic design role, don’t worry if you don’t have a lot of experience. You can list any internships in the same way as you would regular work experience, using action verbs to emphasize what you accomplished. If you’ve completed any relevant university projects, make sure you highlight those, too.

Template 5 of 14: Senior Graphic Designer / Director of Graphic Design Resume Example

A Senior Graphic Designer or Director of Graphic Design is no small gig. You're responsible for shaping the visual aspects of a brand and ensuring it remains consistent across all platforms. Lately, many companies require not just proficiency in design software, but also a solid understanding of digital and interactive design. When writing your resume, remember that while showcasing your design prowess is fundamental, so is demonstrating leadership skills and strategic thinking as they're crucial in steering the design team and efforts. In today's job market, employers are looking for Senior Designers who can balance the art and science of design. That means being able to back up your design choices with data and understanding how your work fits into the bigger marketing strategy. So, as you craft your resume, think about how your design work has directly contributed to business results.

Tips to help you write your Senior Graphic Designer / Director of Graphic Design resume in 2024

   highlight leadership experience.

Mention instances where you've led a team or a project. This could involve coordinating with other departments, managing timelines, or mentoring junior designers. A Senior Graphic Designer or Director role often involves more responsibility and managerial tasks, so showing that you've got experience in leadership is key.

   Showcase Data-Driven Design Results

If you were instrumental in a design that led to improved website traffic or conversion rates, include this on your resume. Quantify your results where possible. This adds credibility to your work and shows you understand the link between design and business outcomes.

Skills you can include on your Senior Graphic Designer / Director of Graphic Design resume

Template 6 of 14: senior graphic designer / director of graphic design resume example.

As a senior graphic designer or graphic design director, you’ll be taking on high-level responsibilities and overseeing an entire department. Your resume needs to show significant experience as a graphic designer, as well as the capacity to lead a team to success. Make sure you’re emphasizing past leadership roles you’ve held as well as a commitment to ensuring the overall success of a company.

   Shows growth in promotions

If you want to land a senior role, you’ll need to show a steady pattern of career growth. If you’ve landed a promotion that represents a significant increase in responsibilities, you can list the positions separately under the same company heading. If the job title alone doesn’t make it clear that this was a promotion, your bullet points will.

   Lists the exact graphic design job title

It’s always a good idea to use the exact title of the job you’re applying for on your resume. If you’ve held a position with the same responsibilities but under a different name, or if the titles are often used interchangeably, you can list both job titles at the start of your resume.

Template 7 of 14: Graphic Design Manager Resume Example

As a Graphic Design Manager, you're a bridge between the creative and strategic sides of a company, bringing visual concepts to life while ensuring they align with the company's goals. In recent years, companies seek individuals who have a strong understanding of digital marketing and UI/UX design, as these components are crucial in the current market. When crafting your resume, it's important to strike a balance between showcasing your artistic capabilities and your managerial skills. Highlight your understanding of branding and digital trends, but also emphasize how well you manage team dynamics and project deadlines.

Tips to help you write your Graphic Design Manager resume in 2024

   highlight digital design skills.

The industry is increasingly going digital, so make sure your resume reflects your skills in digital design, UX/UI, and even coding. This would be a game-changer for many hiring managers as it showcases your ability to adapt to the digital focus of modern graphic design.

   Emphasize team management and leadership

As a manager, you should include instances where you led a team to success, handled challenging projects, or improved team performance. These could be under 'achievements' or 'responsibilities' in your work history section. Show hiring managers that you are not just a good designer, but also a great leader.

Skills you can include on your Graphic Design Manager resume

Template 8 of 14: graphic design manager resume example.

Graphic design managers have to juggle a lot of different roles. As well as the usual design skills, you’ll need an ability to manage a team, develop strategies, work collaboratively with other departments, and evaluate the performance of other employees. To land the role, make sure your resume reflects soft skills like leadership and conflict management on top of your graphic design experience.

   Uses hard numbers and metrics relevant to graphic design achievements

When it comes to listing your achievement in bullet points, the more specific you can be, the better. If you’ve led a team, mention how many people were on it. Explain exactly how many projects you’ve created, what type of graphic design work you’ve done, and the concrete impact that had on your company’s success.

   Emphasis on transferable communication and management skills

To lead a team, you’ll need a lot of soft skills as well as hard skills. The best way to emphasize these is through your accomplishments. Mentioning the size of the teams you’ve worked with shows your leadership and teamwork skills, while creating social media strategies, marketing content, or publications is a great way to highlight communication skills.

Template 9 of 14: Freelance Graphic Designer Resume Example

A Freelance Graphic Designer's job is a blend of creativity and technical skills, with a dash of entrepreneurial business savvy. You're not only illustrating, designing logos, and manipulating images; you're also managing your business, building client relationships, and working remotely. It's essential to keep your finger on the pulse of the industry, as design trends ebb and flow rapidly. For example, minimalist design is currently all the rage, which means your portfolio should showcase your proficiency in this field. When writing your resume, ensure it reflects the breadth of your skills and experience, as well as your ability to manage your own business.

Tips to help you write your Freelance Graphic Designer resume in 2024

   highlight relevant software proficiency.

As a Freelance Graphic Designer, your familiarity with software tools is crucial. Therefore, don’t just list them, but give context on how you’ve utilized tools like Adobe Creative Suite and Sketch to create standout designs for various clients.

   Showcase business skills

You’re not just a designer, but a business owner, too. Highlight any experience you have managing client relationships, scheduling, invoicing, and marketing your services. Any evidence of your entrepreneurial spirit can make you stand out from other designers.

Skills you can include on your Freelance Graphic Designer resume

Template 10 of 14: freelance graphic designer resume example.

Freelance graphic designers work on the same kinds of projects as any other graphic designer, but as self-employed contractors. If you’re looking to pick up more freelance work, or to transition from freelance to regular employment, you’ll need a resume that emphasizes your ability to take initiative, work to a deadline, and understand your clients’ needs.

   Freelance graphic design projects

If you’ve been freelancing for a while, it might make sense to structure your work experience section according to different projects rather than clients. This lets you highlight your most impressive accomplishments in a way that is easy to follow and is clear about your specific role and achievements.

   Specific use of metrics

Not all employers fully understand the nature of freelance work, so the more specific you can be about your accomplishments, the better. Listing the number of projects, designs, and proposals you completed makes it clear how you were spending your time and helps emphasize soft skills like time management and work ethic.

Template 11 of 14: Creative Graphic Designer Resume Example

A creative graphic designer has a strong background in art and visual design. They create visual concepts to communicate a brand’s message to its consumers. They usually work in advertising agencies, marketing companies, or independently as freelance designers. If you want to reflect your expertise in your resume, it’s a good idea to showcase some certifications. These provide a better idea of your abilities and experience in the graphic design industry.

Tips to help you write your Creative Graphic Designer resume in 2024

   mention the illustration software you use for graphic design..

Creative graphic designers use multiple tools like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, After Effects, etc. It is a good idea to mention those programs you use for developing your projects in your skills section, or intertwined into your work experiences (e.g. Designed prototypes using Figma...). It’ll give recruiters a practical view of what your tool stack looks like and if it aligns with that of their product/graphic design teams.

   Talk about products or experiences you've prototyped.

Prototyping is an experimental process in which graphic designers propose a design idea to evaluate how end users would react to the final result. It is essentially a 'testing' phase, which helps reduce a company's risk of spending several weeks developing something that isn't usable or doesn't achieve the company's goals. Creative graphic designers should put experimentation at the heart of their work, and it's often useful to emphasize it in your resume. You could use the action verb, "Prototyped", in an example like "Prototyped 25+ designs by rapidly iterating with the client over 8 weeks...".

Skills you can include on your Creative Graphic Designer resume

Template 12 of 14: creative graphic designer resume example.

The role of a creative designer can be broader than just graphic design. Creative designers need an excellent understanding of branding, marketing, and social media as well as proficiency with graphic design software. To land a role as a creative graphic designer, make sure your resume highlights your understanding of brand awareness and experience guiding products through the entire creative process.

   Tailored to the creative design job

Tailoring your resume to the exact job you’re applying for doesn’t have to take a lot of time or effort. Including job-specific keywords in your resume title and skills section are two of the easiest ways to target your resume. Make sure you’re including keywords like product design, social media marketing, and specific graphic design programs that ATS are likely to scan for.

   Strong resume summary to tell hiring managers about graphic design focus

Including a resume summary is a great way of tailoring your resume and providing additional information about your background and accomplishments. They’re especially useful for career changers or people without a lot of experience in graphic design, but can be used to great effect to highlight your particular strengths and contextualize the achievements in your bullet points.

Template 13 of 14: Minimalist Graphic Designer Resume Example

As the name suggests, minimalist design uses only the most basic elements. These designers use limited color palettes and basic shapes to create stunning designs. Recruiters will be looking to see a bachelor’s degree in graphic design or other equally rigorous qualifications. Beyond that, previous experience and your skill set will be of great importance. Take a look at this successful resume sample.

Tips to help you write your Minimalist Graphic Designer resume in 2024

   have a minimalist portfolio..

For any graphic designer, you need to attach your portfolio to your resume when applying for a job. Recruiters need to see your designs. For this position compile your most successful and impactful minimalist designs into a portfolio.

   Create a minimalist-looking resume.

Let recruiters see your style and abilities by the look of your resume before they even read it. Show your minimalist skills by designing a resume with a minimalist aesthetic.

Skills you can include on your Minimalist Graphic Designer resume

Template 14 of 14: motion graphic designer resume example.

From animations to credit sequences, moving logos, and websites, motion graphic designers create designs that can move. These designers work largely in industries like film, TV, advertising, and many other industries. Your qualifications and your tools lists will be of great importance for this position. Here is a recruiter-approved resume sample.

Tips to help you write your Motion Graphic Designer resume in 2024

   show the types of motion graphic design you have experience doing..

Recruiters need to know what you can do so they can gauge if you are the right person for them. So mention the different kinds of graphic design that you are experienced with. This applicant has mentioned that they have done animated logos, title sequences, and video edits, among others. If you know the kind of graphic design they want you to do, make sure to emphasize that experience.

   List the types of motion graphic design you are skilled in.

Use your skills section to list the types of motion graphic design you are skilled in. This applicant has lister 3-D modeling, stretch and squash, and staging as some of their skills.

Skills you can include on your Motion Graphic Designer resume

As a hiring manager, I've reviewed countless graphic designer resumes. I've seen applications from candidates vying for roles at top companies like Apple, Google, and Adobe. While the specific skills and experience required may vary depending on the company and role, there are certain elements that consistently make a graphic designer resume stand out. In this article, I'll share some tips to help you craft a compelling resume that showcases your strengths as a graphic designer.

   Showcase your versatility as a designer

Employers want to see that you have a diverse skill set and can handle various aspects of graphic design. Highlight your proficiency in different areas, such as:

• Branding and logo design
• Web and mobile app design
• Print design (brochures, posters, packaging)
• Illustrations and infographics

By demonstrating your versatility, you show that you can adapt to different projects and contribute to the company in multiple ways. Remember to provide specific examples of your work in each area to give the employer a clear picture of your capabilities.

   Emphasize your software proficiency

As a graphic designer, your software skills are crucial. Employers want to know that you're proficient in industry-standard tools. Instead of simply listing the software you know, provide context to showcase your expertise:

• Adobe Creative Suite

A more effective way to highlight your skills:

• Advanced proficiency in Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, with 5+ years of experience creating print and digital designs
• Skilled in using Sketch and InVision to create and prototype mobile app interfaces, collaborating closely with development teams

By providing specific examples and context, you demonstrate the depth of your knowledge and how you apply these skills in your work.

   Quantify your impact and achievements

When describing your work experience, use metrics to quantify your impact and achievements. This helps employers understand the scale and significance of your contributions. For example:

• Designed logos for various clients
• Created social media graphics

Instead, try:

• Designed logos for 20+ clients across industries, resulting in an average 30% increase in brand recognition
• Created engaging social media graphics that contributed to a 25% increase in follower count and 40% higher engagement rates

By using numbers and percentages, you provide concrete evidence of your success and make your resume more impactful.

   Include non-traditional design experience

Don't limit your resume to just your professional experience. Include relevant projects, even if they weren't part of a paid role. This could be:

• Freelance work
• Personal projects or side hustles
• Pro bono work for non-profits or community organizations
• Design competitions or hackathons

These experiences demonstrate your passion, initiative, and ability to apply your skills in different contexts. They can also help fill gaps in your work history and showcase your continuous learning and growth as a designer.

   Tailor your resume to the job description

One common mistake graphic designers make is sending a generic resume to every job application. Instead, take the time to tailor your resume to each specific role and company. Here's how:

• Read the job description carefully and identify the key skills and requirements
• Highlight the experiences and projects that are most relevant to the role
• Use similar language and terminology as the job description to show your fit
• Research the company and incorporate your knowledge into your resume summary or objective

By customizing your resume, you demonstrate your genuine interest in the role and make it easier for the employer to see how you can contribute to their team.

   Showcase your unique design style

As a graphic designer, your unique style and creative approach are what set you apart. While it's important to demonstrate your versatility, don't be afraid to showcase your signature style in your resume. Here are a few ways to do that:

• Include a link to your online portfolio or website that showcases your best work
• Incorporate design elements or branding that reflect your personal style (while still keeping the overall resume design clean and professional)
• In your resume summary or objective, mention your unique design philosophy or approach

Passionate graphic designer with a bold, minimalist style and a focus on creating impactful, user-centric designs.

By infusing your resume with your unique design perspective, you give employers a taste of what makes you stand out as a creative professional.

Writing Your Graphic Designer Resume: Section By Section

  header, 1. decide on the best name format.

Your name is the most important element in your resume header. It should be the largest text on the page and easy to read at a glance. Decide on the best format for your name, such as:

• First Middle Initial Last
• First M. Last

Avoid nicknames or abbreviations that could be confusing. Use your full name as it appears on your professional documents and online profiles for consistency.

2. Include essential contact details

After your name, include your key contact details so hiring managers can easily get in touch with you. Essential details to include are:

• Phone number
• Professional email address
• Location (City, State)
• LinkedIn profile URL

Keep your email address professional, ideally [email protected] . Avoid outdated email providers like Hotmail or AOL. You can omit your full mailing address, but including your city and state lets employers know your general location.

John Doe, Graphic Designer [email protected]

John Doe Graphic Designer [email protected] | 555-123-4567 | New York, NY | linkedin.com/in/johndoe

3. Showcase your specialty as a graphic designer

As a graphic designer, you likely have a specialty or niche you focus on. Highlighting this in your resume header can help you stand out to employers looking for those specific skills. For example:

• John Doe Product Packaging Graphic Designer
• Jane Smith Graphic Designer specializing in Branding & Logo Design
• Bob Johnson UI/UX Graphic Designer

Keep your specialty concise and targeted. Avoid listing multiple unrelated specialties, which can come across as unfocused. By clearly conveying your niche in the header, you'll position yourself as the go-to candidate for those specific needs.

  Summary

A resume summary is an optional section that highlights your most relevant experiences and skills in a few sentences. It's best used by graphic designers with several years of experience, are changing careers, or have a diverse background that needs context. Keep it concise and avoid repeating information already in your resume.

In contrast, resume objectives are outdated and should not be used, as they focus on your goals rather than how you can benefit the company. Instead, tailor your summary to the specific graphic designer position you're applying for, and consider including your target job title and relevant keywords to help your resume perform better in applicant tracking systems (ATS).

To learn how to write an effective resume summary for your Graphic Designer resume, or figure out if you need one, please read Graphic Designer Resume Summary Examples , or Graphic Designer Resume Objective Examples .

1. Highlight your graphic design expertise

When writing your summary, emphasize your core graphic design skills and expertise that align with the job description. Mention your proficiency in industry-standard software, such as Adobe Creative Suite, and showcase your ability to create visually compelling designs across various media.

Avoid generic statements that could apply to any graphic designer, like:

• Proficient in graphic design software
• Creative and detail-oriented designer

Instead, provide specific examples of your skills and the impact of your work:

• Expert in Adobe Creative Suite, with a focus on creating engaging web and mobile interfaces
• Skilled in developing brand identity systems that drive increased brand recognition and customer loyalty

Ensure your resume showcases your proficiency in the latest graphic design tools and trends. Our Score My Resume tool can provide instant feedback on your resume's content, helping you optimize it for the graphic designer role you're targeting.

2. Demonstrate your impact and achievements

Use your summary to highlight your most impressive achievements and the impact your work has had on your previous employers or clients. Quantify your results whenever possible to give the hiring manager a clear understanding of your value.

Graphic designer with 5+ years of experience creating digital and print designs. Skilled in Adobe Creative Suite and collaborating with cross-functional teams.

While this summary touches on the candidate's experience and skills, it doesn't provide any context on their achievements or the impact of their work. A more effective summary would be:

Results-driven graphic designer with 5+ years of experience creating digital and print designs that engage users and drive business growth. Skilled in leveraging Adobe Creative Suite to develop innovative brand campaigns, resulting in a 30% increase in brand recognition and a 20% boost in sales for key clients.

When tailoring your resume summary to a specific graphic designer role, consider using Targeted Resume to ensure you're including the most relevant keywords and skills from the job description.

  Experience

The work experience section is the heart of your graphic designer resume. It's where you showcase your relevant skills, accomplishments, and impact through previous roles. Hiring managers and recruiters look to this section to understand your career trajectory and assess if you're a good fit for the role.

Let's break down the key elements you should focus on when writing an effective work experience section:

1. Highlight your design skills and tools

Throughout your work experience, emphasize the specific design skills and tools you've used to succeed in your roles. Graphic design jobs require proficiency in industry-standard tools, so showcase your expertise.

Less effective work experience statements:

• Designed marketing collateral for product launches
• Created social media graphics and email designs

More effective, tools-focused statements:

• Designed marketing collateral for 5+ product launches using Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator)
• Created engaging social media graphics and email designs in Canva and Adobe Spark, contributing to a 20% increase in click-through rates

2. Quantify your impact with metrics

When describing your achievements in each role, use hard numbers and metrics to quantify your impact whenever possible. This helps hiring managers understand the scope and results of your work.

Weak, unquantified bullets:

• Collaborated with marketing team to design digital ads
• Developed visual brand guidelines for company

Strong, quantified bullets:

• Partnered with marketing team to design 10+ high-performing digital ad campaigns, resulting in a 25% increase in conversions
• Developed comprehensive visual brand guidelines and logo redesign, which were implemented company-wide across 50+ employees

If you don't have access to precise metrics, you can still provide numerical context for your work. For example, mention the size of the team you collaborated with, number of assets designed per month, or number of stakeholders managed.

3. Showcase promotions and career growth

If you've been promoted or taken on increasing responsibilities throughout your career, make sure to highlight that progression in your work experience section. This demonstrates your ability to succeed and grow within an organization.

Junior Graphic Designer, ABC Agency, June 2018 - Dec 2019 • Designed social media graphics and infographics for 5 clients • Assisted senior designers in brainstorming and concept development Senior Graphic Designer, ABC Agency, Jan 2020 - Present • Lead designer for 8 key client accounts, overseeing all visual branding • Mentored and trained 2 junior designers on design best practices and agency processes

By showing the progression from Junior to Senior Graphic Designer, with increasing ownership and leadership, this resume paints a clear picture of the candidate's career growth and impact.

4. Trim details from older or irrelevant roles

As a graphic designer gains experience, their older roles may not need as much detail on the resume. The work experience section should focus primarily on the most recent and relevant positions.

For example, if a senior designer had a past role as a Marketing Intern early in their career, they don't need to provide as much detail:

• Marketing Intern, XYZ Startup, Summer 2015
• Assisted in designing marketing materials for new product launch

The focus remains on the candidate's more recent roles as a Graphic Designer, where they can elaborate on their relevant skills, specialties, and achievements.

To get expert feedback on every section of your graphic design resume, try our free Score My Resume tool. It checks your resume on 30+ key criteria recruiters and hiring managers look for, so you can ensure your work experience section and overall resume are well-optimized.

  Education

The education section on your graphic designer resume should be concise and highlight your most relevant qualifications. You want to show the hiring manager that you have the necessary educational background and training to excel in the role. Here are some tips to help you write an effective education section:

1. List your degrees in reverse chronological order

Start with your most recent degree and work backwards. If you have a bachelor's degree or higher, you can leave out your high school information. For each degree, include:

• Name of the institution
• Location of the institution
• Degree earned
• Graduation date (month and year)
• Major and minor (if applicable)

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design University of California, Los Angeles Los Angeles, CA Graduated: May 2020

2. Include relevant coursework and projects

If you are a recent graduate or have limited work experience, you can highlight relevant coursework, projects, or extracurricular activities in your education section. This shows the hiring manager that you have hands-on experience and skills related to graphic design.

However, avoid listing every course you've taken. Instead, focus on:

• Advanced or specialized courses in graphic design software, web design, or typography
• Capstone projects or thesis work
• Relevant electives or workshops

3. Showcase your design education and training

Graphic design is a field that values both creativity and technical skills. Use your education section to showcase your training in design principles, software, and tools.

If you attended a prestigious design school or program, make sure to highlight that. You can also mention any specialized training or certifications you've completed, such as:

• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign)
• UX/UI design
• Web design and development
• Print production and pre-press

4. Keep it brief if you are a senior-level designer

If you have several years of experience as a graphic designer, your education section should be short and sweet. Hiring managers are more interested in your professional accomplishments and portfolio than your degrees from many years ago.

Here's an example of what not to include:

Bachelor of Fine Arts in Graphic Design Rhode Island School of Design Providence, RI Graduated: May 1995 Relevant Coursework: Typography I, II, and III, Web Design, Printmaking, Photography, Art History Survey

Instead, keep it concise:

BFA, Graphic Design, Rhode Island School of Design

Action Verbs For Graphic Designer Resumes

Graphic designers need to be able to conceptualize visuals, create compelling and on-brand designs, and present their ideas to clients. Use action verbs in your resume to highlight those skills — for example, using Illustrated or Fashioned shows your ability to create and finalize a design, while Revitalized and Customized demonstrate an awareness of branding and client needs. Always structure your work experience bullet points with the action verb first. This puts the emphasis on what you actually accomplished, rather than simply listing job duties. For even more ideas to kickstart your graphic designer resume, check out our full list of resume action verbs .

• Conceptualized
• Illustrated
• Streamlined
• Revitalized
• Established

For a full list of effective resume action verbs, visit Resume Action Verbs .

Action Verbs for Graphic Designer Resumes

How to write a graphic designer resume – step by step.

Writing a resume to apply for a graphic designer role is easy if you keep a few things in mind. Let's dive in — these steps are relevant across a range of design role, including graphic design, creative leadership and web design roles.

Getting the Basics right for writing a Graphic Designer resume

1.1: structure your resume to list the most recent sections first (reverse chronological order).

When creating or editing any resume, putting your most recent experiences first makes it easier for recruiters to see your current skill level. They can skim the list and see which one is your most recent role (i.e. the one they are most interested in). This is often called the reverse chronological order.

1.2: Include any Portfolio links in the Resume Header

As a graphic designer, you need to have a portfolio of your samples from different past work and projects. Including a portfolio link — whether that's on Behance, Dribbble, or even just LinkedIn — will make it easier for recruiters to see what you can do in a semi-professional environment and strengthens your overall resume. If you don't have a portfolio, don't feel the need to include a link at all — it's an optional part of your resume header.

1.3: Highlight your growth in the industry

To land a mid- to senior-level roles like a Senior Graphic Designer or Creative Head, you need to show leadership and initiative. Pointing out promotions at past jobs shows that you are a leader as well as an exemplary employee who is committed to their professional growth. If you have held promotions in the design field, mention them. Bold your job titles so your promotion is more prominent.

Expressing your Design Experience

2.1: highlight your creativity and design-related knowledge in your bullet points.

Keeping your work experience section organised in bullet points is always the right option. Recruiters can skim your resume and find the information they need quickly. Here's an example bullet point for design experience: Collaborated with Lead Engineer to develop a cohesive style guide to standardize 50+ design components for Android and web app

2.2: Stick to the [Action Verb] + [Task] + [Impact of Work] structure

Your bullet points need to be structured by using an action verb. Using an action verb related to graphic design helps emphasize your practical experience and keeps it relevant to the job. Common action verbs graphic designers use are Designed, Conceptualized, Illustrated and Revised. Mentioning the impact of the work is beneficial to showing your success. This can be hard data (e.g. 'created reusable components that saved 25+ hours a week of designer time') or the general outcome such as "improved efficiency".

2.3: Keep your skills section concise and relevant to the job; emphasize the job's skills, whether that's app design, web design or physical designs.

Limit the skill list to only relevant ones for the type of design job you want. Definitely don't include more than 12 hard skills in your skills section. In saying that, only include those specific to the graphic designer role you want and the kind of job you're applying for. For example, if you're applying to a graphic design role that has a focus on website development, you might want to include, "Web design", "Figma" or "CSS" on your resume's skills section. If you're applying to a role that focuses on branding and physical designs, you might want to include, "Illustrator", "Branding" or "Canva" on your resume.

2.4: Include the graphic design software through your use of bullet points

Always remember to list the software you're experienced using for your graphic design processes, especially ones you currently use. The Adobe Creative Cloud suite, Sketch, Figma and general web development languages like CSS are big ones that recruiters often look for.

Getting past the resume screeners and Applicant Tracking Systems

3.1: ensure the resume scanning software can read your resume template.

Applicant tracking system software scan your resume to identify if you'd be a good fit, essentially by checking if you have the essential skills the job needs. If the software can't read your resume, it might just think you don't have the right skills and immediately reject you by default. Word of warning: Don't create your resume in design software like Photoshop or Canva! These tools will convert your resume into an image which will make it impossible to be read by these ATS tools. Instead, just use Google Docs or Word.

3.2: Don’t include skills you’re not comfortable with in a professional setting

Please don't claim knowledge of a tool or design framework on your resume, but not be able to answer questions about it in an interview. It's much better to have deep expertise in one or two design methodologies or software, than to say you know everything (which also shows a lack of focus, something you shouldn't anyway do if you're tailoring your resume).

3.3: Submit the resume as a PDF

Using word processing software to write a resume is a must. However, if it's opened in different software, the layout, formatting, and font might change. Saving the resume as a PDF once you're happy with it ensures there's no chance of it being altered to work with other software.

Putting the final touches on your Graphic Designer resume

4.1: add a resume summary if you're changing careers.

A resume summary is optional and not essential but is helpful if you're changing careers into the creative field. It needs to highlight your previous achievements not included in the rest of the resume. Use this to highlight achievements and mention transferable skills that are relevant to across industries, whether that's communicating with stakeholders or leading a design project.

4.2: The Education section doesn't need to be long

If you're a mid or senior level job seeker, the education section isn't the most important thing on the resume to a recruiter. Just include the degree name, the school, graduation date (if under ten years ago) and any accomplishments relating to the job.

Skills For Graphic Designer Resumes

Unsurprisingly, the most important hard skills for graphic designers are design software skills. Developing proficiency with a few key design programs — whether that’s self-taught or through formal qualifications — is essential to landing a role as a graphic designer. Make sure to list these skills somewhere in your resume, either in your bullet points or a separate skills section, to bypass any Applicant Tracking Systems and impress recruiters. The exact skills you need may depend on the exact job you’re applying for, so always read the job description thoroughly to find out which skills are the most important and tailor your resume accordingly. Our Targeted Resume tool will point out any important skills or keywords you’re missing and give you personalized advice on how to improve your resume.

• Logo Design
• Graphic Design
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign
• Page Layout
• Video Editing
• Adobe Photoshop
• Illustration
• Art Direction
• Visual Communication
• After Effects
• Photography
• Digital Photography

How To Write Your Skills Section On a Graphic Designer Resumes

You can include the above skills in a dedicated Skills section on your resume, or weave them in your experience. Here's how you might create your dedicated skills section:

Skills Word Cloud For Graphic Designer Resumes

This word cloud highlights the important keywords that appear on Graphic Designer job descriptions and resumes. The bigger the word, the more frequently it appears on job postings, and the more 'important' it is.

How to use these skills?

Resume bullet points from graphic designer resumes.

You should use bullet points to describe your achievements in your Graphic Designer resume. Here are sample bullet points to help you get started:

Conducted 25+ user-testing focus groups leading to 3 new product features in 6 months

Redesigned company's homepage and lead generation forms using only existing site components; reduced bounce rates by 40% and increased leads by 15%

Analyzed impact and effectiveness of in-app UI changes on customer retention; identified features of customer behavior and recommended additional menu modifications [R, MySQL, Chart JS]

Led application design sessions with client teams on 20+ projects to develop functional and technical requirements

Decreased uninstallation rate by 40% by introducing an interactive tutorial at app launch

For more sample bullet points and details on how to write effective bullet points, see our articles on resume bullet points , how to quantify your resume and resume accomplishments .

Frequently Asked Questions on Graphic Designer Resumes

What should a graphic designer put on a resume.

• A link to your portfolio in the header section: Alongside your name and address in the header, it is a good idea to include a link to a portfolio that demonstrates samples of your design work. The portfolio should contain three to five examples that display your skillset. Including a job title such as 'Graphic Designer’ or ‘User Interface Graphic Designer’ will help tailor your resume to a specific role. You can also include a link to your LinkedIn profile.
• Professional experience: Graphic design hiring managers prefer that you use bullet points for this section as they are easy to skim. In your bullet points, highlight specific experience with common graphic design tasks like creating logos, developing mockups, and creating infographics.
• Education: Where did you learn your craft? List your degree, online courses, or graphic design certifications here. For recent graduates, you can include design projects you did at university. Experienced designers should just list the certification name, school, and graduation date.
• A Skills section

What skills should you put on a graphic designer resume?

How to improve graphic design resume.

Designed logos for 40 companies in the first six months (against a target of 25) thus growing the division’s revenue by 30%.

Other Design Resumes

Game design.

Instructional Design

Interior Design

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Graphic Designer Resume Examples For 2024 (20+ Skills & Templates)

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Looking to score a job as a Graphic Designer?

You're going to need an awesome resume. This guide is your one-stop-shop for writing a job-winning Graphic Designer resume using our proven strategies, skills, templates, and examples.

All of the content in this guide is based on data from coaching thousands of job seekers (just like you!) who went on to land offers at the world's best companies.

If you want to maximize your chances of landing that Graphic Designer role, I recommend reading this piece from top to bottom. But if you're just looking for something specific, here's what's included in this guide:

• What To Know About Writing A Job-Winning Graphic Designer Resume
• The Best Skills To Include On A Graphic Designer Resume

How To Write A Job-Winning Graphic Designer Resume Summary

How to write offer-winning graphic designer resume bullets.

• 3 Graphic Designer Resume Examples

The 8 Best Graphic Designer Resume Templates

Here's the step-by-step breakdown:

Graphic Designer Resume Overview: What To Know To Write A Resume That Wins More Job Offers

What do companies look for when they're hiring a Graphic Designer?

Companies typically look for Graphic Designers with a combination of technical skills, creativity, and relevant experience. Technical skills include proficiency in design software such as Adobe Creative Suite — like Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign — Figma, Microsoft Suite, G-suite, and an understanding of design principles and techniques. Creativity, on the other hand, is a valued skill in developing unique and compelling designs that appeal to the company's audience.

Plus, relevant experience demonstrated through a portfolio of past work shows an ability to complete projects and tackle challenges in a professional setting.

Companies may also value communication skills and the ability to work well in a team, as designers often collaborate with other departments.

Your resume should show the company that your personality and your experience encompass all these things.

Additionally, there are a few best practices you want to follow to write a job-winning Graphic Designer resume:

• Craft your resume to the job description you are applying for: Tailor your resume for each application, aligning your skills with the specific requirements of each job description.
• Detail previous experiences: Provide detailed descriptions of your roles, emphasizing hard and soft skills related to the job description. Highlight your proficiency with software like Abobe Creative Suite, Microsoft Suite, G-suite, and Figma.
• Bring in your key achievements: Showcase measurable achievements in previous roles and share your best work.
• Highlight your skills: List relevant hard and soft skills, such as proficiency in design software tools, creativity, marketing, and communication.
• Make it visually appealing: You're a designer — so design! Use a professional and clean layout with bullet points for easy readability. Also, ensure formatting and font consistency throughout the resume and limit it to one or two pages.
• Use keywords: Incorporate industry-specific keywords from the job description to pass through applicant tracking systems (ATS) and increase your chances of being noticed by hiring managers.
• Proofread your resume: Thoroughly proofread your resume to eliminate errors (I recommend Hemingway App and Grammarly ). Consider seeking feedback from peers or mentors to ensure clarity and effectiveness!

Let's dive deeper into each of these so you have the exact blueprint you need to see success.

The Best Graphic Designer Skills To Include On Your Resume

Keywords are one of the most important factors in your resume. They show employers that your skills align with the role and they also help format your resume for Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS).

If you're not familiar with ATS systems, they are pieces of software used by employers to manage job applications. They scan resumes for keywords and qualifications and make it easier for employers to filter and search for candidates whose qualifications match the role.

If you want to win more interviews and job offers, you need to have a keyword-optimized resume. There are two ways to find the right keywords:

1. Leverage The 20 Best Graphic Designer Keywords

The first is to leverage our list of the best keywords and skills for a Graphic Designer resume.

These keywords were selected from an analysis of real Graphic Designer job descriptions sourced from actual job boards. Here they are:

• Communication
• Development
• Illustrators
• Organization
• Cross-Functional
• Time Management
• Consistency
• Social Media
• Presentations

2. Use ResyMatch.io To Find The Best Keywords That Are Specific To Your Resume And Target Role

The second method is the one I recommend because it's personalized to your specific resume and target job.

This process lets you find the exact keywords that your resume is missing when compared to the individual role you're applying for.

Here's how it works:

• Open a copy of your updated Graphic Designer resume
• Open a copy of your target Graphic Designer job description
• In the widget below, paste your resume on the left, paste the job description on the right, and hit scan!

ResyMatch is going to scan your resume and compare it to the target job description. It's going to show you the exact keywords and skills you're missing as well as share other feedback you can use to improve your resume.

If you're ready to get started, use the widget below to run your first scan and get your free resume score:

Copy/paste or upload your resume here:

Click here to paste text

Upload a PDF, Word Doc, or TXT File

Paste the job post's details here:

Scan to compare and score your resume vs the job's description.

Scanning...

And if you're a visual learner, here's a video walking through the entire process so you can follow along:

Employers spend an average of six seconds reading your resume.

If you want to win more interviews and offers, you need to make that time count. That starts with hitting the reader with the exact information they're looking for right at the top of your resume.

Unfortunately, traditional resume advice like Summaries and Objectives don't accomplish that goal. If you want to win in today's market, you need a modern approach. I like to use something I can a “Highlight Reel,” here's how it works.

Highlight Reels: A Proven Way To Start Your Resume And Win More Jobs

The Highlight Reel is exactly what it sounds like.

It's a section at the top of your resume that allows you to pick and choose the best and most relevant experience to feature right at the top of your resume.

It's essentially a highlight reel of your career as it relates to this specific role! I like to think about it as the SportsCenter Top 10 of your resume.

The Highlight Reel resume summary consists of 4 parts:

• A relevant section title that ties your experience to the role
• An introductory bullet that summarizes your experience and high-level value
• A few supporting “Case Study” bullets that illustrate specific results, projects, and relevant experience
• A closing “Extracurricular” bullet to round out your candidacy

For example, if we were writing a Highlight Reel for a Graphic Designer role, it might look like this:

You can see how the first bullet includes the Graphic Designer job title, the years of experience this candidate has, and it wraps up with a value-driven pitch for how they've helped companies in the past.

The next two bullets are “Case Studies” of specific results they drove at their company. The last bullet wraps up with extracurricular information, such as volunteer work and awards.

This candidate has provided all of the info any employer would want to see right at the very top of their resume! The best part is that they can customize this section for each and every role they apply for to maximize the relevance of their experience.

Here's one more example of a Graphic Designer Highlight Reel:

The content of this example showcases the candidate's years of experience and wraps up the first bullet with a high-value pitch, while the following bullet points focus on measurable results and relevant experience. Then, they highlight their focus on volunteer work and high GPA.

If you want more details on writing a killer Highlight Reel, check out my full guide on Highlight Reels here.

Bullets make up the majority of the content in your resume. If you want to win, you need to know how to write bullets that are compelling and value-driven.

Unfortunately, way too many job seekers aren't good at this. They use fluffy, buzzword-fill language and they only talk about the actions that they took rather than the results and outcomes those actions created.

If you apply this framework to each of the bullets on your resume, you're going to make them more compelling and your value is going to be crystal clear to the reader. For example, take a look at these resume bullets:

❌ Graphic Designer with 8+ years of experience

✅ Graphic Designer with 8+ years of proven experience, excelling in brand development and digital marketing strategies, boosting customer acquisition by 30% through effective collaboration

The second bullet makes the candidate's value  so much more clear, and it's a lot more fun to read! That's what we're going for here.

That said, it's one thing to look at the graphic above and try to apply the abstract concept of “35% hard skills” to your bullet. We wanted to make things easy, so we created a tool called ResyBullet.io that will actually give your resume bullet a score and show you how to improve it.

Using ResyBullet To Write Crazy Effective, Job-Winning Resume Bullets

ResyBullet takes our proprietary “resume bullet formula” and layers it into a tool that's super simple to use. Here's how it works:

• Head over to ResyBullet.io
• Copy a bullet from your resume and paste it into the tool, then hit “Analyze”
• ResyBullet will score your resume bullet and show you exactly what you need to improve
• You edit your bullet with the recommended changes and scan it again
• Rinse and repeat until you get a score of 60+
• Move on to the next bullet in your resume

Let's take a look at how this works for the two resume bullet examples I shared above:

First, we had, “Graphic Designer with 8+ year of experience.” 

ResyBullet gave that a score of 25/100.  Not only is it too short, but it's missing relevant skills, compelling language, and measurable outcomes:

Now, let's take a look at our second bullet,  “Graphic Designer with 8+ years of proven experience, excelling in brand development and digital marketing strategies, boosting customer acquisition by 30% through effective collaboration.”

ResyBullet gave that a 69 / 100. Much better! This bullet had more content focused on the experience in the Graphic Designer role, while also highlighting measurable results:

Now all you have to do is run each of your bullets through ResyBullet, make the suggested updates, and your resume is going to be jam-packed with eye-popping, value-driven content!

If you're ready, grab a bullet from your resume, paste it into the widget below, and hit scan to get your first resume bullet score and analysis:

Free Resume Bullet Analyzer

Learn to write crazy effective resume bullets that grab attention, illustrate value, and actually get results., copy and paste your resume bullet to begin analysis:, 3 graphic designer resume examples for 2024.

Now let's take a look at all of these best practices in action. Here are three resume examples for different situations from people with different backgrounds:

Graphic Designer Resume Example #1: A Traditional Background

Graphic Designer Resume Example #2: A Non-Traditional Background

For our second Graphic Designer Resume Example, we have a candidate who has a non-traditional background. In this case, they are coming from a background as an elementery school teacher, but leverage experiences that can help them transition to a Graphic Design role. Here's an example of what their resume might look like:

Graphic Designer Resume Example #3: Graphic Designer With Experience As A Freelancer

For our third Graphic Designer Resume Example, we have a candidate who has only worked as a freelancer. Here's an example of what their resume might look like when applying for Graphic Designer roles:

At this point, you know all of the basics you'll need to write a Graphic Designer resume that wins you more interviews and offers. The only thing left is to take all of that information and apply it to a template that's going to help you get results.

We made that easy with our ResyBuild tool . It has 8 proven templates that were created with the help of recruiters and hiring managers at the world's best companies. These templates also bake in thousands of data points we have from the job seekers in our audience who have used them to land job offers.

Just click any of the templates below to start building your resume using proven, recruiter-approved templates:

Free Job-Winning Resume Templates, Build Yours In No Time .

Choose a resume template below to get started:.

Key Takeaways To Wrap Up Your Job-Winning Graphic Designer Resume

You made it! We packed a lot of information into this post so I wanted to distill the key points for you and lay out next steps so you know exactly where to from here.

Here are the 5 steps for writing a job-winning Graphic Designer resume:

• Start with a proven resume template from ResyBuild.io
• Use ResyMatch.io to find the right keywords and optimize your resume for each role you apply to
• Open your resume with a Highlight Reel to immediately grab your target employer's attention
• Use ResyBullet.io to craft compelling, value-driven bullets that pop off the page
• Compare the draft of your resume to the examples on this page to make sure you're on the right path
• Use a tool like HemingwayApp or Grammarly to proofread your resume before you submit it

If you follow those steps, you're going to be well on your way to landing more Graphic Designer interviews and job offers.

Now that your resume is taken care of, check out my guide on how to get a job anywhere without applying online!

Paula Martins

Paula is Cultivated Culture's amazing Editor and Content Manager. Her background is in journalism and she's transitioned from roles in education, to tech, to finance, and more. She blends her journalism background with her job search experience to share advice aimed at helping people like you land jobs they love without applying online.

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• • Led the redesign of Adobe's main product page, increasing user engagement by 30% through improved UX and clearer CTA placements.
• • Conducted over 50 user interviews and 10 usability tests to gather insights, leading to a 25% decrease in bounce rates.
• • Implemented a new design system using Figma, enhancing brand consistency across all web platforms.
• • Collaborated with product managers to refine user personas, resulting in a more targeted and effective product development strategy.
• • Initiated and led a cross-functional team to integrate accessibility features, making the website fully compliant with WCAG 2.1.
• • Spearheaded a project to utilize atomic design principles, shortening the development cycle for new features by 20%.
• • Redesigned the checkout process, resulting in a 15% increase in conversion rates.
• • Developed comprehensive user flows and wireframes to streamline navigation, reducing user frustration and support tickets by 40%.
• • Conducted A/B testing on various design elements, which informed the final design decisions and improved user satisfaction scores by 20%.
• • Created and maintained a UI library in Figma to accelerate the design process and ensure consistency across teams.
• • Facilitated user research sessions to understand pain points in the shopping experience, leading to significant UI improvements.
• • Implemented a new user research framework that increased the efficiency of user studies by 25%.
• • Analyzed user behavior data to inform the design team, resulting in a 10% increase in user retention.
• • Collaborated with the UX design team to translate research findings into actionable design improvements.
• • Led usability testing sessions that informed the iteration of key product features.
• • Achieved a 40% increase in daily active users and a 25% improvement in user retention within the first three months post-launch.

13 Graphic Designer Resume Examples & Guide for 2024

A designer resume must clearly showcase your creative skills and design proficiency. It's essential to highlight your strongest projects and the impact they've had. Ensure your technical competencies, including mastery of design software, are prominent. Your experience should be presented in a way that reflects your unique design perspective and problem-solving abilities.

All resume examples in this guide

Junior Graphic Designer

Senior Graphic Designer

Graphic Design Student

Design Intern

App Designer

Design Manager

Digital Designer

Freelance Designer

Multimedia Designer

Visual Designer

Web Designer

Creative Graphic Designer

Senior UX/UI Designer | User Research | Web Prototyping resume example

Resume Guide

Resume format

Resume experience

Hard & soft skills

Certifications and education

Resume summary/Objective

Additional sections

Key takeaways

By Experience

The job outlook for designers is always improving. It doesn’t matter if business es realize it or not—there's a place for designers in any field. Whether it’s making a new product, launching a new service, or starting a new advertising campaign—there's design work associated with it.

In today’s marketing world, design makes the most impact when it comes to creating interest and attracting leads. A design concept  can make or break a potential customer's decision within the very first seconds of interacting with it.

Graphic designers have a deep understanding of how human beings perceive and communicate with their outside world. The best of them know how to grab customers’ attention and keep them interested. That’s what keeps creative directors and lead designers constantly on the lookout for talented designers.

If you’re serious about landing the job, your resume needs to show that you can:

• Use a large range of tools and techniques to create high-quality deliverables including logos, flyers, business cards, brochures, magazines, etc.
• Meet clients’ needs by developing design concepts and layouts that are uniquely tailored to each client's distinct preferences.
• Communicate with team members, print ing houses, and outside agencies to ensure a smooth design process.
• Prove you deliver your work on time to guarantee client satisfaction.

Before we dive in, why don’t you browse through our database of design-related resume guides?

• Brand designer resume
• Digital designer resume
• UX/UI designer resume
• Junior UX designer
• Creative director resume
• Designer cover letter

How to format a graphic designer  resume

Crafting a designer’s resume is very similar to design work. You start with an idea that you want to communicate through your work. Then, you turn that idea into a visual message that the viewer can understand.

You convey that message by creating a unique concept that captures their  interest and makes an impact.

Those are the same steps you follow when creating your resume. The idea you start with is that you’re the perfect candidate and deserve the job. You have to illustrate that in your message and do so by creating a flawless resume .

While you may be a pro at communicating visually, a resume demands paying attention to some very specific details like ATS-friendly  fonts and acceptable file formats. Below, we break down   the formatting principles   you should follow when building this type of professional document.

The resume header  is the ideal spot to highlight your creative side. This section not only features your portfolio link but also allows you to personalize it to an extent that truly captures your authentic self.

Fonts : While you may want to choose a unique typeface that shows your creative side, be mindful of applicant tracking systems that may not recognize it. Instead, go with a professional font like  Lato, Arial, Rubik, Calibri, Bitter, or PT Serif , sized 10-12 pt.

Margins : This part of your resume should comply with industry standards and shouldn’t be less than 1-inch wide. Margins provide white space   on a resume and make it easily readable.

Layout : Go for a clean layout (a single- or double-column resume) to avoid overwhelming the reader with too many graphic elements. The best advice here is to keep your  resume length no more than 1 page long.

Language : Proofread your resume  for typos and grammar mistakes. Some designers tend to neglect spelling for the sake of visual impact. If you’re not confident in that, use our resume checker  which will do the optimization for you.

PDF format : Many people have expressed frustration with their resumes failing to pass the ATS assessment. In many of those cases, the file format is the reason. So, make sure you save your resume as a PDF  file to preserve the layout across all devices and platforms.

Which resume format is the best for graphic designers?

Usually, we talk about three main types of resume layouts:

The reverse chronological resume   listing employment history starting with the most recent positions first, is best suited for experts with extensive experience. On the other hand, the functional resume , which emphasizes skills over chronological work history, is ideal for entry-level candidates or those with career gaps.

In your case, however, the decision depends not only on how experienced you are but also on your craft. A designer’s job requires a strong set of creative skills, so you need a structure that emphasizes that, without losing the importance of your previous experience.

Thus, the hybrid, or combination format  is your best bet. It allows you to showcase both your skills and employment history in reverse chronological order. This resume format  is also great for those who have done a lot of freelance work, which is often the case with people in the creative industry.

If you already have a resume built, chances are it might not be ATS-friendly. Click the button below to see if it passes the test or not.

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Drop your resume here or choose a file . PDF & DOCX only. Max 2MB file size.

Now that we’ve touched on the most important formatting steps, check out the sections you should  include in your resume.

The top sections on a designer’s resume

• Professional summary : Showcases your design philosophy and career goals, making a strong first impression.
• Design skills : Highlights your proficiency in design software and artistic techniques, essential for the role.
• Portfolio link : Directs recruiters to your online portfolio, demonstrating your work quality and style.
• Work experience : Details your previous design roles and projects, showing your practical expertise.
• Education and training : Lists your formal education and any design-specific courses, proving your foundational knowledge.

Hiring managers will pay special attention to these sections as they need to demonstrate the must-have skills for the position of a graphic designer. This is what they’ll gather from your resume:

What recruiters want to see on your resume

• Portfolio quality : Demonstrates your design skills, creativity, and ability to deliver professional work.
• Technical skills : Highlights proficiency in design software and tools crucial for creating and editing designs.
• Work experience : Shows practical application of skills in professional settings, including project and client diversity.
• Creativity and originality : Indicates the ability to produce innovative designs that stand out in a competitive market.
• Communication skills : Essential for understanding client needs, collaborating with teams, and presenting designs effectively.

Having clarified that, let's now delve into more detail for each of the above-mentioned resume sections.

How to feature your design experience in your resume

Design is a wide field with lots of different requirements and outcomes. Depending on the position and the industry, two designers can have entirely different skills, work on completely different projects, and produce different deliverables all the time.

So, recruiters often have a specific profile in mind for the designer they want to hire. They already know what they want. That’s why it’s crucial to display  in your experience section  that you’re the best designer they can hire.

How can you do that exactly? You tailor your resume  to each specific job description and mark down keywords  that you’ll include when writing your experience section .

Consider these two examples:

• • Developed creative concepts for website and print initiatives.
• • Created a wide range of deliverables.
• • Worked with outside agencies on managing supplemental design-related projects.

This experience section is far from convincing. It shows no evidence of the candidate’s skills and successes.

Recruiters want to know how your design work affected your former employer’s business positively. They need to be certain that you can do what the new designer position requires you to do.

They want answers for:

• What was the nature of the design concepts you created?
• What type of projects did you handle as a graphic designer in your previous job?
• Do you have experience working in teams and communicating with clients directly?
• Will your experience allow you to do your job at the new company better than any other candidate?

Below is the enhanced version.

• • Solved design challenges by reviewing clients’ existing work and providing advice for improvement.
• • Created wireframes and mockups for digital content that increased online engagement rates by 24%.
• • Worked with other designers and printing houses to ensure the delivery of print deliverables for 19 different projects.

Here’s why this version works better:

• Demonstration of problem-solving skills : The first bullet point highlights the designer's ability to assess and improve existing work, showcasing critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Recruiters will spot the candidate’s ability to enhance visual communication and meet clients' needs and objectives.
• Quantified achievements : The second bullet point provides a specific, quantifiable achievement (increasing online engagement rates by 24% through wireframes and mockups). This not only shows the designer's skill in creating effective digital content but also provides a measurable impact of their work.
• Collaboration and project delivery : The third bullet point emphasizes the designer's ability to collaborate with other professionals and manage deliverables for multiple projects simultaneously. This showcases practical skills but also project management and teamwork abilities.

In the following passage, we’ll give you ideas about how you can measure your successes in the design field.

How to quantify impact on a design-related resume

Feel free to use any of the following tips to maximize your impact as a graphic designer.

• Include the percentage increase in user engagement  or customer conversions due to your design improvements to show your ability to create value through design.
• Mention the specific decrease in bounce rate on webpages  or apps you've designed, demonstrating your skill in retaining audience interest.
• Highlight the number of design iterations conducted before final approval , reflecting your persistence and dedication to perfection.
• Detail the reduction in load time for digital assets you've optimized , indicating your understanding of technical aspects that improve user experience.
• Specify the amount of revenue generated from campaigns or projects  you contributed to, showcasing your designs' direct impact on business success.
• Quantify the growth in social media followers or engagement rates  resulting from your graphic content. This emphasizes your role in boosting brand visibility.
• State the number of A/B tests you've conducted  for various design elements and the improvement metrics, highlighting your data-driven approach to design.
• Document the cost savings achieved by streamlining design processes  or utilizing more efficient tools and resources. This shows your contribution to operational efficiency.

But what happens if you have no professional accomplishments  yet? No worries, you can still create a resume that stands out.

How do I write a graphic designer resume with no experience

According to a Learn G2 article , “19% of businesses don’t use graphic designers, but 67% of those companies would if there were a quicker, less expensive way to create graphic design materials”. This means that the industry will continue to hire junior designers for their availability and lower rates.

Use this insight to create a resume that no recruiter can say no to. Here’s how:

• A portfolio  link is a must. Entry-level or not, this is the one element you can’t go without when applying for a designer role. Make sure it’s prominently featured in your resume header.
• Start strong with a sleek resume objective . These are the 3 sentences at the top of your resume, highlighting your skills and motivation to contribute to the company you’re applying to.
• Emphasize your education or certifications . Many job seekers in your field don’t have formal design education. However, it’s important to be familiar with design fundamentals and prove your knowledge through r elevant coursework or projects you’ve worked on.
• Dedicate a section to your self-improvement projects . Especially for those with limited work experience, specific projects such as classroom assignments, internships, or shadowing  work, can demonstrate your design skills and willingness to grow. Describe the project, your role in it, and any positive outcomes.
• Quantify your work experience , as limited as it may be. For entry-level candidates , this can include internships, part-time jobs, or freelance work. Focus on your responsibilities and achievements in each role, quantifying your impact whenever possible (e.g., "Designed a new logo that increased brand recognition by 20%").

Whatever you choose to feature in your resume, the key is to always adapt it to the requirements of the job you’re applying for.

Now, let’s focus on your strongest asset—your versatile skill set.

How to list your hard and soft skills on your resume

Clients always ask for different projects with different requirements. At the same time, they want the outcome to be unique to their brand. That's why the more relevant design skills you have, the better you are at your job.

Being a designer requires you to master a variety of design software programs as well as an ability to sketch concepts and layouts by hand. Below is a list of the most common practical skills  a designer should have.

Best hard skills for your graphic designer resume

• Adobe Photoshop
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe InDesign
• UX/UI design
• Branding and identity
• Print design
• Motion graphics
• 3D modeling
• After Effects
• Graphic optimization for web
• Digital illustration
• Packaging design
• Color theory
• Prototyping
• Responsive design

You’ll likely be constantly working with other designers, outside agencies, printing houses, and clients. That’s why your resume needs to show that your teamwork and communication skills are on point. Avoid dedicating a separate section for soft skills on your resume  due to limited space. Instead, integrate them within other sections, allowing recruiters to discern these qualities on their own.

Best soft skills for a graphic designer resume

• Attention to detail
• Time management
• Critical thinking
• Problem-solving
• Adaptability
• Client management
• Feedback receptivity
• Project management
• Collaboration
• Stress tolerance
• Organization
• Visual storytelling
• Negotiation
• Continuous learning

Finally, let us remind you that the skills you pick need to be strictly linked to the keywords of the job posting . Before you start building your resume, make sure you make a list of all the skills highlighted in the job description, then put the ones you really do have in your document.

How to list your certifications and education on your resume

When it comes to creative fields like design, education shouldn’t be the most important section. Hiring managers won't rely on it to make their final hiring decision. Instead, they’re more into seeing your work samples and learning more about your experience.

A master’s degree in graphic design won’t get you hired if your work is of low quality. Yet, when there are hundreds of resumes stacking up in the recruiter’s inbox, education may come in handy . It’s especially true if it’s related to arts or graphic design or you graduated from a top-tier university.

Sure, you may have an amazing portfolio with many top-notch projects with your past employer, but so might another dozen candidates applying for the same position.

If your educational background is relevant to the job you're applying for, make sure to include it. Here's how to do it correctly:

• Begin with your degree and major.
• Mention the name of the educational institution.
• Include the duration of your studies along with the location.

A more important element in designers’ resumes is the certification section. Since people obtain certificates based on their interests and willingness to learn new things, this section will give recruiters a more accurate picture of your profile.

Check out this list of must-have certifications if you’re considering a career in graphic design.

Best certifications for a graphic designer resume

• Graphic Design Master
• Brand Identity Design
• Graphic and Digital Design Certificate
• Adobe Certified Expert (ACE)
• International Society of Typographic Designers (ISTD)

Now that we’ve covered the experience and certifications sections , it’s time to go back to the header because something’s still missing there—your resume summary.

How to write your graphic designer resume summary or objective

Summaries are typically written last, once you have a complete overview of your career. Your summary should be memorable to the recruiter, highlighting your value and experience. To achieve this, address the following areas in no more than five sentences:

• The technical skills and design tools you are proficient in;
• The impact of your design work on previous clients or employers;
• Specific design projects and deliverables you have managed;
• Your aspirations and what you look forward to achieving in the new role.

Let’s take a look at the two versions of the same resume summary , one that is effective, and one that falls short.

This summary (if it can be called one at all) lacks details and specificity. It doesn’t highlight the effect of the candidate’s design work—neither quantified achievements nor anything specific they’re proud of.

Now look at this:

Three major factors make the above a good summary:

• Comprehensive expertise : The summary showcases the candidate's experience and diverse skill set in graphic design, including proficiency in both digital tools like Adobe Creative Suite and traditional methods such as sketching and hand drawing.
• Quantified achievements : By highlighting specific achievements, such as supervising 23 print design projects that led to a 32% increase in savings and creating 18 brand identities, the summary provides concrete evidence of the candidate's success in previous roles.
• Targeted intent : The final sentence clearly states the candidate’s intent to apply their skills and experience to contribute to The Digital Hyve’s visual messaging. This shows that the candidate is not only aware of the employer's needs but is also eager to fulfill them.

Read the job description carefully and understand what exactly the hiring company is looking for. After that, write your summary accordingly while highlighting your potential and ability to be the best at that job.

Additional sections for a graphic designer resume

A graphic designer's resume often includes several key sections beyond the standard ones found in many professional resumes. They allow you to add some flair to the document and boost the qualities that make you stand out in the design world. These may include:

• Projects section —perfect for including prominent freelance work. Make sure you include the scope of the project, your specific contributions, and the final outcomes.
• Workshops and training courses : You can feature participation in workshops, seminars, and courses relevant to graphic design, as well as any certifications received from online platforms like Coursera, Udemy, LinkedIn Learning, Domestika, etc.
• Awards and recognitions : Have you received any industry awards and recognitions? Or won contests where your work was featured? Had speaking engagements or publications  in design magazines and websites? Any of these can add to the resume’s effectiveness.

Of course, it’s vital to include a link to your portfolio . We discuss that in the following section.

Where to put a portfolio link in a designer’s resume

This is arguably the most crucial addition to a graphic designer's resume. Having compiled the best samples of your work, the next step is determining where to feature the direct link (URL) to your online portfolio.

Placing it in the resume header, directly beneath your name and title, stands out as a logical choice. If your portfolio is on your own site, this spot is your best bet. It will make it easier for recruiters to draw a connection between your personal name and website. For portfolios hosted on platforms like Behance or Dribble, consider using a link shortener to ensure it fits neatly into the given space.

The other option is to place the link in your summary or objective statement.

Our resume-building  app  enables you to personalize your resume by rearranging sections, allowing you to place the portfolio link in a dedicated place, for example, right before the experience section. Regardless of where you choose to insert this crucial piece of information, ensure the link is clickable in the final PDF.

Wrapping this up, remember: crafting your graphic designer resume is a bit like designing a billboard for the world's pickiest client—yourself. It has to emphasize more than your design skills. Let’s go through the main things you should keep in mind when building your resume.

• Design is a very large field that requires lots of different skills, experiences, and expectations. Make sure you tailor your designer resume to match the job description.
• Your portfolio is your greatest asset as a designer. It has to be prominently displayed and easy to link with.
• The summary section is a great place to apply the famous “less is more” design principle. Keep it relevant to what the recruiter is expecting to know about you.
• When done correctly, education and certifications can increase your chances of getting hired.

I don't think it's an 'additional' which implies it's optional—which I do not think it is :) but I may be wrong

Designer resume examples

Explore additional designer resume samples and guides and see what works for your level of experience or role.

Looking to build your own Designer resume?

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10 Graphic Designer Resume Examples for Your 2024 Job Search

Graphic designers are creative storytellers who are skilled at translating ideas into images. As a graphic designer, your resume should offer a similar kind of story. It should tell employers about your experience, accomplishments, and creativity in visual communication. In this guide, we'll walk through 9 expertly crafted examples of graphic designer resumes to help you create a compelling story of your own.

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Common Responsibilities Listed on Graphic Designer Resumes:

• Responsible for concept, design and production of innovative, high quality print and digital artwork, including logos, advertisements, brochures and websites.
• Develop compelling graphics and layouts for use on websites, social media and in print materials.
• Produce visual artwork and layout designs to support marketing objectives.
• Create and design graphics, such as logos and icons, for a wide variety of products, artifacts, folders and websites.
• Think creatively to produce new ideas and concepts that align with customer/company requirements.
• Brainstorm and develop creative campaigns to support marketing efforts.
• Manage and oversee the design, layout and production of artwork.
• Assists with design projects in Adobe Creative Suite (i.e. Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator, Flash, etc.).
• Optimize images for use on web and social media.
• Ensure uniformity of branding across multiple deliverables.
• Manage and maintain customer branding requirements.
• Provide graphic support for other departments such as customer service, sales, and product.
• Collect feedback from relevant stakeholders.
• Stay up-to-date with interactive design and industry trends.
• Communicate timelines and provide completed projects on time.

You can use the examples above as a starting point to help you brainstorm tasks, accomplishments for your work experience section.

Graphic Designer Resume Example:

Developed and executed visual design concepts, resulting in a 20% increase in website traffic and conversion rates by creating visually appealing and user-friendly designs using software such as Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Led the implementation of a new visual design system, resulting in a 15% reduction in design time and a 20% increase in brand recognition by streamlining the design process and creating a consistent visual identity using design systems such as Sketch and InVision. Collaborated with cross-functional teams to deliver on-time and on-budget projects and initiatives by effectively communicating project timelines, progress, and objectives using tools such as Asana and Basecamp.

• Implemented and maintained visual design concepts, resulting in a 10% increase in website traffic and conversion rates.
• Developed and executed graphic design strategies, resulting in a 15% increase in social media engagement.
• Worked with cross-functional teams to develop and execute on-time and on-budget projects and initiatives.
• Assisted in the development and execution of visual design concepts, resulting in a positive impact on the company's overall performance
• Demonstrated strong attention to detail, resulting in a 25% decrease in errors
• Provided support to senior graphic designers, resulting in a positive impact on the company's overall performance
• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Photoshop
• Visual Design Concepts
• Graphic Design Strategies
• Social Media Engagement
• Cross-functional Collaboration
• Attention to Detail
• Project Management
• Brand Recognition
• Design System Implementations
• Time Management
• User Experience Design
• User Interface Design
• Creative Problem Solving
• Motion Design
• Illustration Techniques
• Color Theory
• Graphic Design
• Illustration

Beginner Graphic Designer Resume Example:

• Developed and implemented a creative logo and branding initiative for a corporate client that boosted engagement on social media channels by 30%, resulting in an increase of 24% in product sales.
• Created powerful visuals for 3 successful digital marketing campaigns, leveraging principles of design to achieve a conversion rate of 31%, doubling the client's original goal.
• Conceptualized and edited 4 short animations/videos utilized in email campaigns, leading to a 2% boost in open rates and 40% responders taking immediate action.
• Logo design
• Creative problem solving
• User experience design
• Digital marketing campaign development
• Graphic design
• Visual storytelling
• Color theory
• Video editing
• Logo manipulation
• Print design
• Adobe Creative Suite (InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator)
• Motion graphics
• Art direction
• Photo manipulation
• Social media strategy

Entry Level Graphic Designer Resume Example:

• Designed and developed marketing materials such as brochures, flyers, and email campaigns that helped increase brand awareness by 25%.
• Created visual elements such as logos, icons, and graphics that improved the overall aesthetic of the company's online presence.
• Worked closely with the marketing team to design and develop a social media strategy that helped to increase followers by 40%.
• Collaborated with the design team to create a visual concept for a company event that resulted in a 15% increase in attendance
• Developed various design assets for the company's website, resulting in a 10% increase in user engagement
• Created a set of icons and graphics for a mobile application that contributed to a 25% increase in app downloads
• Developed visual concepts and layouts for a product catalog resulting in a 20% increase in sales
• Created marketing materials such as brochures and business cards resulting in a 10% increase in website traffic
• Helped to develop a visual identity and branding guidelines resulting in a 20% increase in brand recognition
• Strategizing and executing design campaigns
• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator)
• UX/UI design
• HTML5, CSS, JavaScript development
• Responsive web design
• Logo design and illustration
• Brand identity and branding guidelines
• Project management and workflow optimization
• Typography and layout design
• Digital imaging and retouching
• Creative concept development and presentation
• Print production processes
• Research, analysis, and reporting
• Photography skills
• Video and animation
• Social media marketing and analytics
• Visual Communications

Freelance Graphic Designer Resume Example:

• Conceptualized and designed 30+ custom illustrations for a major healthcare company's website, maximizing brand consistency and aesthetic appeal.
• Implemented color, typography, and layout features to optimize design elements for a series of digital corporate newsletters.
• Developed interactive user interfaces and navigation structures for a major travel agency's website, increasing user conversion by 8%.
• Created original art designs and logos for a major university, providing a unique look and feel to marketing collateral
• Brainstormed and presented innovative ideas for a corporate app design, significantly increasing engagement metrics by 34%
• Successfully adapted clients' designs to a variety of media and platforms, ensuring timely delivery of all artwork
• Produced promotional graphics, including advertisements and newsletters, for new product launches at a Fortune 500 company.
• Worked closely with clients to provide ideas, articulate designs, and ensure projects were completed to deadlines.
• Optimized artwork files for efficient print production, leading to 99.9% accurate throughput of materials.
• Expertise in Adobe Creative Suites (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.)
• Proficiency in graphic design principles
• Proficient in typography and layout
• Ability to develop creative design solutions
• Ability to provide detailed artwork for print production
• Proven track record for delivering projects on time
• Expertise in UI/UX design
• Familiarity with the latest graphic design trends
• Comfort with designing for mobile platforms
• Familiarity with HTML/CSS
• Knowledge of CAD software
• Excellent communication skills
• High attention to detail
• Ability to collaborate with a variety of stakeholders
• Photography and videography skills
• Illustration skills
• Creative problem-solving capabilities
• Ability to generate innovative ideas
• Ability to bring ideas to life with words, images, and typography
• Understanding of color science and color theory
• Ability to create both web and print ready artwork

Fresher Graphic Designer Resume Example:

• Expertly managed brand logo designs for a large portfolio of clients, refining and creating new visuals to fit each unique characteristics of business needs
• Utilized creative skills to develop digital graphics, illustrations, animations, and various marketing and advertising materials
• Implemented customer feedback to create careful design changes to digital media and printed materials
• Collaborated effectively with team members to generate unique ideas and concepts to represent products, services or brand awareness
• Leveraged industry-specific techniques to create graphics for websites and webpages, as well as packaging, brochures, and product designs
• Applied established research techniques towards color selection, as well as text styles and layouts for printed content
• Utilized graphic design software effectively to build high-quality visuals, animations, and designs for presentation content
• Consistently employed customer feedback into design strategies to create customer satisfaction and tangible results on the bottom line
• Self-taught the utilization of modern graphic design tools to assemble and manipulate visuals to an established quality standard
• Brand Identity Design
• Logo Creation
• Digital Media Design
• Visual Layout Design
• Creative Idea Development
• Illustration/Animation
• Web/Mobile Design
• Packaging/Brochure Design
• Print Design
• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, AfterEffects, Acrobat, etc.)
• 3D Animation/Modeling
• User Interface (UI) Design
• Video Editing
• Digital Drawing
• Photography
• Research/Analysis
• Quality Assurance/Testing
• Art Direction

Graphic Design Intern Resume Example:

• Created effective design materials such as logos, banners, and product images, increasing customers’ engagement levels by 25%
• Led development of websites, blogs and social media graphics, driving traffic to corporate accounts by 30%
• Assisted senior design team members in creation of print and digital materials for external use, ultimately helping the organization build a loyal user base of 500 customers
• Developed graphic designs in line with brand guidelines for a variety of campaigns, leading to a 15% increase in revenue
• Monitored workflow and tracked expenses for design projects, allowing the team to finish projects ahead of schedule and under budget
• Provided creative input and researched trends in Graphic Design, showing a keen understanding of the industry and generating innovative ideas
• Executed design projects from concept to completion, resulting in a 10% increase in traffic to all corporate accounts
• Documented processes, versions and layouts according to organizational standards and workflow, optimizing production efficiency and speeding up overall workflow by 15%
• Attended creative brainstorming sessions and suggested innovative ideas, resulting in a 20% increase in customer interest levels
• Brand Guidelines
• Adobe Suite
• Creative Conceptualization
• Layout and Typography
• Visual Arts
• Print Production
• Digital and Interactive Design
• UX/UI Design
• Social Media Design
• Video Editing and Production
• Motion Graphics
• 3D Modeling
• Data Analysis
• Digital Marketing

Junior Graphic Designer Resume Example:

• Reimagined branding, resulting in a 25% YoY increase in revenue for client campaigns Generated storyboards to manifest visuals for campaigns, and collaborated with art directors to ensure designs exceeded client expectations
• Utilized Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign to create logos, digital graphics, and web, print and social media layouts, resulting in a 30% improvement in client engagement
• Kept library of design resources organized and up-to-date
• Brainstormed creative layout ideas and researched image, font, and color selection
• Built visuals for web, print and social media campaigns
• Developed advertisements that increased brand awareness and reach by 35%
• Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, After Effects, etc.)
• Motion Graphics/Animations
• Responsive Design/Development
• Logo Design/Branding
• Web Design/Development
• Conceptualization /Creative Thinking
• Color Theory/Palette
• Layout/Composition
• SEO Optimization Strategies
• User Interface Design/UX Design
• Illustration/Drawing
• Photo Retouching/Editing
• Print Production/Pre-press Skills
• Social Media Campaign Strategies

Professional Graphic Designer Resume Example:

• Developed a diverse range of visual communications mockups for 20+ corporate clients, driving up sales by 5%.
• Conceptualized and created unique logos, brochures, and other visuals with engaging graphics and content.
• Collaborated with stakeholders and other teams to ensure the designs were on-brand and of the highest quality.
• Art directed projects and pre-press operations, streamlining file production by 25%
• Developed storyboards and animation graphics for a variety of digital products with compelling visuals
• Created user interfaces, user experiences, and wireframes to ensure products effectively met customer needs
• Produced various marketing materials such as flyers, posters, and digital advertisements
• Utilized creative technical tools to create appealing visuals and data visualizations
• Edited visuals for both print and web media, ensuring all designs met internal quality standards
• Brand Identity Development
• Logo Design
• Digital Illustration
• Adaptive Design
• Apple UI/UX Design
• Creative Direction
• Adobe InDesign
• Microsoft PowerPoint
• Vector Graphics
• Presentation Design
• Photo Editing
• Layout & Composition
• Video Production
• Interactive Media
• Social Media Content Creation
• Communication Design

Senior Graphic Designer Resume Example:

• Led the redesign of company's website, resulting in a 15% increase in website traffic and conversions within the first month of launch
• Implemented a design system that improved the efficiency of the design process by 25% and increased collaboration between cross-functional teams
• Developed and executed a successful branding campaign for a new product line, resulting in a 15% increase in sales within the first quarter of launch
• Managed a team of designers and developers to deliver 10 successful design projects, resulting in a 15% increase in customer satisfaction ratings.
• Developed and implemented a user-centered design process that improved the usability of digital products by 20% and reduced customer complaints by 25%.
• Led the design of a mobile application that received an award in the "Best Design" category at a national design competition.
• Developed and executed a successful rebranding campaign, resulting in a 20% increase in brand recognition and a 25% increase in social media engagement
• Led the design and development of a virtual reality experience for a major trade show, resulting in a 30% increase in leads for the company
• Implemented an efficient workflow using design tools such as Adobe XD, Sketch, and Figma that improved the speed of design delivery by 30%
• Branding & Identity Design
• Mobile Design
• Responsive Design
• Interface Design
• Virtual Reality Design
• Adobe Creative Suite
• User Centered Design
• Team Management & Leadership

Creative Designer Resume Example:

• Designed and implemented a comprehensive rebranding strategy for a client, resulting in a 30% increase in brand recognition and a 20% boost in customer engagement.
• Collaborated with a team of developers to create a user-friendly mobile application, which received a 4.8-star rating on both the App Store and Google Play Store, and achieved over 100,000 downloads within the first month.
• Developed a series of animated videos for a social media campaign, resulting in a 50% increase in website traffic and a 25% increase in social media followers.
• Created visually stunning website layouts for a leading e-commerce company, resulting in a 40% increase in conversion rates and a 30% increase in online sales.
• Collaborated with a team of designers and developers to redesign a mobile application, resulting in a 25% decrease in user complaints and a 20% increase in user satisfaction.
• Developed a series of infographics for a client's marketing campaign, resulting in a 50% increase in social media shares and a 15% increase in website traffic.
• Designed and implemented a responsive website for a global tech company, resulting in a 20% increase in website traffic and a 10% increase in user engagement.
• Collaborated with a team of designers to create a visually appealing brand identity for a startup, resulting in a 30% increase in brand recognition and a successful funding round.
• Developed a series of interactive prototypes for a client's mobile application, resulting in a 40% decrease in user errors and a 25% increase in user retention.
• Proficiency in Adobe Creative Suite (Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign)
• Knowledge of HTML/CSS
• Strong graphic design skills
• Ability to create and implement branding strategies
• Proficiency in creating animated videos
• Experience in mobile application design
• Ability to work collaboratively with a team
• Strong understanding of social media marketing
• Experience in creating infographics
• Proficiency in responsive web design
• Ability to create visually appealing brand identities
• Experience in creating interactive prototypes
• Knowledge of current design trends and technologies
• Strong communication and presentation skills
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously
• Strong problem-solving skills
• Attention to detail
• Creativity and innovation
• Understanding of user behavior and psychology
• Experience with conversion rate optimization.

Graphics Coordinator Resume Example:

• Orchestrated the rebranding initiative for the company, coordinating with creative teams to ensure consistency across all platforms, resulting in a 35% increase in brand recognition and a 25% uplift in customer engagement metrics.
• Streamlined the design process by implementing a digital asset management system, reducing search and retrieval time for graphics by 50% and accelerating project delivery by 20%.
• Guided a team of designers in the creation of a successful marketing campaign for a major product launch, which contributed to a record 40% year-over-year increase in product sales.
• Managed the production of high-quality print materials for a major trade show, liaising with vendors to ensure on-time delivery and 15% under-budget costs, while achieving a 98% satisfaction rate on print quality.
• Developed a comprehensive visual strategy for a multi-channel marketing campaign, leading to a 30% increase in online engagement and a 20% boost in conversion rates.
• Implemented a tracking system for project budgets and expenses, resulting in a 10% reduction in unnecessary expenditures and a more efficient allocation of design resources.
• Collaborated with cross-functional teams to integrate graphics into a new product packaging design, which was credited with a 22% increase in shelf impact and a 18% rise in sales.
• Revitalized the company's graphics assets library, improving the retrieval process and reducing the time to locate assets by 60%, significantly enhancing team productivity.
• Monitored and adopted new industry technologies, leading to a 30% improvement in design workflow efficiency and a 15% reduction in time-to-market for new marketing initiatives.
• Brand development and management
• Graphics asset management
• Design software proficiency (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite)
• Visual strategy creation and execution
• Vendor and printer relationship management
• Cost reduction and budget management
• Design quality improvement and best practices knowledge
• Cross-functional team collaboration
• Emerging graphic technology adoption
• Marketing campaign design and management
• Time management and ability to meet tight deadlines
• Leadership and team-building skills
• Communication and presentation skills
• Analytics and performance measurement

High Level Resume Tips for Graphic Designers:

As a Graphic Designer, your role will involve creating visually appealing designs for a variety of mediums. When creating your resume, here are some tips to help you focus on what matters most: Showcase your design skills: The most important aspect of your resume should be your design portfolio. Be sure to include a selection of your best work that showcases your design skills and style. Highlight your software skills: Graphic Designers need to be proficient in a variety of design software such as Adobe Creative Suite, Sketch, or Figma. Be sure to highlight your proficiency in these tools and any relevant design techniques. Focus on results: As with any other position, it's important to focus on your achievements and the results of your work. Use metrics wherever possible to demonstrate the impact of your design skills.

Must-Have Information for a Graphic Designer Resume:

Here are the essential sections that should exist in a graphic designer resume:

• Contact Information
• Resume Headline
• Resume Summary or Objective
• Work Experience & Achievements
• Skills & Competencies

Additionally, if you're eager to make an impression and gain an edge over other graphic designer candidates, you may want to consider adding in these sections:

• Certifications/Training

Let's start with resume headlines.

Why Resume Headlines & Titles are Important for Graphic Designers:

Graphic designer resume headline examples:, strong headlines.

Experienced Graphic Designer with 4 Years of Professional Experience.

Creative and Professional Senior Graphic Designer.

The good examples provide concrete information that can help the employer quickly understand the scope of the Graphic Designer's experience. It also gives a sense of the designer's level of expertise and capability.

Weak Headlines

Graphic Designer Seeking Work.

Leader in Graphic Design.

The bad examples are vague and do not contain any information to show the level of experience of the Graphic Designer. This could give the employer a false impression of the designer's experience, and would not encourage the employer to further consider the resume.

Writing an Exceptional Graphic Designer Resume Summary:

A resume summary is an essential aspect of a Graphic Designer's resume, providing a brief yet impactful overview of their creative skills, experiences, and accomplishments. Your summary should showcase your expertise in designing visually appealing graphics and communicating ideas through design.

Tips for writing an effective summary for a Graphic Designer:

• Highlight your proficiency in graphic design software like Adobe Creative Suite or Sketch
• Mention specific design projects you have completed, including any unique features or challenges you overcame
• Use keywords related to the graphic design industry and the specific job requirements to make your resume stand out
• Keep the summary concise and focused, around 4 sentences or less
• Avoid generic statements and cliches and make sure not to repeat information already included in other sections of your resume.

Graphic Designer Resume Summary Examples:

Strong summaries.

• Experienced Graphic Designer with 4+ years of experience in creating visual designs and branding materials. Skilled in Adobe Creative Suite, and utilizing various techniques to produce visually compelling designs.
• Detail-oriented Graphic Designer with 4+ years of experience in concepting and executing innovative designs for various projects. Adept at using various tools and software to create high-quality graphics.

Why these are strong:

• Both summaries are concise, feature the required experience, and provide specific examples of skills and expertise. This provides the reader with a clear understanding of the Graphic Designer's abilities and experience.

Weak Summaries

• Experienced Graphic Designer with 4+ years of experience. Proficient in Adobe Creative Suite and design techniques.
• Graphic Designer with 4+ years of experience. Skilled in visual designs and branding materials.

Why these are weak:

• These summaries are too vague and lack detail. They do not provide any concrete examples of the Graphic Designer's experience or abilities, which would give the reader a better sense of their qualifications.

Resume Objective Examples for Graphic Designers:

Strong objectives.

Talented and detail-oriented Graphic Designer with 1+ years of experience in print and digital design, demonstrating exceptional creativity and innovative problem-solving skills to produce attractive visual solutions.

Experienced Graphic Designer with 1+ years of experience, seeking an entry-level role with a reputable company to utilize eye for detail, visual proficiency and technical design skills.

• What makes the great objectives great is that they clearly state the candidate's experience and include a few of their key skills. This provides the hiring manager with evidence of the candidate's abilities and qualifications.

Weak Objectives

Passionate about creative designs, looking for a Graphic Designer role for financial gain.

Self-taught Graphic Designer, hoping to enter the field to provide impressive visual solutions.

• The weak objectives lack any evidence of the candidate's qualifications and experience, making them not very appealing to the employer. Additionally, they fail to align the job seeker's values with those of the hiring manager, which usually is what a resume objective aims to accomplish.

Generate Your Resume Summary with AI

Speed up your resume creation process with the ai resume builder . generate tailored resume summaries in seconds., how to impress with your graphic designer work experience:, best practices for your work experience section:.

• Be sure to include the essential hard and soft skills to perform the role of graphic design on the job description, such as design skills, typography, layout, and Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign, etc.
• Include pertinent projects and achievements in your work experience to demonstrate the scope of your expertise and experience.
• Use action-based language to distinguish your work accomplishments, such as “created”, “designed”, and “developed”.
• Outline responsibilities as they relate to the job you’re applying for.
• Use quantifiable metrics to demonstrate accomplishments and value, such as mentioning how long a project took, the impact of a design, or the percentage of growth in a company you worked for.
• Use descriptive language to capture the reader’s attention, such as “innovative”, “inspired”, and “world-class”.
• Focus on accomplishments that demonstrate relevant experience and achievements, such as awards won, conceptualized designs, and projects completed.
• Leverage keywords from the job description to tie your work experience to the job duties and skills required.
• Highlight your portfolio accomplishments if you have any.
• Mention any tech certifications or specialized software you’re experienced with.
• Include any publications you were featured in or resources you’ve created.

Example Work Experiences for Graphic Designers:

Strong experiences.

Designed and developed the branding and marketing materials for XYZ Inc.'s product launch, resulting in a 20% increase in product sales.

Created visually appealing and engaging infographics to effectively communicate complex information to a broad audience.

Worked with cross-functional teams to ensure consistent and cohesive branding across all marketing channels.

Conducted user research and testing to identify and resolve usability issues, improving overall user experience.

Designed and developed the website design for ABC Inc., resulting in a 30% increase in website traffic.

Implemented accessibility features to ensure the website is accessible to users with disabilities.

Collaborated with UX designers to translate wireframes and prototypes into visually appealing designs.

Conducted user research and testing to identify and resolve usability issues, improving overall user experience

• These work experiences demonstrate specific achievements, with metrics and quantifiable results, such as increased product sales and website traffic. The Graphic Designer is able to show their design skills and the impact they had on the company. Additionally, the experiences highlight the designer's ability to work with cross-functional teams and conduct user research to improve the overall user experience.

Weak Experiences

Assisted with updating website design for XYZ Inc.

Helped with creating basic designs for ABC Inc.

Conducted basic testing for website functionality for DEF Inc.

Worked on fixing small issues with website design for GHI Inc.

Was responsible for updating website content for XYZ Inc.

Conducted basic coding for website updates for ABC Inc.

Worked on creating simple designs for websites for DEF Inc.

Assisted with fixing small issues with website functionality for GHI Inc.

• These work experiences focus primarily on tasks and responsibilities, rather than achievements and impact. The language used is generic and does not demonstrate specific design skills or results. These experiences do not clearly show the individual's contribution or value to the company.

Top Skills & Keywords for Graphic Designer Resumes:

Top hard & soft skills for graphic designers, hard skills.

• Brand identity design
• Strong layout and composition skills
• Vector illustration
• Digital media design

Soft Skills

• Creative Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Communication
• Interpersonal Skills
• Adaptability
• Organizational Skills
• Flexibility
• Positive Attitude
• Negotiation

Go Above & Beyond with a Graphic Designer Cover Letter

Graphic designer cover letter example: (based on resume).

Dear Hiring Manager, I am excited to apply for the Graphic Designer position at [Company Name]. As an experienced graphic designer, I have a proven track record of creating visually appealing designs that have resulted in increased website traffic, brand recognition, and social media engagement. With my experience in developing and executing visual design concepts, I was able to achieve a 20% increase in website traffic and conversion rates, by creating user-friendly designs that were visually appealing. My expertise in design systems such as Sketch and InVision allowed me to implement a new visual design system that resulted in a 15% reduction in design time, and a 20% increase in brand recognition. Collaboration and effective communication are also strengths of mine. I have worked with cross-functional teams to deliver projects and initiatives on-time and on-budget, using tools such as Asana and Basecamp to communicate project timelines, progress, and objectives. As a skilled graphic designer, I have a keen attention to detail, which resulted in a 25% decrease in errors in my work. Additionally, I am always willing to support and assist others, which has resulted in a positive impact on the overall performance of the companies I have worked for. I am confident that my skills and experience would make a valuable contribution to your team at [Company Name].

Thank you for your consideration, and I look forward to discussing the opportunity further. Sincerely, [Your Name]

A cover letter is an invaluable tool for any graphic designer looking to stand out in the job search. It's an opportunity to showcase your communication skills, highlight your relevant experience, and demonstrate your enthusiasm for the position.

While a resume provides a summary of your skills and experience, a cover letter allows you to personalize your application and connect with the hiring manager on a deeper level. It's an opportunity to tell your story, explain why you're passionate about graphic design, and show how you can add value to the organization.

Here are some of the key reasons for pairing your graphic designer resume with a cover letter:

• It demonstrates your communication skills: As a graphic designer, communication is key. Your cover letter provides an opportunity to showcase your ability to write clearly and concisely, and to convey your ideas effectively.
• It shows your enthusiasm for the position: A well-written cover letter can demonstrate your passion for the role and the organization. This can make a big difference in the hiring manager's decision-making process.
• It highlights your relevant experience: Your cover letter allows you to explain how your skills and experience align with the requirements of the job. This can help the hiring manager understand why you're a good fit for the role.
• It sets you apart from other applicants: A well-crafted cover letter can help you stand out from other applicants who may have similar experience and qualifications.

We understand that writing a cover letter may seem daunting, but it doesn't have to be. Remember that the cover letter is an extension of your resume, so you can use the same format and content as your resume. It's also a chance to address any gaps or questions that the hiring manager may have after reading your resume.

Tips for aligning your cover letter with your resume:

• Use the same header as your resume: This will help the hiring manager identify your application as a complete package.
• Align the content of your cover letter with the requirements of the job: Use the job description as a guide to highlight your relevant skills and experience.
• Use keywords from the job posting: Incorporate relevant keywords from the job posting to help your application get past applicant tracking systems (ATS).
• Keep your cover letter concise and focused: Aim for one page and avoid repeating information from your resume.
• Proofread carefully: Errors in your cover letter can undermine your credibility, so make sure to proofread carefully before submitting your application.

Resume FAQs for Graphic Designers:

How long should i make my graphic designer resume.

When it comes to resume length, Graphic Designers should strive for a single page summary of their professional experience. However, if you do need extra space to convey relevant accomplishments and skills, it is acceptable to extend to a maximum of two pages. It is important to remember that your resume should be tailored to the job that you are applying for and only include information that is pertinent to the job. To ensure your resume is concise and well-organized, strive to utilize one-liners, active language, and bullet points to actively showcase your experience and skill set.

What is the best way to format a Graphic Designer resume?

When formatting a Graphic Designer resume, it is important to clearly highlight skills and design portfolio. Organize the resume in a way that prioritizes your most relevant experience, tailored to the job you are applying for, and use strong visuals to capture the attention of employers. Additionally, focus on a modern and visually appealing resume format that focuses on concise, clear terminology.

Which Graphic Designer skills are most important to highlight in a resume?

Graphic Designers should include a variety of hard skills in their resume. These skills may include: • Adobe Creative Suite, such as Photoshop and InDesign • Layout and typography knowledge • Knowledge of color theory and coding • Retouching and photo manipulation skills • Understanding logo and branding principles • 3D modeling, animation, and gaming software • Video editing and motion graphics • Web and mobile designing • Understanding of popular marketing and communication platforms • E-commerce, search engine optimization (SEO), and web analytics knowledge • Knowledge of digital production and production processes • The ability to work quickly and accurately • The ability to follow instructions • Excellent communication and coordination abilities

How should you write a resume if you have no experience as a Graphic Designer?

When writing your resume as a Graphic Designer with no experience, you should emphasize your knowledge of the industry, software and tools commonly used, and specialized skills like design, layout, and typography. Include relevant academic qualifications, classes, workshops, or certifications, emphasizing projects and any related experience. You can also list any design competitions you may have participated in, or make sure to include any presentable portfolio that may show any creative designs you have done even if in a volunteer or educational context. Finally, ensure you state the scope of any unpaid contributions and how they were beneficial.

Compare Your Graphic Designer Resume to a Job Description:

• Identify opportunities to further tailor your resume to the Graphic Designer job
• Improve your keyword usage to align your experience and skills with the position
• Uncover and address potential gaps in your resume that may be important to the hiring manager

Related Resumes for Graphic Designers:

Beginner graphic designer resume example, entry level graphic designer resume example, freelance graphic designer resume example, fresher graphic designer resume example, graphic design intern resume example, junior graphic designer resume example, professional graphic designer resume example, senior graphic designer resume example, graphic designer resume example, more resume guidance:.

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How to write a resume for graphic design?

"There are three responses to a piece of design – yes, no, and WOW! Wow is the one to aim for." - Milton Glaser

Text, images, and colors are an integral part of a graphic designer's life. The same applies for a graphic designer resume.

While the text is the common ground between a graphic designer and a resume, the writing style of both differs vastly. A resume is typically divided into sections such as header, personal information, title, etc.

• Spearheading the Design team of 10+ to steer design, development & implementation of the revamped graphic layout
• Supervising procurement of production & communication materials for clients to achieve reduction in costs by ~12%
• Managing up to ~5 projects simultaneously as part of developing appropriate designs based on overall marketing goals
• Governing & ensuring efficient use of production project budgets up to USD ~25,000
• Ensuring quality & accuracy of design by overseeing assessment of graphic materials
• Designing marketing programs including Ads & Infographic Presentations to meet client expectations
• Secured a project worth USD ~1M for the company based on the recommendation by a previous client
• Envisioned a new art-proofing system to increase overall production quality & enhanced customer satisfaction to 97%
• Effectively utilized large format printing for billboards & digital photography to enhance proposed work
• Planned & executed the presentation of detailed scale models in the form of graphic arrangement
• Ensured compliance with approved design standards to deliver timely & quality bound projects
• Developed 10+ advertisements & logos weekly in InDesign along with creating flyers & banners for a Dutch newspaper

Graphic designers occupy approximately 250,000 jobs in total and a majority of graphic designers are surveyed to be self-employed. The recruitment of graphic designers is estimated to increase by 5% in the coming 10 years, which is also the average growth rate in recruitment for all other job occupations.

The broad-level work of graphic designers is to create visual images via hand or by using latest tools and technologies.

These visuals are made in order to communicate information to the people. The objective can be to encourage people to do something, to convey information or to acquire consumers.

A graphic designer conceptualizes, develops and produces the overall layout and design of all marketing creatives encompassing advertisements, magazine, brochures, corporate reports, etc.

The increasing demand of graphic designer is leading to thousands of applicants for a handful of vacancies.

The field of graphic designers will see a constant growth in the coming years as they are required for brand promotion by every company. The requirement of Graphic Designers, Graphic Design and Information Consultants, Visualization Specialists and Graphic Design Specialists is likely to grow by 20% in the next 10 years.

After going through our 2022 Guide on Graphic Design Resume, you'll be able to:

How to write a Graphic Design Resume?

• How to write summary for your graphic designer resume?
• Present your certification in the best way possible
• Write your professional experience section to entice the recruiter
• Ensure a recruiter-friendly and ATS-optimized resume skills

...All in order to make a job-winning graphic design resume!

To build your graphic designer resume, you can use Hiration's Online Resume Builder for an easy breezy resume making experience.

However, if you want to make your resume on your own, then follow the steps given in this article below to make a job-winning resume today. Also, refer to the graphic designer resume example given below for more clarity.

In addition to this, once you are done with your resume, you can get it professionally reviewed by Hiration's select industry experts today.

What is a Graphic Design Resume & Why do you Need it?

[ Back to Table of Content ] A graphic designer resume is a resume that demonstrates the proficiency of a graphic designer in his/her field.

The duties of a graphic designer involve things like attending conferences with the clients, meeting with the manager of the art/marketing department to decide the scope of design and recommend clients on approaches to grasp a specific audience type.

A graphic designer needs to decide the information a composition should represent.

Graphic designer's job requires them to develop computer graphics for brand demonstration, logotypes and internet sites. They also need to choose colors, photographs, subject matter style and outline of the graphics they are creating.

In some cases, they need to demonstrate the composition to the client or the manager of the art/marketing department.

A graphic designer should have a basic semblance of color and design, needs skills like typography, should be good at using technical tools and should be creative.

A graphic designer resume incorporates all this information and demonstrates it in a professional way. It is used when you apply for a graphic designer job.

Graphic design resume will help the recruiter know the level of your proficiency as a graphic designer.

Having a resume shows professionalism in a person and having one will get you your desired job sooner.

Graphic design resumes tell the recruiter, briefly, about your professional and educational trajectory.

A graphic designer gets approximately $4,000 a month, which can range up to $7,000 a month in case of people who have more relevant experience and have a senior position in the company.

Freshers in this field get a starting salary of approximately $3,000. In order to further climb this ladder, you need to keep updating your resume every time you switch a job.

This will give the recruiter an insight on the number of years of experience you've had for computing your compensation accordingly.

Maintaining a graphic design resume will let the recruiters know that you are the most creative graphic designer out there.

You can opt for Hiration's Online Resume Builder to make your resume with ease today!

[ Back to Table of Content ] Writing a graphic designer resume is no rocket science. To make it simpler for you, we've broken down the process into simple and easily understandable steps.

Just follow these steps and you'll become a master in making a graphic design resume.

Also, you can use Hiration's Online Resume Builder, where you will find pre-written ready-to-use graphic designer resume templates. These templates have been prepared by industry experts and using them will astronomically bolster your chances of getting shortisted.

It saves time, is easy to use and allows you to tailor your graphic designer resume as per your target job listing. You can tweak the information around your work experience - it's super easy to customize your resume and make it your own!

Don't believe us? Check it out for yourself!

Most graphic designers go overboard when it comes to using an eye-catching resume template. They overlook the nuances of the recruitment process and proceed with stuffing and showcasing their entire gamut of skills in a humble one-pager resume.

While using jazzy resume templates and innovative ideas for your graphic design resume template is good when you're being internally referred, or when you are utilizing your network for sending your resume, think twice before using the same for your standard applications.

That's because the jazzier the resume template, the more difficult it gets for the ATS (Applicant Tracking System) to scan and parse your resume.

The entire exercise is pointless if you spend countless days and sleepless nights beautifying your resume, but when it actually mattered, you ended up in the reject pile.

Pro-tip: Being a graphic designer, you sure have the liberty to play around with resume template and design, but make sure that it's ultimately ATS-friendly and can be parsed by standard applicant shortlisting software.

Graphic Design Resume Format

[ Back to Table of Content ] There are three resume formats that you can use to write a graphic designer resume. They are:

• Reverse Chronological Resume Format
• Functional Resume Format
• Combination Resume Format

Reverse Chronological Format for your Graphic Design Resume

In this format, you will write your most recent job first and then date back to your other jobs in your professional experience section. Same goes for your other sections like that of Education, Certification and Awards & Recognition.

This format of resume is perfect for those professionals who have an exhaustive work experience history and their professional trajectory is not dotted with long, unexplained gaps.

Functional Format for Graphic Designer Resume

Functional Resume, also known as skill-based resume format , makes your skills and experience sections the center of attraction. It stresses on your skills and experience more as opposed to your educational background.

It is great for those job seekers who are looking for a career change and have gaps in their employment history.

Combination Format for Graphic Design Resume

Combination resume format is quite similar to reverse chronological resume format and is applied in two sections of the resume: Skills section and Professional Experience section.

In both the sections, information is written under the buckets of your acquired skills. Also, the professional experience section is written in the reverse chronological order using the same method.

This format can be used by everyone - it does not matter if you have an exhaustive work history or have gaps in your employment history.

Also Read: How to create a freelance graphic design resume in 2022?

Writing your Graphic Design Resume

[ Back to Table of Content ] Your graphic design resume will be made in four stages:

• Compilation Graphic Designer Resume
• Master Graphic Design Resume
• First Draft Graphic Designer Resume and
• Final Graphic Design Resume
• Compilation Stage for your Graphic Designer Resume : It simply means collecting all your information in a single place. In this step, you will collect all the information that you have related to your graphic designer resume skills, work experience, internships, education, awards and recognition, and extra-curricular activities.

The idea is to dump all the information in a single place. It can act as a lo ng-term solution for all your resume troubles. Maybe months or years later, say if you want to switch profiles again or apply for a job, you'd have a single authoritative source containing everything you've ever done.

When you will proceed further in the graphic design resume making process, you will know that you have all your information compiled at a single place and you don't have to look at any other documents to customize and finalize your graphic designer resume.

• Master Graphic Designer Resume : In the master graphic design resume making stage, you will sort and arrange your professional experience section and your internship section. At this stage, make sure you have the following information and that it is arranged and placed at their proper places.

Look for the following information for both the sections:

• Company name
• Dates of joining and resigning or completion of tenure
• Designation
• Points arranged in terms of importance for every section

Lastly, save a copy of the master graphic designer resume. By doing so, you will be able to customize your resume later according to every job description that you apply for.

• First Draft for your Graphic Designer Resume : In the first draft, you will work on other sections including your name, personal information, title, education, awards and recognition, extracurricular activities, additional information, etc.

Sort and arrange information in these sections by writing the most recent information first (reverse chronological resume format). For instance, mention your current/last-held profile, then the profile before that, and so on.

Hiration Pro-tip: Doing this will ensure that you follow the reverse-chronological format for your graphic design resume, which is the most conventional and recruiter-friendly resume format out there.

By this stage, three-fourth of your graphic design resume will be complete.

• Final Graphic Designer Resume : All that is left at this stage are 3 things:

First, write your graphic designer resume skills section .

• Scan your entire professional experience section and compare it against the job description of your choice.
• From these two things, you will pick up all the relevant key skills that you possibly can, while making sure they're relevant and validated in your professional experience section.

Secondly, write your summary/objective section .

• Look for points in your professional experience section that highlight your contribution to the organization.
• Pick information from those points and write them in your summary section mentioning how you can use your graphic designer resume skills to benefit the organization.

Hiration Pro-tip: Go for a professional summary section if you've more than 2-3 years of relevant experience. Choose a graphic design resume objective section if you're an entry-level professional.

Thirdly, bold all the important words/phrases & achievements in your professional experience, internship, awards and recognition, and extracurricular activities sections.

Now let us look into how to write each section in detail.

Graphic Design Resume Sections

[ Back to Table of Content ] Your graphic designer resume will include the following sections in the order given below:

• Personal Information
• Summary/Objective
• Technical Skills (if applicable and relevant)
• Professional Experience
• Awards and Recognition
• Extracurricular Activities/Additional Information

Graphic Design Resume: Professional Experience

[ Back to Table of Content ]

For a graphic design resume, the professional experience section is the most important section of the graphic designer resume.

It demonstrates the overall work experience that one has as a graphic designer.

Also, this is the section that gives a deeper insight of your ability of graphic designing to the recruiter. In this section, we will tell you how you need to write your work experience so that it will leave an impact on the recruiter.

For people with a lot of work experience as a graphic designer, this section is of prime importance.

Leadership & Design Project Management

Budgeting & Client Servicing

• Ensuring quality & accuracy of design by administering the assessment of all graphic materials
• Governing & ensuring the efficient use of production project budgets worth up to USD ~25,000
• Designing & developing marketing programs including Ads & Infographic Presentations to meet client expectations

This is an example of bucketing . Let's say you've written 8-10 points under your work profile. Those points will still look like a wall of text unless they're presented in a way which would make it easier for the recruiter to go through.

Clubbing similar points together and grouping them under a relevant skill is an excellent way to showcase your expertise before the recruiter.

Let's say a Graphic Design Lead's role majorly involves leading a team, coordinating with the Sales/Marketing department, directing fulfillment of all deliverables, etc.

You can simply mention a few points under each of these major functions and assign them under relevant subheadings like Team Leadership, Stakeholder Management, Delivery Fulfillment, etc.

Have a brief look at the graphic designer resume sample below to get more clarity on how to include all the information in your work experience section:

Graphic Designer Resume for Fresher

Now, you might be wondering, what about a fresher in the field of graphic designing with no work experience?

Worry not, we're here to rescue the graphic design resumes of freshers as well. For freshers in the field of graphic designing, the internship section will come in the place of professional experience section.

You will be naming the section as 'INTERNSHIP' and not as 'PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE' as professional experience section and internship sections differ from each other.

Internships are basically work experiences that you gain while working as an intern in an organization; on the other hand, professional experience is when you work for a company full-time with an official designation.

Also, internships, most often than not, are unpaid (or a stipend at most), whereas, full-time jobs are always paid and you get salary for working in an organization.

When you are a fresh graduate, you are likely to have done one or two internships in college. As these internships form the foundation of being a professional graphic designer, these internships also hold a lot of importance in a graphic design freshers resume.

Mentioning these internships gives the recruiter an idea of how serious you are when it comes to being a professional, and that you did not waste the crucial time of your life.

These internships also give you an edge over those freshers who haven't done any internships at all. Doing internships give you a sense of being responsible and lets the recruiter know that he/she is hiring a responsible fresher.

Development & Maintenance

• Developed and maintained print & web collateral including graphical standards
• Coordinated and maintained both Wordpress & CSS/HTML websites

Hiration Pro-Tip: Try to write all the points in your professional experience section and internship section in S-T-A-R format - Situation, Task, Action & Result.

Take a quick look at the graphic designer example below to get more clarity on how to write the internship section:

To get your graphic design resume professionally reviewed by select industry experts, opt for Hiration's Resume Reviewing Service Now!

Graphic Design Resume: Key Skills

The graphic design resume skills section comes fourth in your graphic designer resume section but it should be the second last section that you will write.

The reason behind it is that after you're done making the above-mentioned sections, you can scan all these sections to look for the graphic design resume skills that you possess.

This process will give you more graphic design resume skills than you thought you had.

When writing your graphic design resume skills in this section, you will include a bullet before each skill. For example: * Typography * Web Designing * UI/UX Design and so forth.

Make sure all your graphic design resume skills just come in three lines and not more. Bold the whole section once you're done writing your graphic design resume skills.

The bolding will directly seek the recruiter's attention towards the graphic design resume skills section, hence, giving him/her the broad level idea of your graphic design resume skill set.

If you have graphic design resume skills like that of using Adobe, Photoshop or Illustrator, then don't include them in the graphic designer resume skills section that you just made.

Within the graphic design resume skills section, create another sub-section of 'TECHNICAL SKILLS' and list these skills under the technical skills section.

Italicizing this section will make it clearly visible and will also separate it from the key skills section above.

To get a better idea, look at the graphic designer resume sample given below:

Also, you can add that special touch of being a graphic designer by using Hiration's Online Resume Builder where you get the option of adding bar graphs and pie charts to make your skills section in our California template. Use Hiration's Online Resume Builders Today!

Graphic Design Resume: Summary

After you're done with the rest of the graphic design resume making, the last thing that you will write is the summary section .

This section is written in the end so that you can refer the rest of your graphic designer resume and pick the points that are the highlight of your career to add in the summary section.

A summary is written in a manner in which you explain how you used your graphic design resume skills for the benefit of the company. A summary section basically serves the purpose of those who have professional experience of more than 3 years.

Use your summary section to tell the recruiter what you can do for the organization by highlighting how you used your graphic design resume skills for the previous company.

See the graphic designer resume sample below to see how you can optimize your summary section:

Also Read: How to build a web designer resume in 2022?

Graphic Design Resume: Objective

If you are a fresher, then the last thing that you will make is an objective section .

You will write this section at end so that you can pick points from the rest of the graphic designer resume and then write them after rephrasing them a little.

An objective section is for freshers or entry level professionals. In the objective section you will write what you can offer to the organization and not what you expect the organization to provide you with.

Hiration Pro-tip: When it comes to the Summary/Objective debate, we like to misappropriate a JFK quote along the lines of 'Ask not what the company can do for you, but what you can do for the company'.

Instead of mentioning a shopping list of things you are looking for, highlight the quantifiable impact you can deliver to the recruiter.

See the sample given below to get more clarity on how to write an objective section:

Graphic Designer Resume: Header

[ Back to Table of Content ] So, now you must be wondering:

What exactly is a header in a graphic design resume?

A header is the first thing that you write in your graphic designer resume. It is basically made up of your name. And now you're wondering what is so special about it?

Well, it differs from your graphic design resume to other graphic design resumes that are posted or sent for the same profile. Also, it prevents your graphic design resume from getting misunderstood as someone else's graphic designer resume.

The header is supposed to be the largest text in your entire graphic design resume. It must be written between the font size of 16-20 points. Correct spacing in the names is of utmost importance.

A single space needs to be given between your first name and your surname. Improper spacing errors, like that of no space or double space, gives out the impression of you being careless when it comes to important things.

If you have a middle name, then the correct way to write it is: 'Robyn R. Fenty'. Only the initial of your middle name will be written and a full-stop after that initial will be given.

Give a single space after the full-stop and then write your surname. Also, refrain from writing nicknames in your graphic designer resume. You're not "Robyn 'Hurricane' Fenty". You're just "Robyn R. Fenty".

If you decide on making your graphic design resume on your own, then refer to the example given below to get a better idea of how a perfect header should look like:

Graphic Design Resume: Personal Information

The second section in the graphic design resume comprises your personal information . Your personal phone number, professional e-mail ID and the current location of residence comes in this section.

Personal Phone Number

Write your personal phone number on which you are 24x7 available.

In case you have more than one phone number, then do not include both the phone numbers in your graphic designer resume. Write only that number which you use primarily. Mentioning two (or more) numbers unnecessarily creates confusion.

Also, there is a certain manner in which you need to write your phone number. You just can't go and simply scribble down your number in your graphic design resume.

The number will be written on the left-hand side of the graphic designer resume, just below the graphic design resume header.

Now, there are two things to remember when writing your phone number:

First, write the International Subscriber Dialing (ISD) code of the country where you live in and add a plus sign (+) before it. After this, give a single space and write your mobile number. Then give a single space after the first five digits of your personal mobile number.

Write only that phone number which you use personally, so that if the recruiter contacts you, you are available to pick his/her call.

Personal E-mail ID

E-mail ID is the second thing to be written in the personal information section.

If you have multiple e-mail IDs, then choose the one that you use frequently or on a daily basis and write that one in the personal information section.

It will be written right next to the phone number, in the center. E-mail ID names like '[email protected]' are considered very unprofessional. So, ensure that your e-mail ID looks professional and is ideal for putting into a graphic designer resume. For example: '[email protected]' is a professional looking e-mail ID.

Also, you can provide a hyperlink of various social media sites, like that of Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, etc. if you think they are relevant to your target profile and will showcase your ability as a graphic designer.

Before adding these links to your graphic design resume, ensure that these sites are in sync with each other in terms of information. They need to be up-to-date with respect to your professional history, especially LinkedIn.

Hiration Protip: It's not imperative to include your LinkedIn profile or other online portfolios. But if you do, make sure the information is consistent across all these platforms.

In addition to this, you can also provide hyperlinks to any of your personal websites or portfolios that support the work that you have done so far.

Writing the e-mail address is of critical importance as it is one of the ways through which the recruiter might contact you for the interview after seeing your graphic designer resume.

Current Location

Your current location is the third thing that you will write in your personal information section. It will be written right next to your e-mail ID, on the right-hand side.

In your location, you will write your current location.

In case you live in some other city, far from your home city, then also, you will mention the city in which you are living and not the city which is your home town.

You will write your city name first and then your country pin code followed by a comma after the city name.

There is no need to write the whole address , as it is of no use to the recruiter. Only the city name followed by the country code will give the recruiter the idea whether you will have to change the city or relocate if you choose to work with that company.

Take a glance at the graphic designer resume sample below to get a better understanding of how to write the personal information section:

Graphic Designer Resume: Profile Title

The third thing that goes into your graphic design resume is a profile title .

Adding a profile title is crucial as it helps the recruiter to know for which profile you're applying for.

When it comes to telling the recruiter how able you are to do your work, that's when the profile title comes in. It helps the recruiter to understand how able you are at the workings of your field and what is the level of the same.

For example: Graphic Design Lead, Creative Director, Art Director, etc.

It is supposed to be the second largest text in your graphic designer resume and should be of the font size 14-16 points .

Take a glimpse of the graphic designer example given below to get greater clarity on how to write the profile title.

We've seen countless resumes without a job title. The recruiter should not have to scan your professional experience section to gauge your profile or your relevance.

The idea behind mentioning the job title is to give a quick snapshot of your role so that the recruiter can decide in an instant if your resume is worth reading or not.

Remember, each and every element in your resume should make the recruiter's job easier.

Graphic Designer Resume: Education

For a recruiter, your qualification is the second most important thing after your work experience.

This section provides the information around your education, like, the courses you did, names of the schools/universities attended, their location and dates of enrolling and graduating.

Make sure the information you write in this section is all true, as this section helps the recruiter decide whether you are perfectly qualified, under qualified or overqualified for the profile that you have applied for.

The graphic designer resume samples provided below will give you a better idea of how to write the education section :

Graphic Design Resume: Certifications

The sixth thing to add in a graphic design resume is the certifications section .

Including certifications in a graphic designer resume adds more value to your graphic design resume. These certifications can range from advertising certification to creative designing certification to print designing certification.

Basically, any and every relevant certification that adds value to you being a graphic designer can be included in this section. Also, you need to mention the following things while writing this section.

• Certification course name
• Affiliating institution name
• Location of the institution
• Dates of enrolling and graduating from

Use the format given below to write the certification section.

{Name of certification} | {Affiliating Institution} | {Location} | {Date (month & year)}

Graphic Designer Resume: Awards & Recognition

Recruiters tend to hire those applicants more who have been awarded in some manner for their work or whose work has been recognized in some or the other way.

The awards section will include all the awards and recognition that you received for your work in your previous jobs or internships.

This section will also include the awards and recognition you got in college or in high school. While writing this section, make sure the awards are relevant to the position you're applying for or at least are able to add some value to your graphic designer resume.

Do not include awards and recognition like that of 'Best Student in Class' and 'Best Handwriting'. They will look unprofessional and won't add any value to your graphic design resume.

Take a look at the graphic designer resume sample given below to get a more precise idea of how to write this section:

Graphic Design Resume: Extra-curricular Activities

In this section, write all the big events you took part in or fests/events that you led or managed at school or college level.

This will showcase your leadership qualities and your ability to coordinate in teams. Also, ensure you write these lines as one-liner bullet points. Make sure these lines don't exceed one line .

Look at the example given below to get a better idea of how to write this section:

10-Pointer Key Takeaways for your Graphic Design Resume

Here are the key points that will help you build a professional graphic design resume in 2022.

Include a short, one line description of the companies where you worked or interned at. Include figures around revenue, number of employees, geographic presence, etc. to convince the recruiter that you were working in a reputed organization.

Write all the locations and dates on the right hand side of the resume. It is the industry standard and recruiters look for them in the same manner. Again, make sure you write the dates in (month & year) format.

Align your job title and company names on the left throughout your professional experience section.

Across your entire resume, start all your points with a power verb. Power verbs leave a better impact on the recruiter. Also, use power verbs only if they make sense and refrain from using the same power verbs too many times.

Make sure, all the points in your present profile are in present tense and those in past profile are in past tense.

Mention where ever you led or managed a team and mention the number of people you led or managed.

Ensure your points aren't redundant and reflect your contribution in your past engagements. Redundant points leave a negative impact on the recruiter. Your points should reflect three things: (a) Your contribution, (b) Effect/Impact and (c) Corresponding Achievement.

Your points should not exceed more than one line. If they do, split them into two points or multiple sub-points. It will help you leave out fluff and will force you to only write your contribution and its impact.

One way to get the recruiter's attention is to quantify your contribution. For example, mention how many clients, how many digital illustrations, how many stakeholders, and how content was delivered to them.

Highlight all the important words and numbers throughout your resume, except for the summary/objective section. This method will help you pass the 6-seconds test . On an average, a recruiter scans your resume just for 6 seconds. By highlighting/bolding relevant points, you can directly make the recruiter read what you want them to read.

Go to Hiration resume builder and create a professional resume for yourself. Additionally, reach out to us at [email protected] and you can get 24/7 professional assistance with all your job & career-related queries.

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9 Tips for Creating Your Freelance Graphic Design Resume

F reelance work provides a path toward setting your hours and determining your healthy work-life balance. Chris Grosser states , “Opportunities don’t happen; you create them.” The best way to stand out is with a compelling freelance graphic design resume that helps you find the best opportunities to grow your career.

The best resume will help you pop off the page and encourage the client to contact you to learn more about how you can help their brand. The challenge is knowing the best things to add to your professional resume to impress clients and spur career growth.

Luckily, you’re in the perfect spot to learn more about graphic design resume ideas and tips to create a strong case when courting new clients. Continue reading to emphasize freelance career building with your resume today!

1. Remember the Basics

It’s critical to list your basic information on a freelance graphic design resume. The basic information often gets lost in the shuffle when attempting to stand out to clients. Ensure you have your name, contact information, and LinkedIn profile on the resume to make contacting you straightforward.

Remember that your resume will be scanned, so you can save time by not overdoing the headings on your resume. You should refrain from labeling past work experiences as gigs, as your resume could be thrown out before ever getting in front of a hiring manager or client.

2. Be Straightforward

A concise freelance graphic design resume is the best approach to gaining new clients and career opportunities. Keep your resume at two pages or less for the best results. The ideal resume contains all relevant information on one page.

It’s tempting to show off all your relevant experience, but a long resume is less likely to be read from start to finish. Most hiring managers will skim resumes. Provide headlines that grab attention instead of attempting to share your life story.

3. Avoid Word Processors

As a graphic design professional, you have the skills and experience with programs designed to create impressive resumes. Use those skills to demonstrate what you can do for clients. Your resume is an opportunity to show your skills within different design programs.

Google Docs and Microsoft Word won’t cut it when attempting to turn the head of a large corporation. Use the skills you’ve honed to show the hiring manager that you’re the perfect candidate for the job.

4. Use the Best Fonts

Knowing which fonts to use and which to avoid is an excellent step toward designing a stand-out resume. Fonts that are easy to read Trendy fonts are often a bad idea, and the most crucial factor to consider is the legibility of the font you choose for your resume.

Choose a font that is easy to read or skim. You can use the client’s website to gauge which font option is the best based on the brand’s tone. A company with a modern font will likely appreciate a stylish font choice on your graphic design resume. Work with the best virtual assistants to keep your resume clean and your content growing.

5. Add Color

The key to using color with your graphic design resume ideas is to avoid going overboard. A bit of color is an asset to your graphic design resume, but too much color distracts the reader from the necessary information. The best color schemes contain two or three colors that work well together.

Use the colors in crucial areas on the document to spruce things up and put your resume over the top. The goal is to draw eyes to specific sections of your resume with subtle colors and design elements.

6. Use Your Experience

Use your experience to bolster your resume. If you used a specific program or designed an impressive website for a client, share information about it and demonstrate your knowledge. Talk about the steps you took and the obstacles you overcame to create the finished product.

Hiring managers are wary of graphic designers who claim others’ work as their own. Demonstrating your process and knowledge is a fantastic way to stand out from other candidates vying for the position.

7. Provide Work Samples

Putting your money where your mouth is is quite effective when building a freelance graphic design resume. The best way to show what you’re capable of is by providing work samples from past projects you’ve handled.

Build a short collection of your best works to demonstrate your talent and experience. Work samples act as fantastic teasers to gain attention from hiring managers and convince them to check out more of your portfolio.

8. Stay Consistent

Knowing when to stop is an essential part of becoming a successful graphic designer. It’s natural to want to experience using different design elements, like colors, fonts, and templates. Consistency is one of the most effective ways to tone your resume down.

Maintain a consistent color palette from start to finish. Apply that template to your cover letter to maintain the same theme when applying for jobs or contacting potential clients.

9. Provide a Cover Letter

The last tip for graphic design resume ideas concerns something other than the resume. Your cover letter is an essential document that tells your potential client much about you, your experience, and how you can help the potential client improve their business.

Keeping your resume short is wise, and you can use your cover letter to tell your story and share your graphic design journey with potential clients. Maintain a professional tone within your cover letter and focus on your career. It’s an effective way to share more relevant information about your graphic design background with the client.

Create Your Freelance Graphic Design Resume Today

Building a freelance graphic design resume is crucial to career growth and finding new clients to work with. Use your design skills to find a font and color scheme that attract attention and help you stand out.

Include your basic information, and use a straightforward approach to sharing your background and experience. Provide a work sample to demonstrate your prowess, and be prepared to share your design methods.

Finding new career opportunities is daunting, but the proper guidance will put you on the right path toward career growth. Check out more of our Career blog content to take your next steps toward a brighter future.

This article is published by NYTech in collaboration with Syndication Cloud.

En       Ru

Constantine Konovalov

Graphic designer

About me     Portfolio

2030 Moscow Metro map

Personal project in collaboration with Natalia Moskaleva ・2021

Creating a Moscow Metro map is one of the most complex design challenges imaginable. The Moscow Metro can be compared to a tangled ball of threads that you have to unravel to figure it out. We designed the map in collaboration with Natasha Moskaleva, based on long-term development plans for the construction of the Metro. It shows what the Moscow Metro will look like in 2030s. More information about the map can be found on the project’s website.

Israeli railways’ map

Personal project・2022

Israeli cities are connected by railroad running along the sea shore. Some cities can only be reached by bus. I designed a new Israeli railways’ map that includes bus routes to major cities with a population of 20 000+ people. The map’s design is based on a classic 45-degree graphic grid. The geography of the country is simplified to a vertical rectangular format bounded by the Jordan River on the right and with the Mediterranean Sea shore on the left. For the convenience of the users the distance between the stations roughly corresponds to the real map. This allows the cities within agglomerations to be visually combined together. Permanent routes are visually separated from those that only run during the rush hour or on a special schedule. The map also shows shorter versions of each route within every line, which is not represented on the official map. 

The Map of Tel Aviv Metropolitan Transportation System

For Metropolitan Mass Transit System Ltd (NTA) In collaboration with Daria Vinokurova  ・2023

A new transportation system is under construction in Tel Aviv, consisting of three subway lines and three light rail lines. It will connect Tel Aviv with the rest of Dan area through fast and comfortable public transportation. The project is very ambitious and highly anticipated in Israel. NTA, the company in charge of its design and construction, approached us for a new map of the system that would clearly and vividly show its structure to future users. The map represents the final state of the system. By the time the map was created, the red line had already been built and was being prepared for launch, and the green and purple lines were under construction.

Night bus routes map

For the Department of Transportation of Moscow・2016—2022

Since the Moscow Metro does not work at night, night bus routes were launched in 2013 as an alternative. The route network partly duplicates the Metro lines: 14 routes depart from the city centre and go to the residential areas, and one extra circle route goes around the centre along the Garden Ring.

Striving to improve the readability of the map, I simplified the geometry of the city by straightening the lines just like it was done on the Metro map, so I got 14 rays diverging from the centre. In the centre of the map, I worked out the geometry, so that a complex interchange area looked as simple and impressive as possible. 

New Paris Metro map

Personal project・2013—2016

In 2013, I lived in Paris for several months and fell in love with the Paris Metropolitaine — it is old but so cozy. I disliked the official metro map of the Paris subway. I found it chaotic and complicated, so I decided to draw my own version of the map. The project took about 2.5 years. In my free time, I tested various map design approaches. As a result, I got a map with a round circle line and a unique graphic grid of 60°.

Many Parisians liked the map; people buy it to hang on walls of their homes. The map’s website is visited daily by thousands of Parisians and visitors to the city who need to plan their journey. I wrote a big article about the map’s design process for Smashing Magazine. While working on this project, I truly fell in love with the process of transit map design.

Pictograms of Moscow

Personal project ・2017—2020

Moscow offers a huge variety of attractions of different historical eras. I drew about 100 of the most recognisable buildings of the city in a uniform style. Today these pictograms are used on Moscow maps, transit schemes and other elements of wayfinding. While working on the project, I tried to preserve the recognisable proportions of the buildings and to convey the details. The uniformity of the pictograms makes it practical to use the entire set in various projects. Thanks to their conciseness and easy recognition, they look extra good in small size on maps, diagrams and similar formats.

Moscow Metro logo

For th e Mo scow Metro・2013—2014 In collaboration with Art.Lebedev Studio

The Moscow Metro’s logo in the form of a letter “M” emerged simultaneously with the opening of the subway in 1935, but for a long time there was no standardised; in fact, the logo changed its shape often and quite chaotically. I conducted the research and studied the history of the Metro symbol, and later we designed a standardised logo based on the historical image of the symbol in collaboration with Art.Lebedev Studio. The updated sign became the official logo of the Moscow Metro. I described the design process in detail at the Art.Lebedev Studio website.

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For the Department of Transportation of Moscow・2018

In 2019, the Moscow Central Diameters were launched in Moscow. It is an analogue to Berlin’s S-Bahn or Parisian RER: pre-existing railway lines are integrated into the subway system to improve transit connectivity between the central city and the suburbs. I designed an official logo for the new service.

Signs for the MCD lines

For the Department of Transportation of Moscow In collaboration with Natalia Moskaleva・2019

The new MCD service needed not only a logo, but also the signs to indicate five new lines. The goal was to design signs that will blend in with the icons of the metro lines, but at the same time stand out to show that the MCD is a separate entity. Graphically, the signs are similar to the MCD logo due to the same shape, so it is easier for passengers to understand what service they represent. We selected unique colours for the signs that have not yet been used on the metro map. We also studied the prospects of the development of the subway system in order to choose the right colours so that lines with similar colours don’t intersect with each other on the map in the future.

Photos: Sasha Derivanov

Pedestrian wayfinding in Moscow

In collaboration with the team of the Department of Transportation of Moscow・2016—2018

In 2016, we designed the pedestrian wayfinding stands in collaboration with the team of the Department of Transportation of Moscow. The stands contain all the information needed by tourists or Muscovites in an unfamiliar area.

Detailed large-scale maps showing the surrounding area are always rotated to match the direction of sight. This allows to quickly orient yourself in space without thinking where north and west are. We created stands of different widths for various streets: narrow stands are used on small streets not to interfere with the passage, and wide “queen size” stands with a huge map are placed on the squares and in the parks, allowing to plan the most complex route.

Nowadays there are more than 1000 wayfinding stands in this design installed in the streets of Moscow.

Photos: Alexey Solnyshkov

Design for the GULAG History Museum

For several years, I had been doing projects for the GULAG History Museum in Moscow. I visualised complex historical data both for the museum’s exposition and for external projects related to the history of Stalin’s repressions.

The map of the resettlements of the peoples

When talking about the repressions in the USSR, we usually recall either the GULAG camps or the mass executions in the 1930s. However, another important component of the repressive machine of the era were the forced resettlements of the peoples. The relocations took place against the will of the people, based on their ethnicity, social class or political views. It was almost impossible to show the full scale of the migrations in a single frame (too many episodes of the resettlements happened simultaneously), so I decided to make a visual animation. Dots flash chronologically on the USSR’s map showing when and where people were forcibly resettled. The radius of the starting point represents the scale of the event: the more people were relocated, the larger the circle is. The map is part of the permanent exhibition of the museum.

The map of the GULAG camps

I visualised the geography of the forced labour camps in the USSR during the Stalin era in collaboration with the GULAG History Museum scientific team.

We collected data on the largest camps, each confining 5000+ people at a time. In order for the museum’s visitors to better understand the scale of the tragedy, I visualised the population of each camp based on the data from the museum’s scientific department. The red line at each camp represents the number of prisoners: the longer it is, the more people there were. We mounted the map in a way that the visitors can come close to it, find the city of interest and the camps next to it. 

Two years later, we decided to convert the map to a digital format so that everyone could have access to the data online. In collaboration with the team of developers and map specialists form URBICA, we designed a website with a digital map of the camps. We added data on the number of the deaths in the camps and a timeline that allows to learn about the scale of the camp system throughout the years.

Interactive website with a map of GULAG camps

A fragment of the exposition of the GULAG History Museum that shows how the radical statements of the leaders of the Great October Revolution of 1917 gradually made way for the legal acts, and later for the repressive Stalinist laws of the 1930–1950s. On a large wall, we mounted quotes of political figures and fragments of legal documents in a chronological order. The most stringent laws that included long terms of imprisonment, exile of relatives and the death penalty as punishments, are placed on the right. The plaques are interconnected with red threads showing how particular statements and events could make way for the particular laws in the future. We used threads as the most appropriate visualisation of how political views and decisions of the leaders can lead to mass repressions against their own people.

The legal basis of the repressions in the USSR

In collaboration with  Dasha Vinokurova

Stop-motion animation

In collaboration with Irina Neustroeva, we founded a video production studio Teeter-Totter-Tam, where I used to shoot commercials and festival videos in a frame-by-frame and time-lapse animation techniques. From 2010 to 2018, we shot several works that participated in 40+ festivals and shows around the world. Stop-motion animation is a fairly complex process that requires attention to detail: each frame is a separate photograph, and fast-forwarding frames creates an illusion of objects coming to life.

More projects

I described the most significant and interesting projects in detail on this page above. But there were lots of other fun projects.

Today I live in Israel, but for almost all my life I lived in Moscow, hence there are so many projects about this city in my portfolio. I love to work on large and complex projects in the fields of pubic transport and museum design.

Work experience: Freelancer 2017 — Now

Art director at the GULAG History Museum 2015 — 2017

Lead designer at the Department of Transportation of Moscow 2014 — 2016

Designer at Art.Lebedev Studio 2013 — 2014

Animation Director at Tetter-Totter-Tam Animation 2010 — 2018

Education: Bauman Moscow State Technical University Electronic Equipment Design and Technology 2006 — 2012

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