Graphic designer job description template: Everything you need to include

Great graphic designers have a combo of creative and practical skills that are critical to their success. They’re experts in communication and working collaboratively, and they’re open to constructive feedback. Those in client-facing roles are especially great at building and maintaining relationships. 

Hiring a graphic designer who possesses this unique skill set is no mean feat. The first step? Writing the job description. The challenge? Capturing that combo of skills mentioned above. You don’t want to be so specific that great candidates are put off, but you also don’t want to attract hundreds of unsuitable applicants. 

We can help. We’ve created a graphic designer job description template that strikes a balance between specificity and flexibility. Plus, we explain how to find a top-notch graphic designer who meets your creative requirements and fits right in.

Graphic designer job description template

Job Title: Graphic Designer

Location: [Insert Location]

Reports To: Marketing Manager

Job Type: [Full-time/Part-time/Contract]

About Us

[Company Name] is a forward-thinking company specializing in [brief description of the company's focus, e.g., creative marketing solutions or visual branding]. Our aim is to [state the mission, e.g., "reshape the digital world with engaging visual content"]. We embrace a culture of [core values like creativity, collaboration, and high standards], promoting an environment that encourages career development. With a strong reputation for [unique qualities, e.g., innovative design and award-winning campaigns], we are committed to empowering our team to be leaders in [industry or sector].

Job Overview

We are seeking a talented and detail-driven Graphic Designer to join our team. The successful candidate will be instrumental in developing our visual brand, producing creative assets for various channels, and enhancing our overall brand strategy. This role is perfect for someone passionate about graphic design who wants to gain hands-on experience with a wide range of creative projects and directly shape our brand’s visual appeal.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and produce high-quality visual content for both print and digital platforms, including social media images, website graphics, brochures, and advertisements.

• Partner with the marketing team to brainstorm and develop creative concepts and campaigns that reflect the company’s brand and business objectives.

• Assist in designing and formatting marketing collateral such as presentations, email templates, eBooks, and newsletters.

• Support the design and upkeep of the company’s website and other online properties, ensuring a cohesive and engaging user experience.

• Create and refine design drafts, storyboards, and prototypes for internal review and feedback.

• Liaise with external vendors to prepare files for printing, ensuring that all designs meet brand guidelines and production standards.

• Stay current with design trends and conduct research to inspire and inform creative projects.

• Utilize design software (e.g., Adobe Creative Suite) to produce visually appealing and professional content.

• Help establish and maintain brand guidelines, ensuring all visual elements are consistent across various channels.

• Aid in planning and coordinating visual aspects of promotional events to maintain brand coherence.

• Provide support to the marketing and design teams as required, including organizing design resources and managing workflow tasks.

Skills

• Proficiency in using design tools such as Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign).

• Keen attention to detail and a strong sense of design principles, including layout, color theory, and typography.

• Understanding of branding concepts and the ability to translate them effectively across multiple marketing touchpoints.

• Basic knowledge of web design principles, including HTML, CSS, and experience with content management systems (CMS) like WordPress.

• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously, working both independently and within a collaborative team in a dynamic, fast-paced environment.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey design concepts clearly.

• Creative mindset with excellent problem-solving abilities.

Preferred Qualifications

• A strong portfolio that showcases a range of creative abilities in graphic design, illustration, and visual communication.

• Previous experience in graphic design, marketing, or a related creative field.

• Bachelor’s degree in Graphic Design, Visual Arts, Marketing, Communications, or a related discipline (or equivalent training).

• Proven experience designing for a variety of media, including print and digital formats.

• Knowledge of digital marketing principles, and experience in creating optimized designs for websites, social media, and email marketing.

• Familiarity with workflow and project management tools (e.g., Trello, Asana).

• Understanding of video editing and motion graphics software.

Benefits

[List the benefits of joining your company, such as health coverage, paid time off, opportunities for professional development, a collaborative and creative work environment, flexible working hours, etc.]

Application Instructions

If you are a design enthusiast eager to contribute to a growing company, we encourage you to apply. Please send your application materials [including a link to your design portfolio] to [email address] by [application deadline].

Why this graphic designer job description template works

We’ve developed this graphic designer job description template to maximize the chance of making the ideal hire. 

After the essential information for the role, we have the About Us. This grabs the attention of graphic designers who have the best chance of success in your company. Graphic designers work in various industries, so we’re clear about the work environment from the get-go. 

You should do the same. Is the position in-house or for an agency? If it’s in-house, what type of company is it? Don’t forget to include your company’s core values so candidates can see if their values line up with them.

Next up? The Job Overview. This is a brief summary of the position and how the successful candidate will contribute to the organization. Including a line about the type of person the role is perfect for helps further refine the applicant pool.

The Key Responsibilities outline the specifics of the role. Potential applicants need to know the types of projects they’ll work on, the platforms they’ll design for, and the design software they’ll use. We don’t overlook non-design responsibilities, such as staying current with design trends. These elements help candidates evaluate their fit for your position. Candidates who can’t handle the responsibilities are less likely to apply.

Next up is the Skills section, which focuses on the key qualities of top graphic designers. We put skills first – before preferred qualifications like education – because skills are essential to this role. If a candidate lacks the essential skills needed for your role, no amount of education can make up for this, and they won’t be able to do the job. 

Once candidates know they have the skills to fulfill the company’s expectations, they can see if their background matches your preferred qualifications. Notice we use the word “preferred” instead of “required.” While most graphic designers have a bachelor’s degree, there are an increasing number of alternative methods of learning that equip designers with the expertise they need. Asking for Preferred Qualifications shows candidates that you value non-traditional routes into design.

Highlighting skills before education preferences also widens the candidate pool, which is advantageous when hiring designers. As Barney Abramson, head of design at Southwest Gas Corporation, notes, “Self-taught designers often bring unique, innovative perspectives to their work, driven by pure passion and a desire to create.”

The Benefits section is where we spotlight the perks of the package. To wrap up, the Application Instructions provide candidates with clear steps on how to proceed with their application. Asking for a link to candidates' design portfolios is a great way to see the scope of their creative abilities and design style.

Next steps: Attracting and assessing graphic designer candidates

Your well-crafted job description can bring in suitable candidates. But the job market for graphic designers is crowded and growing slower than the average for all occupations. So, how do you narrow down your applicant pool?

We’ve got the answer – and it isn’t reviewing their resumes or other application materials – a method that’s time consuming, prone to biases and mis-hires, and more. The answer: assess your applicants right away. 

To do this, use a talent discovery platform like TestGorilla. 

TestGorilla's library of 400+  includes graphic designer tests that evaluate key technical skills, as well as tests that assess soft skills, personality, and more. 

Here are some tests that can help you hire the ideal graphic designer:

Role-specific tests

• Adobe Photoshop for Designers test

• Branding Strategy test

• Market Analysis test

• HubSpot CRM test

• Salesforce CRM test

Soft skills and cognitive ability tests

• Communication Skills test

• Problem Solving test

Personality and culture tests

• DISC Personality test

• Culture Add test

You can combine up to five tests to create a custom talent assessment that will fairly assess applicants capabilities on all aspects of your role. 

You can even include your own custom questions using various answer formats. One possible answer format? File upload. With this, you can ask candidates to upload files of past work from their design portfolios.

Assessment results can help you easily find top applicants to shortlist for the next phases of your assessment process – including your graphic design interview. 

Want to learn more? Sign up for a free TestGorilla account or schedule a free live demo today.

💻 Hiring a remote graphic designer? Post your job description on our remote jobs board. Unlike a traditional job board, our job board enables candidates to ask to be invited to take your assessment as the very first step of the application process – they simply click a button and provide their details. As a bonus, you can ditch the application instructions. 

FAQs

How do you write a job description for a graphic designer?

The best way to write a graphic designer job description is to use a template. You must also focus on the skills needed for the job, plus the job’s responsibilities Our template includes everything you need to attract high-quality graphic designers. 

What do graphic designers do?

Graphic designers create visual content, such as advertisements, logos, packaging designs, and website graphics. They use their expertise in design to communicate messages and enhance branding with typography, color, and imagery.

What is the difference between a graphic designer and a content creator?

Graphic designers focus mostly on visual communication, using design skills to create compelling images and layouts. Many are also skilled in motion design and coding, though their core duties revolve around design and visuals. In contrast, content creators work across various formats. While they might handle visual design, they might also produce blog posts, website content, and marketing copy.