What can you do with a graphic design degree?

Things to consider when choosing a career or considering further study after studying a graphic design degree

What can you do with a graphic design degree?

Things to consider when choosing a career or considering further study after studying a graphic design degree

Knowledge and skills

A graphic design degree gives you the perfect opportunity to develop and refine your studio skills and methods (typography, illustration, drawing, motion graphics, animation) which are essential to work as a professional graphic designer, but you will also develop a broad range of transferable skills which are desired by a wide range of employers and occupational areas. These include:

teamwork – you are able to listen to other team members, and take on board each other's opinions and ideas
time management – you are able to manage your time effectively and make deadlines
organisation and project management – you are able to plan and schedule work, prioritising what needs to be done and by when
creativity – you are able to come up with creative solutions to problems and take an innovative approach
attention to detail – you are able to be thorough and focused on the details of a task, monitoring and evaluation information or plans
communication and emotional intelligence – you are able to explain ideas clearly, with the ability to empathise and understand how others are feeling
entrepreneurial skills – you are able to market yourself and your work.

Career options

15 months after graduating*

97% of our graduates are in work or further study

71% of our graduates agree that their current activity is meaningful

83% of graduates say their degree was a formal requirement for their job or gave them an advantage

Studying graphic design with typography at the ҹè��Ƶ will open a wide range of career choices. You could look at channelling your creative talents by pursuing a career as a professional graphic designer. If considering this you could create designs for advertisements, commercials, website content, publications, branding/ logos, package design and/or textile design.

You could also use your creative skills to explore roles focusing on the user experience, such as a UX (user experience) designer or UI (user interface) designer. Many graphic designers are self-employed and look for freelance work, whilst others are employed by creative design/advertising agencies. To find out more about going freelance or running your own business check out our self-employment and freelancing page.

If being in a design role doesn’t appeal, you could consider creative roles that determine the overall creative vision of a project, such as a Creative Director, or a one that takes charge of the overall visual style and content of magazines or film productions, such as an art director.

You could also use your creative skills to inspire others and work as a teacher (primary, secondary, further education) or a higher education lecturer. Teaching opportunities are also available outside of a traditional classroom setting and you could consider using your artist flair to engage with people as a Community Arts Worker/ Practitioner.

Creative roles also include working as an animator, concept artist, multi-media programmer, product developer, printmaker, production designer, fine artist, special effects technician or fashion designer. Again, if being in a more creative role doesn’t appeal, you could consider more project management roles, such as an arts administrator or one that focuses on managing client relationships, such as an advertising account executive.

Many graphic design with typography graduates take the skills they have learnt elsewhere and find their way into less directly related graduate professions including the civil service and the charitable sector.

When considering your options, remember that your physical and digital portfolio are essential to presenting your work to potential employers and evidencing your skills. If you would like some advice regarding your portfolio, how to stand out and what design agencies are looking for in potential applicants visit .

*Data is from the Graduate Outcomes Surveys covering the three years of 2019/20 – 2021/22. Graduates were surveyed 15 months after graduating. Data displayed is for UK-domiciled, first degree, full-time graduates who are working, studying or looking for work.

With such a wide range of careers open to you as a graphic design with typography graduate, it is important to make sure you explore and research your options thoroughly so that you can make informed decisions about your future.

Take a look at , and the following websites for inspiration.

Employment opportunities

Below is a snapshot of what some of ҹè��Ƶ graduates told us they were doing 15 months after graduation. For some graduates, these jobs serve as ‘stepping stones’ to professional posts by providing relevant workplace experience.

3D Model Artist
Artist
Associate Director
CAD Designer
Creative Designer
Design Analyst
Design And Interior Designer
Designer
Designer Maker

Digital Designer
Digital Marketing Executive
Director Of Projects
Graduate Front End Developer
Graduate Product Lead
Graduate Transport Planner
Graphic Designer
Junior Creative
Head Of Web And User Experience

Product Designer
Project Manager
Self-Employed Multi Disciplinary Artist
Social Media And Copywriting Assistant
Software Engineer
Sustainability Lead
Technical Draftsman
User Experience Designer
Visualisation Designer
Web Designer

Employers

Aluses Graphics
BBC
Bigwave Marketing
Deloitte
Denhams Digital
Goss Interactive
Hampshire County Council
Hannah Goodman Graphic Design

Hiyield Ltd
Inn Gear Ltd
Laser Industries
Lewis Design Associates
Lick N Stick Graphics
Longpre Furniture
MLA College
NewZapp Communications

Nivo Digital
Paul Cocksedge Studio
Proctor + Stevenson
Plus 1 Communications
Robert Gordon University, Aberdeen
Sparck
Surveybase Limited

Things to consider when choosing a career or considering further study after studying a graphic design degree

Discover employment and further study opportunities that you could consider once you graduate with a graphic design degree, and learn how you can stand out to graduate employers.

We encourage you to: