Designer: Who are they, what do they do, what are the different types, and how to become a sought-after specialist

Contents:

• Who is a designer?
• What types of designers are there?
• Which designers are in demand now?
• What are the pros and cons of being a designer?
• How much do designers earn?
• Where to study to become a designer?
• Where to find a job and how to develop in the profession?

Who is a designer?

This is a specialist who deals with visual design: creates graphic content, things, designs various objects, and develops brand identities. There are different areas of design: graphic, typography, web, UX/UI, industrial, interior, landscape, commercial illustration, motion, 3D visualization, game design, and others.

What types of designers are there?

Graphic designer

Develops design concepts, logos, advertising materials, and visual content for a brand's social media. It is important for such a specialist to know the basics of composition, layout, color schemes, and also to understand printing technologies and materials.

Brand designer

A specialist who develops the visual positioning of a brand: logo, corporate colors, font, distinctive signs ― everything that will make the company recognizable. In addition, a brand designer sets rules for how to use corporate identity (guidelines) ― in advertising materials, corporate communications, merch.

Font designer

A font is another way of visual communication. A typography designer helps imbue text with additional meaning. They design custom sets of letters, numbers, punctuation, mathematical, and other symbols for various alphabets, and also create unique corporate fonts that become part of a brand's identity.

Commercial Illustrator

A commercial illustrator creates images that serve a primarily practical function: they reveal the main idea of ​​the text, convey the advertising message, and metaphorically reflect the brand's mission. Commercial illustration is always contextual, so the designer's job is to create precise, easily readable visual images.

Web Designer

A web designer designs web page layouts: landing pages, websites, online stores, email newsletters, and can also create application interfaces. They create interactive designs that users can interact with: click buttons, follow links. Therefore, a web designer's work is not limited to visuals—they create a product that is not only attractive but also user-friendly.

UX/UI designer

This is a specialization close to web design. A UX/UI designer also works with online products and is responsible for both their functionality (user experience) and design (user interface). They develop website communications (dialog boxes, button functionality, text forms) and visual solutions ― selecting color combinations, fonts, buttons, and icons that suit the product.

Motion designer

A motion designer specializes in animated graphics. They are in demand in advertising, business, and media, creating promotional videos, presentations, animated intros for various shows, and video instructions. In addition to the basic principles of composition, color, and lighting, such a specialist possesses editing and 3D modeling skills.

Industrial Designer

An industrial designer designs things that people need in everyday life—from a new model of an electric toothbrush to a car. Their goal is to create something that is not just aesthetically pleasing, but truly functional and practical. This is both a rational job (you need to understand the needs of the audience) and a creative one (you need to create models and prototypes of the future product).

Interior designer

Designs residential and public spaces, makes them comfortable, aesthetically pleasing, and cozy. He or she also plans how communications and electrical work will be carried out, and understands building standards. This specialist must be able to make drawings and technical documentation.

Landscape designer

A landscape designer designs the exterior: street spaces, local areas, parks, recreation areas. This specialist is knowledgeable about building and natural materials, communication systems, plants, and lighting.

Fullstack designer

This profession lies at the intersection of design and development. A fullstack designer can create a website or application from scratch, as well as design its user interface. In addition to basic design skills, they possess programming skills, the fundamentals of UX/UI design, and can work with databases, typography, and animation. This is a broad-based specialist, and therefore in demand.

Multimedia designer

A multimedia designer creates compositions using light, shadow, animation, and engineering technologies—for example, multimedia shows and interactive installations at concerts and festivals. The designer needs to master animation programs, 2D and 3D graphics, learn to create complex structures, and combine creative and engineering thinking.

Which designers are in demand now?

There are interesting and well-paid tasks for everyone now. However, there are specialists whose work is particularly relevant.
Promising areas include UX/UI, web, and full-stack design. People encounter visual content every day—in mobile apps and on websites. Businesses need specialists who can create this content.
Media and advertising always require talented commercial illustrators to make a product visually appealing and compelling. Businesses value good brand designers—they are the ones who can create an original and recognizable corporate identity that will generate interest.

What are the pros and cons of being a designer?

Before committing your life (or any period of it) to this profession, weigh the pros and cons.
Pros:

• You can express yourself creatively. Designers bring their ideas to life and convey their signature style in their projects.
• Various tasks.
• You can work freelance or remotely. A powerful computer and internet access are generally enough to become a digital nomad.
• In demand. Visual content is needed across a variety of industries, and people are willing to pay well for it.
• You can create something new and be useful. Designers create meaningful, useful, and innovative products that will, at best, solve user problems, and, at a minimum, bring them joy.

Cons:

• A specialist needs to master many professional programs and constantly improve their skills, follow trends.
• Dependence on the customer. A designer's vision doesn't always coincide with the client's wishes, and the latter's opinion takes precedence. You can try to justify your point of view and convince the client to reconsider the requirements, but this doesn't always work.
• An important part of a designer's work is discussing the project with the client and colleagues, and sometimes communication is difficult. Compromises have to be found. This also includes endless discussions of edits and client requests to "play with fonts."
• Unstable income. This is often a problem for freelancers, who, unlike agency designers, do not have a constant flow of clients.
• It takes time to find clients and build a good portfolio.
• High competition. There are many specialists working in the design field, and you will have to make an effort to find your niche and a client.
• Risk of fraud. Freelancers also face this problem more often - a client may get the job and not pay.

How much do designers earn?

It depends on the specialization, level and professionalism, as well as the region.
According to rabota.by, the salary of designers in Minsk ranges from 1,000 to 8,000 Belarusian rubles. The highest earnings are offered to product, UX/UI and brand designers, as well as furniture and commercial space designers.
In the regions, the amount is slightly less - on average 1,000-2,000 Belarusian rubles. However, most vacancies are remote, so regional job seekers can try their hand at a job offer from a Minsk company.
Abroad, the average salary for specialists is $2,000–$4,000. Experienced, capable specialists can find clients abroad, although in this case, knowledge of a foreign language is required.

Where to study to become a designer?

The traditional path is to obtain a specialized education, either higher or secondary vocational. This will provide fundamental knowledge of design and introduce you to its history and various trends. However, such training takes several years.
You can take online courses. This way, you can gain knowledge in a short time – from a few months to two years, depending on the program's scope. Some companies, such as Skillbox, offer one-year design training programs.
If you choose a paid course, consider Skillbox's popular entry-level design courses: "Graphic Designer," "Web Designer," "Motion Designer," and "UX/UI Designer."
You can self-study with books, free webinars, or training videos, but this can leave you with fragmented knowledge that will be difficult to apply. It's best to study systematically, with the support of a teacher and/or mentor.

Where to find a job and how to develop in the profession?

Experienced designers recommend taking on projects while you're still studying. This way, you'll gain experience working on different tasks, build a portfolio, and establish a client base. You can register on freelance exchanges and look for projects there.
A comfortable way to enter the profession is to work for an agency. There, you can learn from more experienced colleagues, and you won't be left without projects—you'll be working with the studio's clients. The downside is less creative freedom, but the upside is stability.
After gaining experience, a designer can open their own agency. Another option is to master new software and design trends. Some specialists also become teachers or mentors for beginners over time.