Digital Designer | Skills, Responsibilities & Career Outlook

Digital Design is a form of Visual Communication by which any service, message, or product is showcased on the Digital Platform. It includes graphic design, illustration, user experience, user interface, product design, and all the products that consist of digital components.

Digital Designer

Who is a Digital Designer?

Digital designers blend creativity and technology to produce content which is designed to be viewed on screen or digital interface. They use their skills like typography, image manipulation, communication, color cordination, brainstorming, research, innovation and combine all the practices and process to provide an enhanced experience for the customer by identifying their preferences and figuring out how to meet them. Digital designers can work on everything from creating flyers and brochures for advertising campaigns to creating 2-D or 3-D animations for a movie production, depending on their specific field of work.

Technical Skills Required for a Digital Designer

• Idea of Responsive Design
• Portfolio Management
• Digital Typography
• Presentation Skills
• Layout Techniques
• Image Manipulation
• Knowledge of Print Media

Non-Technical Skills Required for a Digital Designer

• Creativity
• Ability to Collaborate
• Good Communication Skill
• Detail Oriented
• Good Observation

Designing Skills Required for a Digital Designer

Graphic Design Skills:

• In depth knowledge of graphic design software like Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, etc.
• Knowledge of Elements and Principles of Design
• Good Understanding of Typography Rules like font pairing, font size, hierarchy
• Understanding of Color Theory and Color Psychology

Web Design and UI/UX Skills:

• Capable of making Wireframes, Mockups and Prototypes in tools like Adobe XD, Sketch, Invision and Figma

Animation and Motion Design Skills:

• Capable of creating animations and do motion graphics on software like Aftereffects
• Knowledge of timelines and framings

Video Editing, 3D Modeling and Rendering Skills

Responsibilities of a Digital Designer

Responsibilities of a Digital Designer totally depends on the industry and the type of mode they are working in. If they are working as graphic designer then they will spend their work time in creating graphics, infographics. Whereas in advertising agencies or marketing agencies designers collaborates with team and works as described by the clients. If we talk about animation and gaming industry then there designers spend their time in making 2d 3d characters, cartoons, and working with frames. So there is nothing specific work or responsibility for a digital designer as everything depends on the industry or field of their work.

Career Options for a Digital Designer

• Graphic Designer
• Visual Designer
• UI/UX Designer
• Product Designer
• Animator
• Motion Graphic Designer
• Video Editor

How to become a Digital Designer?

For becoming a digital designer one needs to complete his/her higher studies and complete their bachelor’s in any of the design related course or relevant diploma or a certification and a strong portfolio to showcase their work. He/she must be familiar with the software skills required in designing such as Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator etc. A part from educational requirements, to be a digital designer one should must be a very keen eyes towards design elements and graphics. He or she must be able to brainstorm, evaluate and come up with good and practical ideas which can be implemented in the form of design. To be a good digital designer one should be very smart to play with colors. Color plays an important role in designing. A good complimented colored image can really leave a big impact on the user.

Are Digital Design and Graphic Design same?

Many people gets confused between the term Graphic Design and Digital Design. Let’s clear it out. Graphic Design is the subset of Digital Design. The graphic designers generally focuses on the detail of the visuals that is how the visual will look. They are more focused on the visual impact of the user, while Digital Designers works both on the look and the functionality. Digital design all types of designing which is showcased on digital media which includes interface design, motion design, animation, motion graphics etc.

How much one can earn as a digital designer?

On an average the salary of a digital designer starts from 8 LPA to 9 LPA which gets increased in mid and high level accordingly.

Conclusion

Digital design is very diverse and vast creative field. Either you want to be a digital designer or you need to hire a digital designer you must be aware of the type of the digital designer you are looking for or the type of digital field you want to opt for. As digital markets are growing rapidly and everything is going digital in today’s time digital designers are very high in demand. And as the market is also changing it’s trend and structure the one who wants to be a digital designer should also be always updated and practicing with the skills accordingly.