What Is a Visual Designer? (+ How to Become One in 5 Steps)

What is visual design?

Visual design focuses on enhancing the aesthetic and usability of a digital product. It involves the strategic implementation of images, colours, fonts, and layouts. Although many visual design elements deal with a product's look, its feel is equally important. Visual design aims to create an interface that provides users with the optimal experience. 

Visual design vs graphic design

Visual design and graphic design have many similarities. However, there are some critical distinctions between them. First, graphic design may encompass print publications and other non-digital media forms. Visual design typically refers to web-based and digital product enhancement. The goal of graphic design is to communicate a specific idea or message. In contrast, visual designers are responsible for shaping the larger brand image. 

Visual design vs UI design

User interface (UI) design creates an application’s visual elements. It has two primary focus areas—interaction design (how elements are organised in an interface) and visual design. UI designers focus on creating a seamless, visually pleasing user experience. Conversely, the primary goal for visual designers is to effectively demonstrate the image a brand wants to convey to its consumers through its digital designs. 

specialization

Interaction Design

Learn how to design great user experiences. Design that delights users

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Intermediate level

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Average time: 3 month(s)

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Skills you'll build:

Human Factors, Ideation, Interaction Design, Prototyping, Statistical Hypothesis Testing, A/B Testing, Collaborative Software, Storyboarding, User Experience Design, Experimentation, User Centered Design, Statistical Analysis, Wireframing, Design Elements And Principles, Telecommuting, Human Computer Interaction, Design Research, R Programming, Usability Testing, Usability, Responsive Web Design, User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, Graphic and Visual Design, User Interface (UI) Design, Mockups, Design, UI Components, Design Strategies, Typography, Social Sciences, Human Centered Design, Research and Design, Media and Communications, Remote Access Systems, Digital Communications, Interviewing Skills, User Research, Design Thinking, Statistical Modeling, Regression Analysis, Research Design, Data Analysis, Exploratory Data Analysis, Statistics, Information Architecture, Qualitative Research, Persona (User Experience), Research Methodologies, User Interface (UI)

What is a visual designer?

Visual designers work in many different industries across various platforms. Companies or organisations may hire them to design websites, games, movies, and other digital design projects. Accordingly, certain specialisations require knowledge of a specific business sector. The following section is a sample job description for a visual designer role. 

Visual designer job description

• Work with a brand’s guidelines to establish the look and feel of their digital interfaces.

• Source image and video assets.

• Collaborate with marketing, development, information technology (IT), and operations teams.

• Create and manage data visualisation, production assets, interaction models, mockups, and more. 

• Manage multiple projects and strategise deadlines.

• Design logos, infographics, and icons.

Visual designer salary

The average annual salary for a visual designer in the UK is £34,703 [1]. Several factors can influence this salary, including industry, specialisation, expertise level, and company. 

How to become a visual designer in 5 steps

While having a degree is not mandatory, many visual designers in the UK do, and many job openings ask for one. Common areas of study include visual communication, graphic design, and fine arts. You can learn more about pursuing this career path in the following walkthrough. 

1. Build essential skills. Creativity is a critical component of a visual designer’s role. You must be able to strategise using colour, lines, typography, and white space. Since visual designers often work closely with design teams and companies to create brand imagery, you must possess excellent written and verbal communication skills. 

2. Familiarise yourself with visual design tools. A few of the most popular visual design tools include Figma, Adobe Photoshop, and Canva. You can get started with Canva and practice creating your own digital products with the following Guided Project:

guided project

Create and Design Digital Products using Canva

By the end of this course, you will create templates for digital products that you can sell in the marketplace using Canva. You will be able to incorporate ...

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Advanced level

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Average time: 2 hour(s)

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Skills you'll build:

Digital Design, Graphic and Visual Design Software, Marketing Design, Design, Marketing, Asset Protection, Digital Publishing, Design Elements And Principles, Product Design, Graphic Design, Canva (Software), Color Theory, Journals

3. Enhance your CV. Transitioning into a new role can be intimidating when you haven’t yet gained on-the-job experience. In place of experience, visual designers can build portfolios of their best work. These portfolios allow job seekers to showcase specific skills and knowledge. You can build your portfolio by working on projects independently or enrolling in a Guided Project like the one mentioned above. 

4. Choose an area of focus. Another way to increase your competitiveness as a candidate is to choose a specialisation. For example, suppose you plan to become a visual designer specialising in UI design. In that case, you may consider earning a UI/UX design certificate from the California Institute of Arts or a UX Design Professional Certificate from Google.

5. Stay current with the industry. When you stay up-to-date with the visual design industry, you can demonstrate expertise to employers and learn about the latest trends and technologies. You can follow industry experts on social media or subscribe to relevant blogs and YouTube channels. Check out relevant Slack channels like the Designed Slack discussion to explore design processes and tools, visual design jobs, and more for peer-to-peer connection.

Learn more about visual design with Coursera.

Continue building your visual design expertise by enrolling in The Language of Design: Form and Meaning, a course from the California Institute of the Arts, or explore a specialisation with the UX Design Professional Certificate from Google.

course

The Language of Design: Form and Meaning

In this course, critique is defined as a detailed, objective analysis of a work of graphic design and its effectiveness. Critique is an integral part of the ...

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Beginner level

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Average time: 8 hour(s)

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Storytelling, Typography, Design Reviews, Design Elements And Principles, Design, Visual Design, Aesthetics, Graphic Design

professional certificate

Google UX Design

Get on the fast track to a career in UX design. In this certificate program, you’ll learn in-demand skills, and get AI training from Google experts. Learn at your own pace, no degree or experience required.

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Beginner level

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Average time: 6 month(s)

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Skills you'll build:

User Research, Persona (User Experience), Design Thinking, Prototyping, Mockups, Cross Platform Development, Storyboarding, User Experience Design, Sprint Retrospectives, UI/UX Research, Applicant Tracking Systems, User Experience, Wireframing, Responsive Web Design, Figma (Design Software), Interviewing Skills, Information Architecture, Design Research, Usability Testing, Usability, Professional Networking, Human Centered Design, User Interface and User Experience (UI/UX) Design, Professional Development, Web Design, Portfolio Management, Mobile Development, User Centered Design, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, Sprint Planning, Design Elements And Principles, User Interface (UI), Graphic and Visual Design, UI Components, Color Theory, User Interface (UI) Design, Typography, Animations, Design Reviews, User Flows, Psychology, Storytelling, Creativity, Competitive Analysis, Workforce Development, Problem Solving, Prompt Engineering, Resilience, Business Writing, Branding, Planning, Communication, Generative AI, Research Methodologies, Presentations, Diversity Awareness, Data Ethics, Research Design, Information Privacy