How to Become a Graphic Designer: A Step-by-Step Guide (+5 Real Stories).

So, you want to know how to become a graphic designer? That realisation is a great first step, and you're in good company. In this guide we'll walk you through everything you need to make your way into a career in design, from finding your creativity to landing your first job.

We’ll also showcase five real career stories from Shillington graduates, who started exactly where you are now and went on to become successful designers. Plus, tips and advice from our graphic design teachers who are industry professionals and have collectively helped thousands of students kickstart their graphic design career.

So whether you're starting from scratch, fresh out of a graphic design course, or wanting to change career to graphic design, their journeys prove there's no single "right" route into design. Just the one that's right for you.

A graphic designer is a visual communicator: someone who takes an idea or piece of information, usually a client's brief, and turns it into something visual. That's the heart of the job, and learning to do it is what becoming a graphic designer is all about.

The output takes countless forms.

Designers are behind so much of what you see and use every day: branding, adverts, apps, magazines, packaging, logos, books, maps and websites. And just as the work varies, so do the people who make it. Forget the stereotypes. A graphic designer can be anyone, which is why we see graphic designers emerging from such a diverse range of backgrounds.

Step 1: Be Creative

The first step is an easy one and, if you've already got this far, chances are you've already achieved it! This first step to becoming a graphic designer is simply to be creative. Graphic design is a creative career so you'll need to have creativity by the bucket loads to be a graphic designer.

Some people are born with a creative streak. Others are developed as they get older. Some don't even find theirs until they've had a career for years! Though, it doesn't matter when you find your creativity, if you've got it then you can be a graphic designer.

A common creativity-related question we hear from aspiring designers is whether they need to be good at drawing to be a graphic designer. You’ll be glad to hear the answer is no. Drawing is not an essential component of being a designer. The drawing abilities, even of the most incredible graphic designers, vary massively.

Career in focus: Joseph Lebus

Joseph studied Modern Languages at university and had no formal design experience, but his interest in graphic design was always quietly there. His mum was a photographer, and when he was younger, he would borrow her old film cameras and take them everywhere. At university he ran club nights and designed the posters and flyers himself. That constant awareness of the visual world was the creative seed, it just took him a while to recognise it as a career.

Now Joseph is a Design Director at global agency Porto Rocha.

Step 2: Become a Problem Solver

As well as being creative, graphic designers need to be problem solvers. A large part of being a graphic designer is thinking of creative, graphic solutions to "problems" given to you by clients.

Of course, graphic design isn’t the only career where you need to solve problems so you may already be used to it. It may also just come naturally to you! No one is expecting to walk into your job the first day as a graphic designer and be able to answer all the questions but it’s definitely worth knowing how to tackle a problem head on.

To become someone who doesn’t panic when faced with a problem all you need to do is practice, practice and more practice! This can be in your day-to-day life. For example, open your fridge and see what’s in there. Rather than going to the shop to buy something else, solve the problem by cooking something that uses the ingredients you already have. Keep doing things like this every day and being a problem solver will become second nature to you.

Now apply that to a graphic design scenario and practice some more. Make up your own client briefs or use a dedicated service such as Briefbox and just start brainstorming some potential solutions. You don’t even have to design anything, just jot some ideas down on paper and you’ll begin to understand how to solve problems and become a problem solving graphic designer.

Step 3: Learn Graphic Design Tools

Like any profession, a graphic designer needs the right tools, both physical kit and software.

Your most important tool is your computer. The industry standard is an Apple Mac (iMac or MacBook Pro), though Windows works fine too. A notebook and pen are invaluable for quick thumbnailing, and a drawing tablet such as a Wacom is a handy extra.

For software, install the Adobe Creative Cloud, above all InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator plus Figma for digital and prototyping work. No one masters every tool, so don't be put off by job ads that list them all. At Shillington you'll start from scratch with all four, then move quickly into real-world briefs so you learn to make the software do what you need—just as working designers do. It's also worth having collaboration tools like Slack and Zoom ready, since most studios run on them.

Step 4: Enrol in a Graphic Design Course

It's all good having all the tools and programs you need to become a graphic designer but you don't want to fall into the trap of "all the gear and no idea". You actually have to learn how to use these tools if you are truly interested in becoming a graphic designer. We're sure you're already proficient in using a pen and a sketchbook so we will skip past that one.

There are self taught designers out there who have learnt all the skills for becoming a graphic designer through online forums, YouTube and just practicing.

Though, we personally think the best way of becoming a graphic designer is to take a course.

There are several different options for courses you should take, but Shillington's innovative graphic designer course will teach you how to become a graphic designer in just three months full-time or nine months part-time.

At Shillington, you'll not only learn the programs we mentioned above, Adobe InDesign, Photoshop, Illustrator and Figma, but also all the knowledge, theory and skills that you'll need to become a graphic designer. Our graduates leave Shillington as graphic designers with a wealth of knowledge ready to embark on a new career.

Career in focus: Linda Gao

Linda already had a university degree and several years in project management at advertising and media agencies behind her, but she kept gravitating towards the creative side of the team rather than the managing of it.

When she finally decided to make design her career, she didn't want to spend another three or four years at university to get there. She wanted the ins and outs of the craft, and she wanted them quickly. Shillington's intensive course gave her exactly that foundation, and she went on to become an Art Director at Warner Bros. Discovery. It's proof that the right course, not the longest one, is often what gets you into the industry.

Step 5: Learn the fundamentals

One thing we do teach on the Shillington course is the fundamentals of design. Most importantly, the graphic design principles.

No matter where or how you choose to become a graphic designer, you won't get far without these. These principles are alignment, repetition, contrast, hierarchy and balance—they're crucial in creating any successful design. Therefore, they're a crucial part of becoming a graphic designer.

For a little bit of a leg up on your journey to becoming a graphic designer, let us quickly break down what each one means or how it affects a design:

• Alignment creates a sharper, more unified design.
• Repetition strengthens a design by tying together otherwise separate parts and, as a result, creates associations.
• Contrast is the most effective way to create emphasis and impact with your design.
• Hierarchy creates organisation.
• Balance provides stability and structure to a design, either through symmetry or tension of elements.

Think of this as a quick little guide to help you on your way to becoming a graphic designer. Though, actually understanding the fundamentals takes a lot more than just knowing what each one means.

Any graphic designer worth their salt should be able to put these into practice in each and every design they create. The Design Principles work together to create a design that is both visually appealing and properly structured. We can't stress how important they are to master if you want to be a graphic designer.

Step 6: Be a Bookworm

A great way of helping yourself become a graphic designer is to get your head in a good book. Obviously we're not talking about the latest novel or a childhood favourite, we're talking about the many, many amazing graphic design books out there.

As we said, there's a lot of graphic design books out there so here's a few that we recommend for different things to help you sort the wheat from the chaff.

First up, history.

Any graphic designer who is working now should know what came before them.

There are two absolutely essential volumes if you want to get up to scratch on Design History: Jen Muller's incredible History of Graphic Design Volume 1 and Volume 2. The first covers the years 1890-1959 and the second 1960 all the way up to right now.

One of our favourite parts of graphic design is typography and clearly writers agree as there's a lot of books dedicated to it. Two of our favourites are Why Fonts Matter by Sarah Hyndman and The Visual History of Type by Paul McNeil. The former opens up the science and the art behind how fonts influence you and explains why certain fonts or styles evoke particular experiences and associations. Meanwhile, Paul McNeil's book is a comprehensive survey of the major typefaces produced since the advent of printing.

If you're after a bit of design inspiration, it's also worth opening up viction:ary's DESIGN(H)ERS: A Celebration of Women in Design Today and the British Rail Corporate Identity Manual. Two very different books but both brilliant nonetheless. DESIGN(H)ERS does exactly what it says on the cover. It's also designed by an all-women team and covers a wide range of backgrounds, crafts and skills. The work is reproduced beautifully, often across full double-page spreads. The British Rail Corporate Identity Manual is a classic case study of a design system that met the test of time, this is a superb source of guidance and inspiration to any modern-day designer.

This is just a taste of some of the books that you can read to help you on your journey to becoming a graphic designer. There's also very technical books that can teach you all the processes and programs you need to know.

Check out our list of 45 essential books that every graphic designer should read to start ticking them off!

Step 7: Build a portfolio

Potentially the most important step in the journey to becoming a graphic designer: getting yourself a graphic design portfolio. You may ask "If I've got all the skills, tools and knowhow, why do I need a portfolio?" To show off your work of course! A portfolio is a way to display your best work and show exactly what you can do.

This goes for working in a studio, in-house or freelancing. The chances are you'll need to send a condensed version of your portfolio when you first apply and then take your full portfolio along to an interview.

No one is ever going to give you a job as a graphic designer unless you can show them some impressive work in a portfolio. But it’s not just about visual eye candy. You’re not an artist, you’re a designer. The difference is that design solves a problem. And so employers will also want to see something of how you approached the problem, and how your design solved it.

For freelancers, you're going to need to send your portfolio over to potential clients when pitching for jobs. They are the fundamental tool in any graphic designer's repertoire.

Making your portfolio might seem like a daunting task. It's not easy to decide what to put in and even harder to decide what to cut, but here's a couple of pointers to get you moving in the right direction:

1. If you want your portfolio to be the best it can be, you need to be a bit ruthless. That means being tough with yourself and cutting it down to 10-12 top quality pieces that highlight your best work to make the most impact.
2. Tailor your portfolio to the kind of work you want more of. There's no point putting something in that doesn't represent you as a designer or help you get the graphic design job you want.
3. A portfolio is a great way to show off who you are as a person! Don't overdo but make sure there's some of your personality in there in the way it's presented, your personal branding, how you write etc.
4. It definitely helps to have some personal work (competition entries, side projects, etc) in there too—to add to your own personality and to present some work or techniques that might not be elsewhere in your portfolio.
5. Make sure you demonstrate some process work in there too! There's no point just showing the finished product without showing how you got there in the first place. It's a great way of demonstrating to a potential employer what you can actually do.

At Shillington, you’ll emerge from our graphic design course with an industry-level portfolio featuring a variety of projects and styles, including digital, print, packaging, UX/UI, branding, campaigns and more. That portfolio will clearly show how your idea evolved into your final design, plus you’ll have developed the skills to expand on this eloquently during your interview.

Hopefully those tips will help you make a start on your portfolio. For more helpful tips and for some incredible portfolio inspiration from some of the world's greatest graphic designers, check out this article.

Once you've got your portfolio polished and ready to go, you'll be well on your way to becoming a graphic designer. Now there's only one more, important final step to take...

Step 8: Find a Job

You've got this far, but our final step is potentially the most daunting step in becoming a graphic designer: finding a graphic design job. Though, it has to be said, it can be quite a fun process as well. It's an exciting procedure looking through the range of amazing design studios and other companies who are hiring and thinking about where you want to work!

The first step within this step is to find a job to apply for. Luckily, there are some amazing online jobs boards dedicated to graphic design jobs and other jobs within the creative industries.

Once you've found a job that you like the look of, it's time to apply. On the whole, a design job application will require you to submit your portfolio (told you it's essential!), a CV and a cover letter. Your CV should outline all your experience and your skills. Remember to include everything you were doing before you became a graphic designer, these other experiences and skills all add up to you being a more rounded employee. Your cover letter acts the same as any other, outlining why you think you would be the perfect fit for the role.

One really important thing to consider to make sure you are tailoring each application to the job and company it is for.

Don't just copy and paste. Recruiters will see right through it if you do! We've heard stories of people sending in cover letters with the wrong company on it. Tailoring to each company will also make it seem way more personable and professional, making you stand out from the crowd.

Finally, there's the interview.

You've had interviews for jobs before but a graphic design interview can be a little different. You may be asked to talk through some of the projects in your portfolio. Or, an interviewer may ask you to pick a project or two from your portfolio and walk them through the process. So, be prepared to be able to talk about your work, the process of it and why you thought it was successful.

Obviously there will be other questions too, for a foolproof guide to the types of questions you will get and how to answer them, read our common graphic design interview questions blog.

Career in focus: Manon Prost

Manon was working as a project manager in a design studio—close to the creative work, but never quite doing it—when she came across Shillington's part-time course and described the discovery as "a revelation". She studied on Sundays around her job, and by the time she graduated she was so sure of the change that she resigned almost immediately and went straight into freelancing. That freelance work eventually grew into her own practice, Prost Work. Her path is a reminder that "finding a job" doesn't always mean joining one. Sometimes it means building your own.

You're hopefully raring to go now and thinking how long will it take for me to become a graphic designer? Well, how long is a piece of string? The time taken to become a graphic designer will change depending on which route you choose to take to get there and the amount of time and effort you put into it.

For instance, if you choose a course like the one we offer at Shillington you can become a graphic designer in as little as three months full-time. With over 20 years in the game, we're ready to equip budding designers with everything they need to earn a graphic design certificate, create a portfolio and become a graphic designer.

Career in focus: Caroline Adams

Caroline spent more than six years working in marketing before she "bit the creative bullet" and enrolled at Shillington in 2021. Rather than stepping back into years of study, she retrained in a matter of months and has run her own branding studio ever since. It's a reminder that the time it takes to switch careers can be far shorter than you'd expect, as long as you choose the right route.

You've got this far so you must still want to become a graphic designer after reading what they are and what they do. Now, we want to break down why becoming a graphic designer is a good idea and what you stand to gain from your new career.

Firstly, it's the people. No matter where you work as a graphic designer, you'll work with some amazing, creative people. Whether in a studio or in-house, you're guaranteed to meet a new family as soon as you start working.

In addition to this, as a graphic designer, you're not just limited to being a graphic designer. You could be a UX or UI designer, an artworker, a motion designer or a concept artist.

Don't make this feel like you can't work as just a graphic designer though, obviously a majority of graphic designers do just stick to their job title! But even this gives you loads of flexibility in your career.

Graphic designers can work in a design studio or agency, they can work in-house for a company (everyone from insurance companies to ad agencies have in-house designers) or they can freelance and work for themselves!

Another fantastic bonus of being a graphic designer is that your work can take you anywhere, after all, design is a universal language.

Career in focus: Majo Crespo

Majo's career is proof of just how far design can take you. After training at Shillington, she rose to become CEO at Rodeo, running the very kind of studio many designers dream of working in. She's also living proof that it's never too late, or too early, to start: her own cohort ranged in age from 18 to 55. As she puts it: "Feeling too young or too old? Calm down!"

Hopefully you now know all the steps to becoming a graphic designer and are ready to go headfirst into your new career! You won’t regret it, trust us. We have hundreds of graduates who were once in your shoes and are now working in graphic design all over the world. It’s an amazing, fulfilling career for any creative person and you won’t believe the things you’ll be able to create once you take the leap.

Want to fast track your graphic design career? Join our online graphic design course. You'll learn to become a graphic designer and embark on a new career in just three months to nine months. What are you waiting for?