Graphic and UX designers have specific roles in the IT industry. As a result, they require a particular set of skills to flourish in their sectors. Yet the question arises, which of them has more potential as a career? This Graphic Design vs UX Design post is the answer to that question.
Graphic design focuses on creating artwork with a specific message to a particular group. Graphic designers transform communicating ideas into visual elements like typography, imagery, and layout. The goal is to create impressive content to grab attention while conveying a message.
Meanwhile, UX design is the user experience design. A UX designer creates an entire user experience of a website, application, product, or service of a company. He focuses on usability and functionality to make sure the experience is smooth for every user.
In this fast-paced world, the graphic and UX designers play their roles. As a beginner, you should learn a few things to take one of them as a career. In this article, you are going to learn everything about Graphic Design vs UX Design. Let’s start.
What Is Graphic Design?
As we have already discussed Graphic design is the process of creating content using visual elements. The graphic elements include lines, shapes, color, typography, texture, image, etc. Graphic designers use graphic designing software to incorporate these elements and convey a communication message.
The graphic design is everywhere. The posters, billboards, mobile apps, logos of the top companies of the world, or oven the chocolate labels are the works of graphic designers. Again there is a distinct difference between a graphic designer and a photo editor. A photo editor improves the outlook of the photo. He removes flaws from the photos to make them look impressive.
Meanwhile, graphic designers create new artwork. They use typography, photography, illustration, and layout techniques. Thus they create a design that evokes a particular message or emotion. The most important thing is that they must have a strong command over the design principles. Additionally, they need skills in graphic designing software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign.
What Is UX Design?
The short form of User Experience is UX Design. A UX designer crafts the entire user experience of a digital product and survives the company. The designer not only focuses on the beatification but also the functionality of the designed products.
The goal of UX designers is to make it visually aesthetic as well as smooth for the users. That’s why UX designers need to consider the customers’ behavioral patterns for designing the product. They create aesthetic designs based on the needs and preferences of the customers.
In this regard, a UX designer has to conduct deep user research. Thus they get insights into the target users. It helps in setting their goals, motivations, and pain points. Moreover, UX designers follow a more organized way of using different elements. They structure the information in a way that makes it easy for users to find what they need.
What Are The Types of Graphic Design?
Graphic design is a broad area. To make the sector more specific, it has been classified into different subcategories. According to Berkeley College, there are 8 categories of services that most graphic designers provide to the clients.
| SL | Types | Descriptions |
| 01 | Web Design | Yes, graphic designers have an important role in web design. The inputs from graphic designers are making web design more aesthetic. The principles of composition help to create impressive digital media. And it helps us to provide a smooth experience to the users. |
| 02 | UI & Interactive Design | The graphic designers also provide User Interface design services. UI is how we see the content organized in a website, software, or application. So, it is related to the UX design. However, UX design deals with the entire experience of the users. |
| 03 | Marketing & Advertising | This type of design focuses on creating visuals that grab attention through promotional content. The designers create elements like posters, flyers, social media graphics, advertisements, and marketing materials. |
| 04 | Motion Graphics | Graphics and animation are a rapidly growing field. The graphic designers create eye-catching designs, motion typography, and marketing materials. |
| 05 | Packaging Design | It is one of the most used services for graphic design. The companies hire graphic designers to create unique packaging. Brand identity and clarity are the most important things to consider. |
| 06 | Game Design | Design is another category of graphic design services. The coders create code based on the design provided by the graphic designers. |
| 07 | Publication Design | It involves designing layouts and visuals for printed publications. So, it requires an understanding of typography and hierarchy. |
| 08 | Illustration | Graphic designers provide illustrations for various applications, such as children’s books, editorial content, advertising campaigns, or product packaging. |
Types of UX Desing
The UX designers work with different teams to create an interactive user experience. Here are three types of UX design:
- Information Architect Desing: IAs focus on organizing and structuring information in a user-friendly way. They create sitemaps, navigation systems, and information hierarchies.
- Interaction Designer: The interaction Designer ensures that the users get a smooth experience in interacting with the product and service. They design user flows, wireframes, and prototypes, and define interaction patterns.
- Visual Designer: The role of a visual designer is to create the visual elements of the user interface (UI). They create mockups, and style guides, and ensure the interface is visually appealing.
Skills Required to Become a Graphic Designer
Graphic design is a creative task. Graphic designers use different software to convert their ideas into designs. That’s why they require technical skills in design, soft skills, and software proficiencies. Let’s learn more about these skills.
Core Design Skills
The core design skills refer to the principles of design. Both the UX and graphic designer must need these skills to create the required products.
Here are some core design skills for a graphic designer:
- Visual Communication: It is the most important design skill. It implies the ability to communicate ideas through visual elements. So, you must know how to use elements like imagery, typography, and layout.
- Typography & Color Theory: You must know how to use the fonts and colors to create harmony. It is essential for creating visually appealing designs.
- Design Principles: Learn about the skills like composition, hierarchy, balance, and contrast. This skill allows one to create aesthetically pleasing compositions.
- Layout: Learn the art of arranging elements on the canvas. Aestheticism is not all the thing for a great design. Focus on creating designs that evoke a message.
Soft Skills
Some soft skills are also necessary to create visually appealing designs. They are Creativity, Problem Solving, and Communication.
- Creativity is the first skill that you need to flourish in this field.
- Problem-solving helps to find creative solutions to design challenges and client needs.
- Communicating your design ideas verbally and visually is essential.
Software Proficiency
Mastering industry-standard software like Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign is crucial. Photoshop excels in image editing and manipulation. But you will need Illustrator to tackle the vector graphics and illustrations.
In the meantime, InDesign is the go-to for layout and design for print. Moreover, learn additional software Depending on your specialization and client needs.
Skills Required to Become a UX Design
UX design demands a diverse skill set. You need creativity, technical skills, software proficiency soft skills. Graphic design skills will give you extra benefits in UX design. However, you can still shine as a UX designer without graphic design skills.
- User Research: As you are a User experience designer you must have the skills to understand user needs. Techniques like user interviews, surveys, usability testing, and data analysis are key.
- Critical Thinking: The skills of analyzing complex problems and finding solutions to those problems. This may involve understanding, ideating, prototyping, and testing solutions.
- Wireframing & Prototyping: The ability to create low-fidelity wireframes and interactive prototypes. Tools like Figma, Sketch, and Adobe XD are commonly used.
Salary Range | Graphic Design vs UX Design
The salary for Graphic Design vs UX Design depends on several factors. Here are the common factors on which salary varies.
- Experience
- Education
- Location
- Industry
- Specialization
Graphic Designer
However, the entry salary of a graphic designer ranges between $53,518 – $68,663. A mid-level graphic designer gets $60,000 – $90,000. A senior-level graphic designer earns $80,000+.
UX Designer
An enrty level UX deisgner gets $72,004 – $82,310 in USA. A mid-level designer gets $93,300 – $125,421. Meanwhile, a senior-level UX designer gets $113,659 – $227,504+
Graphic Design vs UX Design: which is the right career?
Now it is time to take the decision. If you are a graphic designer, you can switch your career to a UX designer. Yet you have to be passionate about the UX design.
As a beginner which one should you choose?
If you love visual communication and enjoy creating authentic designs, graphic design will provide that field to you. Here you can express yourself visually than the UX design.
In the meantime, problem solvers love UX design more than graphic design. Here you will get the field to create products that are intuitive and solve real problems.
Moreover, graphic design provides flexibility with freelance opportunities. However, UX design mainly involves in-house design positions at tech companies.
Again both fields are growing as businesses increasingly recognize the value of good design. But the professionals who have graphic design skills, are showing a growing trend as UX/UI designers.
Final Thoughts
Graphic design vs UX design has been the talk of the town in recent times. The revolution of AI has fueled this comparison. Now professionals are asking which will be a more secure career. Technically speaking, both of these industries have a growing trend. Businesses need more perfect visual content. As a result, the demands of the designers are also increasing.
So, follow your heart. Choose the career that you love most. If you love to create aesthetic design, choose graphic design as a career. If you are a more problem solver than an artist, UX design will be the better choice for you.
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FAQ | Graphic design vs UX design
Who Earns More Graphic Designer or UX Designer?
We have already discussed in this article that salary depends on some factors. Yet we find that the UX designers earn more than the graphic designers.
Can A Graphic Designer Do UX Design?
Yes, a graphic designer does UX design. However, he needs to learn the technical aspects of UX design. UX design is not only about aesthetics, the designer should also focus on the functionality of the product.
