Responsibilities of the Graphic Designer June 05, 2009, by Peter Mirus, Chris Pelicano in Design
Don’t worry, designers – there are rules for clients too! Read this post to see what they are.
Beyond actually having the tools of the trade (or, the ability to produce excellent graphic design), being a good producer of graphic design solutions is about pursuing a true consultative approach.
This isn’t a comprehensive list of graphic designer responsibilities – just some of the highlights based on my experience in performing, managing, and requesting design work.
It is the responsibility of the graphic designer to thoroughly understand the function of each design piece and control client/employer expectations by clearly indicating what manner of solution might be applied to produce the desired effect within the budget and time frame.
It is also the responsibility of the graphic designer to understand the balance between form and function in producing a piece that is both aesthetically pleasing and conveys the necessary idea or information.
Moreover, the graphic designer needs to clearly inform the client if a truly unique solution will be able to be applied within the budget and time frame. It is very important for the client to understand that, though the ideal outcome of any project is a tailored solution, such may not be possible within the project’s set parameters. The best solutions are custom solutions, but the occasion may only allow for a customized, rather than completely custom, response.
Finally, it is the responsibility of the designer to clearly understand all intents for the finished piece (both the form of distribution and whether or not aspects of the piece will be segregated for separate uses) and present a digital file (or files) that is well composed and ready for those responsible for producing the finished piece (whether that be a printer, website manager, etc.).
To this extent the designer shares production responsibility across various media platforms. Please keep in mind that each media has its own technical demands that may dictate some time consuming file preparation variations. For example, it takes more than a couple of mouse clicks to re-purpose digital web files for commercial offset printing.
Enjoy this post? Share it with others.