Originally written in 2018, this guide has been updated regularly, with the most recent update in August 2025.
Starting Your Graphic Design Career
This guide was originally written back in 2018, sharing my own personal journey to becoming a designer, and wow, how the design world has evolved! With the rapid rise of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and smarter creative tools, becoming a graphic designer in 2025 looks very different from when I started my career over a decade ago.
In this updated guide, we’ll walk you through 10 practical steps to kick-start your graphic design journey in 2025 and beyond! These tips will apply to both self-taught and university students!
What Does a Graphic Designer Actually Do?
Starting a graphic design career can seem like an intimidating task...but that's where we come in! At YES, we’ve supported thousands of aspiring creatives around the world in developing their design skills, boosting their confidence, and building professional portfolios through our Online Course Membership.
Before we dive deep into these tips, I would like to summarise a little about what Graphic Designer roles involve!
A Graphic Designer is essentially a visual communicator who creates designs to promote a product, service, or message .These designs can take many forms such as posters, social media graphics, magazine layouts, logos, packaging, or website banners. The goal is to combine creativity with strategy to engage an audience and deliver a clear, effective message. One of the most common myths about graphic designers is that you need be able to draw by hand or digitally, I can confirm that you do NOT necessarily need to be amazing at drawing to become a graphic designer, what you do is need is a strong sense of visual style, an understanding of design principles, and the ability to work with elements like typography, imagery, layout, and color to produce captivating visual content..
Now that we have that covered continue reading to find out more on how to get started as a graphic designer!
You can learn more about common design myths that may stop you from pursuing your career as a designer here!
Do you want to download the FULL guide on getting started as Graphic Designer?
Beside all that we listed here, this actionable guide will be a fantastic resource to start your creative journey. You can even print it to have it close!
10 Steps to Start Your Graphic Design Career
(In no particular order)
1. Passion is key
It sounds like a cliche, but loving what you do is essential to doing it well. If you're drawn to visual aesthetics, typography, and creative expression, you're on the right path. In today's rapidly changing design industry, continuous learning is essential. If, for example, you love doodling, flipping through magazine layouts, playing around with colours and patterns or if you simply find yourself drawn to art and beauty, then good news you’ve already got a creative spark within you. All you need to practice on developing it!
Passion is also important for anyone already working as a designer. To stay relevant and grow as a designer you need to stay open to new ideas, techniques, and tools to keep your skills sharp and your designs ideas fresh.
Helpful Tip: Listen to our Podcast and decide whether
you are talented or not!
2. Master Design Applications - but ONE at a time!
In addition to being able to think creatively ( we will take a look at this step shortly) and have passion for art, Graphic designers need to master a few creative software tools to design the final layouts. Start by focusing on one application and build a strong knowledge on that, before exploring others. Once you master one application, the others become a lot easier to learn.
For a career in Graphic Design, I recommend mastering Adobe Creative Cloud suite which is an Industry-standard tool for various design needs. For a career in Graphic Design, I recommend learning these key tools:
Adobe Photoshop is the most advanced image editing and manipulation application used by graphic designers, photographers, retouchers, digital artists, web designers and hobbyists.
Adobe Illustrator is the industry-standard vector illustration application. Graphics Designers use Illustrator to create Logos and vector assets for web, print and video projects.
Adobe InDesign is the industry-leading page design and layout application used by designers to create books, newspapers, magazines, brochures, posters, flyers and digital publications. Understanding InDesign gives you precise control over typography, page layout and interactivity.
Other useful applications include:
Figma: Popular for UI/UX design and collaborative projects. It is a very useful tool for graphic designers who want to implement web design projects in their work.
AfterEffects - Many Graphic Designers find learning After-Effects very useful motion graphic projects such as animated banners, logos and of social media video graphics.
Adobe Creative Cloud Alternatives: Some new emerging designers, are leaning towards alternative tools such as:
Affinity Suite - A cost-effective alternative to Adobe products. While at Yes I’m A Designer, we primarily teach Graphic Design using Adobe applications , many of our students have started using Affinity tools while learning from us to create their final designs.
Adobe Express - A free tool by Adobe, I personally prefer to use this tool for marketing materials only and social media graphics. It's not as powerful as Photoshop or Illustrator, but it's very accessible and beginner-friendly.
There are tons of alternative design tools to choose from Canva to Kittl that make it easy to create marketing graphics quickly. But when it comes to polished, professional designs, the go-to tool is Adobe Creative Cloud which I highly recommend if you plan on pursuing a professional career in design.
The order you wish to study can be determined by the type of projects you want to produce. Below I have listed a handful of tutorials which will help you learn Graphic Design skills!
3. Build your own reference library
If you're passionate about design, this habit should come naturally. Spend a little as 5–10 minutes a day collecting and curating your own reference library. The more time you invest in studying and analyzing great design, the sharper your creative eye will become.
Start building a private collection of artwork, designs, and visuals that inspire you. Most importantly, take the time to ask yourself why something caught your attention, is it the colour palette, the layout, the type choice, or the overall mood?
HELPFUL TIP
While collecting inspiration it is important that you try to AVOID DOOM-SCROLLING. Spending too much time on apps like Instagram or Pinterest can lead to creative burnout or even imposter syndrome. Be intentional, curate, don’t compare. Your creative journey is unique!
Try either the Mind App and collect your inspirations on Milanote board, both are our go to sites for collecting inspiration.
Instagram - You can save photos or videos for later in a private collection
Pinterest - Similar to a search engine, Ideal for collecting designs from around the world
Behance - Packed full of a wide variety of creative projects idea and process
Dribbble - - An ideal source for UI/UX, illustration and icon
Nature - Source inspiration from nature, plants and architecture
Daily life - Books, TV, food etc... can all inspire creative thinking! So start thinking like a designer in your everyday life!
4. Copy and Replicate
Once you’re actively building a reference library of designs you love (and by the way, you should never stop this step!) It's time to start replicating that artwork. YES! That’s right, copying can be a powerful learning tool. When done with the right intentions, it helps you understand how great design works and strengthens your technical and creative skills.
But here’s the most important rule, you should never present or sell copied work as your own. This is purely for practice and growth, and it’s essential to always credit the original creators if you share your work publicly.
Helpful Tip: We highly recommend the book Steal Like An Artist by Austin Kleon as he explains how learning from others is a crucial part of becoming a creative thinker.
5. Don't quit your day job (yet)
So you have finally decided to pursue your dream and become a designer and as tempting as it might be to go all-in, if you are currently working, don’t leave your current job until you’ve secured a solid opportunity in design. Financial stress can quickly drain your creativity and motivation.
Instead, use your evenings and weekends to learn, practice, and build your portfolio. Progress at your own pace, develop your skills steadily, and when the right opportunity comes along, you’ll be prepared, and feel confident to make the leap.
6. Get Organised for Creative Time
If you are currently working and can't afford to take time off, or perhaps you are thinking of shifting your career, or simply a busy parent, then time will be one of your most valuable resources you’ll need to manage wisely.
Make learning and design practice a regular part of your routine by blocking out dedicated time in your calendar, just like you would for a hobby, gym workout or life skills such as learning to drive.
Helpful Tip: Treat your creative time as sacred, no excuses, no distractions, just focused growth. Aim to spend at least 2 hours in the morning or evening, three times a week, either watching a course or working on a design project. That’s just 6 hours a week. If you stay consistent, it builds real progress and helps you grow faster as a designer.
7. Build a Strong Portfolio with Real-World Projects
Start building a portfolio of projects that you want to be doing when you are employed. For instance, if you love to design Logos, create more Logo designs projects. If you like to work for a publication, show more examples on editorial layouts! And if you prefer to show various projects, then that's fine too. Your Graphic Design portfolio should showcase your skills and creativity. Include a variety of projects that demonstrate your versatility.
I highly recommend watching these tutorials below on building your portfolio as well as working for Crowd-sourcing sites: 99design!
💡 Pro Tip: Combine the following Projects;
● Personal Projects: You can redesign an existing brand logo or improve a flyer you saw outside that you didn't like or any other personal projects that interest you.
● Freelance Work: Take on small projects to gain experience and build your portfolio. These projects can be anything from designing a wedding invitation for a friend to a flyer design for a local school or business .
● Open Design Contest: Participate in design contest projects to showcase design skills and even potentially win. We love contest sites such as 99designs |Daily UI | Fake Clients |Minted.com | Theydrawandcook.
8. Ask for Feedback and Embrace Critique
Design is subjective, what works for one person might not resonate with another. That’s why seeking feedback ( from someone other than your nan 🙂) and learning to accept critique is such a vital part of your growth as a designer.
Not every piece you design will hit the mark and that’s perfectly okay. This is part of the design process. When receiving feedback (especially the tough kind), try not to get defensive or feel the need to justify every decision. Instead, listen with an open mind, extract the useful insights, and apply what resonates. Constructive criticism, when approached positively can be one of the fastest ways to improve your skills.
💡 Pro Tip: Share your work on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Behance, or Dribbble. When you post, give context and write an engaging caption this encourages meaningful feedback from others.
Prefer not to use social media? No problem! You can join online design communities instead. In fact, we have a free design community where you can connect with fellow creatives, ask questions, and grow together. The only thing we ask is that you stay open to learning from the feedback you receive 🙂
9. Understand Design Theory
A strong foundation in design principles is essential for any graphic designer. But don’t worry, you don’t need to master everything overnight. Similar to learning a new skill, the more you practice, the more intuitive it becomes. Over time, you’ll naturally start to see and apply these design principles in your own work.
To get started, check out our Graphic Design Playlist improve your theory knowledge.
10.Embrace AI and Automation Tools
Whether we like it or not, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is here to stay. The good news is that AI can coexist with designers and even enhance the creative process.
In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of powerful tools like Adobe Sensei, Firefly, and Midjourney. These platforms assist with everything from image editing to layout generation, saving time on repetitive tasks and unlocking new creative possibilities.
But here’s the key, don’t rely on AI alone. Your unique creative ideas, decision-making, and storytelling are what truly bring a design to life.
Want to explore more?
Watch our AI YouTube documentary below!
Do you want to download the FULL free guide on getting started as Graphic Designer?
Beside all that we listed here, this actionable guide will be a fantastic resource to start your creative journey. You can even print it to have it close!
Bonus Tip: Stay Informed About Industry Trends
The design industry is ever-changing. Stay updated on design trends, creative industry news, emerging technologies. Regularly read design blogs, attend webinars, and follow industry leaders to keep your knowledge current.
Final Thoughts
I hope you found some of these tips helpful as you begin (or continue) your journey into graphic design. Whether you're just starting out or building on existing skills, remember: progress comes from practice, curiosity, and staying connected.
If you're ready to take that first step today, we’ve got a Survival Kit for Creative course waiting for you, plus a mini course on portfolio building to help you get started with clarity and direction and they are both absolutely free to join!
And lastly don’t forget to join our Free Design Community, a safe place to connect with other creatives, share your progress and connect with the YES team - we’re here to support you every step of the way!
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