Don’t let the name ‘designer’ fool you, while this role must have a background in design, a senior designer is more of a managerial position. A senior designer is most typically responsible for bringing design solutions to life which adhere to marketing strategies and business goals. They must be comfortable making decisions and managing designers that are producing the graphics and should be able to see graphics development from a holistic perspective.
A well-trained senior designer will be able to both produce and oversee print and digital creative solutions that satisfy the marketing needs of an employer or client. They should possess in-depth knowledge of graphic design, styles and layout techniques but also be able to manage people and projects efficiently.
What does a senior designer do, typically?
Senior designers will need to have intimate knowledge of graphic design but they will also need to be effective communicators in order to understand the company and/or client needs to execute an effective solution. Their daily responsibilities may include:
- Overseeing all design elements, from the conception to final delivery
- Reviewing the work of junior designers to give guidance and feedback
- Having hands-on experience with Adobe Creative Suite and other design software
- Using their strong eye for aesthetics and visual details to ensure a quality final product
- Listening to design needs, coming up with ideas and communicating them to clients and other members of the team
- Delegating design tasks and providing support for junior level design team members
- Maintaining high standards of quality and making sure only the best work is released to the employer or client
- Collaborating across the organization to drive up standards of digital creativity
A Senior Designer is not:
An Art Director
While both of these roles are managerial, a senior designer will directly manage a team of graphic designers in a specific medium, while an art director will more broadly look at the overall visual design across several mediums like television, film and advertisements.
A Graphic Designer
Although a senior designer needs to have good graphic design skills and eye for aesthetics, a graphic designer is a more junior-level role that reports to the senior designer.
