{"id":10734,"date":"2024-08-26T09:00:54","date_gmt":"2024-08-26T09:00:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/?p=10734"},"modified":"2024-08-23T12:27:21","modified_gmt":"2024-08-23T12:27:21","slug":"what-is-graphic-design-ui-ux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-is-graphic-design-ui-ux\/","title":{"rendered":"What is graphic design and how does it relate to UI\/UX?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic design is a popular field. But what is graphic design exactly, and what does it have to do with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-does-ux-stand-for\/\">UX<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-is-ui-design\/\">UI design<\/a>?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the following, we\u2019ll shed light on those questions, and explain how to switch from graphic design to UX\/UI design.<\/span><\/p>\n\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><strong>What is graphic design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic design is the artistic discipline of creating visual design content. It communicates ideas through things like colour, layout, and typography. It can be done in print media, with book covers, flyers, and business cards, or digital media, with websites, video games, and banner ads.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What\u2019s the difference between UX design, UI design, and graphic design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are a lot of similarities between UX, UI, and graphic design, but there are some key differences, too.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX, or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/why-graphic-designers-need-to-learn-ux\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">user experience design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, focuses on the entire end-to-end experience. UX designers try to solve a specific user problem with their designs, and focus on making sure that websites, apps, and other experiences are user-friendly and delightful. UX designers map out the overall architecture of a digital product, focusing on everything the end user feels when using that product.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UI, or <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/graphic-design-vs-ui-design\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">user interface design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, is a digital only discipline. It focuses on creating the visual and interactive elements of all the pages of a website or other digital product. UI designers focus on the website\u2019s interface, the surface layer of the digital product. They also create the style guides for products, ensuring that new elements can be created with the same level of consistency.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are the key differences between graphic design, UX design, and UI design:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic design relates to both print and digital; UI focuses on the design of digital product interfaces; and UX design can be applied to digital products and experiences, but also to physical products and intangible services<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic design focuses on communicating a message to the user; UI and especially UX design focus more on usability and helping the user interact with the product<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic design tends to focus on single products that don\u2019t change; UX and UI design are constantly evolving their products with the times<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<section id=\"promotion\" class=\"promotion-content-raw inlinepromo inlinepromo_professional-diploma-in-ux-designp-1 my-4\" style=\"\">\n\t<div class=\"w-container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12 promotion-info\">\n                <a class=\"link-content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/ux-design?utm_source=blog&utm_medium=blog_panel_pdux&utm_campaign=blog_promo\" style=\"\">\n                    <p>[GET CERTIFIED IN UX]<\/p>\n                    <span>Take our Professional Diploma in UX Design course<\/span>\n                <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<h2><strong>What\u2019s the relationship between UX design, UI design, and graphic design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/student-success-stories-graphic-design-to-ux-ui-designer\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX design, UI design, and graphic design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> overlap on several factors. Most importantly, they all use design principles to reach their goals. These include hierarchy, balance, contrast, proportion, etc. Employing these principles in all three disciplines is a valuable skill.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, most graphic designers will know at least some of the same software that UX and UI designers use. This is a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/graphic-design-to-ui\/\">transferable skill<\/a> you can use when you switch from one discipline to another.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps more importantly, you\u2019ll find that there are many overlaps between whatever software you use and the software the other discipline uses. For example, one software program might help you with composition as easily as another.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>What are the key elements and principles of graphic design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic designers use several key elements to create work that has an impact. These elements include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/guide-to-colour-theory\/\">Colour<\/a>: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Perhaps the most important element, colour can draw the eye and evoke emotions.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Line: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whether it\u2019s straight, curved, dashed, short, or long, lines divide up space.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Shape or form:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A combination of two dimensional or three dimensional lines can influence perceptions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Size:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The size of objects in a design can create a visual hierarchy.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Space: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using space in a design can give elements the room they need to shine.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Texture:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Texture can be used to create a three-dimensional appearance.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/guide-to-typography-design\/\">Typography<\/a>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Typography is the art of arranging text in readable, legible, and appealing ways. Different emotions can be expressed through different text choices.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic designers also champion a series of principles. These principles help them achieve the most attractive design. They include: <\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Balance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The distribution of the elements of a design can be balanced, contributing stability, or unbalanced, contributing liveliness.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Contrast:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Contrast can create striking differences that direct the viewer\u2019s eye to different parts of the design.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Emphasis:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Emphasis can create a focal point around which other elements of the design flow.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Movement: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Movement gives designers the ability to lead viewers\u2019 eyes around a design via direction, colour, shape, and contrast.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Proportion:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The size of elements in relation to each other signals their importance (or lack of importance) in a design.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b>Repetition:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Repeating the same colour, typeface, or other element to create extra emphasis.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/laws-of-ux\/\">Hierarchy<\/a>:<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The most important elements in a hierarchy should appear to be the most consequential.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>What are the different types of graphic design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic design is everywhere, and there are a variety of kinds of graphic design, with different specialisations and skills. These include:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Brand graphic design\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brand design focuses on communicating the visual identity of a brand. Designers do this through logos, typography, and colour palettes and their work appears on everything from billboards to letterheads and business cards to websites.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s an example:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10737\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-23-at-12.20.47.png\" alt=\"brand graphic design example\" width=\"466\" height=\"313\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/99designs.com\/profiles\/nnorth\/designs\/50239\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">nnorth<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Marketing and advertising graphic design<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This kind of design focuses on selling products or services to consumers. Designers in this area may work on the graphic design for print assets, including trade show booths, billboards, flyers, and catalogues, or digital assets, such as video ads, email marketing, and social media posts. Those in marketing design have a strong understanding of how to communicate with their target audience to sell products.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Web graphic design<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This discipline is the closest thing you can have to a career in UI or UX design and still be a graphic designer. In fact, you may work in teams with UI and UX designers. Web designers design websites and other web products by creating the visual elements, including text, buttons, icons, images, illustrations, web page layouts, videos, and other interactive elements.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Publication graphic design<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This kind of design focuses on the layout, typography, and artwork in publications, such as books, magazines, newspapers, emails, catalogues, and digital publications. They set the tone for anything that involves the written word.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s an example:<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-10738\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-23-at-12.21.38.png\" alt=\"publication graphic design example\" width=\"461\" height=\"297\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.alexialim.com\/purple-paper\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Alexia Lim<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Packaging graphic design<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Packaging design aims to not just protect a product but to complement the item\u2019s best assets.\u00a0 That can mean setting a calming tone through the colours they choose to use for the package for a bar of soap or getting consumers excited about trying a new beer through a thrilling bottle design. Package designers develop mockups and make printable files that can be used to create any kind of packaging.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Environmental graphic design<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Environmental design connects people to places and makes those places more memorable or informative. Environmental design can include signage, wall murals, office branding, public transportation navigation, stadium branding, and more. Environmental designers combine many different types of design, including architectural, landscape, and industrial design, with graphic design to implement their work.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">An example:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-10743 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/ff885665062405.5aec15b78e564.jpg\" alt=\"environmental design example\" width=\"1400\" height=\"896\" title=\"\"><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.behance.net\/gallery\/65062405\/Ruska-46-space-for-culture\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Artur Busz<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Illustration graphic design<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Illustration designers focus on illustrations for projects, such as children\u2019s books, cards, t-shirts, video, interactive media, and marketing campaigns. These designers may create purely digital assets or start with pen and paper.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Type graphic design<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Type design creates or selects fonts for a variety of projects. Type designers can create assets for marketing, package, or web design projects either through custom typefaces or through selecting fonts. They can also create typography guidelines for a brand.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here\u2019s an example:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone wp-image-10744 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-23-at-12.34.28.png\" alt=\"type graphic design example duke university\" width=\"480\" height=\"479\" title=\"\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-23-at-12.34.28.png 480w, https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/08\/Screenshot-2024-08-23-at-12.34.28-150x150.png 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 100vw, 480px\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">By <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CxebLSMRDdz\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vocal Type<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<section id=\"promotion\" class=\"promotion-content-raw inlinepromo inlinepromo_professional-certificate-in-ui-designp-1 my-4\" style=\"\">\n\t<div class=\"w-container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row align-items-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col-md-12 promotion-info\">\n                <a class=\"link-content\" href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/ui-design?utm_source=blog&amp;utm_medium=blog_panel_text&amp;utm_campaign=blog_promo\" style=\"\">\n                    <p>[GET CERTIFIED IN UI DESIGN]<\/p>\n                    <span>Take our Professional Certificate in UI Design course<\/span>\n                <\/a>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n<h2><strong>What does a graphic designer do?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/graphic-designer-to-ux-specialist\/\">Graphic designers<\/a> communicate messages through visual compositions that inform and inspire. Each day, they use their creativity and artistic skills to create visually stunning graphics. They also frequently revise graphics, tweaking and editing their creations until the client is happy with them.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Of course, depending on the kind of graphic design one does this could look very different. For example, an environmental graphic designer may work on a wayfinding system in a subway while a packaging graphic designer may work on the packaging for the latest iPhone.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Here are some of the tasks graphic designers will carry out on a regular basis:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Produce and revise creative assets for physical or digital platforms<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take part in creative ideation sessions<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Plan and execute campaigns from concept through delivery<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Support internal teams and external clients<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Maintain the brand\u2019s visual style and personality, including through the creation of style guides<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Use digital tools like Photoshop and Illustrator\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic designers can work in big or small corporations and can even be a team of one as a freelancer. Some places graphic designers can work include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ad agencies<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Marketing firms<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Print and online publishers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Web design companies<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Non-profit organisations<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2><strong>What are the most important graphic design skills?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The most important skills for a graphic designer to master are:<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Colour theory\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Colour theory helps you choose appropriate colour palettes for projects. It gives you a set of rules that will help you understand how people see and interpret colour.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Layout<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Layout lets you use visual space to attract consumers. The space may be physical or digital. This skill is also utilised by UX and UI designers.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Typeface design<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Typeface design focuses on telling stories by using appropriate and pleasing typefaces, or fonts, that focus on the particular design of letters and numbers either in print or digital.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Communication skills<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Communication skills allow you to understand what clients and stakeholders need from a project. UX and UI designers also have this skill. All three disciplines use it to listen and problem solve with their clients and stakeholders.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>How to switch from graphic design to UX\/UI design (and why it\u2019s worth doing)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re a graphic designer, switching to UX or UI design (or both!) can be a valuable career move. Here\u2019s what you should know.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>Why should graphic designers consider learning UX\/UI?<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">More and more, graphic designers are being asked to learn UX and UI skills on the job. Being able to formally learn UX\/UI in a class allows graphic designers to fill in the gaps in their knowledge and have more confidence in their skills. Similarly, freelance graphic designers are being given more opportunities to take on UX or UI projects and they want to be able to do so with confidence and skill.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moreover, learning UX\/UI can open up a whole new career path to graphic designers, including more career prospects and a higher salary. In fact, salaries for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-does-a-ui-designer-do\/\">UI designers<\/a> were approximately \u20ac23,000 more than graphic designers in Ireland and \u00a318,000 more than graphic designers in Britain.<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><em><strong>How to switch from graphic design to UX\/UI design<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want to switch from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/graphic-design-to-ui\/\">graphic design to UX\/UI<\/a>, you\u2019re in a great position. You already possess many essential skills such as visual communication, knowledge of fundamental design principles such as layout, typography, and colour theory, and important soft skills like collaboration, attention to detail, and problem-solving.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This is a strong foundation to build on! To transition to UX\/UI, you\u2019ll need to learn additional skills, principles, and techniques such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-is-design-thinking\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">design thinking<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/user-research-in-ux-design\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">user research<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, wireframing and prototyping, and usability testing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You\u2019ll also need to build a strong UX\/UI design portfolio. If you\u2019ve already got a design portfolio, you\u2019ll need to add case studies that highlight your proficiency in the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/ux-design-process\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX design process<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. If you\u2019re curious about how a UX\/UI design portfolio should look, check out these <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/ux-portfolio-examples\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX portfolio examples<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you want a structured and effective route from graphic design to UX\/UI, consider a professional course. The UX Design Institute has helped many graphic designers successfully make the switch\u2014like <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/agency-graphic-designer-ux-design\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Brian, who switched from agency graphic designer to in-house UX designer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or Paul, who went from <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/graphic-designer-to-ux-specialist\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">running his own graphic design business to working as a UX specialist<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you, too, want to level up your design skills, check out the UX Design Institute\u2019s <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/ui-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professional Certificate in UI Design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/ux-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professional Diploma in UX Design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. We\u2019ve also written separate guides comparing the best <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/best-ui-design-courses\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UI courses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/best-free-ux-design-courses-in-2022\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX courses<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> currently on the market, so do your research and see which option suits you best.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Whichever route you choose, you\u2019ll find plenty of overlap between your existing graphic design skills and those you need to learn for UX\/UI, so you\u2019re in good stead!\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Furthermore, graphic design has a global community that you can use to find meet-ups, webinars, or forums. Use your existing network to find mentors, industry experts, and clients that can help you find jobs and give feedback.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>Key takeaways<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now that you\u2019ve finished this guide, you should have a thorough understanding of what a graphic designer does and what UI\/UX have to do with it.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To recap: Graphic design is a discipline that creates print or digital visual designs that communicate a message. In contrast, UX and UI design focus on usability and helping the end user interact with their products.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are numerous disciplines that graphic designers can specialise in. Anything from package graphic design to brand graphic design to type graphic design are possibilities.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic designers are being asked to take on UX and UI tasks more and more, and learning UX or UI design can be a valuable way to further your career\u2014or take on a new one.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For more tips and insights, check out these posts:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/graphic-design-to-ui\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What skills can be transferred from graphic design to UI design?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/why-graphic-designers-need-to-learn-ux\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Why graphic designers need to learn UX<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/graphic-design-to-ux\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Moving from graphic design to UX: a practical guide<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Graphic design is a popular field. But what is graphic design exactly, and what does it have to do with UX and UI design? In the following, we\u2019ll shed light on those questions, and explain how to switch from graphic design to UX\/UI design.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":35,"featured_media":10741,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[278,307,279],"tags":[328,333],"class_list":["post-10734","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design","category-design-thinking","category-ux-explained","tag-graphic-design","tag-graphic-design-to-ui-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10734","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/35"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=10734"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10734\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10745,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/10734\/revisions\/10745"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/10741"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=10734"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=10734"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=10734"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}