{"id":7670,"date":"2022-11-30T12:18:01","date_gmt":"2022-11-30T12:18:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/?p=7670"},"modified":"2024-05-09T14:27:34","modified_gmt":"2024-05-09T14:27:34","slug":"graphic-design-vs-ui-design","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/graphic-design-vs-ui-design\/","title":{"rendered":"Graphic Design vs. UI Design: What\u2019s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At first glance, you might think that graphic design and UI design are just two different terms for the same thing. They\u2019re both concerned with aesthetics and creating beautiful designs, right?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To a certain extent, yes\u2014but that\u2019s not the full story. Despite their similarities, graphic design and UI design are two distinct disciplines with several clear-cut differences. And, while graphic designers possess many essential UI design skills (and vice versa), the day-to-day reality of each role can look very different.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re not sure where graphic design ends and UI design begins, this guide will help you. We\u2019ve covered everything you need to know in order to tell the two fields apart, including:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#whats-the-difference-between-graphic-design-and-ui-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What\u2019s the difference between graphic design and UI design?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#what-is-graphic-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is graphic design and what do graphic designers do? (With examples)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#what-is-ui-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What is UI design and what do UI designers do? (With examples)<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#who-earns-more\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Who earns more, graphic designers or UI designers?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#can-a-graphic-designer-become-a-ui-designer\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Can a graphic designer become a UI designer?<\/span><\/a><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"#graphic-design-vs-ui-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic design vs. UI design: The takeaway<\/span><\/a><\/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<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">First, let\u2019s start with the key differences.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"whats-the-difference-between-graphic-design-and-ui-design\"><strong>What\u2019s the difference between graphic design and UI design?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><b>Graphic design<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is an artistic design discipline where visual content is used to communicate a certain message. It encompasses both print media (such as magazine covers, posters, and business cards) and digital media (such as logos, websites, and apps).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><b>UI design<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is a digital-only discipline. It relates to the design of digital user interfaces\u2014that is, the point of interaction between humans and computers. For example, when you use a mobile app or a website, all the visual and interactive elements have been created by a UI designer.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both graphic design and UI design involve the careful composition of things like colour, space, typography, imagery, and layouts to create beautiful, harmonious designs. But, while graphic design focuses on communicating a certain message to its audience, UI design is more focused on enhancing the usability and functionality of a digital product.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We can summarise the main differences between graphic design and UI design as follows:<\/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 design refers exclusively to the design of digital user interfaces (e.g. websites and apps)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic design typically focuses on static visuals; UI design covers both static and interactive design (for example: animations, screen transitions, and functional elements such as clickable buttons)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With graphic design, the main goal is to communicate a certain message to the audience; with UI design, the main goal is to ensure usability and help the user to navigate and interact with the product\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Now let\u2019s define graphic design and UI design in more detail.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-graphic-design\"><strong>What is graphic design and what do graphic designers do? (With examples)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic design is the art and skill of visual communication. It\u2019s the arrangement of visual content to convey a certain message to a particular target audience.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">With origins in the printing industry, graphic design has traditionally been associated with print media and advertising. Nowadays, it also applies to the digital sphere, including the visual design of things like websites, apps, logos, and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">It\u2019s important to note that, while graphic design can and does incorporate the design of digital assets, it does so with communication and branding in mind. The goal is ultimately to create visually appealing designs which convey a certain message or piece of information. This distinguishes graphic design from other disciplines, like UX and UI design, where the focus is on functionality, usability, and helping the end user to complete certain tasks.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>What are some examples of graphic design?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some examples of graphic design include:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Printed posters\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Flyers and brochures (both printed and digital)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Infographics<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Book covers<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Product labels and packaging<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Business cards<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Signs<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Website and mobile app graphics<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Logos<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphics for marketing and advertising campaigns\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Video game graphics<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7671\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Screenshot-2022-11-30-at-11.48.18.png\" alt=\"graphic design work examples\" width=\"615\" height=\"262\" title=\"\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What does a graphic designer do?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic designers use colours, shapes, images, and text to create all different kinds of visual content. They can work with both print and digital media, with tasks ranging from the creation of individual assets (such as designing a logo) to developing the overall visual identity of a product or brand.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">No matter the project, graphic designers follow a core set of principles to create beautiful, on-brand designs. The main graphic design principles include:<\/span><b><\/b><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Balance: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This refers to how the various graphic design elements (such as shapes, text, and images) are distributed on the page. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Hierarchy: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Visual hierarchy in graphic design communicates the importance of each element and\/or message. For example, placing the most important piece of information at the top of the page in large, bold font gives it prominence in the visual hierarchy. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Contrast: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This ensures a clear distinction between individual elements, improving the overall legibility of the design. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Colour: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic designers will choose their colour palettes to evoke certain emotions in the viewer, to reinforce brand identity, and to create emphasis, highlights, and contrast. <\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li aria-level=\"1\"><b>Proximity: <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Proximity considers the space and distance between each element on the page, forming a visual connection between the various elements and making sure the overall design isn\u2019t too cluttered.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3><strong>Graphic designer tasks and responsibilities<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Like most <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/ux-job-roles\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">design jobs<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, the graphic designer\u2019s role varies greatly depending on where they work. A graphic designer working for a digital product will have different tasks from, say, a graphic designer working in the publishing industry.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally, graphic designers are responsible for:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Producing a variety of creative assets for online and physical platforms. This can include digital and print ads, reports, whitepapers, sales collateral, presentations, web banners, logos, and more<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Taking part in creative ideation sessions and planning\/executing visual campaigns from concept through to delivery<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Supporting internal teams (or external clients) to meet their communication objectives<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Acting as a brand guardian by maintaining the brand\u2019s visual style and personality, including the creation of templates<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sourcing, processing, correcting, and uploading imagery\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Using tools like Illustrator, InDesign, and Photoshop to create digital designs\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Operating printing machinery (only relevant for non-digital graphic design roles)<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To continue with our comparison of graphic design vs. UI design, let\u2019s now take a closer look at what UI design is and what UI designers do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-is-ui-design\"><strong>What is UI design and what do UI designers do? (With examples)<\/strong><\/h2>\n<div class=\"embed-yt ratio ratio-16x9\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"What is UI Design?\" width=\"500\" height=\"281\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/YWzY_ZH0JyE?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-is-ui-design\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UI design (or user interface design)<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is both a creative and tech-related design discipline. It refers exclusively to the design of digital product interfaces, and it\u2019s closely linked to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-does-ux-stand-for\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">user experience (UX) design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Take the example of a website. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-ux-designer\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UX designer<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> maps out the purpose and structure of the website, making sure it has everything required to meet the end user\u2019s needs and goals\u2014and that its overall architecture is logical and user-friendly. It\u2019s similar to the process of creating a blueprint for a building.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UI design then focuses on the website\u2019s interface; the surface layer that the end user actually sees and interacts with. It considers the layout of each screen, the placement and position of all the different UI elements (such as buttons and images), as well as aesthetic properties such as colour and typography.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In that respect, UI design is very similar to graphic design. However, unlike graphic design, UI design considers both aesthetics <\/span><i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">and <\/span><\/i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">functionality. In addition to designing how a product interface looks, UI designers also design its interactive properties. They determine what happens when a user clicks on different elements or performs certain actions, creating animations, motion, transitions, and more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">This brings us to another key distinction between graphic design and UI design. While graphic design is about communicating a certain message, UI design is about enhancing a user\u2019s experience with a product. As a subset of UX, UI keeps the user\u2019s end goals in mind, helping them to find what they\u2019re looking for, complete their tasks, and generally navigate around the website or app with ease.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3><strong>What are some examples of UI design?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some examples of UI design include:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Websites, apps, software, and video games (more specifically: the screens, or the interface, of these products)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Individual elements within digital products, such as buttons, menus, scrollbars, images, and typography<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Forms and text entry fields<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Animations and transitions. For example, the motion that transports you from one website page to the next<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Illustrations and custom graphics, such as logos and icons\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>\u00a0<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-7673\" src=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Screenshot-2022-11-30-at-11.51.52.png\" alt=\"ui design work examples\" width=\"681\" height=\"364\" title=\"\"><br \/>\n<strong>What does a UI designer do?<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UI designers are responsible for the look and feel of digital products. They work with colour, typography, layout, imagery, and spacing to create aesthetically pleasing designs for websites, apps, and software. They also take care of interactivity, adding the necessary interactive properties to individual UI elements.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Some common UI designer tasks include:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Working closely with UX designers to conduct user research (or at least understand user research insights)<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Choosing the colour palettes, typography, and imagery that will be used throughout the digital product<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Designing UI elements such as buttons, forms, and menus<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Designing the layout of each screen or webpage<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Adding interactivity to the product interface, considering how one screen transitions to the next, and what kind of visual or audio feedback the user gets when they complete a certain action<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Creating <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-is-wireframing\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">wireframes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/prototyping-guide\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">prototypes<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to communicate how the final product should look and function<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ensuring the design is responsive\u2014i.e. that it adapts to different screen sizes depending on which device the end user is using<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You can learn more about the role in this guide: <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/what-does-a-ui-designer-do\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">What Does a UI Designer Do?<\/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&utm_medium=blog_panel_text&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 id=\"who-earns-more\"><strong>Who earns more, graphic designers or UI designers?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">If you\u2019re weighing up graphic design vs. UI design as potential career options, you\u2019ll want to know how they compare in terms of salary. So who earns more: graphic designers or UI designers?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Generally speaking, UI designers earn a higher average salary than graphic designers. Here\u2019s the average salary data for both graphic and UI designers in different locations:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Ireland, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ie.indeed.com\/career\/user-interface-designer\/salaries?salaryType=YEARLY&amp;from=careers_serp\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">average UI designer salary<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is <\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u20ac58,056 per year. The average <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ie.indeed.com\/career\/graphic-designer\/salaries?salaryType=YEARLY&amp;from=top_sb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">graphic designer salary<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is \u20ac34,736 per year.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the UK, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.indeed.com\/career\/user-interface-designer\/salaries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">average UI designer salary<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u00a344,959 per year. The average <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/uk.indeed.com\/career\/graphic-designer\/salaries?from=top_sb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">graphic designer salary<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is \u00a326,998 per year.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the United States, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indeed.com\/career\/user-interface-designer\/salaries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">average UI designer salary<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is $85,368 per year. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.indeed.com\/career\/graphic-designer\/salaries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">average graphic designer salary<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is $59,306 per year.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In Australia, the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/au.indeed.com\/career\/user-interface-designer\/salaries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">average UI designer salary<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is $104,916 per year. The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/au.indeed.com\/career\/graphic-designer\/salaries?from=top_sb\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">average graphic designer salary<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> is $73,371 per year.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We\u2019ve only explored a handful of locations here, so it\u2019s important to research salaries where you\u2019re based for a more accurate picture. You can use the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/ie.indeed.com\/career\/salaries\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Indeed salary portal<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> or similar websites.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"can-a-graphic-designer-become-a-ui-designer\"><strong>Can a graphic designer become a UI designer?<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Absolutely! Despite their differences, graphic design and UI design have lots in common.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic designers are already familiar with fundamental UI design theories and principles such as colour, typography, spacing, layout, and hierarchy. As such, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/graphic-design-to-ui-design\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">graphic designers have many transferable skills that directly apply to UI design<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2014and they may already be proficient in some of the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/user-interface-ui-design-tools\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">most popular UI design tools<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Graphic design is an excellent springboard to a career in UI. If you\u2019re a graphic designer looking to make the switch, you\u2019ll need to get to grips with the UI design process and learn the principles of user-centric digital design. The most effective way to level up your skills is through a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/courses\/ui-design\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">professional UI course<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. You can learn more about <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/how-long-to-become-ui-designer\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">how long it takes to become a UI designer here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"graphic-design-vs-ui-design\"><strong>Graphic design vs. UI design: Key takeaways<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Hopefully, you\u2019re finishing this guide with a clear understanding of what graphic design and UI design are and how they differ.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">To recap: graphic design is an artistic design discipline which uses visual content to communicate a particular message. It can relate to both print and digital media, covering anything from product labels and posters to book covers, websites, and apps.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UI design is a tech-related discipline which focuses on both the aesthetics and interactivity of digital user interfaces. UI designers are responsible for ensuring that websites, apps, and other digital products both look great and are easy to use and navigate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Both graphic design and UI design are creative and rewarding career paths. But, in the digital age we live in, UI designers have the advantage of being able to find work in almost any industry. And, as we saw earlier, they tend to enjoy a higher salary, too.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Are you a graphic designer looking to break into the exciting tech industry? Start learning the lingo with this <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/ui-glossary\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">UI design glossary<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, or get right to the practical skills with a professional course\u2014we\u2019ve rounded up <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/best-ui-design-courses\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">the best UI design courses here<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Graphic design vs. UI design what is the difference? Is it possible to switch from one to the other? Find out in this guide. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":22,"featured_media":7672,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[278,279],"tags":[328,300],"class_list":["post-7670","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-design","category-ux-explained","tag-graphic-design","tag-ui-design"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7670","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\/22"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7670"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7670\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":10336,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7670\/revisions\/10336"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/7672"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7670"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7670"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.uxdesigninstitute.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7670"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}