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Key Responsibilities and Required Skills for Graphic Design Internship

💰 $15 - $25 per hour

DesignMarketingCreativeInternship

🎯 Role Definition

The Graphic Design Intern is a crucial support role within our creative and marketing departments. This position is designed for an emerging creative professional to gain practical, real-world experience by applying their academic knowledge to tangible business challenges. The intern will work directly under the guidance of our Senior Graphic Designer and Creative Director, assisting in the complete design lifecycle from concept to execution. This is a hands-on learning opportunity to contribute to our brand's visual storytelling across digital and print mediums, helping to maintain and elevate our visual identity while building a robust professional portfolio.

📈 Career Progression

Typical Career Path

Entry Point From:

  • University Graphic Design or Visual Arts Programs
  • Creative & Design Bootcamps
  • Self-taught designers with a strong portfolio

Advancement To:

  • Junior Graphic Designer
  • Marketing Designer
  • Production Artist

Lateral Moves:

  • UI/UX Design Intern
  • Digital Marketing Coordinator

Core Responsibilities

Primary Functions

  • Conceptualize and produce engaging, on-brand graphics and visual assets for our various social media channels, including Instagram, LinkedIn, and Facebook, tailoring designs to each platform's unique specifications.
  • Assist in the design and development of compelling marketing and sales collateral, such as digital brochures, one-pagers, case studies, and flyers, ensuring they align with our brand's messaging.
  • Support the Senior Designer in maintaining and evolving our brand's visual identity, helping to ensure consistency across all internal and external-facing materials.
  • Create a variety of digital assets, including web banners, email headers, and online advertisements, optimized for performance and visual impact across different platforms.
  • Collaborate with the marketing and content teams to design visually appealing and effective presentation decks for webinars, sales pitches, and internal meetings using PowerPoint and Google Slides.
  • Perform basic to intermediate photo editing, color correction, and retouching tasks to prepare imagery for use in web content, marketing materials, and social media.
  • Develop and design user-friendly and engaging email marketing templates within platforms like Mailchimp or HubSpot, contributing to our lead-generation and customer-retention efforts.
  • Prepare and package final design files for both print and digital production, demonstrating a clear understanding of file formats, color modes (RGB/CMYK), and printing requirements.
  • Help maintain and organize our growing digital asset library, ensuring that logos, photos, and design files are correctly tagged, archived, and easily accessible for the entire team.
  • Participate actively in creative brainstorming sessions, contributing fresh ideas for marketing campaigns, brand initiatives, and content strategies.
  • Translate complex data and information into clear, concise, and visually engaging infographics and data visualizations for reports and online content.
  • Support the web team by creating or updating visual elements for our website, such as hero images, icons, and call-to-action buttons, with a focus on user experience.
  • Meticulously apply brand guidelines to all creative work, acting as a brand steward to ensure all visuals are cohesive, polished, and on-brand.
  • Create short, simple animations or GIFs for use on social media and our website to increase user engagement and add a dynamic element to our content.
  • Adapt and resize existing creative concepts for various formats and channels, demonstrating an ability to work efficiently and maintain design integrity across multiple deliverables.

Secondary Functions

  • Conduct visual research on industry design trends, competitor branding, and emerging creative technologies to share insights and inspiration with the creative team.
  • Provide support for internal communications projects, such as designing company-wide announcements, newsletter templates, or materials for internal events.
  • Assist in the preparation and logistics for photo or video shoots, which may include prop sourcing, location scouting, or creating storyboards.
  • Take detailed notes during creative reviews and stakeholder meetings, and methodically apply constructive feedback and required revisions to design projects.
  • Offer general support to the marketing and design teams with various administrative and organizational tasks related to project management and creative workflow.

Required Skills & Competencies

Hard Skills (Technical)

  • Demonstrated proficiency with the core Adobe Creative Suite, specifically Photoshop for photo manipulation, Illustrator for vector graphics, and InDesign for layout design.
  • A strong foundational understanding of design principles, including typography, color theory, composition, and visual hierarchy.
  • Familiarity with Figma, Sketch, or Adobe XD for creating basic wireframes, mockups, and understanding UI/UX workflows.
  • Experience designing engaging presentations using tools like Microsoft PowerPoint, Google Slides, or Keynote.
  • Basic knowledge of pre-press and print production processes, including file setup, color profiles (CMYK vs. RGB), and resolution.
  • A developing portfolio that showcases creative thinking, a range of design skills, and a keen eye for detail.
  • (Bonus) Exposure to motion graphics through Adobe After Effects or basic video editing with Adobe Premiere Pro.

Soft Skills

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to articulate design concepts and rationale clearly.
  • Strong time management and organizational abilities, capable of juggling multiple projects and meeting deadlines in a dynamic environment.
  • A collaborative spirit and a positive, team-oriented attitude, eager to work alongside marketers, writers, and other designers.
  • The ability to graciously receive, interpret, and implement constructive criticism and feedback from peers and mentors.
  • A proactive and resourceful approach to problem-solving, with a genuine curiosity and desire to learn new tools and techniques.

Education & Experience

Educational Background

Minimum Education:

Currently pursuing or recently completed an Associate's or Bachelor's degree.

Preferred Education:

Actively enrolled in a Bachelor’s or Master’s program with a concentration in a design-related field.

Relevant Fields of Study:

  • Graphic Design
  • Visual Communication
  • Fine Arts
  • Digital Media Arts

Experience Requirements

Typical Experience Range:

0-1 year of experience. A strong portfolio demonstrating design skills through academic, personal, or freelance projects is required.

Preferred:

Previous internship experience or freelance work is a plus, along with a portfolio that showcases a variety of projects including digital and print media.

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