Home › Resumes › Graphic Designer Resume Summary with Examples
If you’re looking for a new opportunity as a graphic designer, then you may need to make some updates to your resume so that it accurately reflects your current skills and experience. A great place to start when updating your resume is your resume summary, an overlooked element that can help get you noticed by a potential employer. In this article, you can explore why a summary is important to include in a graphic designer resume and review summary examples that you can use as inspiration when writing your own.
Related:Writing a Resume Summary (With Examples)
Why is a graphic designer resume summary important?
Including a resume summary is especially important in the graphic design industry, as it highlights your unique skills and qualifications and can capture the attention of a hiring manager at the top of your resume.Like others working in creative industries, graphic designers tend to have a variety of skills, so it’s important to narrow down your list of skills to those most relevant to the position you are applying for. For example, when applying for a position that mostly entails the production of vector art or social media assets, then it would make more sense to focus on your graphic design skills rather than, say, your photography skills.
Related:What to Include on a Resume
Graphic designer resume summary examples
Here are some examples of graphic designer resume summaries and why they’re effective:
Resume summary that highlights software experience
Example: ‘Creative and detail-oriented graphic designer with exceptional skill level and experience in various mediums, such as vector art, Lomography and collages. Highly adept with programs in Adobe suite, such as InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. Extensive experience in executing digital marketing plans via digital ads and social media content.’
This resume summary adequately describes the applicant’s experience in specific software applications as well as relevant disciplines. It also showcases familiarity with more modern developments in the industry, such as digital marketing and social media.
Senior-level resume summary
Example: ‘Creative director with 15 years of experience in the graphic design industry. Extensive experience with conceptualizing and managing digital marketing campaigns over social media and other mediums. Specializes in rebranding projects, where vast knowledge of logo design, marketing and copywriting can be applied. Drafts own ideas using programs such as Photoshop and Illustrator.’
This resume summary is appropriate for a candidate applying for a senior-level position. It effectively communicates the applicant’s extensive industry experience and highlights expertise in areas that are relevant to a graphic designer position.
Resume summary that highlights logo design
Example: ‘Passionate and driven logo designer with over 10 years of experience with branding projects, with past clients that include a Fortune 500 company. Possesses astrong understanding of vector art and effective logo design language, which allows the prompt delivery of clean and memorable logo designs for clients.’
Describing experience as a logo designer with a focus on branding helps make this summary stand out to potential employers. This summary also manages to effectively communicate professionalism and essential graphic design skills, and it references a prominent past client to establish credibility.
Resume summary with skills in specific programs
Example: ‘Skilled and reliable illustrator with over 15 years of experience working professionally within the graphic design industry. Highly skilled with various programs such as Adobe Illustrator and CorelDRAW. Experienced with creating illustrations, possessing expert skill level in drafting storyboards, mock-ups and drafts. Specializes in creating assets for use by layout artists and web designers.’
This summary focuses primarily on skills that are relevant to graphic designer positions. It also demonstrates experience with programs widely used in the graphic design industry to produce digital art. For example, CorelDRAW is one of the most commonly used programs for producing digital art, and being familiar with it gives candidates an advantage. Having 15 years of experience is another qualification that immediately stands out to employers.
Resume summary highlighting a niche skill
Example: ‘Creative, team-oriented layout artist with over 10 years of experience working in the graphic design industry. Possesses expert knowledge of typography and the effective usage of positive and negative space when developing outputs.’
Specializing in typography gives this applicant an advantage over others. Describing 10 years of work experience as a layout artist also provides an employer with some insight into the applicant’s proven record of technical capabilities.
Resume summary with a focus on leadership
Example: ‘Efficient and detail-oriented art director with over 12 years of experience. Extensive experience in managing creative assets for digital marketing campaigns with expert level skills in most programs within the Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator.Excellent leadership and communication skills, able to effectively manage teams of up to 10 designers at once.’
This summary clearly illustrates the applicant’s technical skills and expertise using industry-specific programs. It also showcases soft skills and leadership traits.
Resume summary about a specific position
Example: ‘Versatile and creative visual image developer with over eight years of experience working in the graphic design industry. Highly skilled with various forms of photography, particularly film photography and digital photography. Possesses extensive knowledge of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop.’
This resume summary highlights the applicant’s experience working in a specific role, as well as their versatility and specialized skills. Mentioning specialized skills in photography could help give this applicant an advantage over their competition.
Resume summary discussing several different abilities
Example: ‘Innovative and effective multimedia developer with extensive experience in animation and 3D modeling. An expert with AutoCAD and Maya, with over 10 years of experience using these programs. Excellent team player who thrives when working with others on large, long-term projects such as marketing campaigns and commercials.’
This summary showcases a broad range of capabilities, significant experience with using graphic design programs and a desire to work on a variety of long-term projects. It also highlights the applicant’s enthusiasm when working with others, demonstrating that they are a team player.
Resume summary concentrated on presentation skills
Example: ‘Creative and interdisciplinary package designer with five years of experience working in the graphic design industry. Possesses a high degree of competence using programs such as Adobe Photoshop and InDesign for creating package designs, as well as an expert skill level in using 3D modeling programs such as AutoCAD for creating 3D mockups of package designs for client use. An exceptional public speaker with excellent presentation skills.’
This summary demonstrates a variety of skills relevant to package design, showing a clear link between the applicant’s skills and specific experience. It also highlights the applicant’s public speaking abilities and presentation skills, which could stand out to employers.
Resume summary for a management position
Example: ‘Senior graphic design specialist with more than 10 years of experience in managing graphic design projects from inception to execution. Highly creative with the ability to work well within a team. Extensive experience in managing other designers and coordinating with them to deliver a single product. Highly skilled with various programs within the Adobe Creative Suite, such as Photoshop, InDesign and Illustrator.’
This resume summary is appropriatefor a senior-level position. It highlights the applicant’s experience in managing graphic design projects and communicates competencies and soft skills that are often useful for higher-level positions. For employers looking for graphic designers who can assume leadership roles, this may encourage them to consider this particular applicant for a position.
Resume summary for soft skills
Example: ‘Imaginative and diligent graphic designer with five years of experience, exceptional attention to detail and a passion for delivering projects on time. Well-versed with most programs within the Adobe Creative Suite, particularly InDesign and Photoshop. Effective time-management and problem-solving skills, allowing the completion of projects with minimal supervision and maximum cooperation with other members within a team.’
This summary places a strong emphasis on soft skills. The ability to complete projects on time and effectively manage deadlines is an ideal quality of a graphic design candidate who may be required to manage several projects at a time and including these skills may give the applicant a significant advantage.
Resume summary describing experience with multiple mediums
Example: ‘Illustrator with seven years of experience in graphic design. Possesses a high degree of creativity and familiarity with a variety of print and digital mediums. Experienced with Adobe Creative Suite, particularly with Photoshop and Illustrator, and has a vast knowledge of typography.’
This summary highlights the applicant’s versatile skills using print and digital mediums while emphasizing their ability to perform contemporary design work. It also demonstrates specialized knowledge in typography, which may stand out to employers.
Resume summary highlighting interpersonal skills
Example: ‘Creative, independent and detail-oriented graphic designer with five years of experience in digital brand management, logo design and layout design. Highly skilled with Adobe Photoshop and InDesign. Coachable and passionate about collaborating with a team when working on projects.’
This summary showcases the applicant’s versatility and a diverse range of skills that are relevant to most graphic designer positions. It also emphasizes the applicant’s ability and willingness to work in a team setting.
Resume summary for general graphic design skills
Example: ‘Graphic designer with seven years of experience with an eye for detail whose work emphasizes creativity and innovation. Highly skilled in photo and video editing with a mastery of Adobe Creative Suite, particularly Photoshop, InDesign, Premiere and After Effects. Past projects range from video advertisem*nts to social media content.’
This resume summary highlights the candidate’s diverse technical skills and creative abilities. Employers may be encouraged to give this resume a more thorough review because it mentions a mastery of graphic design software and includes several years of work experience in a graphic designer role.
Resume summary highlighting work ethic
Example: ‘Confident, passionate and creative graphic designer with extensive experience working with both print and digital media. Deadline-oriented individual with five years of experience in the graphic design industry working on a variety of projects from social media content to comprehensive rebranding projects.’
This summary communicates the applicant’s experience working with different media and describes their commitment to meeting project deadlines. It also highlights the candidate’syears of experience in the graphic design industry and specific projects they have worked on.
