Graphic Designer CV Example

CV examples

Graphic Designer CV Example

Here is a complete CV for a mid-level graphic designer working in branding, editorial and digital design, followed by guidance on each section: how your CV and portfolio work together, how to describe design projects with results, and which tools and skills to list. You will also find summary examples, bullets to adapt and answers to common questions.

Creative directors and studio managers usually open your portfolio before they read your CV in detail, so the CV has a specific job: show where you have worked, what kind of design you do (brand identity, packaging, editorial, digital, motion), which clients and projects you are proud of, and how you work with a brief, a deadline and a print or development process. A clean, well-set CV is also a small sample of your typography.

Use this example Use the Graphic Designer template

Free to start. The example opens in the editor, ready for your own details.

Your portfolio and CV work together

For a graphic designer, the portfolio is the proof and the CV is the map. Put your portfolio link at the top, next to your email, and make sure it opens on your best work. Then use the CV to give context the portfolio can't:

  • Where and for whom: agency, studio, in-house or freelance, and the type of clients.
  • Your role: lead designer, part of a team or production designer. Be clear about what you designed yourself.
  • Results: sales, sign-ups, engagement, awards or time saved for the client.
  • Process: briefs, concepts, client presentations, guidelines, print or developer handover.

Choose 8 to 12 projects for the portfolio, matched to the job. A packaging studio wants packaging; a product team wants UI and design systems.

How to write a graphic designer CV summary

Your summary should say what kind of designer you are in three or four sentences: your specialisms (brand identity, packaging, editorial, digital, motion), years of experience, the type of clients or sectors you know, and the tools you work in. Add one achievement or notable project, and the role you want next.

Avoid describing yourself as creative and passionate. The portfolio shows that. Instead, give the reader something specific: leads brand identity projects from concept to guidelines for cultural and food clients.

Experience: describe projects and results

Design bullets often list deliverables without context. Make each bullet say what you made, for whom and what changed. Useful details include:

  • Scope: number of projects, assets or touchpoints, brand rollouts, page counts, product ranges.
  • Results: campaign performance, sales after a packaging redesign, festival attendance, conversion on a landing page, awards or shortlists.
  • Efficiency: templates, design systems or asset libraries that saved others time.
  • Production quality: print-ready artwork, colour management, accessibility checks, working with printers and developers.
  • Leadership: leading projects, presenting to clients, mentoring juniors, art directing photo shoots.

If you lack hard numbers, describe the client's goal and how your design met it, for example a rebrand ahead of a funding round or new market launch.

Software and design skills to list

List tools by name with an honest level: Adobe Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, After Effects, Premiere Pro, Figma, and any 3D or prototyping tools you use. Employers screen on software, and the expected set differs by role: editorial jobs want InDesign, digital roles want Figma and an understanding of components and responsive layouts, motion roles want After Effects.

Design skills should be specific: typography, grid and layout, logo and identity design, packaging dielines, illustration, photo retouching, accessibility for digital design, and prepress. For soft skills, focus on presenting concepts, taking feedback, working to a brief and managing several projects at once.

Layout, length and design choices for your CV

A designer's CV can show some personality, but it must stay easy to read and work in applicant tracking systems. Use one or two typefaces, a clear grid, enough white space and real text rather than text inside images. One page suits junior designers; two pages suit experienced designers with many projects.

Avoid skill bars and star ratings for software. They are hard to interpret and often look less precise than a simple list with levels. Save your PDF with a clear file name, such as your name and the role, and check that the portfolio link works before sending.

Graphic Designer CV summary examples

Experienced

Senior graphic designer and art director with 12 years in brand and packaging design for food, drink and beauty brands. Leads a team of four, art directs photo shoots and presents concepts to marketing directors. Recent packaging redesign for a snack brand contributed to a 30% sales increase in its first year. Looking for a design lead or creative director role.

Mid-level

Graphic designer with five years in-house at a sports retailer, producing campaign, social, email and store graphics in Photoshop, InDesign and Figma. Built a template library that halved turnaround for weekly promotions. Comfortable with motion graphics in After Effects. Looking for a brand or campaign designer role at an agency.

Entry-level

Graphic design graduate with a portfolio covering brand identity, editorial and poster design, and a three-month internship at a small branding studio. Confident in Illustrator, InDesign and Figma, with strong typography and layout skills. Looking for a junior designer role in a studio or in-house team.

Graphic Designer CV bullet point examples

  • Designed a new identity and packaging range for a craft brewery's 12 beers; the range gained listings in two national supermarket chains within a year.
  • Created a Figma component library for marketing pages, cutting design time for new landing pages from four days to one and a half.
  • Redesigned the annual report for a public foundation, reducing the page count by a third while making data easier to read with new charts and icons.
  • Produced campaign assets in 20 formats for print, social and outdoor, delivering all on time for a national launch.
  • Art directed a two-day product photo shoot, briefing the photographer and stylist and selecting final images for web and packaging.
  • Prepared print-ready files for more than 200 jobs a year, with no artwork errors reaching press.
  • Designed email templates that raised click-through rates from 2.1% to 3.4% over six months of campaigns.
  • Developed brand guidelines and an asset library used by three external agencies and the client's marketing team.
  • Shortlisted for a national design award for a festival poster series.

Skills for your Graphic Designer CV

Hard skills

  • Brand identity and logo design
  • Typography and layout
  • Editorial and publication design
  • Packaging and dielines
  • Adobe Illustrator, InDesign and Photoshop
  • Figma and design systems
  • After Effects and motion graphics
  • Print production and prepress
  • Digital and social media assets
  • Illustration
  • Accessible design for digital
  • Art direction for photo shoots

Soft skills

  • Presenting and explaining concepts
  • Responding well to feedback
  • Working to a brief
  • Managing several projects at once
  • Collaboration with copywriters and developers
  • Attention to detail
  • Mentoring junior designers

Frequently asked questions

Aim for a well-designed but readable CV. A clean grid, good typography and restrained colour show your skills better than heavy graphics, and they also work in applicant tracking systems. Let your portfolio carry the visual impact.

Usually 8 to 12 strong projects, chosen for the job you are applying for. Show the brief, your process and the final work, and explain your role if it was a team project.

Lead with your portfolio and education, then list internships, freelance jobs, student projects, competitions and work for clubs or charities. Describe each project like a professional one: the brief, what you designed and the result.

Yes. List it as a role, for example Freelance Graphic Designer with dates, and summarise the type of clients and projects in a few bullets. Freelance work shows independence and client management, which employers value.

More CV examples

Administrative Assistant CV Example

Administrative Assistant CV Example

Administrative assistant CV example with summary and bullet examples, plus how to show diary management, Excel, invoice processing and office systems.
Car Mechanic CV Example

Car Mechanic CV Example

Car mechanic and vehicle technician CV example with diagnostics, MOT, EV and hybrid qualifications, efficiency and comebacks, plus summary and bullet examples.
Data Analyst CV Example

Data Analyst CV Example

Data analyst CV example with SQL, Power BI, dbt and Python, plus advice on business impact, building a portfolio and writing bullets managers trust.
Electrician CV Example

Electrician CV Example

Electrician CV example with advice on listing qualifications, wiring regulations, testing work and domestic, commercial or industrial projects on your CV.

Ready to write your Graphic Designer CV?

Start from this example, add your own experience, and download a polished PDF in minutes.

Use this example

We use essential cookies to keep you signed in, and optional analytics cookies to improve the app. You can manage your preferences any time.