Competencies of the present-day Graphic Designer: A document analysis of online job ads in Ghana

Nicholas Opoku,Edward Appiah,Patrique Degraft-Yankson

doi:10.24867/jged-2020-2-037

Abstract

This study sought to provide an overview of the competencies required by employers in advertising for graphic design position in relation to inter-active design in Ghana. This was done in the context of the dynamism of graphic design profession with current technological advances. Both thematic and content analysis were used to analyse online job advertisements collected within eight months to determine the patterns and frequencies of occurrence of specific requirements for the job position relating to graphic design. This was to better understand employers’ expectations from the graphic designer in terms of designing for interactivity and the implications for graphic design pedagogy. Findings from the study revealed that, traditional graphic designers in Ghana will now have to acquire skills in interactive design and competencies associated with them. These include among others, responsive design, problem-solving, coding skill, software skills, creativity, CMS tools, project management and personal characteristics. Beyond these, request for skills in coding, knowledge in responsive design, knowledge in content management system tools, software skills and teamwork are the most frequently expected skills from the present day graphic designer. We end the paper by suggesting how our study could trigger graphic design pedagogy developmen

Highlights

With advent of technologies, couple with dynamism in the graphic design industry, graphic design graduates and students face diverse demands by organizations in applying for job position
In this paper we provide an overview of the competencies required by employers in advertising graphic design positions in relation to interactive design through job advertisements
This study has explored the skills and competencies employers in the Ghanaian design industry are expecting from new graphic design graduates in terms of designing

Summary

Introduction

Couple with dynamism in the graphic design industry, graphic design graduates and students face diverse demands by organizations in applying for job position. The requirements placed on graphic designers form an essential discourse for design educators in ensuring the employability of their students when they graduate. As the scope and content for graphic designers evolve in the industry (Davis, 2005; Ashigbey, 2016; Dziobczenski & Person, 2017), the competencies required to practice as a designer is changing. From the Guttenberg era, which was characterized with the transfer of text matter onto paper through to the production of graffiti’s, which is not limited to the beautification of our landscape scenes, graphic design has evolved into a new phenomenon taking an interesting tangent.

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Conclusion