Credible skills are the main element of being a graphic designer since people would hire you based on your capabilities. Hence, the question of how to improve your graphic design skills must be a concern.
In order not to be left behind, you can use this handbook as your guide to elevate your value. Without any further ado, start reading this article and try to follow each step!
Key takeaways:
Also Read: Master These 8 Elements of Graphic Design to Elevate Your Skills!
A report stated that the graphic design market has been improving since 2023 and is expected to reach $78.25 billion by 2030. Hence, this field seems to be consistently growing, creating a huge rivalry among graphic designers. The key is to improve your design skills. Below are some hacks to level up your abilities and win the position.
The first step to know where your gap is in graphic design is to evaluate your abilities. You can make a list of your current skills and find the skills you lack, such as typography, coloring method, or design layout.
After discovering the weak points, dare yourself to take a test to practice your conceptual thinking and software expertise. If you find a struggle, there is your gap, and be ready for changes!
The absolute answer on how to improve your graphic design skills is to find your niche. You must be specific to help you focus more on skill development. Try to surf into the design market and trends, and find the high-demand design skills.
Here is the summary of the high-demand niche.
Taking an online course will be beneficial since you can practice your skills with a real project. During the class, you can learn step-by-step to deepen your insight into design. There are various design online classes available; here are the most valuable classes.
Graphic Design Basic by Canva
Course focus:
Duration: Approximately 1-2 hours.
Cost: Free.
Graphic Design Specialization by CalArts Coursera
Course focus:
Duration: 15 hours in total.
Cost: $49 per month.
Graphic Design Courses by Udemy
Course focus:
Duration: 1.5 up to 75 hours in total.
Cost: Starts from $6.50 per month.
Also Read: 10 Key Elements to Make Sustainable Graphic Desig
Learning design by reading books is great to deepen your knowledge of graphic design. The materials from the book can trigger your creativity and problem-solving to enhance the design ideas. A book by Alex W. White, The Element of Graphic Design, can be your reference for design principles.
To learn more about typography, Thinking with Type by Ellen Lupton can be your guide to understanding how to place fonts into the design. Then, practice your creativity by finding inspiration from the book Steal Like an Artist by Austin Kleon.
There are advantages to signing in for a graphic design contest, such as the chance to expand connections. Aside from that, you can practice your critical thinking skills and deepen your knowledge of graphic design.
However, you must discover your niche and ensure that the contest organizer fits your capabilities. Be considerate of the reward as well, you could get a certificate, cash prize, trophies, and a project opportunity. The most important point to join a contest is to get feedback from judges and fellow designers.
Practically, when you display your best work in a design marketplace such as Behance and 99Designs, you will earn feedback. You can provide a link or open the comment section to the public with a detailed description.
The responses from fellow designers and clients can be the answer to how to improve your graphic design skills. Hence, be specific about what kind of feedback you need.
For instance, you want to know the quality of typography you use or design accuracy and consistency. You can analyze the feedback since it will be helpful to find the gap in your design skills.
To maintain your graphic design is to keep your circle with designers. Connect with designers and artists on social media, enhance the communication by joining a community, and get a chance to collaborate. Ensure yourself to be valuable by providing a strong portfolio and being mindful of your design knowledge.
Also Read: 15 Famous Graphic Designer in 2025 and Their Iconic Works
As mentioned above, when you keep your circle with design, there is a possibility to collaborate with artists. The collaboration will make you keep up to date with the design trend and design roles.
Note to remember, put the detailed information of your target audience, vision and mission of the project, guidelines, and logistics into your requirement.
One of the important skills for graphic designers is to operate design tools and applications. The more you can handle the tools, the more you can explore to practice your design skills. You can play with 3D design, sketching, and digital rendering when you have advanced design tools.
After maintaining the connection with designers and actively joining contests, it is time to challenge yourself to be bolder in improving your design skills. Dare yourself to take a chance on to internship at companies. Spill all your creativity to make a portfolio to attract recruiters by showcasing your best works.
Search for internship opportunities at the company that suit your values. Once you get in, keep being professional to gain great results and receive other opportunity of jobs.
Also Read: 15 Profitable Graphic Design Business Ideas to Start in 2025
Practically, you can practice your skills by joining contests and getting feedback to acknowledge the gap in your skills. In addition, the best challenge for a graphic designer is to be an intern at a company, allowing you to learn by doing.
Prepare your portfolio by showcasing your best work with decent typography to represent your personality and style. You can use professional fonts for graphic design to enhance your portfolio and engage recruiters. Rantautype Studio provides all the fonts you need for your portfolio. Fret not, the fonts from Rantautype Studio are already accessible for Canva. It is also affordable! Don’t be stressed because of the concern how to improve your graphic design skills when there is Rantautype Studio!
