Illustrator
What the work is
Plans, designs, develops and prepares pictures and diagrams to communicate messages, clarify meaning, assist in presentations and illustrate stories.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Creates visual concepts and develops illustrations for various purposes
- Collaborates with clients or art directors to determine the scope and requirements of illustration projects
- Researches and gathers reference materials to inform the design and development of illustrations
- Sketches preliminary ideas and concepts for illustrations
- Refines and finalises illustrations using traditional and digital media
- Uses drawing, painting, drafting, collage and other techniques to create illustrations
- Utilises image capture and manipulation software to enhance and modify illustrations
- Creates illustrations that effectively communicate messages and clarify meaning
- Adapts illustration styles and techniques to suit different projects and target audiences
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a graphic design studio making logos, posters, packaging and animation for clients. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A client sees your first concept and says that is exactly it
- You solve a crowded layout by taking things away until it breathes
- A poster you designed goes up in a shop window and you spot it walking past
Hard days
- A client's cousin has made a version in a free app and wants you to use it
- A file leaves for the printer and you notice a mistake a minute later
- Round after round of small changes that quietly undo the idea
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 242333, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.