The State of Graphic Design: More Demands and Less Recognition?

Graphic design has always been essential for communicating a brand’s essence, but today it faces unprecedented challenges. In a saturated market with increasing demand for additional skills, many designers are forced to diversify—ranging from digital marketing to video editing and animation. However, these extra skills are rarely properly recognized, resulting in an oversupply of “express” professionals and low salaries, while the sector’s demands continue to rise.

Forced Diversification: From Design to Marketing and Animation

In theory, a graphic designer is not required to know marketing, video editing, or animation; their training focuses on visual communication and branding. But in practice, today’s market demands versatile profiles that can offer comprehensive solutions. Many professionals are forced to learn additional skills to keep up, even though these abilities are not always valued in contracts or compensation.

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A Saturated Market and Low Salaries

The ease of access to quick courses and the proliferation of self-taught professionals have saturated the market. This causes:

  • Services to be offered at very low prices, which devalues the quality of the work.
  • Companies to opt for generic solutions, mistakenly believing that “doing design” is as simple as using a template.

Specialized designers with deep knowledge in branding and authentic visual identity building receive less recognition and compensation than their peers who stick to the basics.

Lack of Investment in Quality Communication

Many companies do not understand the true value of graphic design, seeing it as an expense rather than a strategic investment. This lack of investment is reflected in:

  • Poor quality in digital communication: By opting for quick and cheap solutions, coherence and the emotional impact that a solid branding strategy can offer are lost.
  • Lack of brand differentiation: Without a careful and personalized visual identity, brands get confused with one another, affecting their market positioning.

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Do Companies Really Value Design?

The reality is that many companies still see graphic design as an unnecessary expense, without understanding how a strong and coherent visual identity can boost customer trust and loyalty. This undervaluation has two main aspects:

  • Lack of investment in design: Many brands allocate minimal budgets to branding, forcing designers to compete for low fees.
  • Oversupply of “express” professionals: The easy access to quick courses has saturated the market, leading to unfair competition and a decrease in the overall quality of design.

What is the Real Problem?

The current dilemma can be summed up in two interconnected points:

  • Low investment in design and communication: Companies that do not invest in a comprehensive branding strategy end up missing opportunities to differentiate themselves and create a lasting impact on their customers.
  • Excess of professionals without solid training: This leads to an oversupply of “generic” solutions that fail to convey the true value of strategic design, which negatively affects the overall perception of the industry

Conclusion: Where Is Graphic Design Heading?

The graphic design sector is at a critical crossroads. While digitalization and online tools have made the profession more accessible, the demand for comprehensive, high-quality solutions has not diminished. Only those designers who offer strategic and differentiated proposals will stand out, despite the overall precarity.

The true investment lies in branding and building a solid visual identity—elements reflected in well-structured work and the ability to emotionally connect with the audience.

Want to learn more about graphic design trends and how to boost your brand? Visit our Homepage, explore our Branding services, and if you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

Also, we invite you to read our article on Graphic Design Trends 2025 to stay updated on the latest industry developments.

What do you think? Do you believe the market will value more investment in branding, or will it continue to favor quick solutions? Write to us and share your experience!

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