Graphic Designer CV Example & Writing Guide
A graphic designer's CV has a dual job: it must communicate your design skills through its visual presentation while also passing ATS text-based filtering. The trap many designers fall into is over-designing their CV with custom layouts that confuse CV parsing software, causing it to be rejected before a human sees it. Use a clean, well-structured layout. Put your portfolio link in the first three lines — it's the most important element. ATS systems filter for tools: Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, Sketch, Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign. List every tool you use. Hiring managers care about output quality and client/brand experience, so be specific about the work you've delivered and the brands you've worked with.
Use this example as your starting point
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Graphic Designer CV Example — Sample
Alex Johnson
Senior Graphic Designer
alex.johnson@email.com · London, UK · linkedin.com/in/alexjohnson
Professional Summary
Brand and digital designer with 5 years of experience working with FMCG and tech brands. Skilled in Adobe Creative Suite, Figma, and motion design. Portfolio: amindoe.com. Delivered brand identities, campaign assets, and digital content for brands including Unilever, Spotify, and Deliveroo.
Experience
Senior Graphic Designer
Studio North (Creative Agency)
- —Lead designer for 4 retainer clients including a €50M FMCG brand — owning brand guidelines, campaign delivery, and social content
- —Designed and art-directed full rebrand for a SaaS startup (logo, typography, colour system, website, and collateral)
- —Produced motion graphics and animated social content achieving 4.2M impressions across Q3 2023 campaign
Graphic Designer
Inkwell Studio
- —Created digital and print assets for campaigns across social media, OOH, and POS for retail clients
- —Designed pitch decks, proposals, and brand toolkits for 12 new business presentations
- —Managed production timelines across 3 simultaneous projects, liaising with print suppliers and media buyers
Skills
Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop, InDesign, After Effects, Figma, Sketch, Procreate, typography, brand identity, motion design, print production, art direction
Sample CV for illustration. Build yours free with CVmake — AI fills in your real details.
How to write a Graphic Designer CV Example: 6 key tips
- 1
Put your portfolio URL in the first section — it's more important than anything else on the page
- 2
Use a clean, ATS-readable layout — avoid text boxes, columns, and image-heavy formats
- 3
List every tool you use: Figma, Illustrator, After Effects, etc. — ATS filters scan for these
- 4
Name the brands and clients you've worked with — recognition builds credibility fast
- 5
Include project types: brand identity, packaging, digital campaigns, motion, UX
- 6
Tailor your CV summary for in-house vs agency roles — the priorities differ
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