Graphic Design Technology

WorldSkills Occupational Standards (WSOS)

Occupation description and WSOS

The name of the skill competition is

Description of the associated work role(s) or occupation(s)

Graphic Design Technology comprises many different skills and disciplines in the production of graphic design and output. The diversity of the skills required in the industry are very broad: it is common for people working in this field to be specialists in a particular aspect. As a result, a team may cover the Graphic Design Technology process, with each member of the team having their own strengths, specialities, and roles.

Graphic Design Technology involves working with external and internal clients to create unique solutions to their needs; these may also include printing or online publication production or integrating digital media capabilities for visual communication. People working in this industry often work closely with their clients and must be effective communicators so that they can achieve the client’s objectives successfully. They require strong interactive, research, design, and technical skills in art and design to meet industry standards. In order to achieve these, they need to understand the target audience, markets, trends, cultural differences, and what the client wants. They must be able to work in either formal or informal teams, or independently.

After completing the research and planning stage, a project is interpreted to form a design in appropriate industry specific software. The design must be set up with the correct technical specifications for output. It is essential that practitioners understand all phases of the procedure including the constraints of the specified output process. These skills also apply to re-designing or updating a design.

There are various employment opportunities within the global creative industry. This may include becoming a freelancer, business owner, or being employed by an advertising, marketing, design, or printing company. They may also be employed by a company with a design department or as a stand-alone in-house designer. Practitioners may have a broad role, or specialize as a graphic designer, graphic artist, prepress operator, typographer, typesetter, type designer, image manipulation specialist, illustrator, art director, production manager, digital printer, information designer, publisher, brand or packaging specialist.

The WorldSkills Occupational Standards (WSOS)

General notes on the WSOS

The WSOS specifies the knowledge, understanding, skills, and capabilities that underpin international best practice in technical and vocational performance. These are both specific to an occupational role and also transversal. Together they should reflect a shared global understanding of what the associated work role(s) or occupation(s) represent for industry and business (www.worldskills.org/WSOS).

The skill competition is intended to reflect international best practice as described by the WSOS, to the extent that it can. The Standard is therefore a guide to the required training and preparation for the skill competition.

In the skill competition the assessment of knowledge and understanding will take place through the assessment of performance. There will only be separate tests of knowledge and understanding where there is an overwhelming reason for these.

The Standard is divided into distinct sections with headings and reference numbers added.

Each section is assigned a percentage of the total marks to indicate its relative importance within the Standards. This is often referred to as the “weighting”. The sum of all the percentage marks is 100. The weightings determine the distribution of marks within the Marking Scheme.

Through the Test Project, the Marking Scheme will assess only those skills and capabilities that are set out in the WorldSkills Occupational Standards. They will reflect the Standards as comprehensively as possible within the constraints of the skill competition.

The Marking Scheme will follow the allocation of marks within the Standards to the extent practically possible. A variation of up to five percent is allowed, if this does not distort the weightings assigned by the Standards.

WorldSkills Occupational Standards

Section		Relative importance (%)
1	Work organization and management	10
	The individual needs to know and understand: OHS regulations, safe work practices The time constraints of the industry Industry specific terms The nature and purposes of client specifications and projects Appropriate software usage for the outcomes required Methods of working within organizational limitations Methods of working in a team to achieve a common goal
	The individual shall be able to: Interpret client specifications and projects Keep to project timelines Conduct themselves in a professional manner Manage workload under pressure and within time constraints Interpret projects in a sustainable manner to minimize wastage and cost to the client and company Recover from setbacks Problem solve and adapt to changes made to projects Multi-task Demonstrate time management skills Research projects to arrive at design frameworks
2	Communication and interpersonal skills	10
	The individual needs to know and understand: The importance of active listening skills Methods for interpreting design projects and clarifying/questioning clients How to visualize and interpret customer wishes and make recommendations which meet design and budgetary requirements The importance of building and maintaining productive working relationships The importance of resolving misunderstandings and conflicting demands How to ensure teams successfully understand design projects
	The individual shall be able to: Use literacy skills to: Follow documented instructions for projects Interpret workplace instructions and other technical documents Keep up to date with latest industry guidelines Present their briefs to clients and justify their design choices Use oral communication skills to: Communicate in a logical and easily understood manner Use discretion and confidentiality when dealing with clients Organize and compile presentations to present to clients Question clients in an appropriate manner Use assertiveness and tact in regard to dealing with clients Show ideas and development through sketches
3	Problem solving	10
	The individual needs to know and understand: Common problems and setbacks that can occur within the work process How to trouble shoot minor software and output issues
	The individual shall be able to: Use analytical skills to determine the requirements of specifications Use problem solving skills to translate the required outcomes of specifications to appropriate solutions Use time management skills Check work regularly to minimize problems that may arise at a later stage
4	Innovation, creativity, and design	35
	The individual needs to know and understand: Creative trends and developments in the industry How to apply appropriate colours, typography and composition Principles and techniques for adapting graphics for various uses Different target markets and the elements of design which satisfy each market Protocols for maintaining a corporate identity, brand, and style guide How to provide consistency and refine a design Design principles, for creating pleasing and meaningful aesthetics Current design trends for printing and interactive products How to create animation using software The options for creating animating elements The usability of manual and digital mock-ups The usability of interactive elements/links Standard sizes, formats, and settings commonly used in the industry
	The individual shall be able to: Create, analyse and develop visual responses to communication problems, including understanding hierarchy, typography, aesthetics, composition and illustration Create (including photography), manipulate, and optimize images for both print and digital publishing Analyse target markets and the products being delivered Create ideas that are appropriate to target markets Take into consideration the impact of each element that is added during the design process Use all the required elements to create designs Respect existing corporate identity guidelines and style guides Maintain original design concepts and improve the visual appeal Transform ideas into appropriate and creative designs Create animations using software Select and create animating elements and links Create manual and digital mock-ups Apply interactive elements and links
5	Technical aspects and output	35
	The individual needs to know and understand: Technological trends and developments in the industry Different input and output processes for print and other media: their limitations, techniques and relevant professional practice Image input, manipulation and editing Appropriate file sizes, formats, resolution, and compression Colour systems: gamuts, ink density, colour matching, spot colours, ICC profiles, etc. Printers marks and bleed, dielines, varnishes, blind embossing, and other embellishments Appropriate software applications Different types of materials and digital devices
	The individual shall be able to: Create prototype and visualization mock-ups for presentation Apply appropriately mount for presentation and/or present digitally Visually present to clients Apply correct and appropriate adjustments for specified outputs Capture, adjust and manipulate images to suit the designs and technical specifications Apply colours correctly according to the task Save files in the correct format Use software applications comprehensively and appropriately Organize and maintain folders (for final output and archiving)
	Total	100

References for industry consultation

General notes

WorldSkills is committed to ensuring that the WorldSkills Occupational Standards fully reflect the dynamism of internationally recognized best practice in industry and business. To do this WorldSkills approaches a number of organizations across the world that can offer feedback on the draft Description of the Associated Role and WorldSkills Occupational Standards on a two-yearly cycle.

In parallel to this, WSI consults three international occupational classifications and databases:

ISCO-08: (http://www.ilo.org/public/english/bureau/stat/isco/isco08/)
ESCO: (https://ec.europa.eu/esco/portal/home )
O*NET OnLine (www.onetonline.org/)

References

This WSOS appears most closely to relate to Graphic Designers:
https://www.onetonline.org/link/summary/27-1024.00

And Graphic Designer:
http://data.europa.eu/esco/occupation/69bcbb0a-8d80-4ecd-b0a4-9adea2a40de2

Adjacent occupations can also be explored through these links.

ILO 2166.

The following table indicates which organizations were approached and provided valuable feedback for the Description of the Associated Role and WorldSkills Occupational Standards in place for WorldSkills Lyon 2024.

Organization	Contact name
Newyonder	Jon Cleave, Founder and CEO
Innovation Print	Prasit Klongngluerm, Managing Director