A graphic designer is a creative person who brings life to various formats, such as posters, billboards, logos, and brochures. There is the hope that when you hire a graphic designer, they will help to drive your brand forward.
When applying for a job in this field, you need an inspirational graphic design cover letter that will entice the hiring manager to progress to reading your CV. A cover letter is relatively brief, so how do you get your points across succinctly?
In this writing guide, together with our graphic design cover letter example, we will discuss the following topics:
- The best cover letter format to use and what sections the cover letter should contain
- Making the most of each section of your cover letter
- How to plan out the writing of your cover letter
- How to avoid making mistakes that might prohibit your chances of reaching the interview stage
What should you consider before you get started with writing your cover letter? In this guide, we will be covering the key ways to stand out from the other candidates. For even more tips and resources. check out our collection of occupation-specific writing guides with corresponding cover letter examples.
Best format for a graphic design cover letter
Your cover letter should allow you to tell your story, in a short succinct way that will lead readers into your CV.
These are the main elements you should include in your cover letter:
- The header (contact details etc)
- Greeting/salutation
- Cover letter introduction (a brief synopsis)
- Main body of the cover letter
- Conclusion and call-to-action
Our comprehensive cover letter guide provides in-depth advice on writing an effective cover letter that makes the most of each section.
Here is an adaptable cover letter example for a graphic designer that you can customize for your own employer-tailored version:
Dear Ms. Phipps,
In a world where attention is at a premium, award-winning graphics and show-stopping visuals are key to making customers stop and pay attention to the actual message. My 12 years of experience as a graphic designer have seen customers move onto social media and apps where — if they are not captivated — the swipe of a screen makes it so easy to move on.
The leading consumer and hospitality clients in your stable need to bring their brands to life with arresting visual designs. For that you need a graphic designer who can translate your creative concepts into graphic reality.
Having worked for your national competitors for many years, after my move to Boston, I want to make your clients swoon with the power and simplicity of my work. You are the only game in town for consumer advertising.
I have a BA in Graphic Design and am proficient in all major design, web, wireframe and multimedia software. Working on 120+ graphic design projects every year has led to a deep understanding of how exactly to get my clients' messages across. Teasing out the best ideas early in the process leads to competitor-crushing success along the line.
- The UX and GUI design of a hospitality website won a national advertising award.
- Packaging redesign of a baking brand resulted in a YOY sales uplift of +75%.
- Revamping social media visuals for a travel business resulted in +160% engagement.
- A playbook for all clients about graphics in SEM led to +21% incremental business.
- Typography and style sheets were adopted across 60 clients for my previous employer.
During an interview, I would love to discuss how my omnichannel visuals have transformed the fortunes of my past clients. I feel confident that I can do the same for your customers.
Sincerely,
Theodore Martin
Now let’s look at each of those cover letter example sections, one at a time.
Cover letter header
The cover letter header is simply where you place your contact details. The main ones being your telephone number and email address. If you have a relevant, up-to-date LinkedIn profile, it's a good idea to include the URL here. In addition, a link to your online portfolio of work samples, or a website for the same purpose, can appear here too.
Since you’re a graphic designer, your cover letter header may be the first introduction a hiring manager will have to your style and work. Make sure to keep it attractive and interesting without going over the top. See our graphic design cover letter sample above for more header inspiration.
The purpose of the cover letter header:This is a simple and attractive means of informing the reader who your cover letter belongs to and how they can get in touch with you.
Cover letter greeting
Believe it or not, the cover letter greeting can say a lot about how professional you are (or not, as the case may be)
It is perfectly natural to use ‘hi’ as a greeting in an email but with a cover letter, you should always use a more formal approach. If you know the name of the hiring manager, you may wish to use 'Dear Mr/Mrs/Ms. Surname.' If you are unsure of the recipient's name, you can simply write ‘Dear Recruitment Team’ or a similar pronoun greeting. See our cover letter example below for more greeting ideas.
The purpose of the letter greeting: This can set you off on the right path; always stick to a professional greeting.
Cover letter introduction
The hiring manager wants to know what makes you qualified to work as a graphic designer, so get to the heart of what makes you the perfect candidate.
The introduction should only be a couple of sentences long and should make an instant impact to motivate further reading.
The greeting and introduction from our graphic design cover letter sample appear below.
Dear Ms. Phipps,
In a world where attention is at a premium, award-winning graphics and show-stopping visuals are key to making customers stop and pay attention to the actual message. My 12 years of experience as a graphic designer have seen customers move onto social media and apps where — if they are not captivated — the swipe of a screen makes it so easy to move on.
Cover letter middle part (body)
The body of the cover letter is where you describe the most compelling aspects of your experience that will be attractive to the reader. It might include quantifiable statements such as how you have increased website visitors for a client or how many team members you have managed. There will be specific programs that the hiring manager will expect you to be familiar with, such as Adobe, and it might be worth mentioning them here so that this information stands out.
The purpose of the body of your cover letter: Answer these questions: What can you bring to the organisation? What are your key selling points to entice the hiring manager?
The greeting and introduction from our graphic design cover letter sample appear below
The leading consumer and hospitality clients in your stable need to bring their brands to life with arresting visual designs. For that you need a graphic designer who can translate your creative concepts into graphic reality.
Having worked for your national competitors for many years, after my move to Boston, I want to make your clients swoon with the power and simplicity of my work. You are the only game in town for consumer advertising.
I have a BA in Graphic Design and am proficient in all major design, web, wireframe and multimedia software. Working on 120+ graphic design projects every year has led to a deep understanding of how exactly to get my clients' messages across. Teasing out the best ideas early in the process leads to competitor-crushing success along the line.
- The UX and GUI design of a hospitality website won a national advertising award.
- Packaging redesign of a baking brand resulted in a YOY sales uplift of +75%.
- Revamping social media visuals for a travel business resulted in +160% engagement.
- A playbook for all clients about graphics in SEM led to +21% incremental business.
- Typography and style sheets were adopted across 60 clients for my previous employer.
How to close a graphic design cover letter (conclusion and sign-off)
Your conclusion/sign-off should leave the hiring manager with a desire to want to read more about you and should also reinforce your interest in the role. Leave the reader with no doubt that you are excited about the role, and that you look forward to hearing back. Be sure to include a call to action in that regard, perhaps even asking if you could follow up with a phone call to check in with the hiring manager.
In addition, briefly recap why you make an excellent candidate and add a brief note of thanks.
Then, simply sign off with “Sincerely,” “Best regards,” or “Best,” above your name.
The purpose of the conclusion: The hiring manager should be left with a desire to learn more about you, and also feel obligated to respond in some way rather than set your application aside to be forgotten..
Below is the closing section of our graphic design cover letter.
During an interview, I would love to discuss how my omnichannel visuals have transformed the fortunes of my past clients. I feel confident that I can do the same for your customers.
Sincerely,
Theodore Martin
Writing psychology: show your work ethic in your cover letter
It can be difficult to portray your work ethic in your cover letter, but it is important to get this across in one way or another. These are some key aspects to portray in your cover letter.
- Your approach to work and your desire to achieve positive results
- Aspirations and passion for working as a graphic designer
- Understanding of graphic design and what the client is looking to achieve.
Key takeaways for a graphic design cover letter
- A cover letter can help you stand out by highlighting the most important experience and achievements found on your CV while sharing hints of your personality and career story.
- A good cover letter should be no more than one page long so make sure that every word counts.
- The introduction is the most important cover letter section, as it should capture the hiring manager’s attention and encourage further reading.
- Always double-check your cover letter for spelling and grammar mistakes!
For more inspiration, check out these other cover letter examples and writing guides:
Architect cover letter example
Marketing cover letter example
Project manager cover letter example
