Billboard Designer Job Description

Billboard designers are involved in conceptualizing advertising campaigns for use on roadside billboards. Billboard designers may also be involved in the creation of internet banner advertisements, or e-billboards.

Billboard designers typically work with a team of advertising professionals, although some operate as freelance designers or independent contractors for several advertising companies.

Typical Job Duties

• Must be proficient in graphic design or computer aided design

• Billboard designers choose colours and images with high contrast levels to attract viewers

• Designers typically supply small-scale sketches of the billboard for the client to approve before the final billboard goes up

• Digital billboard designers have to make their billboards stand out with use of exciting graphics and images

How to Get Started as a Billboard Designer

Becoming a billboard designer is very similar to becoming a graphic designer; only you have the advantage of having a specific career focus in mind.

Prior to landing a job as a billboard designer, you must ensure that you have honed your style as a designer. You must have enough knowledge and practice under your belt to have your work easily recognized as your own.

During the process of developing your signature style, you should collect your best pieces, and put them into a portfolio, as this will serve as your visual resume. Despite the importance of having a distinct visual style, it’s also important to assemble a portfolio that showcases different styles, as it will demonstrate your versatility.

It’s key to find as much work as you can in order to develop a strong portfolio and resume; develop business cards for friends of yours that run their own business – big or small; create promotional materials for friends who play in a band; anything to help you build your portfolio. Be sure to include links to websites or social media pages you will want a prospective employer to see.

Once your portfolio is prepared, you may begin searching for jobs with billboard design and advertising companies. You can begin by checking job search websites as well as the “careers” section of billboard company and advertising company websites. If these methods fail, try contacting the hiring managers of these companies directly and introduce yourself, as well as your interest in becoming a member of their team.

Scholarships for Becoming a Billboard Designer

The Applicable Majors section below shows fields of study relevant to a career as a Billboard Designer. You can search for scholarships matched to those fields of study on our All Scholarships by Major page.

Success Tip: Be sure to apply for any scholarships that you even barely qualify for, as there are millions of dollars of scholarships that go unused every year due to a lack of applicants!