Understanding the Scope: What Your Graphic Designer Actually Does (And What They Don’t)

When Your Designer Becomes Your Marketing Assistant (By Accident)

Let’s talk about something that happens way too often in the creative world — the blurring of lines between graphic designer and… well, everything else.

If you’re a designer, you’ve probably experienced it.
If you’ve hired a designer, maybe you’ve done it without even realising.

Here’s how it usually goes:

You start working with a graphic designer (hello, that’s me 👋), and things are going great — you’re collaborating on logos, templates, signage, maybe even a brand refresh. And then, somewhere along the way, things start to shift.

“Hey, can you just set up that Mailchimp account real quick?”
“Could you order the office flyers from Vistaprint?”
“Can you post this to our socials with the right hashtags?”
“Do you mind liaising with the printer and the web host and the guy who manages our inbox while you’re at it?”

And just like that — poof — your designer has become your marketing assistant, admin support, VA, IT help desk, and office manager.

Why This Happens

The design industry is full of talented people who wear many hats — and many of us do offer multi-disciplinary services. But every designer structures their business differently. Some handle your social media. Some build websites. Some write copy or coordinate print production.

Me? I’m a graphic designer, illustrator, and creative partner. That’s where I’m at my best — collaborating with you to build a cohesive brand, designing visuals that actually work, and making sure everything we create feels like you. And while I’ve been doing this for over 10 years (so yes, I can give helpful advice on software, systems, or even what print specs to use), that doesn’t mean I can run the behind-the-scenes tasks of your business for you.

What I Do Offer

✨ Visual storytelling that aligns with your brand values
✨ Custom design solutions that make running your business easier
✨ Thoughtful collaboration that respects your goals and your voice
✨ Creative problem-solving to bring clarity and consistency to your brand

What I Don’t Offer

🚫 Setting up your tech platforms or marketing tools
🚫 Managing your social media accounts or email lists
🚫 Organising your print production (unless it’s part of a larger project and agreed in advance)
🚫 Taking over admin or VA-style tasks

So, what’s the takeaway?

Designers aren’t a one-size-fits-all service. If you're working with a designer, it’s always worth checking what their scope includes — and respecting that. And if you’re the designer reading this: it’s okay to set those boundaries clearly.

For me, I want to stay in the space I love most: supporting my clients as a creative ally, helping them bring their brand to life visually, and ensuring the tools we design together actually work for the way they run their business.

No admin hat required. Just a sketchbook, some solid design skills, and a whole lot of passion for making your brand unforgettable.