The duties of a graphic design lecturer depend a great deal upon the type of work performed, such as teaching or working at a speaking engagement. A “lecturer” can often refer to someone employed by a college or university to teach, though not in a tenure-track position. In this capacity, a graphic design lecturer typically prepares lessons on a wide range of issues in graphic design and teaches those lessons to students. There are also lecturers who do not teach in a classroom but instead present information at conferences or workshops, which may be somewhat similar but are often intended for a different type of audience.
A graphic design lecturer at a college typically performs many of the same tasks as a professor. Such a lecturer is not usually on track for tenure, however, though this depends upon the school at which he or she teaches. This means that a graphic design lecturer is likely to remain at a particular school and teach, but does not usually gain tenure unless he or she further advances into a professorship.
The responsibilities of a graphic design lecturer often center on the classes he or she teaches, and preparation for teaching lessons in them. Depending on the school, such a lecturer might create his or her own curriculum or use an overall plan for the course provided by the school. Individual unit and lesson plans are often created by the lecturer, however, who then teaches the lessons to the class through different methods. A graphic design lecturer usually creates and administers tests and gives various assignments to allow students to demonstrate understanding and mastery of different design principles.
There are also other types of graphic design lecturer, such as those who give lectures on different subjects within graphic design at conferences or workshops. A lecturer in this type of environment usually creates a presentation or lesson, depending on the nature of his work, to provide new information to those in attendance. At a conference, for example, a lecturer might discuss new developments that have been made in using computer software for graphic design, or help new designers learn different ways to break into the industry.
A graphic design lecturer at a workshop, on the other hand, is likely to work much more like a teacher and present a lesson. Attendees usually know the subject of the workshop beforehand, and choose to attend based on their needs. The lecturer presents information for those at the workshop, giving them individual instruction as required, and providing handouts and other materials to help them develop their skills afterward.