How Mateo’s resume is built
Type, not decoration
Mateo Rossi, a fictional designer in Milan, uses Specimen: his name in large Bricolage Grotesque, the rest in one column of Inter. Designers are tempted by sidebars, icons and skill bars. Those often break when a parser reads the PDF, and skill bars say nothing a reader can check. A confident name and clean hierarchy show taste without the risk.
Count the work
His bullets read like a project list with numbers: identities for 9 food and drink brands including packaging for 40 products, print files with zero reprints in two years, and 3 product shoots plus a 64-page catalogue. Print production is a skill studios hire for, and "zero reprints" is the evidence for it. The junior role is one line about a monthly magazine and its social posts.
Format for Europe
The Europe preset sets A4 paper and numeric dates, and adds nationality to the personal details. Mateo lists Italian and English with a CEFR level, and his ADI shortlist sits in an Awards section where it can't be missed.
Words to use
This page is about layout and bullets. For the skills, tools and verbs that recur in job posts, see the graphic designer resume keywords.
Graphic designer resume questions
Should my resume look as designed as my portfolio?
It should look cared for, but the portfolio does the showing. Keep one text column so job portals read it in order, and put the visual work behind the link in your contact line.
Can I add a photo?
Dossier's templates do not support photos yet. In Italy and much of Europe a photo is optional, and many design studios do not expect one.
Do shortlists count as awards?
Yes, if you name them accurately. The sample writes "shortlist" in the award title so nobody reads it as a win.
Should I list software?
Yes, briefly. The sample groups design skills and tools separately: Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop and Figma in one short row.