How Do You Become A Graphic Designer

Graphic design is the process of creating visual designs that connect brands with consumers. Graphic Designers are needed in every startup company. It is one of the fastest-growing industries today. But how do you become a graphic designer?

In this era of online marketing and advertising, the demand for graphic designers has increased a lot. It is one of the most well-paid jobs today.

Doesn’t matter, if you are a fresh graduate or a professional, it is never too late to become a freelancer in this field.

If you are a creative person with a will to design, then you are already halfway there. 

In this article, I am going to talk about the in-depth aspects of the graphic design field. You can follow these steps to become a successful graphic designer.

Pros and Cons of Becoming a Freelance Graphic Designer:

Pros:

• You can be your own boss
• You can work from anywhere in the world.
• Set up your own fees
• There is a high demand for good designers out there
• Work whenever you like to
• You can choose the projects you like
• You choose your clients

Cons:

• High Competition
• Irregular payments

What is the work of a graphic designer?

There are thousands of businesses and startups booming every day. Every new business requires branding, logo, and advertisement in the form of posters, brochures, and many more! It is one of the best fields to get paid for being creative.

As a Graphic Designer, you will have to handle the entire process of visualizing, preparing rough drafts, creating graphics, using appropriate colours, understanding the requirements of the clients and ensuring that the final design is visually appealing.

Do you need a degree?

No, Graphic Design is a creative field where you are selected based on your work. Your work is going to speak for you.

If you can create eye-catching graphics and are proficient in the software, then no one will ever ask you for a degree. 

If you want to work under some companies, then some of them might ask you for a degree. But, it’s your portfolio that matters the most.

You may or may not take any courses to become a freelance graphic designer. However, if you want professional training, you can take some courses on Skillshare. It is one of the best platforms for designers to get courses.

Salary:

According to Payscale the average salary of a Graphic Designer is $48,285/year. 

It is a field where you set up your own rates. Some designers charge about $30 an hour. At the same time, others charge around $150 an hour.

Salary depends upon your skills and experience. You can set your own salary.

How to Charge as a Graphic Designer?

How much you can charge depends on the type of project you are working on. 

As a beginner, you should charge based on your skills and talent. Suppose, you are a beginner who asked for $50 an hour which is not worth your skill or talent. If your portfolio is not that good, you will simply lose clients if your rates are high.

Tools Needed:

It is the first and foremost thing you need to do. Creating stunning designs that will speak to your audience is the key to success. There are certain software available in the market.

• Adobe Illustrator
• Adobe Indesign
• CorelDraw
• Adobe Acrobat

Specialize On A Niche:

Graphic Design itself is a broad topic. You can narrow your niche by mastering just two or three things. Some of the most in-demand services include logo and branding, UI/UX design, Social Media Content, Merchandise design, digital illustration etc.

Just select one or two of the topics you like and become a pro at it. It is easier to get clients when you narrow your niche and specialize in one topic.

Work As An Intern For a Couple Of Months:

This is one of the most boring times of the process, I know! But, it is important. 

It is because no job equals experience and no experience equals no job

This is the scenario in every field. Even as a beginner, people expect you to have some experience in a particular field.

That is the reason why people work for free for a few months in the beginning. 

Getting your first client is not an easy task. When you are just starting out as a newbie, you cannot expect people to trust you with grand projects.

Hence, before becoming a freelancer, it is very important to work under a company to know how things work.

This will not only make you more experienced but also a good plus point on your resume.

Build your Portfolio:

After you have mastered the software and worked as an intern on some projects, it is time to build your portfolio. 

There are two ways how you can do so. Either you can go for Behance and Dribble to showcase your work. Or, you can create your own portfolio website. Showcasing your work on your own website would make you look more professional.

How To Find Freelance Graphic Designer Jobs

There are so many free platforms out there where you can get your very first client.

1)Find work on Behance:

Go to the homepage of Behance and click on “Jobs” on the top left side of the screen.

Here you can find plenty of remote freelance design work. You can choose the country where you want to work. Usually, freelance design works are all remote.

2) Sell gigs on Fiverr:

Fiverr is another popular platform where you can offer your services globally. You can sell gigs on Fiverr. 

Some of the in-demand gigs are:

1. Logo Design
2. Packaging Design
3. T-shirts and Merchandise
4. Packaging Design
5. Album Cover Design
6. Resume Design
7. Invitation design and so much more!

3) Find a job on Linkedin:

LinkedIn is the go-to place if you are looking for a full-time job or freelance work. There are countless opportunities for a Graphic Designer.

Even companies like Google, Microsoft, Facebook and Apple hire freelance designers and animators. Your work has to be exceptional to get noticed by them.

To increase your chances of getting hired by the top companies, you can increase your connections on Linkedin and reach out to the HRs directly.

4)Facebook Groups:

There are so many design groups on Facebook where you can find work. Try to join as many design groups as possible.

Generally, the clients post the job description on the groups and you can comment with your hourly rate and portfolio or you can directly discuss the details with the person on messages.

5) Send Emails:

This works wonders for me. Instead of just applying from the websites, you can directly mail the client with your portfolio and other details.

Your portfolio is what the clients are looking for. In some cases, the years of experience matters too

Some other places to get clients are:

• Glassdoor
• Upwork
• PeoplePerHour

Make Sure To Get Paid:

A lot of the freelancers out there get cheated as the field is very unstructured. There are many people out there who completed their projects on time but never got paid by the clients.

Hence, most of the established freelancers charge an advance payment and then start the work. However, as a beginner, no one will be willing to make an advanced payment.

But, here is one thing that you can do to get paid on time:

Do 30% of the work. Then ask for 30% of the payment. If the person likes your work and pays you, you can continue with the work.

This is to ensure that the client is genuine and you are not wasting your time.

There will be days when you won’t get any work and there will be days when you will be flooded with projects such that you have to reject some offers.

Build Positive Relationships With Clients:

Getting nightmare clients is very common but make sure to maintain a good relationship with the client. If you are a beginner.

I suggest you overdeliver on your first few projects. If the client is happy with your work, he might recommend you to other people in need of a graphic designer.

There will be tough times when you will run out of clients which will make you doubt yourself. This is quite normal in freelancing.

At times you will overflow with projects. Some other times you won’t get a single client. Remember, it is your love for design that will get you going.

The Bottom Line:

The field of Graphic Design is full of possibilities. If you have the proper skill set, you can find high-paying clients and make a living from them. Hopefully, this article will be of great help to you.

There will be tough times when you will run out of clients which will make you doubt yourself. This is quite normal in freelancing.

At times you will overflow with projects. Some other times you won’t get a single client. Remember, it is your love for your work that will get you going.

Don’t be afraid to start small. Those baby steps are all worth the effort. Success won’t happen overnight. Hustle every day and one day you will be there where you want to be!