From a very young age, I was creative. My favorite subject in school was art. My parents thought that I would become an art curator or an art teacher when I grew up. However, I also loved working on the computer. For me, becoming a graphic designer was a natural career.
Depending on the job, I will create various concepts by hand or using computer software. In order to learn more about graphic design, I attended the Royal Academy of Art. Here, they taught me more about software, print layouts, production designs, marketing, and more. This knowledge, combined with my artistic talents, has led me to become a graphic designer.
I started out by working with large corporations. I was on their payroll, producing exactly what they wanted. I worked with a team of other graphic designers in order to provide visual concepts that would inform and captivate potential customers. Particularly within the Forex industry, I created advertisements and brochures. This would educate people about the trading platforms as well as show them the different features that were available to them. Every now and then, my graphic design team would also create ads that would go into magazines and be shared on various websites.
I enjoyed working as a graphic designer for a corporation. However, I felt like my creative freedom was stunted. Some of the other graphic designers wanted to take projects in other directions that I disagreed with. Further, I was only working within the Forex industry, which became dull.
It wasn’t long before I decided that it was time to move on. I didn’t want to work with a nether large corporation. This is when I decided that becoming a freelance graphic designer was the best option for me. It turned out to be the best move I could have ever made for my career. Some of my friends were already freelance writers and web designers, so they showed me what I needed to do. Their guidance made it easier to gain confidence when building my client base.
Luckily, I had already done a lot of work as a graphic designer. It made it possible for me to create a stunning portfolio to show potential clients what I could do for them. Soon, I was collecting clients from around the globe. While I have a handful of clients that are right here in the Netherlands, the majority of my clients are in the UK, the United States, and Australia. I also have a few throughout Germany and France.
If you are ever looking at getting involved in becoming a freelance graphic designer, I recommend focusing on an area of specialty. This can be within a specific industry or a specific type of graphics that you will produce. For example, you may want to focus on logo design, print design for brochures, or online graphics that can be used in social media ads and directly on websites. For me, I focus predominantly on online graphics, though I have the skills to provide layout and production designs for print, too.
Additionally, I find that it is important to treat every client as though they were your only one. The majority of my clients have been through word-of-mouth. One customer is happy with my work so they recommend me to others. Next thing I know, I have more clients than I had ever hoped for. It allows me to have a steady income, especially because many clients will take time off once I have delivered a large project to them.
Knowing about marketing concepts and trends also makes it easier to give my clients something that they are truly happy with. I have found that when clients make more money, I make more money, too. I strive to make sure that my clients have graphics that will help to captivate consumers towards their brand. I’m happy to do any research needed in order to deliver on my promise.
At this point, I can’t imagine doing anything other than freelance graphic design. I enjoy being my own boss and wouldn’t want to work for anyone else at this point. Perhaps, one day, I will open a graphic design office where I can have other graphic designers working for me. This would certainly be a hefty goal, though I’m not sure if I really want to be the boss of anyone, either. For now, I’m thrilled with what I do and my clients love the work that I produce for them.