Graphic design blog

​Freelance design tips to help you become more a more successful & effective freelance designer

As a designer with over 15 years in the commercial design industry I have fulfilled many roles and obtained lots of valuable commercial experience on a wide range of projects for many kinds of clients. I would describe myself as multichannel designer, as I produce design work across print, web, social and mobile channels. In my career so far  I've worked as a freelance designer with my own direct clients and for agencies/marketing companies, both externally & in-house. I've also worked as an employee at various levels of seniority for some prestigious design & marketing agencies. 

As you would expect, over the years I have gained quite a bit of experience in the design world, working as both a freelance designer and employee, and as time goes by you do learn more and become more effective at what you do, and any budding freelancer will improve over time too. Below are a few tips I'd like to share that have been important fro me as a freelance designer, and I have listed some that are fairly well-known and some that are maybe a little less obvious….
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How to create a career for yourself in the graphic design world 

I occasionally get other designers and students asking me questions like how I managed to make a career in the graphic/web design world, or how I managed to become a designer or get freelance work etc, so I thought I would share some of my experience and insights in this article, in the hope that others can learn from my experiences and implement things which gives them a greater chance of working in an area they want to get involved in and are passionate about. 

As a designer with over 15 years in the commercial design industry I have fulfilled many roles and obtained lots of valuable commercial experience on a wide range of projects for many kinds of clients. Generally, I've worked as a freelance designer with my own direct clients and for agencies/marketing companies, both externally & in-house. I've also worked as an employee for some fairly prestigious design & marketing agencies. Experience is key - and fortunately I've got quite a bit now, and I would even go as far to say that to describe myself as purely just a graphic or web designer is a little limiting now - I guess a multi-channel designer & marketeer is a more apt term as I work across many channels including print, web, email, mobile & social, and sometimes on certain projects/campaigns I don't even design anything - it's all about the planning, strategy & marketing. I think the fact I've added quite a few strings to my 'design bow' is because I'm someone who is always trying to learn and expand my knowledge & skill set, and I guess this is an essential attribute to have in the fast paced, ever evolving design & digital industries.