What You Really Need To Know To Be A Successful Freelance Designer

By noam46

1. Brand yourself. Practically any company or group falls apart without an established style. Without an impressive personalized logo you will simply fade into the background where literally hundreds of freelance designers wander.

2. Make an effective web portfolio. It is nearly impossible to be successful in graphic or web design without having an impressive online presence. Any potential clients or bosses will wish to see your work and most of them will want to type in a URL and click what they need to see.

3. Create an equally effective print portfolio, business cards, resume, etc. This is somewhat a combination of the previous 2 steps. Make sure you create a formidable tangible portfolio that you could give to those who want to see your work "in person". Also use your branding and identity to create business cards, stationery, et cetera. Any time you could slap your very own personal logo on something, do it.

4. Be brave, bold, and professional. Don't be afraid to call people, offer services, email businesses and more. Recently, I was printing a job for a customer and at the printing shop, a person complimented me on the design of the piece. After engaging in friendly exchange, he asked me for some recommendations on the piece he was printing for his own business. Although I was short on time, I was happy to help him and when I got ready to leave, I offered my future services then gave him a card. Have faith that people will appreciate your skills.

5. Go the extra mile for your clients. Word of mouth is the most important tool you have. Nothing could help you or hurt you more than rumors and compliments shared by other people for whom you have done work before. About 90% of the freelance work I complete comes from word-of-mouth advertising.

6. Take the small jobs first. Doing well at a small job for someone may also help open doors for your customer to do bigger, better things. I entered a logo contest for a specific organization and out of the four logos I entered, two tied for first place pick. They were so impressed, I offered to design their website also. Related offers can be made for an organization's stationery, business cards, etc. Find an area of interest and then take courage and offer more.

7. Do not underestimate yourself. This goes along with Number 4. Be sure to believe in yourself. No one will ever get a designer that thinks he might not do as good a job as the next guy. Make sure you reflect your confidence in your pricing. If your work is great, charge good money for it.

8. Network. Graphic and web design are rapidly changing. Every day new techniques and styles are made and the designer found sleeping on the job is left in the dust. Join social networks like twitter, linkedin, fb, digg, and more. Start a blog and frequently add meaningful comments on others' blogs. Making a reputation for yourself in the design world takes a while but can be accomplished using social networking resources.

9. Practice, practice, practice. Nothing will help you increase in confidence and skill more than practice. If work is a little bit slow, nail down some of those private projects you've been meaning to accomplish. Join a group at school or in the community where you can freshen your abilities. Engage in design forums, contests, and workshops. Nothing can take the place of real life application and experience.

10. Pay attention. I like to bring a small note pad around with me. Whenever I see an advertisement, photograph, building, person, etc. that influences my creative thinking.

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