How to become a freelance graphic designer uk

How to become a freelance graphic designer uk

Posted: Oksana On: 10.06.2017

Save the date for Brooklyn Art Council's annual benefit to be held on Tuesday, April 29, at Giando on the Water. Group exhibition featuring artwork by 14 Brooklyn artists commemorating the 1st anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. Some might be surprised at seeing this occupation on a list of art careers, but unlike what many may think, web design is a creative job with lots of room for imagination.

You will need to understand the technical side of things in addition to being creative, but this versatile career will allow you to develop and apply skills such as marketing, user experience, design, art, visual effects, and technology.

While it can be an exciting path to choose, it is also one of the few creative options that could offer financial stability, a competitive salary, and good market projections for the future.

How to Become a Freelance Graphic Designer - Easy Accountancy - Accountants for Freelancers, Sole traders and SME's

Having said this, web design is also extremely demanding, and there is more competition in the field every day. If you choose this career you will always need to be updating your skills and following the latest technology and design trends. But first, take a look at this infographic to get an idea on what the industry looks like today.

I have a B. When I left college, I was asked to go back to teach 2 days a week at the London College of Printing. At the same time, I was also working for Electronic Arts producing 3D graphics and game development.

I did this for just under a year before I was head hunted and asked to join a creative and marketing studio. AroundI designed my first website, and by I was producing websites in Cyber Studio, later to become Dreamweaver and Flash.

Today, I produce websites using CMS systems like Joomla and WordPress along with many other platforms.

how to become a freelance graphic designer uk

I love the energy when designing and developing new websites full of graphics and functionality. Making websites that not only look good but that also deliver results. Make sure you study graphic design, layout proportions, and color. There are many layers that make up a good website. Design, layout and typography, optimization images, and meta details. Begin practicing early Start with an image editor such as Photoshop and design a series of buttons and icons.

Install the basic version of either Joomla or WordPress CMS systems. You can learn from trial and error. Just make sure you backup and check every change. I have a degree in Public Relations from Mount Saint Vincent University in Nova Scotia, Canada. I have worked for some great companies in web design and project management.

When I had children I decided to freelance, which was the best decision I ever made. I always did freelance work on the side, even in college, so that was easy for me.

Jacob Cass - Graphic Designer - New York, USA | JUST™ Creative

I love my clients, my specialty is helping smaller businesses grow and flourish to compete with the larger businesses, because there is room for everyone, even the small guy. I love working with small chains and decentralized businesses helping them bring it all together; using that combined presence to help them grow.

There is not much I dislike! I rarely have difficult clients, but I pick and choose carefully the people I work with.

I wish I had moved to San Francisco in the early days when the forex trading training trendline dot. I would still love to spend time there; I love it, and being Canadian, I am frankly tired of snow!

I know wherever I go, I can bring my business and my career with me, how to become a freelance graphic designer uk or warm. Versatility is key Not everyone who is in this field is trained in art and graphics. That is why I feel many designers miss out on taking up this career.

Also, marketing and writing are super important skills, because just designing a website for a company is not really enough.

They want it to be a marketing vehicle. Have a focus If you like web design, you need to pick the part you like. Do you like how to make money recycling soda cans or do you prefer the UI part.

I think it is oddsmaker free money to be excellent at both, although some people are.

However, if you are a freelancer, you have to do both until you can find someone to work with. If you have a flair for design and marketing and get bored doing just one thing, web design is a great career, because you get to do a bit of it all.

Graphic Design Jobs. Graphic Designer Careers

To begin with, design your own website. Design websites for friends and how to become a freelance graphic designer uk members to get experience. My educational background is actually in music — I have a B.

I started doing some freelance work on the side, and after working with one of my favorite independent artists, I realized that this was definitely what I wanted to do. My days are split between designing, invoicing, communicating with clients and potential clients via email and Skype, updating my social media profiles, and troubleshooting.

I love the variation and I think it really helps to keep things interesting! I love working with musicians and independent artists — I get so much satisfaction from helping them with their branding and their online presence. I wish I would have known just how to calculate preferred stock issued important relationships are. You can never underestimate how far a positive business relationship will go.

Learn and enjoy My advice would be that you have to enjoy it. You have to be willing to put in a lot of work, and you have to be interested in learning all the time since things are always changing. The Internet is such a great resource. I think in many ways, the best education comes from experience. Use networks for opportunities My big suggestion would be to always be on the lookout for opportunities and take the ones that feel right to you.

Take advantage of social media — Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn can be great places to find potential clients. Ask around; see if any local organizations or businesses need help with their websites. This is another career on our list that does not have a definitive education path. While many recommend formal education, others say that this is not necessary and a portfolio is everything. The truth is, you have a few options when it comes to becoming a web designer.

You can go to university or college and simply get a degree in web design. While this is the obvious choice if you already know that it is what you want your career to be, it is still a good idea to do a lot of self-learning, since you will need an extensive portfolio once you are searching for a job or clients.

You also have the option of studying something else, which can be related or not. For example, good program options could be computer science, arts, design, graphic design, marketing, and business.

how to become a freelance graphic designer uk

Having said this, you will need to invest a lot more time in online tutorials and practice hours in order to get all the aspects of web design. And, of course, you can just choose the DIY path.

In this case, it is the obviously cheaper option, but you need to be sure that you have enough self discipline and perseverance to learn online and do a lot of trial and error without external help.

No matter the path you take to become a web designer, you will need to learn some aspects of programming, graphic design, user experience, accessibility and usability, marketing and sales, as well as have a creative spark that will allow you to make websites that are fresh, exciting, and customer-friendly.

So, as you might have already guessed, the most important thing for a web designer to land jobs is his or her portfolio. You can have a degree from the top school in the world, but if no one likes your work, then no one with hire you either.

Design your own website. Brand yourself that way. Help your family and friends out by doing websites for them for free, or for a fraction of the price a website would actually cost.

Volunteer for non-for-profit organizations and design for them.

how to become a freelance graphic designer uk

This will both help you get a portfolio and perfect your work. On the other hand, you will need to network. Have your business cards on hand, have screen shots of your websites on your smart phone, and update your portfolio constantly so you can send it right away when someone asks for it. Who knows what other type of platform will be needed in the future!

Currently On-view at BAC Gallery Group exhibition featuring artwork by 14 Brooklyn artists commemorating the 1st anniversary of Superstorm Sandy. More Info More Info. WHAT THE EXPERTS ARE SAYING. David Wickstead Holywell Design and Print. Quick Look Bio Name: Years in the Industry: David Wickstead Oxford and Reading, UK 24 Holywell Design and Print Wickodesign. Lysa Miller Southborough, MA 18 Ladybugz Interactive Agency LadybugzInc. Advice Versatility is key Not everyone who is in this field is trained in art and graphics.

Ross Barber Owner of Electric Kiwi. Ross Barber Glasgow, Scotland 3 Owner of Electric Kiwi ElectricKiwi. Advice Learn and enjoy My advice would be that you have to enjoy it. What Kind of Education Do I Need to Become a Web Designer?

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