Each profession has its own characteristics that allow you to apply specific skills. Like any other profession.graphic designIt not only has advantages but also disadvantages. We will look at them briefly in this article.
If you decide to venture into this realm, it pays to look at both sides of the coin. This will allow you to prepare for difficulties that will arise in the future. Here we cover the pros and cons of working as a graphic designer. Learning more about them will help you make an informed decision about how to move in that direction.
Benefits of working as a freelance graphic designer
Use the creative and analytical potential.
graphic designToday is not just about pictures. The development of marketing, behavioral psychology, and the growth of competition lead to the improvement of all trade-related industries. Particularly,graphic design.
Today's designers solve a huge list of questions. A professional designer considers the task defined by the business objectives of the client and the characteristics of the audience. For example, heat maps, information perception details, the impact of text placement on CTR.
Modern design requires breadth and depth of thought. It is an extremely balanced race. As a designer, you can think creatively and analytically at the same time.
You determine the price of the work.
This benefit is one of the most important, especially for people who have already worked in the company's team and felt that the salary was not up to their efforts or expectations. As a freelancer, you determine the price yourself for each individual project. This provides flexibility and allows you to change the size of the reward depending on the complexity of the task.
The positive effect of this article can be maximized by specialists who managed to recommend themselves well. With a constant stream of orders, it's easy to turn down offers with insufficient compensation.
You decide who you work with.
People are different. It's not nice for us to interact with everyone. That's normal. But office work excludes the possibility of completely cutting off communication - you need to deal with the problem within the project.
Nevertheless,freelancerthey are not subject to the limitations of corporate ethics or team spirit. So they choose who to work with. It won't be easy at first. However, over time you will form your own criteria and become more demanding with customers.
you can work anywhere
Employees come to the office at set times every day. For some people it means an organized life, while for others it brings unwanted limitations. After becoming a freelancergraphic designer, you can work remotely. The office space will look messy.remote employmenttransform any place into a workplace, for example, your home, coffee shop or coworking space.
Freelancing offers exceptional flexibility in the workplace. All you need is a laptop, a power outlet, and WiFi. In fact, you can work while traveling the world. As long as you have access to the above three things, you have your own workspace.
You can organize not only the place, but also the work process yourself. Some of your work can also be optimized and use the servicecreativefabrica.comwhere to buy graphics
Flexible working hours
Some people are comfortable staying up late and waking up around lunchtime. Others prefer to start the day at six in the morning. Biorhythms can be very different. A freelance graphic designer can customize his own work schedule in the most convenient way.
There may be some restrictions if you are aremote workers🇧🇷 The company may request to keep in touch during a certain period of the day. So you have to adapt. Otherwise, you can create a work schedule at your own discretion.
Do you remember the Pareto Law? 20% of the effort delivers 80% of the result. This law is more relevant here than ever. Freelancers don't needto worka certain number of hours. Only completed tasks are important. Try to finish them early and be free for the rest of the day.
Pitfalls as a freelance graphic designer
be the head of a small business
Yes, you need to be a marketer, executor, manager, attorney, and accountant all rolled into one. Also, since they don't deliver, you have to negotiate, keep track of payments, set prices, and motivate the main contractor (yourself). And all this must be done independently.
Some roles or tasks can be challenging. Therefore, it is worth preparing mentally in advance, because you will face a lot of problems. Especially financially and legally.
The problem becomes less critical when you look at it from a different angle. As a freelance designer, you broaden your skills considerably. Eventually, you will begin to be interested in more than just the intricacies ofProjectbut also in organizational matters.
You also need to make sure that your communication with customers is accurate. This means that there should be no typos in the emails, on the website and in the portfolio. For this, it is better to use services such asgrammarianmityping tigers🇧🇷 This ensures a positive impression of you as a professional. Use only good quality private photos. You can always improve the quality of photos using the services:icons8.com/upscaleroimageupscaler.com🇧🇷 It is useful for any designer to take screenshots for clients, there is a good tool:Aiseesoft Screen Recorder
The risk of dizzying editions
The difficulty with any creative profession is that the tasks involved seem simple to the layman. So some edits are not a problem right? Actually yes. Adjustments are common practice.
However, if the customer is a middle manager in a large company, "some editions" are provided at each level of the hierarchy. As a result, making adjustments requires more time and energy than creating the original design.
To avoid this, set limits in advance. At the stage of initiation of cooperation, indicate:
● number of editions specified by the price;
● Execution conditions (this protects against situations like "an urgent patch").
Furthermore, compliance with these rules is your responsibility. Of course, the client can ask for "some change". However, it is crucial to value his own time and effort. To be safe, save modified versions of the graphics file until the project is completely closed. If necessary, you can send them again.
incomprehensible changes
Design is all about visualizing ideas. What is a great challenge? People cannot always adequately express the thought that has arisen in their minds, and the designer has to create a visual embodiment. Is not easy.
Many people believe that design is an easy job. Maybe that's why they give vague suggestions for changes. For example, they ask "playFuentes🇧🇷 Such an observation has no constructive value. There is no understanding of what result is needed.
However, these comments reach the designers. Especially at the beginning of your career. As you gain experience, you'll begin to understand how to play around with fonts. Also, learn to choose your clients carefully. Thus, you will start collaborating with people whose opinions are close to you.
Sometimes you won't like the results of your work
A graphic designer is an artist. Therefore, the main guiding principle of the work is less the internal sense of beauty than the demands of the client. Sometimes they can seem weird or ridiculous.
The client may like a design option that they would never have decided on. However, if the customer likes it, you've done a good job. It is worth preparing for it as an integral part of the work. Graphic design is not about creating beauty. It is the development of graphic elements for companies. From time to time you may not like them wholeheartedly because you feel the results could be better. In these cases, think about the client's goals, not the client's feelings.
conclusions
Graphic design is a professional direction that allows you to use your own creativity and knowledge to your advantage. So for many people it's perfect. However, there are also disadvantages in this work. That doesn't mean you should give up on your dream. No, just pay attention to the light and dark sides, and if the positives outweigh the potential pitfalls and problems, be prepared and nothing will stop you.
About the Author: Kevin White is a freelance writer with a passion for new web technologies, web design, and marketing strategies. Always looking for new paths for personal and professional growth, he believes in the importance of always being up-to-date and up-to-date.
cover photo ofUrban Pack at the Ouch Illustration Library
Learn more about theThe Best Interpersonal Skills for UX Designers, check theThe definitive guide to becoming a graphic designer., To verifyhow to expand as a freelance designer around the world, zHow to deal with toxic customers.