Freelance Graphic Designer With Marketing Experience
Career review from a person working in the job
How I Got The Job
My Education: Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration - Columbia College Bachelor of Arts in Visual Communication with a concentration in Graphic Design - Savannah College of Art and Design (still Attending)
My Prior Experience: Public Relations, Marketing at a speedway
Social Media Analyst
Marketing & Sales Intern at a speedway
Promotions & Marketing Specialist at a radio station
My Job Profile
My Company: I do freelance graphic design. I design brochures, newsletters, and business identity products such as letterheads, business cards, and envelopes. I make promotional materials, book covers, CD covers, and promotional artwork combined with visual communications material.
Job/Career Overview: It is a graphic designer's responsibility to understand that while designing graphics is important and you can create something that looks stellar, you must also be able to communicate visually. If you cannot get the intended message across to the viewer, then you have failed as a designer.
You must be able to communicate a message. You are trying to motivate a viewer or consumer. You must be able to get them to act, react, or understand. You have to be able to entice a consumer to buy. You have to be able to make someone understand complicated subjects by using easy to understand graphics. You must be able to invoke emotion by using more than words. If you can accomplish these things in a visually aesthetic way, then you will be a better graphic designer. Combine the principles of design like balance, harmony, color, typography, symmetry, texture and more with an easily understandable message and you will get your message across in an effective way.
Love It? Hate It?
I rate this career 7 out of 10.
What I Love or Hate
The best part of being a Freelance Graphic Designer is being able to be your own boss. You have creative freedom over your thought process and your work direction. However, you have to understand that sometimes your vision will not match your client's vision or needs and you have to compromise.
Also, as a freelance graphic designer you will have to be proactive about finding work and understanding legal and financial contracts and obligations. You will not have a boss telling you when something is due. You have to make sure your bills are paid, your clients are happy, and you have done everything necessary, both financially and legally.
My Career Tips
Make sure that you absorb all the graphic design courses that you can. It also might be helpful to take photography and web design classes as well. You would be amazed at how often those things overlap. A graphic designer who can also be a photographer or a web designer is invaluable and you open yourself up for a lot more job opportunities.
It's also important to be good at proof reading.
Lastly, make sure that if you become a freelancer, that you understand business objectives, laws, and regulations. You need to be good at handling money, understanding the law, and planning for future endeavors. Design jobs don't fall in your lap. You have to go out and find them.
