Graphic Designer jobs as a Freelancer

Whether you are just starting or you are already in the industry, you must be aware of the importance and demand for graphic designers in today’s digital epoch. Nowadays, the career opportunities for graphic designers are endless.  Each business needs to show up online. They require visual communication through the use of photography, iconography, typography, and illustration on the web. It is where graphic designers come to play.

Many firms are already hiring full-time graphic designers to work for their organization’s digital front. You got lucky if you have found a permanent position in an organization for yourself. However, with the advancement in technology, one of the most robust ways to work as a graphic designer is to work as a freelancer. Surprisingly, you can become a self-employed freelancer while simply go on working for an organization as well. You can multiply your earnings by manifolds by working as a self-employed freelancer.

Graphic designing comes second to none if we talk about the most desirable freelancing niches. There is no fixed graphic designer salary. As a freelancer, you can earn as much as you need and want. Freelancing as a graphic designer comes up with many advantages. Let’s have a look at a few benefits of freelancing!

Benefits of Freelancing

1. Work Flexibility – The first benefit of freelancing is that you can work wherever and whenever you feel like. You can make your timelines and choose your working hours. As a freelancer, you can get zizz until noon and take the days off to go on vacation. Instead of working in regular business hours, you can opt for working in your most productive hours. You are the BOSS!
2. You Gain All the Profits – The best thing about freelancing is that not only do you get all the payments but set the rates for the projects you do for the clients. No need to work on flat rates anymore. Wow! What more one can wish for!
3. Control over Clients and Jobs – With a conventional way of working for an organization, you have no choice of when and who to work with. Many times you get stuck with rude or unprofessional clients. However, as a freelancer, you have all the control over your clients. It is you who decide with whom to work or not. If you don’t connect well with a client for their payment or business philosophies or simply you don’t like their personality, you can pass on their work opportunity to someone else and wish them luck. Things are as easy as this!

In the following, we have put the details regarding graphic designer jobs, graphic designer salary, graphic designer resume, and graphic designing portfolio.

Graphic Designer Jobs

It is no surprise that graphic design relates to a plethora of different fields. A graphic designer needs to conceive visual concepts using hands or computer software, to communicate the ideas that captivate, inform, or inspire consumers. Among the top graphic designer jobs include Web Designer, Multimedia Designer, Brand Identity Designer, Logo Designer, Creative/Art Director, Flash Designer, Layout Artist, and Photo Editing/Photoshop Artist.

1. Web Designer

One of the top graphic designer jobs is web designing. It is about creating the web pages, graphics, and layout for websites. The need for skillful web designers is more than ever during recent years. Well-trained and competent web designers are in high demand.

2. Multimedia Designer

Multimedia designing is among the most demanded and common graphic designer jobs. A multimedia designer requires to use the design, sound, and art skills to create audios, videos, and animated images. Also, they produce scale models, drawings, sketches, and plans. To cut it short, multimedia designing calls for imagination, creativity, and technical expertise in various software applications.

3. Brand Identity Designer

Brand Identity Designing is another great opportunity for graphic designers. The brand identity is simply unique signage or logo, which becomes the visual identity of the organization and is integrated into all elements of the organization’s materials including promotions, media advertising, stationery, and business cards, etc. It helps customers remember the organization and bring them back. Instead of hiring a full-time brand identity designer, most firms seek help from the freelancer graphic designers to remain on a budget. Graphic designers refurbish the visual image of the firm in terms of design, color palette, typography, tagline, logo, etc., while staying around the core of the brand.

4. Logo Designer

The opportunities for freelance graphic designers are vast. Organizations spend a huge amount on implementing and updating logos to appear innovative and modern. Most organizations get their logos designed from advertising agencies, local graphic design companies, and/or freelancer graphic logo designers.

5. Creative/Art Director

Creative/art directors lead a creative team of artists who produce artwork for magazines, the Internet, billboards, or television. The creative team usually includes artists, production staff, copywriters, photographers, and graphic designers. The art director ensures that all team members accomplish their work to the client’s contentment and on time. Apart from the employment opportunities for the creative/art directors in advertising agencies, public relations companies, manufacturers, newspapers, and magazines; many art directors also freelance and create their firm.

6. Flash Designer

Graphic designer jobs also include flash designing. Flash is a tool that is used to create animated and interactive websites using raster and vector graphics through which we can scale graphics to any size while quality and clarity remain uncompromised. Being a freelance flash designer, you can customize and create a variety of effects including audio, video, navigation, animation, and text.

7. Layout Artist

Both in-house and freelance layout artists are in high demand. The job of a layout artist is to design the text, layout, and structure of images in a pleasant format to be published in printed media. It includes posters, CD booklets, flyers, books, brochures, and magazine work. The layout artist ensures that photos are arranged in a pleasing way, which directs the readers in the right direction and flow.

8. Photo Editing/Photoshop Artist

You can’t rule out photo editing while considering graphic designing. Almost all eCommerce firms require product photography and there is a need to color-correct, crop, and manipulate the images. One of the most widely-used and well-known software for photo editing is Photoshop. A graphic designer should have hands-on experience with photoshop to explore the wonderful, never-ending ventures in the field of graphic designing.

Graphic Designer Salary

In the United States, the average freelance graphic designer’s salary is estimated to be $58,614. However, it all depends on your level of experience and working hours you put in your job. You can earn beyond estimations with consistency, diligence, and hard work. Instead of a fixed salary, you are going to earn income beyond imagination. As graphic designing is a field full of competition, the incomes can be volatile. Sometimes, money comes effortlessly and easily and other times you might have to struggle to get a single gig.

Hence, this field calls for both hard work and smart work. Instead of completely relying on active income, a graphic designer should explore the ways to earn passive income through freelance graphic designing. For freelance graphic designers, we have put together a list of some potential ways to earn a passive income.

1.  Sell Your Digital Downloads

Just find a robust online store to sell your custom-designed icons, typeface, scripts, or even fonts. Sellfy is one of the best eCommerce platforms where you can build your store to sell your digital downloads. This is one of the most profitable ways to earn a passive income in the field of freelance graphic designing.

2. Sell Design Templates

If you are good at creating certain format designs in the form of infographics, brochures, and posters; you can sell your design templates via online stores. Also, DIY is something taking the web by storm. This means that small business owners and entrepreneurs are always watching out for design templates, which they can use and customize. So, freelance graphic designers should make the most out of this wonderful opportunity to raise their income.

3. Sell Tutorials

As a freelance graphic designer, you can simply create walkthrough tutorials while doing your graphic designing work. Just download some screen-recording software and start narrating your process. People are always motivated to purchase when they need a solution to a problem they’re facing. So, be that person who comes up with a solution. You can sell your tutorial videos at whatever price you want.

4. Affiliate Marketing

Affiliate marketing is one of the most fun ways to make money online. If you have gained a good-sized following on your social media platform or blog, you can partner with any other business for its promotion. You can just shoutout or provide a link to their business in your videos/images and then procure a flat fee or a percentage of their profit anytime a customer uses your link to purchase their product or service.

5. Look for Commissions

Although it is a risky move, it can pay off! Sometimes, the startup businesses offer you a percentage of profit or shares in the company in exchange for all the graphic designing work you will do for them. If you are interested in such offers or have already got one, do not rush for it right away. Instead, do your research whether or not the firm is capable of making it. If it takes off, it could bring you a consistent passive income. So you need to be too picky when you consider it as an income source.

6. Referral Fees

If you have less time and more work, use it to your advantage. You can simply work out a referral agreement with an agency or another graphic designer and all parties involved will get mutually benefited. You will provide them with the projects and either get a flat fee or a percentage. So, you can still earn without doing any work.

Graphic Designer Resume

Freelance graphic designers are self-employed and independent contractors, bringing visual solutions for their clients. Many clients hire graphic designers more by experience and portfolio than a degree in this field. So, what is desirable on a graphic designer resume, let’s check it out below!

1. Create a Resume Profile Summary or Work Objective

On top of your resume, right behind your personal information, add 2-3 sentences as an objective statement. This section is significant as it is the first thing your employer will have a look at. Never add a generic objective statement like, “I look forward to having a career in the field of graphic designing”. Make a statement that will benefit you as well as your employer/client. For example, you can write something like, “My objective is to help new businesses create recognizable and long-lasting brand identities”. This is about it!

2. Mention All Related Software Skills

The Graphic designer resume must mention all the relevant software and technical skills. You must mention all the software programs you can use and also mention your level of proficiency. This section must be included right behind your work experience section. Also, include other skills such as relevant interpersonal skills and languages. Check out some examples of the skills that a graphic designer should have:

• Illustrator – Proficient
• Photoshop – Proficient
• Premiere Pro – Proficient
• After Effects – Intermediate
• InDesign – Intermediate

Add Your Online Design Portfolio Link

Nothing but the best samples of your work can convince your potential employer/client about your capabilities and qualities. This is why many renowned graphic designers have set up their websites to showcase their best sample designs. For that reason, collect all your work and upload it on the Internet. Then add a link to this site at the bottom of your resume. That is it!

Graphic Designing Portfolio

A portfolio is a collection of your work samples, showing your capabilities and accomplishments to your prospective employers. A graphic designing portfolio compiles a designer’s work in an easy-to-view format. For a graphic designer, a portfolio is a must-have. It is more of an illustrated memoir and visual resume, showcasing your talent and growth over time. We have come up with a few tested tips to keep in mind while curating a winning graphic designing portfolio.

1. Demonstrate Relevant Skills

Choose powerful images that demonstrate your skills at best. Follow a streamlined approach and do not just bombard your clients with multiple images that can confuse your message. Consider less, the more. Be specific. Customize your work portfolio to apt the skills and expertise required for the position you are applying for.

2. Choose the Potential Platform 

To be on the right platform can become a game-changer for freelance graphic designers. Some most robust social platforms where you can make your portfolios include Behance, Carbonmade, DeviantArt, Dunked, Dribbble, Portfoliobox, Squarespace, Viewbook, WordPress, Wix, and Weebly.

3. Be Accessible

Make your portfolio easily accessible for potential employers or clients who are watching out for your skills. Make it reachable by adding your social media links and contact information. A “Contact Me” or “About Me” form or link will ensure that potential employers are viewing your online work portfolio and are likely to reach you.

4. Showcase Your Side Projects

Apart from your work projects, you can also showcase your non-client projects in your portfolio to give the client insights into your interests and hobbies. This will help potential employers and clients peeping into your personality. If your work clicks the client, the side projects will help you both in communicating ideas in the future.

5. Optimize Sizing for Presentation

Before you upload images on the websites, use optimization techniques such as compression to assure that your picture looks well on devices. Smaller images look good on smartphones but they might lack resolution on bigger computer screens. Go for the portfolio websites that offer sophisticated options to control pixels and manipulate images for better viewing.

If you have read this article by far, what are you waiting for! Get up and set your sails to become a fortunate freelance graphic designer! Wishing you ALL THE BEST!