Are you a graphic designer looking to step into the world of freelancing? With sustainability, accessibility and inclusivity taking centre-stage in the current industry, now’s a great time to hone your design skills and launch your own, independent freelance career.
Freelance graphic design offers the freedom to work on exciting projects, set your own schedule, and choose your clients. However, transitioning into this field requires more than design talent and experience. There’s strategic planning, effective marketing, strong business skills, and a nuanced understanding of the industry as it evolves.
We’ve put together this guide to help you navigate freelance graphic design, with some great advice on where to start and what your business might lead to.
Build your portfolio
The portfolio is your most powerful tool. It’s a first impression that showcases your adaptability, skills, creativity, and style to potential clients.
When starting, always focus on quality over quantity. It’s a good idea to include a variety of projects that demonstrate your range and expertise. If you're just starting out and don’t have much experience, creating mock projects or redesigns of existing brands is fun and showcases your skills too.
Remember, your portfolio is a working document, so it’s important to keep it up to date. Make sure you regularly add new projects, update your skills section, and keep your website website is user-friendly and visually appealing. It’s a reflection of your ongoing growth as a design practitioner, as well as how your style evolves.
Define your brand
As a freelancer, your identity is what sets you apart from others. What’s your visual language? Are you known for minimalist designs, impactful messaging, or flashy typography? What are your core values and purpose?
Your brand should reflect this – your style, values, and the type of clients you want to attract. This includes everything on a visual level, including your logo, colour palette, website design, and even how you talk with potential clients.
Self-promote and market yourself effectively
Freelance graphic design is a competitive market, so effective self-promotion is a crucial to ensuring a sustainable business. Find a social media platform that you can adapt and promote to your needs, like Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn or Pinterest. Sharing behind-the-scenes insights, design processes, and client testimonials are all great things to feature that help to build your audience.
Building a website helps to establish this internationally too. WordPress, Wix and Squarespace are great examples of popular, user-friendly website builders you can use to create your own space, including your portfolio, prices, skills and contact details. Don’t forget to list keywords and caption your images for SEO (search engine optimisation) – this’ll help you get found online.
Networking is key. Always look out for and attend design conferences, workshops, and local meetups to connect with similar designers and potential clients. Promoting through socials is great, but in-person connection can make a real difference.
Build a solid contact list
Once you’ve begun building an audience, make sure you take note of them. Building a database helps you keep track of potential clients, agencies, and businesses that require graphic design services. This includes start-ups, small businesses, non-profits, and larger corporations. Tools like Google Sheets or CRM software can help you manage this efficiently.
If you’re attending a networking event or convention, consider designing a business card that showcases your brand identity and contact details. QR codes are great too – you can link them directly to your website or portfolio, making it as easy as possible for clients to connect.
Join freelance platforms
Platforms dedicated to freelancers like Craft Agency and Working Not Working are a great way to find work. Create a compelling profile, showcase your best work, and make sure actively bid on relevant projects.
You can also join design communities such as AIGA, CreativeMornings, or Design Observer for networking opportunities and industry insights.
Price yourself fairly and manage your finances
Figuring out rates can be challenging. Research industry standards, consider your experience and expertise, and factor in your cost of living. Freelancing allows for a lot of flexibility, so it’s down to your workload and needs. You can charge per hour, day, project, or offer package deals with payment terms.
It’s important to establish the scope and nature of your projects too. If you’re frequently completing projects for a client, building a subscription model is more sustainable than charging per project.
Sometimes, it’s better to value what the project is worth to the business rather than an hourly rate. Offering wider services like a discovery phase for your research, and looking at the wider market and audience will help make your brand identity unique. For managing finances, consider trying out FreshBooks, QuickBooks, or Xero.
Factor in the cost of graphic design software
Quality design software is a must for freelance graphic designers. Adobe Creative Cloud, including Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign, is an industry standard. Consider subscribing to these, or explore open-source alternatives like GIMP or Inkscape.
Manage your time effectively
Time management is crucial if you go down the freelance route. Creating a work schedule with deadlines and less distractions helps you take down projects with ease – tools like Trello, Asana, or Todoist can help.
Work closely with your customers
Clear communication is what builds successful client relationships. Always make sure you listen attentively to your customers' needs, ask clarifying questions, and set realistic expectations. Creating detailed contracts with scope, timelines, revisions, and payment terms helps to avoid misunderstandings.
Be open to feedback and revisions too – this shows professionalism and a willingness to meet your client's vision. Remember, it’s still important to stand your ground on design choices and meet in the middle.
Maintain your personal development and keep up with trends
The graphic design industry is dynamic and always evolving with new trends, technologies, and techniques emerging on a regular basis. It’s especially important for freelance business to stay updated by following design blogs, attending workshops, and enrolling in online courses. Don’t be afraid to experiment too – some software works better for certain people than others.
If you’ve already learnt some graphic design skills but you’re looking to take it to the next level, consider an MA. Our AUB Online MA Graphic Design is a multidisciplinary course designed with busy working professionals in mind, so you don’t have to put your career on hold while you study. We’ll guide you in creating your brand identity and harness your expertise to answer the big questions.
How can your role as a visual communicator play a part in shaping the industry and a more inclusive, positive world? What’s the theory behind impactful graphic design? It’s easy for organisations to claim that sustainability is one of their core values, but how can you actively ingrain sustainability into your own design practice?
These are just the beginnings of what you’ll explore by joining our vibrant creative community at AUB – we’ll help you gain the industry awareness to succeed as a freelancer.
