Graphic design is one of the skills you can learn online or offline, and it’s one of the ways to make money online if necessary steps are taken. If you’re a newbie in graphic design and you want to be at the top one day, or you want to see yourself as a successful graphic designer, there are some laid-down rules to follow.
For graphic designers perusing this article, it’s advisable to take note of the valuable tips provided in this Naijaknowhow piece, as they are poised to significantly impact your graphic design career. The article delves into various tips aimed at fostering success in the field of graphic design.
Before going too deep, you might want to check out some of the best photo editor apps on Android that can be used as a graphic design tool or even some apps that’ll allow you to make sketches with your Android device.
Tips To Become a Successful Graphic Designer
1. Offer Free Services
This might sound like a piece of awkward advice, but believe me, it’s a step you have to take when building a graphic design career. And I’m not saying you should offer free services to everyone, but you can do one or two free graphics for friends or business owners. You know they’ll create awareness of your skills so other people can ring your phone and offer you a job.
I’ve seen this tip work well, and I’ve also had a friend who did a free logo for me and was able to get a real customer through me after some time. This tip might look somehow odd, but believe me, it’s one of the tips to becoming a successful graphic designer.
2. Work on Different Software
Some graphic designers start with just a familiarity with one software alone, while others are just mobile graphic designers, and this can sometimes be an issue when they get a job that doesn’t even need Photoshop to be completed but rather a software like Corel Draw or even Canva. But when you’ve had experience with more than one graphic design software, delivering any job wouldn’t be an issue.
There are many websites where you can get online courses to learn and enhance your skills in graphic design. If you want to learn Photoshop, you can check out the best websites to learn Photoshop Online. Working on different software is one of the best tips for becoming a successful graphic designer.
3. Start Freelancing
Graphic design is one of the best-paying skills both online and offline, and one of the fastest ways to make money off your graphic design skill is when you take up the next level of freelancing online. You can do this by checking out freelance network communities like Fiverr, Upwork, Freelance.com, and so many more. Build a profile and list the types of services you can offer in graphic design.
When you freelance and get more jobs, you’ll be able to further improve yourself in areas you feel you need to do better. You can upgrade your tools and even get better ones that’ll make you the best among the rest.
4. Build Your Portfolio
Building a portfolio is mandatory if you want to have a successful career in anything you do online, not just in graphic design. A well-built portfolio gives your clients or customers an insight into professionalism towards your services, and with a proper portfolio, you’ll find it easy to showcase jobs you completed over the years, and it’s an alternative to building a resume.
You can build your portfolio via a website, and that website will contain all the information about you, your services, and the projects you have completed, as well as the fastest ways your new clients can reach you.
5. Take Charge of Social Media
Social media is very large and also filled with numerous opportunities, and you won’t miss out on any of them if you spend more time building a presence online and paying attention to the trending posts. You can build a personal Facebook Page, a Twitter Page and an Instagram. Follow professional graphic designers you look up to, comment on related posts, and also let people know who you are.
6. Build a Peer of Network
Believe it or not, there are few chances of being a successful standalone graphic designer; sometimes they happen on rare occasions, and in some cases, you have to connect with people who are in the same line of work as you are. You can share ideas and also acquire knowledge through your network, and sometimes you can work alongside them on a big project.
Having a network of people around you is one of the tips for becoming a successful graphic designer. Sometimes you can be given a job one of your networks couldn’t handle, and you can also refer each other to different job opportunities.
7. Seek an Internship
Working as an intern might not be the best thing to do if you’re more concerned about getting paid, but as a student who is looking to gain more experience and be affiliated with experts and veterans in graphic design, seeking an internship wouldn’t be a bad thing to do. You can submit your resume to companies or organizations that’ll consider teaching you more than you know and offer a little compensation as you’ll be working and learning with them.
8. Be Consistent
Consistency serves as a driving force for every successful individual, emphasizing not only proficiency or extensive knowledge but also the commitment to regularity. By infusing consistency into all your efforts, you’ll attain significant accomplishments within a short timeframe. As a novice graphic designer, dedicating substantial effort to your work is crucial, constituting a pivotal tip for achieving success in the field.
9. Avoid Complacency
A complacent individual is doomed to fail at some point in their career, and failure is inevitable when you’re complacent all the time. Always look at the possibilities of a potential danger to your career, don’t be consumed with excessive self-confidence, and always try to follow the steps taken by those before you.
10. Accept Corrections
Mistakes and errors are unavoidable, and the way you respond to correction determines your trajectory in life, irrespective of the skills you employ or the nature of your business. Correction is inevitable, and when it happens, embracing it gracefully is commendable, even if it doesn’t pose any harm. The adage “he who loves discipline loves knowledge” holds true—acknowledging and learning from corrections is an integral part of personal and professional growth.
Conclusion
I trust that the insights shared in these tips will provide valuable knowledge. Utilize them effectively, and you’ll witness the substantial progress of your journey as a graphic designer. I hope you find this article highly informative. Feel free to leave a comment, and don’t hesitate to share it with your friends.
