Words of Encouragement for Freelance Designers
As freelance designers, we tend to get caught up in the day-to-day routine of working with clients, and performing office tasks. Administration is a big part of our job, because we are our own bosses. It’s easy to lose sight of what’s important, which can actually throw everything else off track. On top of creating great design work for our clients, there are some things that we should keep in mind as freelance designers.
Stay Humble
Sometimes as graphic designers, we begin to develop egos about our work. It’s important to stay humble and remember that it’s our job to deliver something that solves problems for our clients and their businesses. Not everyone is going to like everything that we do. On top of educating our clients, it is also our job to make them happy and confident in the solutions that we provided to them. It’s always important to push ourselves to do better, and be better designers each day.
Save For Rainy Days
When freelance designers find success, sometimes they can let it go to their head. It’s important to realize that not every month is going to be a blockbuster month for revenue. Of course, that’s always our goal, but we should be prepared for slower months. Make sure not to spend every dime you make. Put some back in case of two or three bad months. Even if you don’t use it, the extra security will give you some wiggle room in case you need it. You also won’t feel pressured to take crappy projects just to pay the bills. You also won’t be tempted to work with less reputable people or businesses to pay the bills, too.
Spend Time With Friends And Family
The whole point of owning your own business is so that you can enjoy life. You can be your own boss, make your own schedule, and you’re supposed to be able to make time for the people that matter to you. Don’t lose sight of the main advantages of being a freelance designer. It’s okay to work hard, and to be ambitious, but it’s best to have a good balance of work and life.
Learn New Things
Just because we have found success, or we have a degree in our field, it doesn’t mean that the learning process is over. Actually, it’s only begun. Each day you should strive to learn more as a graphic designer in order to refine your skills and become the best you can be. This has several advantages:
- better designers can charge more
- you will work faster and more efficiently
- you can become a leader in your industry
- more knowledge means better connections and more creativity
Connect And Collaborate With Other Designers
It’s important to keep in mind that you can’t do everything yourself. Sometimes, you’re going to have to call upon a trusted colleague to help with a project. You may land a major client, but they want to feature that you’re not capable of providing. Instead of trying to slap something together yourself, you can call upon a trusted colleague who has the capabilities necessary to help you finish the project. The added advantage of this, is that when push comes to shove, they may need to hire you to help them with a project further down the road.
Another reason for connecting with other designers, is to have somebody to bounce ideas off of. Sometimes as freelance designers, we get tunnel vision while working on a project. There other times that we might even get stuck on a project. Bouncing ideas off of other designers is a great way to talk it out. Talking it out can help you to solve problems and figure things out that you may not have been able to alone.
Study Other Design And Art Styles
Most graphic designers that went to school studied various design styles. Chances are, that you also took an art history class or two. However, if you didn’t go to school for graphic design, or you need a refresher, it’s good to review different art and design styles. Try them out in your own work. You never know when trying something new is going to spark a jolt of creativity.
Stick To The Schedule
Remember earlier when I mentioned that you need a good balance of work and life? This is especially true for any freelance designer. I’m just as guilty of it as anyone else. When you don’t set a concrete schedule for work time, clients will contact you and bug you at all hours of the day. I’m not sure why, but somehow they think that because you’re a freelance designer, you are at their beck and call. Establishing rigid work hours keeps you from having to miss valuable time with your family. It also keeps you from receiving annoying phone calls during dinner, or while you’re relaxing during the evening.
Always Explore And Ask Why Or How
Just because something has been done the same way for the last 20 years, doesn’t mean that it has to be done that way for the next 20 years. Always ask why and how, and explore each project thoroughly. One thing that is missing from a lot of designers work is a sense of exploration or innovation. I realize that you can’t be innovative with every project. Sometimes a client’s work is pretty cut and dry. All I am saying, is that when you have the time or the opportunity available, try not to do everything just like everybody else.
Clients Are People, Too. Gasp!
We’ve all heard the horror stories of nightmare clients. There are nightmare clients out there, it just like Barry nightmare friends, or relationships that you can get yourself into. Not all clients (most of them actually) aren’t monsters. They are people and small business owners just like you and me. They want to be successful, and they want everything to go as smoothly as possible. They are paying hard-earned money to build their business and help it grow. It’s understandable that most of them want the most they can get for their money. It’s important to build a good relationship with your clients, so that you can provide the best possible solution to their design problems. I found that when you build a strong relationship with the client, they won’t hesitate to come back and hire you again.
Conclusion
Being a freelance designer isn’t all roses. We work just as hard as any other profession. Sometimes, our ambitions and our motivation cause us to work too much and to lose sight of what is important. Some freelance designers forget why they even started freelancing to begin with. Hopefully you will keep these things in mind, so that you can reap all the benefits of being a successful freelance designer. Do you have any tips that help keep you on the right track? I’d love to hear what you have to say. Please leave your thoughts and comments below.
