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WHAT IS FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGN?
by Brian Scott
Are you a whiz
kid with a pen in your hand? Can you whip up photographic mash-ups that make
the Mona Lisa look like illegible scrawl on a bathroom wall? Do you look at
album covers and glance at the heavens above, shaking your head knowingly? Then
why not put those skills to use and show those rank amateurs how it's really
done?
Whether it's putting together album covers, posters and logos
for the local garage band, doing ensemble flyers for traveling street theatre
or producing viral advertising for the world's largest shoemaker, there's never
been a bigger market for freelance graphic designers, or a better time to be
one. The software and hardware that once made digital design and subsequent
mass-marketing a rare and expensive medium has cheapened to the extent that
anybody with an internet connection, an inexpensive personal computer and an
inspired idea can have their work broadcast to tens of millions of people
around the world.
Graphic design in its truest form is about conveying
a message with a combination of carefully selected colors, symbols, images,
shapes and words that, put together, create a unique identity for a product.
Those who can do this with rapidity, enthusiasm and a little flair are always
in demand. If you've got some ability within the realm of traditional fine
arts, all the better, but it's not the be all and end all of your career. Like
all artistic pursuits, though, you need the right tools for the job.
Specifically, you're looking for the following:
1.
Software. Whether you work with a can of paint and an easel or a mouse and
a monitor, you are going to eventually end up with a digitized version of your
finished work for delivery to the client. For those of us with liquid assets, I
highly recommend Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator (http://www.adobe.com). If you
can’t splurge the high cost for these programs, you can find extremely
serviceable replacements in the free, open-source GIMP (http://www.gimp.org) and
Inkscape (http://www.inkscape.org). Together, these should cover your
needs for vector artwork, photo retouching/manipulation, post-processing and
final file exports.
2. A good digital (or even film-based!) camera
is a useful optional extra. I prefer Canon DSLRs for their aggressively
reasonable prices and excellent image quality, but high-end point and shoots
can do the job in a pinch. They do, however, lack slightly in credibility while
on-site. For those of us nostalgic for the days of 35mm, you can find brilliant
film SLRs on eBay for knock-down prices.
3. If, however,
photography isn't your cup of tea, then free stock photo services such
as MorgueFile (http://www.morguefile.com) or Stock.xchng (http://www.sxc.hu) are excellent
resources that do all the work for you.
4. Finally, a
flatbed scanner always comes in handy, whether you're digitizing hand-drawn
designs, scanning client-provided images or transmitting 35mm negatives. The
Epson Perfection and Canoscan 8400F have garnered extensive praise for being
well-rounded and affordable. Throw in a color inkjet printer or a membership to
the local Kinkos, and you're done.
So now you're well-equipped and
looking to set the world on fire as a gun-for-hire designer, but don't know
where to start. Assuming you haven't done this kind of work before, your first
priority would be to produce a varied portfolio guaranteed to blow the socks
off any potential employer. A useful technique, I've found, is to start by
going through your collection of books, video games and CDs, and picking out a
few of each with covers you either hate or love. Decide why it is they produce
such strong reactions in either case, and what you would have done differently.
With this in mind, attempt to redraw as many as you can in your own image. As
you come up with successful designs, put them aside.
Similarly, find
some eye-catching stock photos and see what comes about when you simply sit and
play with them in your chosen image manipulation software. Get to know the
functions of the software and the way images respond to different treatments
until it's second nature.
When you think you've got a killer portfolio
and the mindset to successfully close a deal, it's time to find a client. Great
first-time employers include local musicians and stage acts, as well as
neighborhood businesses with uninspiring logos or lackluster advertising
material. (You know what we're talking about when I mention brochures or
restaurant menus that look like they were put together by a ten year old using
Word Art and MS Paint).
Most potential clients of this caliber don't
know how presentation affects their business, or feel that hiring a graphic
designer to do work for them would be too expensive, so offer them a cheap,
friendly, local alternative: yourself! For small projects, offer a flat rate;
and for larger ones, keep a log of hours you spend and how many designs you
produced so that you can bill accordingly.
It helps, too, to do some
gratis work to get your name out there. Use your judgment and offer to redesign
for free when you think it's suitable. Networking and subsequently maintaining
contacts in the local business community is what can net you, initially, the
most lucrative projects, as well as long-term contract work. Graphic designers
in the freelance arena have to think of themselves as part-artist,
part-salesperson. Pound the pavement, scan the back pages of community
newspapers for projects that look interesting, make calls to fashion, art and
IT magazines to see if they have any space for an aspiring designer in their
ranks.
On a larger scale, attracting corporate clients requires an
online presence, and enough of the above to make an impression. Magazine
freelancing in particular can generate contacts and assets in the upper tiers
of international marketing and design. Spend some time uploading your creations
to a website like Flickr (http://www.flickr.com) or DeviantArt (http://www.deviantart.com), where you can get free
exhibition space, as well as having a place to call your own that you can point
people to for easily accessible examples of your work. This is just an
extension of your portfolio; but like your portfolio, make sure it's a showcase
of all your abilities. Indicate especially that you can diversify and handle
different mediums and project sizes.
Freelancing as a graphic designer
can be initially difficult; more often than not you may find potential clients
slamming doors in your face. Take this in stride and persevere. Like most
creative positions, as you accumulate paying jobs, more will become available
to you. There's a lot of demand globally for you to carve out a niche for
yourself in freelance graphic design.
© B.
Scott
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Brian Scott has been
a professional freelance writer for more than a decade. He is an active forum moderator at Writing Answers, a vibrant community of writers helping writers.
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