Making money as a Designer

Art has to move you and design does not; unless it’s a good design for a bus.  
-David Hockney

So you want to start making money designing, huh? So where does it start, where does the magical first penny of profit come from? Well, most likely from you busting your ass behind the computer or art board, but if this is what you want to do with life, you have no problem with that! Starting out can be tough, either on your own or with a small team, it is hard to keep everyone busy and make every client happy.  Here are three things that if done correctly can help you get started as a designer:

1. Know Yourself

Are you good enough at design, at art, at making people say “wow”, to convince them to fork over their hard earned money for your time? You better hope so. Figure out your strengths and use them to their fullest potential. If you are just getting started, be prepared to spend a lot of time on YouTube and in Photoshop (or pick your poison), honing your skills. Run through a mental list of what you are good at, whether it be websites, print graphics,  or logo design, and think about where locally or on the internet your skills could be used. Could you be hired through freelancer sites like www.elance.com, or www.crowdspring.com? Are their local businesses or former companies you have worked at that need some visual enhancing? As a designer, its not always what you know, its how many people you know, so start trying to grow your network as soon as you can.

Knowing yourself also means that you know your financial situation. What kind of software do you need in the next six months? If you get a net60 payment (payment in 60 days) can you still cover your hosting fees or printing fees while the check comes in for the project that took you two weeks to finish? Sometimes it is smarted to take smaller jobs more frequently because cash flow is higher, but sometimes its in your better financial interest to do the opposite for the payoff.

2. Know Your Clients

A key to making money is choosing your clients correctly. A huge part of a freelancers job is time management, picking the best client at the best time. Your goal will be to create returning clientele, it is harder and more time consuming to create new relationships (although you always want to build your network). Your client will know this concept also, if they like your work they will not hesitate to just shoot you an email next time something comes up, you have made their business more efficient. Find out more about the clients company than just what they have given you, and approach them with your ideas of how you can help.

3. Expand Your Brand

Ideally you want to get more money in a smaller amount of time, and you can do this in 2 ways:

1. Get more proficient with your software or with your thinking abilities.

2. Expand yourself, your brand, and your market.

The first way to do this (1) is something we naturally do as we work, we know where our favorite pencil is, or how to create that subtle reflection-fade on our graphic. The problem with only using this method is that it reaches a limit, no matter how fast you are at layouts or drawing, creativity takes time and thought. You can expect to get faster at small tasks, and learn how to open your mind to new possibilities in your design, but you have to finesse design and become part of it. This leads to the second suggestion (2): expand yourself! This means you need to constantly be looking for new opportunities and new markets. The better you become at design the more you can charge, and the more willing and comfortable you will be to take on larger (high paying) projects. Your goal as a designer will be to oversaturate yourself with business, and at that point you will make more money and/or have the potential to hire others to help you.

With all this talk about expanding yourself, how do you actually do it? Just because you are not a multi-million dollar company doesnt mean your marketing efforts should be any less important. You want people to not just know who you are, but what you do. The designers at Prime Studios often will volunteer their services to others, and all we ask in return is that people spread our name and support our work. If you can support a cause, design a free flyer, and get someone else to pay for the printing of materials, there is no loss in that. Through that small act you will meet new people, possibly be able to put your name on a brochure or handout, add to your portfolio, and know that when that organization you supported gets some more money next year, you are in the lineup to get paid for your work.

Don’t be scared to get your hands dirty in this market; build your skills, build your brand, and build your network. Most of all, never lose your personality or your professionalism, and enjoy making money doing what you love!