How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer: Part 1

Hello there, this is the first in a series of articles dedicated to providing real, practical advice to up-and-coming designers; although, that is not to say that even experienced, industry veterans couldn’t learn something from reading these articles either.

In each installment, I’ll discuss effective methods and techniques for succeeding in a given area of the graphic design field. In this installment I’ll be covering exposure and some very effective ways to procure it. By the end of the series, you will have what amounts to a comprehensive overview of what it takes to succeed as a graphic designer. So, without further ado, I am proud to present:

How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer - Part 1: Exposure

In today’s world, the market is saturated with graphic designers. Almost everyone knows someone who claims to be a Photoshop guru, making it tough for you, as a graphic designer, to stand out from the crowd. While a great skill set will get you a long way, there is one key element that will allow you to exponentially increase the number of client you do business with: exposure.

Exposure is so powerful, it can enable sub-par graphic designers to land more jobs than those with amazing skill and talent who neglected to obtain the proper exposure. After all, if people do not know who you are, who can them contact you about a project?

If you are in a situation where you would like to increase your exposure, have no fear, there are plenty of ways to effiectively increase your exposure. Some take more time and effort than others, but in the end, all of them can aid increasing the number of jobs you land.

Tip 1: Utilize a Well-Designed, Professional Website to Showcase Your Work and Provide a Means of Contact

Having a website might seem like a no-brainer, but there is a big difference between having a website and having a good website. An organized, professional website should do three things: display your work, breifly tell about your skills and experience, and allow those who are interested an accesable way to get in touch with you.

Depending on your goals, you may want to more than just increase exposure with your website, in another part of this series, I’ll discuss methods of creating a community, which is another great way to establish yourself as an industry professional and land more jobs.

Tip 2: Do Chairity Work in Your Community

One of the best ways to break onto the design scene is by doing some free design work in your community. Design a flier for a local church, advertisement for the school band, or help with a promotional poster for a local event; the local newspaper will most likely take notice of your work as well and increase your exposure even further by mentioning your name or business in the paper. Local businesses will doubtless notice and your odds of being their go-to person when they need something designed increase exponentially.

Sometimes you have to give some to get some, working for free isn’t always fun but it can yield some very impressive results.

Tip 3: Spread the Word / Self Promotion

Many of my clients have been people I meet on the street. When you meet someone it is easy to figure out certain things about their: their name, what they do, etc… it is just a part of normal conversation. If you talk about what you do when the situation permits and hand out your card liberally, you will definitely see an increase in business.

You may also want to consider advertising on your personal vehicle. If you display your business information on the rear window, almost everyone who follows your car is bound to be aware of your business.

While this gets a little into the next segment of the series, building a community, becoming a frequent poster on forums or commenter on blogs related to your industry serves a double purpose. Not only will it allow you to increase your sites traffic and the number of links pointing to your website, but also establishes you as somebody who knows what they are talking about.

All of these tips can be utilized with little cost to yourself, if you are interested in further exposure at a higher cost, consider buying some ads. Local newspaper, yellowbook, or even an internet adsense campaign are all viable, ways to increase your exposure.

About the Author

Mike is a freelance web and graphic designer who runs Digital Revolutions. Feel free to add him on Facebook or send him an email.

You might also like:

• How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer - Part 2: Creating a Sense of Community
  …Welcome to Part 2 of the How to Succeed as a Graphic Designer series, in the last installment, I dis…
• Gain Free Exposure for Your Portfolio - Freelance Depot
  …Every designer knows how important exposure is to growing and maintaining business. The folks over a…
• 5 Quality Photoshop Tutorials Well Worth Checking Out
  …Brushing up on your skills and learning new techniques is an essential part of any good Photoshop-us…