Freelance Design Tips

Know Your Users

When you work on Web design jobs, you are working to please not only your client, but the users of your client's site. It's helpful to know as much as you can about that audience as you begin designing a site for them. For example, who is the target market and what kind of demographic information is available about them? (For instance, a site appealing to men in their 50s will have a different look from one appealing to women in their 20s

Continuing Ed For Web Designers

If you're working freelance, web design jobs tend to be varied. This means you'll need to have a larger skill set than people who are doing the same tasks every day at a corporate job. Being equipped to handle the needs of your client is part of the package. The question is, how do you stay on top of the latest trends?

There are several ways to keep up with things in the field. Here are a few to try:

• Webinars. Webinars provide online training in a wide range of subjects. This is an attractive option, since you can do it from the comfort of home.
• Classes. Traditional coursework is another way to learn more as a designer. This is an especially good choice if the subject matter is complex.
• Industry groups. Joining industry groups can help you keep abreast of the latest news in your field, which gives you an idea of what you need to brush up on.
• Self-study. Learning new techniques from books may be an option if you enjoy self-directed study.

Finding Web Design Jobs

If you're serious about a freelance Web design career, you want clients who are serious about their Web sites. Many of the prospective clients out there are people who want the cheapest possible product, and don't have a good understanding of how much a quality designer can help their sites.

Production Artists: Skills Needed
When you're looking for freelance artist jobs it can be difficult to know whether you should specialize in web or print. Production artists are needed in both venues, and the skills needed often overlap. Knowing how to operate certain programs can help you be more marketable, whether you choose to do freelance work or look for employment at a corporation. To be competitive with others in the field, it helps to have a working knowledge of the following:

• Computer programs. Examples of some of the programs that production artists should be able to use include: Photoshop, InDesign, Dreamweaver, HTML and Illustrator.
• Computer graphics and animation.
• Logo design.
• Branding.
• Color theories.
• Typography.These are just some areas in which it can be a good idea to have experience. College coursework and getting a degree are also desirable. Many production assistants have studied in areas such as advertising design, graphic design or advertising communications.

Mockups and Prototypes
At the mockup stage, it's easy to add features, switch elements, and even redo the whole look of the product. These changes get a lot more difficult when you're working with the real product. A team of Chicago designers might use a standard contract that includes at least one round of alterations at the mockup stage, to emphasize to the client that now is the time to change one's mind.

Logos As A Specialty

If you're looking for freelance graphic work, one exciting area that you can focus on is logo creation. This specialized field requires a good ear as well as a good eye. Successful graphic designers know how to listen to a client to find out what they are looking for—and then deliver something amazing that exceeds expectations.

Many designers think that for a logo to be great it has to be complex, but many of the best are very simple. The logo needs to communicate with the viewer, and the graphic designer's job is to marry that concept with the direction the company wants to go with the look. This can be more difficult than people think. Truth is—it takes a lot of practice.

The good news is that the more logos you do, the more information and experience you will have. You may want to create logos for charities as a way of practicing. Once you have a portfolio together of sample logos, it will be far easier to sell your work as a freelance designer.

Getting Paid for Graphic Design Work

To protect themselves and get proper compensation for their work and skills, many designers recommend a series of milestones and payments. For instance, a partnership of New York designers might bill 30% of the final fee on completion of the prototype, 30% on completion of the first draft, and 40% after two rounds of changes. Only after the invoices are paid are the final files provided to the client.

Career Re-Entry

Going back to work after a break can be a difficult thing. If you have taken time off to do something like raise children or care for a parent, it can be hard to know how to get back into the workforce. This is especially true if it has been a while since you held a full-time job. If you are looking for freelance positions at a corporation, you may want to sign on with a talent agency.

Talent agencies can help match you with a job that you are qualified for, but that isn't all they are good for. If your resume needs a little help or you aren't quite sure what to say during an interview, the people who work at the agency can help you prepare for these things. Ultimately, a career agent can help you feel more ready to get back to work after some time off. It's nice to have someone who is invested in finding you a new job—besides yourself!

Elements of a Freelance Design Contract

 A good contract protects the freelance graphic artist by setting out the work to be done, the schedule of work to be delivered, and the schedule of payments to be made. A graphic designer should have a standard contract available for clients to sign, and should not do any work without a signed contract. You should also include a clause reserving the right to display a copy of the completed work as part of your portfolio.

Corporate Identity

Larger organizations seek graphic designers to develop visual styles that will permeate every aspect of the company's work. Freelance graphic designers seeking New York design jobs, or jobs in other sophisticated markets, may be asked to demonstrate proficiency with corporate identity work.