Graphic Communication Learning – What to Expect When You Become a Graphic Designer
If you’re looking for a new and exciting career path that offers you creative and financial freedom in the process, a career in graphic design is most certainly something to consider.
Here in the UK, it’s now easier than ever before to study to become a graphic designer, with graphic communication learning online courses selling like hotcakes. The great thing about a graphic communication learning online is the fact that you get to learn a skill in your free time that can set you up for the rest of your life.
Graphic design is great as there are so many different avenues to explore and so many different sectors to work within. It isn’t however, smooth sailing from start to finish and if you have decided that you wish to pursue a career as a graphic designer, there are likely a few shocks to be had along the way.
To help you prepare for a career as a graphic designer, here’s a look at several things you can expect.
Expect quiet spells as well as busy spells
Once you become a qualified graphic designer, you can expect clients to hire your services to create for them a whole host of different designs. However, if you are self-employed, you must resign yourself to the fact that there will be quiet periods, especially in the early stages.
When you’re a self-employed graphic designer, don’t expect to be swamped with orders right away, because it takes time to get your name out there and to establish yourself, so make sure you’re financially stable to begin with.
During quieter periods of time when you don’t receive many orders, don’t waste your time, instead, take the time to better yourself as a designer. Work on your website, build your portfolio, practice your techniques, advertise yourself, and work on getting your name out there and being the best designer that you can be.
Expect to spend a lot of time haggling over prices
Once you’ve completed your online graphic communication learning course and have become a qualified graphic designer, you need to get used to the fact that you will likely haggle over your prices.
When potential clients approach you and ask for a quote, don’t be surprised if they get back to you and say that it’s too expensive and start talking about how they’ve found a designer that can do it for cheaper.
How you charge is entirely down to you, and you may wish to haggle and lower your prices, or stick to your guns and potentially miss out on a sale. Just be aware that clients will almost certainly try to haggle and get you to lower your prices, and after a while, it will become annoying.
Expect to create your own opportunities
Once you are an established designer with an online presence, a good reputation, and plenty of positive reviews and feedback under your belt, finding work will likely not be too much of a challenge.
In the early stages of being a designer however, when you’re only just qualified and are venturing out into the world of graphic design for the first time, finding work will be tougher. This is where it is down to you to create your own opportunities.
Use various freelancing websites, answer ads for graphic designers, and consider contacting marketing and advertising agencies and asking if they need a new designer on board, even if they aren’t advertising for one.
If you’re serious about making it as a designer, don’t wait for the opportunities to come to you, instead, you get out there and make your own opportunities.
Expect to deal with very awkward clients
One of the first things you’ll learn when taking your graphic communication learning online course is the fact that graphic design can potentially be the best job in the world. It’s also important to know however, that there will be lows as well as highs.
You will almost certainly find that 99% of your clients are friendly, easy to work with, happy to leave you to do the work, and happy with the finished product. However, there will also be the 1% who can make life as a designer very tricky.
Some clients are just very awkward to work with, and there’s no getting around that. You’ll find that they complain about your prices, they’ll feel as if you owe them the world for hiring you, they’ll constantly request revisions and changes, and they’ll be uber-critical and will pick up on the tiniest of imperfections and won’t be happy to sign off on the design until it meets their incredibly high standards.
The more you work with people, the easier it becomes to spot a potentially difficult client and in all honesty it is best to just not work with them as the money alone isn’t worth the turmoil it takes on your mental health.
Expect to deliver designs you aren’t happy with
Finally, as a graphic designer, you need to remember that the customer is always right, and when it comes to a design, it doesn’t matter whether you like it or not, what matters is that the customer likes it.
There will be times when clients request designs with heaps of bold colours and fonts that, as a professional designer, you would advise them to avoid every single time. However, if the client insists on those particular colours or fonts, it doesn’t matter how much you dislike it, they’re paying for your service,and you deliver the brief to the client’s spec.
By all means offer them constructive advice and try to convince them to let you handle it, but if they insist on wanting a particular design, that is what you must deliver.
