The way we work as individuals has changed markedly in recent years. This is down to a number of factors, with the advent of the internet being a prime motivating factor as well as an upturn in our working behavior in terms of the hours we keep and the number of businesses we might service.
Take, for instance, the job of a graphic designer.
This is the type of job, skill, and art form that covers a wide range of subsets and avenues and is in a much-desired field in 2023 and beyond. A graphic designer, in simple terms, is an individual who can produce imagery (in whatever form that takes) that has value to individuals, businesses, and groups.
This could be in the form of large design projects to smaller, but no less important, tasks such as the production of logos. These materials can be online or offline and may be related to the branding of a company or its products to dealing with the singular needs of an individual.
It’s a wide field and one that is regularly called upon, and therefore anyone who has the requisite skills to offer can definitely make a very decent living from being a graphic designer.
While companies do employ graphic designers, it’s now become very common for such work to be sourced on a project basis, and many professionals in the field now choose to work as freelancers, offering their skills to multiple clients simultaneously.
There are many ways to earn money from being a graphic designer; here is a list of some of the most commonly adopted approaches.
Sell Templates
This is the bread and butter of a graphic designer and an area that can form the bedrock of your earning potential. Here the templates can cover a multitude of areas, such as for presentations, CVs, invites, business cards, and web pages.
Here you’d look to list your work on relevant third-party sites as well as, or instead of, via your own personal website, where you can also host all the various fruits of your labor in the field.
Examples here might be presentation templates created on Figma or social media templates sold in relevant subscription services.
Offer Consultancy Services
If you are an expert graphic designer with demonstrable evidence of your skills, then you may well be able to offer your insight to individuals or groups that require it. This could be in the form of tutorials you give and charge by the hour or might be to a larger group, in the form of an online class or groups of workers.
This can be a highly profitable angle to take, but it is something you’ll need to work towards, and a top-notch portfolio is required in order to secure the type of interest necessary to make this a realistic venture.
Open a YouTube Channel
If you have a lot of experience in the field and have the charisma to pull it off, why not consider opening a YouTube channel where you can look to educate your followers on the dos and don’ts of graphic design?
This can boost your exposure in the field as well as be part of your own personal website, thereby helping you win over potential clients.
Make and Sell Fonts
This is a great reliable way to make money. Produce your own fonts and sell them on sites like Etsy. This is particularly relevant to graphic designers with a penchant for typography. This is one of those areas that will always be required, and if you are more than competent, this could prove very beneficial in the long term.
Video Editing
If your skills extend to motion graphics design, you can also offer your wares to relevant parties. If you are an experienced user of After Effects or similar software, then you could be of great use to those looking to make videos, perhaps for social media posts or student films.
This is the type of angle that can be very profitable as it’s a niche that requires a great deal of knowledge and experience, so don’t move into this area unless you are suitably proficient.
Freelance With Multiple Clients
If you have a strong portfolio, you can look to push into freelance work with clients. Here the tasks you might undertake would be varied and would be on a project basis, and this requires a strong, broad knowledge of the market.
Here you’d like to see word of mouth and networking help you expand your list of clients, and this requires being available at short notice and being able to pull out all the stops. Often these tasks can involve a lot of back and forth, and you’ll need to adopt a billing strategy and approach that works for you.
Set Up Accounts on Online Platforms to Promote Yourself
Here you’d look to pick up clients via third-party sites like Fiverr and Upwork. You would start by opening an account with some proven experience, adding relevant links and imagery, and then looking for appropriate open tasks, which you’d then bid for.
Ideally, you’d then start to get good feedback and scores from these clients, helping you to then attract the attention of new clients. There are some downsides to this approach, not least that you’d lose a portion of your earning potential taken by the third party in question.
This is, however, a great way to get noticed and increase your skills while also earning money.
