7 Tips for New Designers
Here’s a little-known fact: I didn’t start my full-time career as a graphic designer. In fact, I didn’t go to college for graphic design, either. My bachelor’s degree is in mass communication, with a specialty in animation. (Yes, really!) My first full-time job? Secretary for an academic department at my alma mater.
It was a few years before I landed my first full-time graphic design job. But now that I’ve been a designer—both full-time and freelance—for 15 years, it’s enlightening to look back and see all the little steps that brought me to where I am.
Every so often I’m asked what advice I would give to designers who are starting out, whether fresh out of college or a similar program or changing careers entirely. Today I’ve compiled those answers for you into a single blog post.
An important note: Design is an exceptionally large industry with a wide range of specialties: print design (my specialty), web design, typography & lettering, video graphics, UX (user experience), branding, etc. Let there be no mistake: there is room for you, friend! There may be a thousand other designers doing the same type of work as you, but nobody does it quite like you. There is room for you in this industry, and we need you!
1. Get some experience, even if you must create your own.
Naturally, employers prefer to hire designers with applicable experience. But don’t let lack of experience hold you back! A great way to build your portfolio is to create work for a faux client as though it were a real project. Show potential employers your style and skills!
Additionally, look for volunteer projects. Could you design projects for your church or another local organization? Could you design a logo for a friend starting up a new business (perhaps for a nominal fee)? What other opportunities for experience are around you? While still in college, I created stationery and flyers on the side. Looking back, they were definitely not my best work, but the experience was priceless!
If you’re working on a degree or certificate program, are there options for internships? I cannot possibly overstate how much I recommend an internship!! I didn’t, and it’s my biggest education regret. Internships are a great way to experience the job field firsthand and build networking connections and bolster your resume.
Also, as you work on personal and/or volunteer projects, you’ll start to figure out what types of work you love… and loathe! Case in point: I once illustrated a children’s book. While I value the experience, I quickly learned I do not enjoy illustrating, and will never do it again!
2. Be willing to work non-design jobs while getting said experience.
My first job out of college was secretary for an academic department at my alma mater. For months before graduation, I looked for a design job—with no luck. I have some health issues that financially require health insurance, and every job opening I found was either part-time or didn’t offer that particular benefit. Just before graduation, a full-time secretary position opened up in the academic department next door to where I worked (translate: they already knew me), so I applied and was hired. It turned out to be a great first job, allowing me the time and financial freedom to take on freelance design jobs.
For 2.5 years I worked as a secretary, and the experiences working with “customers” (students), staying organized, and communicating clearly still benefit me every day. The freelance work? It went into my portfolio and helped me land my first full-time graphic design job!
Don’t be afraid to “settle” for another job while you’re building your portfolio. Being financially responsible is always a good choice!
3. Have a website to showcase your work.
This one is important! Don’t let the thought of “website building” intimidate you! Website platforms have come a long way through the years, and there are plenty of free and/or affordable, user-friendly options to set up your online portfolio. It’s okay if it’s simple! The important thing is that it introduces who you are, showcases the type of design work you do, and provides a way to contact you. (Also important: Include a photo of yourself! Connecting your face with your name and your work is vitally important to earning the trust of potential employers or clients.)
At the beginning of your design career, your portfolio will likely include a wide variety of projects and skills. As time goes on and your body of work grows, you can pick and choose what projects to display. A few years ago I organized my (printed) portfolio, and I sat speechless for a few minutes: I had not one or two boxes, but several boxes full of my printed designs! I thought, When did THIS happen?? It was a humbling and joyful moment, but one that was several years in the making.
As you grow and gain experience, make sure your portfolio represents not only what you can do, but what you want to do again. If you don’t like making logos, don’t include them! Love designing websites? Pack your portfolio full of them!
Three of my portfolio boxes (July 2018)
4. Network! Network! Network!
We’ve all heard the phrase, “It’s not what you know, it’s who you know.” Personally, I say it’s both. Knowledge and experience are priceless, but it also matters that potential clients and employers know who you are. Whether through social media or face-to-face, talk to people and get to know them! You truly never know what connection is going to bring you your next client or job!
I highly recommend joining a design-centered group where you can meet fellow creatives. AIGA is a good example (and they have student groups), but there are many others, both broad in scope and niche-specific. If you decide to work for yourself, consider joining a group of other small business owners. Get involved with your town’s chamber of commerce if that fits your ideal client or job opportunity. Think about who your ideal clients or employers are, and go where they are.
Always remember, community over competition! Find a group of like-minded people who are willing to share of themselves and who inspire you and lift you up… not bring you down!
5. Be willing to take a non-glamourous design job to get your foot in the door.
My first graphic design job was for a small printing company willing to hire designers with very little experience. The job required us to use InDesign for everything, and before my first day on the job I’d used the program a grand total of 2 hours… in a single college class… yes, really!
For the next five years, I “designed” junk mail flyers. I use the quotation marks because there wasn’t much creativity to it. We, the in-house designers, received premade artwork from the client’s corporate designers (a nationwide pizza company), and customized the text on the coupons per franchisees’ orders. It was tedious, it was not creative, the management was less than desirable, and some days I cried at my morning alarm because I did not want to go to work. However, I kept at it, continued to give my best, and eventually I was the one handling most of the custom artwork requests. (Yay, a tiny bit of creativity!)
In spite of not loving the job, I’m eternally grateful for the experience. I learned the nuances of file setup, digital vs. offset printing (I even made some printing plates!), file organization, and how to be both efficient and accurate when designing a project, all skills that made me much better at my next design job, for a publisher.
Don’t take any job or opportunity for granted. You might be surprised by what you learn and where the experience will come in handy!
6. Be willing to relocate—or drive a longer distance—if necessary.
That printing company job? It was an hour’s drive from my apartment. The publishing job? Not much better at 45 minutes away. Since 2020, many employers now offer the option of working remotely, but by no means all of them. Be willing to go the literal distance for the job or opportunity you want. Obviously weigh the pros and cons of relocation based on your (and your family’s) needs, but don’t quickly dismiss an opportunity over distance. Maybe the option to work remotely could be negotiated!
Not for the faint of heart, self-employment is an option, also. In 2019, after working full-time for 11.5 years, I was able to make the leap into entrepreneurship. It definitely comes with its challenges (for example, our two preschoolers are home with me while I work), but it also has its rewards! I enjoy the freedom to serve more than one client and to schedule working hours outside of the traditional “9 to 5”. Self-employment also involves marketing your services, financial responsibilities (hello, taxes!), project and schedule creation and management, client communication, etc. on top of your actual design work. Again, weigh the pros and cons of entrepreneurship based on your (and your family’s) needs. In my opinion, if it’s something you really want to do, the challenges are totally worth it!
And last but certainly not least (because this is probably my MOST important advice):
7. Never ever ever ever EVER stop learning!
My best advice to you is to NEVER stop learning! Design trends and technologies continually change, and it’s likely your own tastes and interests will, too. Watch tutorial videos, sign up for online or in-person courses (and complete them!), attend workshops and conferences, read books, subscribe to emails from experts, tune in to webinars, ask questions of your more seasoned coworkers… whatever the method, never stop developing your skills! (Bonus: learning opportunities—particularly conferences and workshops—often turn into networking opportunities!) I can’t possibly recount to you all the things I’ve learned since graduating college, but the majority of what I know now I certainly did not know then—I’ve learned it along the way!
I know this has been a super-long blog post, but if you’ve read this far, I hope you find it helpful! Every well-known name in any career field started somewhere, and so will you. One of my favorite quotes is from Lara Casey of Cultivate What Matters:
Little by little, progress matters. Little by little, a little becomes a lot. It’s okay to grow slow. Good things grow over time.
Keep making the baby steps, and before you know it, you’ll look back on your career path and be amazed!
If you have additional questions or thoughts, let me know in the comments below or send me an email. I’d love to talk with you!
