No one can really tell you exactly what to do in order to become successful in the graphics design industry. You have to be extremely talented, smart, nimble, and original to get noticed; however, it’s a forever-changing industry and there are ALWAYS new opportunities and new business ideas that are there for the taking. As a print designer and content marketer who’s worked freelance, partnered in
startups, and worked for corporations for over 15 years, I can shed light on some of the problems that I’ve witnessed and the pitfalls that I’ve fallen down. I’m sure there have been rare cases of designers successfully opening a studio straight out of college, but these people are the exception. To gain actionable industry skills and knowledge—working with people, dealing with clients, knowing prices, and balancing budgets—you need to serve your time as a freelance designer or work for a studio in preparation for starting up your own graphics design firm. It is also true that you won’t be successful if your background is made up of a couple of online tutorials and a few portfolio examples. Even if your friends on Facebook say that your work is “awesome sauce,” this doesn’t make you a graphic designer. You need some experience behind you before you can think about starting up your own graphics design business. You Need a Niche
The best way to create a lasting business is to find your niche in the design world. Consider your own abilities, but try new ideas and focus on the graphic products and applications that agencies and studios don’t do, and then do them. From my own personal experience, I have noticed a growth in specialty graphics, using large format inkjet printers and UV print machines to put custom graphics on print items such as instruments, art canvases, gift items, smartphone covers, laptops and more. Here are a few additional design paths to consider:
UX, mobile design and game development
UI design and development (PHP, Java and specialized coding)
Industrial and commercial design
Sign and vehicle graphics
Animation and interactive media
Packaging
Start Out Lean
You don’t need to start with an office space or employees—your firm can just be you; the leaner you can keep things, the better. Here are a few ways to keep costs down:
Keep overhead low; work from home or stay mobile on your laptop for as long as you can. Buy second-hand printers, furniture, computers, fridges, cars…everything possible. Keep to a solid budget and manage your cash flow daily. Be a scrooge and haggle for everything. Never take on freebie work; your time is worth money and people famously try to get design and graphics work for free with promises of “great exposure.”
Also, instead of putting money into a studio startup, consider freelancing and see where it leads you. Many graphics design startups get their start when successful freelancers need help to cope with the amount of jobs they are trying to juggle. Be Unique, Be Bold, Be Successful
Be confident and ambitious. This may seem obvious but having the right attitude and making things happen by exploiting all opportunities whenever and wherever possible is vitally important to making a success of your new business. Here are a few additional pointers to get you started:
Allow yourself time to research and study the market and see how your new business fits in. Work on small projects in the beginning and build up to bigger contracts. A good partner can represent the key to success; sharing the burden of set-up, work and costs can be invaluable. And finally, don’t start a graphics design business only for the money, or you will fail. People go into creative professions because they love what they do and it makes them happy.
