Earning money as a freelance Graphic Designer

I have a feeling upwork is too competitive (read: too many cheap indians) Freelancing would work better if you search locally.

I'll ask my Graphic Design teacher tomorrow and get back to you

All my freelance work has come from relationships. Are there professional events in your area that you can use to meet potential clients? Hackathons are awesome for stuff like that or even happy hours or meetups.

>>283410
This, make friends with some people in your local programming/compsci fields. A ton of my portfolio work and connections came from hanging out at my uni's game dev club and helping people out with UI/promo stuff, since programmers generally don't know dick about aesthetics and design their stuff assuming their users will be as smart as they are.

If you can get an in-house gig… Keep it.

Solo is only good if you possess some really special talent… or if you have a real knack for networking.

Simple, just work for free for 6 years first to gain 'exposure'. Make sure everything is finished yesterday though

bump for interest

>>283696
Somebody who knows wtf they're doing without spending a decade learning frantically on the job creating low level shit and just generally causing extra work for the people around him with his ineptitude

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>>283342
I work on upwork but get lazy and don't send out many proposals. I never have used all my monthly connects. Lately, I send out about three and will get someone who wants to work with me.

Best thing to do is figure out what you're best at (logos, t-shirts, posters) and focus on that. Then find a job that has less than 5 proposals sent so far. Apply to those jobs and pay attention to what they say they want in the bid.

If they want a t-shirt design for example, I tell them I've done t-shirts before and attach examples from my portfolio. If they want a specific style of design (something colorful, something music related, something modern) attach a sample of you work that shows you can do that.

Also lower your price to as much as you can afford to work for. Yeah you want as much money as possible but at least starting out you need to just get the experience in and have people review and rate you so your profile shows you are not a noob.

Lastly, if you're designs in your portfolio are underwhelming and not that impressive, go back to them and add stuff. Usually, working on an old design from a year or two ago, you can improve upon it massively using what you know now.

pic is one of my pieces

There's a couple factors at work here, and I just wanted to offer some advice. I'm by no means a Behance Star, but I pay my bills every month with Freelance. You've gotta understand a few things, especially if you're just learning:

>Portfolio vs Capabilities
Clients want to be excited by your work, and will book you based on that, and then ask you to do mundane shit you can charge them a couple hundred for. Those Pros you look up to only show you what they want you to see. You don't see the "Work" that's literally just to pay bills before they were sought after. I like to make sure my portfolio has vision, and isn't just a template or tutorial I modded. If the job is for something say, educational, or corporate, you can show them the less-fun "Corporate" layout you did on a previous job, too, but let them be interested in your talent, regardless of what the job is.

>Fraud Syndrome
There's no room for this shit when you freelance. If you're not working, that's it. You're done. I was mainly a video editor when I did a few online courses for typography and design in my down time. When I was asked "Oh, could you create this shitty static layout for us too?" The answer wass "Yes", and they were non the wiser that I wasn't confident in my attempts. Clients want to work with someone who is, first of all, Responsive over email or phone, Positive ("Sure I can, I can get to work on this starting Thursday" "I'll have 2 layouts for you to look at tomorrow"), and lastly price. $30-50 for an hourly at least. Clients will pay thousands in advertising spots, so asking for $600 for a layout in a spot that cost them $3200 to have isn't ludacris. You can always strike first and write "I have a couple ideas, but I'd like to know your ideal timeline & budget".

>Fuck India and Bidding Sites
In my experience, they've been nothing but a huge waste of time and the people that use them are generally assholes in regards to expectations anyway

>>285703
Every Monday, Search all of craigslist (there's a few engines that will do this) and send out your shit for remote-friendly work. I perform almost ALL of my work from a home office. Google Freelancer Resources, and you'll find more listing sites. Places like Adecco and Creative Circle are tricky, because the listings usually want you in their client's office, in person, but again, if you're trying to just get SOMETHING, give it a go. You'll find some clients that are a one-and-done type job, and others that literally have no one to draft up anything. If you think your portfolio is up to snuff, send it out local ad agencies and say you're available immediately for short or long-term projects. Maybe you'll hear back, maybe you won't.

Be an Artist in your passion, portfolio, and ability to learn and keep up with design. When you freelance, if you stop at every "no", you're wasting your time. I'm working on an assignment now that although I know I would've FELT like I was capable of 5 years ago, but I would've absolutely choked on because I didn't have the time or project management skills to finish it on deadline. All those dumb, bullshit little jobs you take is what helps you learn and builds you into a reputable professional, and in any looks-based industry, that's who Agencies want to work with. Yes, having strong artistic foundation is important, but almost equally so is your ability to Work Well.

Treat all your clients with respect. Don't let invoices go unpaid. Don't burn bridges when you're just trying to get started. It's too easy to fall into the designer circle-jerk of "Every client sucks, every project is boring, fuck this" to an echoing crowd, but those kinds of artists are never fucking satisfied. No one wants to work with a cunt, especially a freelancing one.

Between Freelancer and Upwork, which one would you recommend?

>>283342
most graphic design jobs nowadays are filled through connections. its p much only the shitty gigs that hire some random off the street or on the internet.

learn to code man. its not that bad. just learn a bit of css and html and some javascript and some jquery and some php and you'll be solid. also learning how to copywrite would be a good idea.

>>284947
why no left vertical text?

also your sculpture sucks.

>>283342
Well what i do is just literally go door to door in NYC offering to sell them websites/ graphics. 90 percent of the time i get rejected. But I can live off the 10 percent. Its not alot, but its enough.

In this type of industry you gotta have balls and a stomach for failure, man. You can't make it without those two. Talent is way down the list.

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>>285703
>asking for $600 for a layout in a spot that cost them $3200 to have isn't ludacris.
your english skills are ludicrous

>>286343
>everyone on gd-shit is a native English speaker.

>>284947
this design is horrible. really gives me hope that i'm gonna make it

>>284947
that looks subpar, were all gonna make it boys

>>285703
>ludacris

Isn't it possible to get freelance work through agencies?

If I ever manage to land a paid GD position I'm gonna cling to it for dear life. I'll literally take minimum wage designing shitty promotional stuff for a boring corporation as long as its a position

No degree btw, stay in school kids

>>284947

No offence intended but there is so much wrong with that particular design.

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>>283342

>>288690