Serious Design Talk.
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- Christa0
I decided to work for me during the last recession when I had too much freelance work to be interested in my day job any more.
Still working.
- pylon0
Worked in and around agencies for a few years, freelanced for a few years, now have my own firm. There's still red-tape and bs but now it's my red-tape and bs. There are days when it seems I spend more time dealing with money, freelancers, clients, and just about anything other than design. But each night I go to bed and am looking forward to the next day. Six years in business coming this January.
Being in a position to say yes or no to projects is a great feeling.
- ukit0
Why does everyone want to "run their own design shop?" What happened to aspiring to being a cog in a giant faceless corporation?
- hallelujah0
I didn't even start designing until I was older than almost everyone on this board. Had a couple of part time non design jobs at first and worked around them, until I felt almost comfortable enough to go full time.
- When did you start doing design Rand? What age? (just curious, cause I'm a late starter myself)Complexfruit
- horton0
12 pt = 1 pica
- horton0
1 pica = 0.1667 in
- e = mc2hallelujah
- no sorry this is Algebra, not Serious Design Talkhorton
- iamlo0
i still don't know if i want to freelance or stay full-time and pampered by a big company.
- pylon0
I think there's a bit of a misrepresentation or misconception about how much freedom one has when working on their on, either as a freelancer, sole-trader, or even small studio. There's not as much crap coming down the line from the *boss* or other team mates but all the unglamorous bits, bookkeeping, cleaning, etc, generally fall on your shoulders in the beginning. First in, last out, and all of that.
When you work for somebody else if the hit shits the fan you can always pass it off on somebody, or at least duck behind a desk. When it's your boat, and a client's angry man-o-man, there's nowhere to hide!
With all the added freedom comes added responsibility!
Best of luck if you decide to go for it — it is worth the hard work.
- boobs0
72 pt = pretty big letter
- slappy0
I studied graphic design for 3 years once I got out of high school then started a 3D animation course when I got offered a job as a motion graphics designer from a client I was freelancing for.
I then got sick of the bad pay and long hours so I took a web design job for a global mining company that I got through a friend. 5 years later and Im still here, I dont feel like a real graphic designer as I have never worked in a studio or under the control of a AD etc.
- boobs0
Let's be serious here: you're not at a design job to learn how to design. You're at a design job to learn how a shop gets design work, i.e. clients.
Once you learn how to get clients, quit. Then go get your own.
- Interesting take on it.Complexfruit
- haha, u nailed it.cosmofury
- brilliant.digdre
- That's pretty much the way it goes!pylon
- http://mindwiper.com…boobs
- cannonball0
It's not hard to get clients. It's hard to keep clients. It's even harder to keep ones that you want not just for the money.
- ynot0
I started as a web designer back in 1999, jumped over to print and tv for a while, back into web, started my own and some bastard just didn't pay up for months and i have to end my own studio after a year. Now, i'm an AD for a local house and I"m still thinking should i move out.
my note
Being employed = a promised fix low pay by the end of the month even if you just QBN the whole dayBeing my own boss = in debt but FUN and still being able to QBN the whole day
- atlasundead0
QBNing seems to be a constant for success.
- Absolutely. The more time spent here equates to higher success.
It's a scientifically proven fact.pylon
- Absolutely. The more time spent here equates to higher success.
- MissB0
First serious job was as a designer, then an illustrator then back to a designer. Now I'm freelance and lovin it.
- trooperbill0
i started my own studio at 23, 2 years later my sales director had a nervous breakdown so i did the sales too, 5 years later my technical director started coming into work when he felt like it... so i left, working for someone else is piss easy by comparison.
- Imposeum0
i was the main actor on dirty jobs before they had a film crew... They went hollywood on my ass. I had to do something.
- hallelujah0
QBN time = need for higher hourly rate = success
- mistermik0
this is serious design talk.