Australian INfront

Hi all,

I'm in my final year of uni and I have been working as a part time graphic designer for the last 2 years. I have seen what goes on behind the scene, etc.

I have started up my own business doing this and I have a couple of clients however I need more haha. I was wondering if anyone had anything they would like to share about proceeding from here.

Please don't link me to blog post or websites that contain 'how to get your first client' — I am sure I have read every one of them but they don't really apply to design work I have found. Design is more a 'commodity' for a company rather than a 'need'—or in most companies minds it is.

Anything to do with the business of design would be greatly appreciated :)

I know this is going to come off wrong but theres no secret in it, you have to go out and find it... Don't expect it to just fall on your lap.

Go to business events, network, talk to people - the more people who know your a graphic designer, the more chance you have of finding clients or someone who needs design work. Finding clients is more about creating relationships then anything else.

Heck I've even seen people who have seen stuff that has been designed badly and re-designed it and got into contact with the company and said compare what you have to what I can do. - Be careful of doing this, you have no idea why someones chosen something, who's designed it or many things behind the scenes.

Whilst you think most of the things you've read don't apply to design, you are probably actually 100% incorrect.

How good are you at talking about what you do? Are you comfortable approaching random people? Just because your a designer, if your running a business you also have to take on the role of Sales as well, thats why a lot of designers don't run businesses because they don't want to or can't do that side of the business... good luck!

Thanks for the reply. It has been extremely helpful. I am great as sales too so I should be alright. Regarding business events etc in Sydney I have BEC and Young Entrepreneurs on my list for events, anyone recommend any more for me?

Instead of getting to know other designers I used to get in with project managers at agencies, they would get sacked often, and through a work placement services they would work land a job at a new agency and call me in to do freelance at the new place. I ended up having so much overflow freelance work, with so many agencies and studios that I started my own business.

For a while I also tried the internet door knocking route. I'd surf around for sites of interest which I thought were shithouse. I'd send them an email telling them why I thought their web site was shit, and how I'd improve it. Sometimes I got abusive emails back, sometimes I got no emails back (and upon visiting the sites some time after I'd notice that they implemented all my suggested improvements!) and sometimes I got the job.

Sometimes all you have to do is ask.

Thanks for the input, much appreciated. One question - how do I get onto these project managers? events, functions, etc?

Talk to them when you are working for agencies that employ them. Contacting studios asking to speak to project managers, sending through folios, industry events...

Networking. Nothing beats it.

I've found when starting out, asking people who are actually close (family / friends) what their company websites are. Most of the time they needed a change up and referrals made it easy to get my foot in the door with bigger companies without having to cold call/email them.

@Dittmar - I can't believe I have never seen that video before. GOLD.