Freelance Graphic Design?

[DC]

Anyone on here ever try doing some freelance graphic design?  Newspapers, magazines, etc. are always using these things, and many of us know how to make digital graphics.

 

I’ve been thinking of fun ways to make some side cash while at school and after hearing an interview on the CBC with the graphics editor of the New York Times, this idea popped into my head.

 

Edited to add: by graphics I mean little figures, charts, diagrams, illustrations.  Not layout or anything as involved as that.

[nca]

I just finished a little contract for art for a cad software company. Igot the job through my blog which I haven’t updated in over a year.

I’d say there are definitely opportunities out there but I might go as far to say that graphic design is as or more saturated than LA. Architects are of course all over that too because as we all know they can do anything.

[Wyatt Thompson, PLA]

Knowing Photoshop does not a graphic designer make. I toyed with freelance GD for a while several years ago, and after spending time with real graphic designers (on forums and in person) that is the conclusion I came to. I started doing all the marketing graphics for the firm I work for, which lead me to believe that I could also offer those services to others. Then we redesigned our company’s website and thankfully hired some professionals. The company I work for still has me do marketing and advertising pieces (I guess I see the value in graphic designers work more than the principles do), but with a much different eye thanks to what I learned from those designers. While I certainly learned a lot of good things about design and Adobe software during those exercises, I think my time offering freelance services may have been better spent reading about landscape construction methods and materials, visiting projects, and studying for the LARE. Since you’re in school, you may need a more creative and less academic outlet than those things I mentioned, so maybe you should give it a go and see what happens.

[DC]

Yeah, I guess chances are I wouldn’t find anything since the market is so saturated, but it’s worth a shot…if I have enough time that is.

[nca]

I agree entirely.

 

Contrary to popular belief, graphic design as a profession is more complicated than knowing how to open photoshop. Although, there are a lot of basic tasks that LA’s and architects may be capable of that fall under the umbrella of graphic design.

[Gordon W. Perkins]

I have done 2D and 3D design on the side for years now.  I really fell into it while helping a co-worker with some photoshop questions.  It then turned into brochure design for her friend, then some odd photography, and 3-D modeling jobs.  It is slow business, but I have never actively pursued any jobs before.  While I don’t pretend to be a graphic designer, most of the stuff I am doing is straight forward and just requires some sense of balanced colours and effective layout.  One place I have always been temped to try is http://www.elance.com.  They often have odd jobs that look doable by a non GD, and some really fun stuff too.  They are really competitive and often lowball jobs, but they look so easy!!  Good Luck!

[nca]

I signed up for elance.com and they spam me constantly now. I’ve never gotten a job through them. You have to take a little exam to ‘qualify’ yourself for work. I tried the photoshop exam and it was actually pretty tough and I’d consider myself an advanced user.

[Gordon W. Perkins]

Good to know. I don’t need any more spam.   Thanks!

[Mark Miller]

Ihad a whole crazy response written out, and then I noticed  where you’d clarified:

  “by graphics I mean little figures, charts, diagrams, illustrations.  Not layout or anything as involved as that.”

 

And to that I say: “Sure, that sounds like a good idea, the charts and graphs in the NY Times are dreadful”

 

If you’re any good with Sketchup you might also consider hiring yourself out for that too. I noticed on Craigslist that someone was looking for a person who could do some digital models to be posted on google earth.

 

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