How to earn money as a graphic designer and live off your creativity and passion on the Internet? step by step guide

Jobs such as graphic designer are highly demanded on the internet. One of the advantages of having talent to develop in this world is that you can do it from anywhere and without depending on third parties. being able to make shipments virtually.

The key to success and generate good income online It is having the ability to fully exploit creativity and present original designs. Competition in the market is great, therefore you must know how to position yourself and offer quality services at an attractive price. It is not about giving the job away, rather it is teaching your potential clients that they value you.

In this grade you will learn everything you need to know if you want to become a graphic designer. The earnings, the necessary qualities, the platforms to train yourself and trustworthy sites where you can find work and promote yourself to make yourself known.

How much money can you earn as a graphic designer?

The tasks in which a graphic designer can perform are varied, going through advertising, corporate identity, multimedia, web pages, editorials, posters and many other functions. Therefore, the salary will depend on the profile you manage to develop and the contracts you get.

If you work for a company and are new to the business, the salary can reach 700 euros per month, when gaining experience it increases to 2,000. In many cases, the average per hour doing it freelance could be 50 euros or put a price on each type of work, instead of charging for a period. However, this may change in each country. Salaries in Latin America are usually lower than those in European countriesaveraging about 800 Euros in Mexico or 250 to 500 in South America.

What qualities should a graphic designer have?

The graphic designer must be prepared to properly exercise their profession. This is a sector that is constantly updating its trends and implementing new technologies.

Therefore, it is key that if you want to make design your job, you strive to develop the following qualities:

Creativity

The first days it is possible that the ideas flow by themselves and from a few words you can develop great proposals. But this usually runs out, so creativity needs to be nurtured to have that touch that makes the difference with the rest of the designers, a point that creates your own style. you must learn to innovate in your designYes, they cannot all be the same or very similar. Each brand must stand out from the rest and that is where creativity is most needed.

Prudence

Innovation must have a limit and it is your responsibility to place it. The client or company delivers a project to you and you are responsible for its success, drawing up specific plans in accordance with previously established criteria, without losing the corporate image. Many times it is some refresh or touch up to update, not a total modification to an image. If you’re not careful, in a few seconds you can go from having a successful design to ending up in failure.

Clarity

Designs should not be overloaded of colors, fonts and other elements that are visually tiring, regardless of the type of publication you are creating. A well-made, clear and clean presentation draws a lot of attention and impresses others. Well-crafted photographs, with smooth animations, are pleasant and the reader enjoys seeing them. A simple and elaborate design leaves a positive impression.

Motivation

As in any profession, the desire to learn and emerge will open up new opportunities. Staying up-to-date with online courses, reading specialized publications and keeping up with the latest trends are essential ingredients for success as a graphic designer. The desire to train should never be lost, if that happens you will be one step behind the rest of your colleagues, which means losing job opportunities. Do not forget that changes in this world are constant.

Organization

The ability to organize time to fulfill orders is essential. This goes hand in hand with teamwork, since there are times when it is necessary to be able to work with other professionals in order to complete a project. A print publication may require people to handle other functions, so collaboration and task management efficiently They help the work flow.

Patience

Good designs don’t always come out immediately. You most likely have the idea in mind, but you will need time to develop it, polish it and give it the final touch to make your customers fall in love. If it doesn’t flow now, it will in the afternoon or maybe tomorrow, so it’s important that you work early to meet the deadlines.

You may also need present several proposals to see which one meets the expectations of your clients. Each one must have an aspect that makes a difference and to achieve it successfully you will need a lot of patience.

openness to criticism

don’t forget that you must be open to receiving criticism of your designs and to change the elements that are necessary. If you close your mind, so will the doors before you. You have to be flexible and open to changes that may arise. If you listen you will grow, especially if your clients are the ones who want improvements in a job or want changes in certain aspects. The satisfaction of others opens paths for new tasks.

Learn how to make money online as a graphic designer

Yes ok the above are not all the qualities that a designer should have, turns out they are the main.

If you notice that you put them together or can polish them, now you are going to see three ways that you have to make your way in the world of graphic design:

Create a portfolio

A portfolio is the business card in which you demonstrate your skills as a designer to win over potential customers. There are several ways to do it, either in a file PDF, a personal blog, a website or using social networks. What you should strive for is that it be creative and attract attention.

in a portfolio You will present part of your professional work in which your experience is clearly seen. Two things can happen with it, either the doors open for the quality of your designs or once and for all nobody will want to hire you. Therefore, think of an attractive format and convincing.

Work on your personal brand

There are several ways for a graphic designer to build their personal brand. One of them is with a blog to show and share the elements that you are able to create. For it to flow correctly, you have to prepare a plan with the content that you will upload and the dates that each of them will have.

With making two to four posts a month will be enough to keep your audience updated. The articles you write will demonstrate your skills and experience, convincing clients that you are the right person to take on the project they have in mind. Finally, it will also help the research for the texts keep you on the cutting edge.

Find clients or have them find you

The recommendations you just read will help you find interested parties. Being active on social media, having a website or creating a portfolio gives you visibility. But also it is necessary that you relate to companies in the field or with potential clientsfor this you have to go to events related to advertising and marketing, in which you can offer your services.

It is also convenient join independent platforms to apply as a graphic designer. In most of them you can create a professional profile defining your skills and experiences. From there you will attract interested people, make yourself known if you have just left university or are starting to design.

Best platforms to learn graphic design

It happens to some that they are curious about graphic design, they have done small jobs but they want to learn more and train to be professionals.

In this course, you have 10 platforms where you can study from the basics to the advanced, some paid and others for free:

coursera.org

This program is endorsed by the California Institute of the Arts, is basically aimed at beginners and teaches the skills to do advanced work. They leave you all the tools and concepts that are used in this profession. The complete agenda is made up of five courses.

It is a great starting point for those without an academic background in the world of design. Then some specializations in animations or interfaces can be done. The investment is four hours a week for six months.

LinkedIn.com

With the path called “Become a graphic designer”, this platform has classes that show the basic fundamentals of design. In addition, it is updated with the newest tools and software necessary to exploit creativity. There are 11 courses of 2 hours each in the video mode, explained by experts.

Among the points to be highlighted are that at the end of each course there is a practical section in which they give the possibility of putting knowledge into practice and according to progress, there is the facility of being part of a community of creators.

Skillshare.com

The tutorials on this platform are completely free, with some 21,000 classes prepared by experts from different parts of the world. The training ranges from the basic level to the most advanced, leaving complete techniques to stand out as a designer. To access the classes, just sign up for freealthough it is also possible to buy a premium membership to view exclusive material, with the possibility of viewing it offline and from any computer.

codeacademy.com

This platform specializes in web page design with the most used languages. The tutorials are free with the limitation that the language is English, so you should have some basic knowledge. It has a reward system to motivate registered users in which medals are awarded for completing a course and a score is awarded according to the progress obtained. It has been online since 2011.

tutsplus.com

Courses and tutorials of all levels are found on this web portal, rated as one of the best to learn graphic design. Three of the most promoted are Adobe Illustrator, Design & Illustration and Adobe Photoshop, necessary tools to make good creations. It is learned from the basic level to the most advancedwith spaces for photography, video, programming and graphic design for web pages.

DesignLab.com

This is a complete platform to learn everything related to graphic design online. It is not only theory, there is a section in which they participate in projects to put knowledge into practice. On the other hand, a live session with an expert is included every week to clarify any doubts that may arise. In addition, you can take advantage of the experience and ability of users in the comments they make to the classes seen.

alison.com

By entering the site you register completely free and You have access to a wide range of courses on different topics, including graphic design.. One of the advantages is that at the end they give you a certificate, a condition that is very useful when looking for a job and leaving a resume. Graphic design tutorials available include design principles, graphic skills, or Photoshop tutorials for photo editing and retouching.

Udemy.com

Every month the catalog of video tutorials is expanded, already reaching the figure of 183,000 including those made live. You have to pay for classes that are taught by independent teachers, who set prices according to specialization. The classes are in a predetermined order and aside from the paid features, there are also free ones. You can start with an introduction to graphic design and work your way up from there.

Domestika.org

One way to improve knowledge and learn new ones is with the network of creative professionals that are part of this platform. All courses have a price and promotions are often made offering discounts for each of them. Upon entering, the portal shows you the tutorials according to their rating, so you can be guided by the experience that other users have had. Areas of design taught include art, logos, and illustration.

Emagister.com

Courses, careers, free and paid master’s degrees are found on this platformwith the possibility to do them online or face-to-face depending on your location. There are all themes including graphic design. The web has individual portals for some countries, including Mexico or Colombia. Select the training you want to obtain and it will give you several results.

Best YouTube channels on graphic design

If you are one of those who prefer to learn by watching, there are youtubers who are experts in graphic design who post interesting content on their channelsranging from basic to profound.

With detailed explanations and step-by-step guides you can polish or acquire new knowledge:

creative frame

Marco Gracia is the founder and creator of this YouTube channel. His experience in different Spanish study houses and the ability to transmit knowledge has allowed him to occupy an important place among the apprentices and connoisseurs of graphic design, with more than half a million subscribers.

The topics addressed in the space are diversepassing through the design of brands, the creative processes, the main fundamentals that a designer must have and various techniques to perform each job in the best way.

Guillot Designs Tutorials

Around 200,000 people have joined this channel to enjoy the tutorials on two of the best-known programs used by designers around the world, such as Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Illustrator, generating content since 2018. The proposal is teach how these tools work and learn to create content of the highest quality, with aesthetics and professionalism.

Domestika

It is a good option to get courses and tutorials, but on their YouTube channel they have many videos in which they explain for free how to get the most out of different design software. They already have more than 600,000 affiliates who want to improve their creativity. The channel includes interviews, explanations developed by experts and the latest trends in fields such as photography, illustration, design and digital marketing to name just a few.

Fabian the Publicist

More than a decade of experience has this youtuber who shares his knowledge with the channel’s followers, who now number more than 180,000 people. It is suitable for those who want learn design from home in a practical and simple waywith many tricks that will make the learning process fun.

In addition, many can be seen tutorials on Photoshop, web pages and other photo editing programs. It also offers personalized advice according to the requests of each person and a large community in which doubts and concerns are answered.

MakingUFeel

Some 100,000 subscribers are part of this Diego Galilea channel, which he has been working on since 2012. His idea is educate for free in the audiovisual and technological areas those who want to expand their knowledge. The main field is photography work for designers. There are tutorials and tips that are designed in an entertaining way to learn about the complex creative processes in a practical way. It is completely in Spanish and on its cover various videos of the handling of Photoshop are seen.

Kevin Urbina

This creator has the goal of reaching 200 thousand followers and has been generating videos since 2011. Photoshop, Illustrator and Motion Graphics tutorials, podcasts, resources and advice are part of the teaching methods used in the channel. Every weekend new videos are added in which knowledge is shared, emphasizing the design of logos, redesigns and publications of interest.

Ivan Gallegos

Although he has not uploaded new material for some time, this Mexican creator create content on how to learn to illustrate, starting with basic tutorials and tricks that will help you get the job done like a pro. He started with the channel since 2009 and he describes himself as a lover of self-learning. The explanations are very simple, which helps newer ones to follow the steps easily. Among the videos are Photoshop and Illustrator tutorials.

Adobe Spain

Illustrator and Photoshop programs are property of Adobeso a good way to learn steps on how to use them is on their channel, where they show interviews with well-known personalities in which they talk about the use they make of these tools in their jobs. The tutorials are also responsible for analyzing the latest developments regarding the brand’s products, including updates and how they help to better carry out the creative processes.

Mark Rise

This artist who identifies himself as “Gigantic” shows how to work with flat characters digitally in Illustrator. In most of the descriptions it is indicated that it will be learned in an easy way, leaving the steps well explained. In each tutorial, the description of how to carry out each project is shown, using many images. It gathers more than 220 thousand followers and has been active since the end of 2015.

Dansky

The creator of the channel has already surpassed 700 thousand followers and has been generating new content since 2014. The videos of this professional are in English and is dedicated full time to teaching and showcasing his skills for free on his channel. Topics to learn from include: Photoshop, Illustrator and Adobe XDshowing how these particular tools can help create original images.

Best platforms to find work as a graphic designer

There are so many people who offer their services as graphic design professionals independently and get well-paying jobs.

Among the most used portals to apply for this type of work are the following:

freelancer.com

in this portal you must create a real user with your personal data and then job offers begin to appear related to graphic design. Here, self-employed people apply when looking for a job. Among the demands there are logo design, banner creation or carry out projects for a company. One of the ways used to choose the best person are contests, where the one with the best credentials wins.

DesignContest.com

The name of the platform implies that the way to get a job is to participate in a contest, where you compete with other designers to show off your professional skills. The clients place the characteristics of the project and wait for the proposals, the winner receives a previously defined prize.

Clients take into account all those who have applied and They choose the proposal that best suits their needs. The participation is massive on the part of the designers since the payment most of the time is very attractive.

fiverr.com

It is at the top as one of the most used portals to make yourself known as a graphic designer. At the beginning, if you have little experience you should start charging cheap prices, but without giving away your work. But, you can complement that with the additional demands made by your contractor. If you are very creative and you can differentiate yourself from the rest, you will have a good chance of earning a position in this competitive career, in which there are hundreds of professionals looking to make customers fall in love.

SimplyHired.es

This is an exclusive portal for job search, in which thousands of people apply for a position according to their skills, including graphic designer. You can search by specialization and location, compare the land and then apply. On the website, once you register you create a resume and leave it to be seen by those who are looking for employees. But also, there is the possibility of seeing the price that you can put on your project, with hundreds of references available.

Nexxt.com

There are dozens of well-known companies that are often looking for graphic design job vacancies on this website. Once you join, ranks you according to your location, focus and career type allowing it to be easily found. When someone looks for an employee, the system will send you proposals related to your career as a designer from different perspectives.

upwork.com

This platform has various tools to help you start your career as a graphic designer independently, including a very transparent staff recruitment process along with the generation of invoices which becomes available after registration. Famous clients seeking staff here include Microsoft, Airbnb or Dropbox. Jobs can be full time, part time or for particular projects, in a flexible and practical way.

Workana.com

They are defined as one of the leading platforms for freelance in Spanish and from there you can also apply to get a project. Clients post what their needs are or the professional they are looking for and the interested parties present their proposals placing the price they aspire to.

They will look at your profile and they will communicate directly through the tools provided by the portal. Jobs are done remotely and it is very important to earn a good reputation to send everything within the stipulated times.

Maltese

Little bit more than 300 thousand freelancers have joined this portal that provides its bridging services with companies around the world since 2013, enjoying a great reputation. They claim that about 110 thousand customers have selected from among the who have applied, including graphic designers. Billing is done per day and contact is direct through the portal between the client and the independent worker. There are thousands of projects in which you have the opportunity to apply to stay with one of them.

designcrowd.com

Here I know exclusively looking for graphic designers and there are professionals from different cities around the world. Clients review and contact those who have the profile that best suits their project. There are about 60,000 profiles created regarding this career. The search engine has been available since 2007, which guarantees a lot of seriousness and responsibility. The way of recruiting is that the clients publish a project, receive the applications and then make the selection.

freeup.net

Is a relatively new platform in which it is applied to make designs. When registering, a questionnaire appears that can be qualified as a job interview in which you must explain aspects related to your profile. The pay rates for the jobs are quite acceptable and once you create the profile, you should wait for job offers to appear according to your experience and ability.