FREELANCE GRAPHIC DESIGN: Meaning, How to Start, Rate & Contracts

Freelance graphic design services let designers work together on projects with the help of clients who need help with their website’s design, branding, and web development. This guide is meant to help you learn more about freelance graphic design rates and contracts by explaining what graphic designers do, what kind of education they need, and what the pros and cons are. It also answers some of the most common questions about the current state of the graphic design market.

Freelance Graphic Design

Freelance graphic design means doing creative design work on a project- or contract-by-project basis instead of working full-time for one company. Graphic designers who work for themselves as independent contractors frequently do so from their homes and may take on many clients at once. They might, among other things, help make logos and brands, design websites, design packaging, and make marketing materials.

What Does a Freelance Graphic Designer do?

A freelance graphic designer creates aesthetic ideas for websites, digital products, or even actual physical stuff like billboards. A graphic designer’s job is to turn a client’s idea into a visual reality using software, hand-drawn designs, or a combination of the two. They then translate that concept to the finished product, typically using design software tools to make sure everything appears as it should.

A freelancer’s primary focus is different from an employee’s, which is a key distinction. For one “customer,” i.e., their employer, an employee will produce all of their work. They frequently deal with a variety of media, such as designing websites, banner ads, a new company logo, or fresh visuals for mobile apps.

Those who work as independent contractors, though, enjoy a little more flexibility. Often, they will serve a variety of clients, and they might concentrate on just one aspect of graphic design (such as only websites or only out-of-home advertising like billboards).

Where to Get Freelance Graphic Design Jobs

To locate freelance graphic design employment, there are three primary methods:

#1. Jobs Boards

In the same way that they advertise full-time jobs, many businesses post freelance graphic design jobs (which are often ongoing projects) on job sites. Check out these examples:

Indeed
WeWorkRemotely
FlexJobs
DynamiteJobs
LinkedIn

#2. Specialized Work Communities and Online Markets for Design

Large freelancing job sites can be an effective resource for finding graphic design work. Since they only concentrate on freelance employment, they are comparable to job boards.

Upwork
Fiverr
TopTal
Communo
99designs
Dribbble

#3. Your Network

It’s impossible to predict who is or knows someone who is looking to hire for freelance graphic design projects. Don’t be hesitant to let people know you’re looking for a job. Make sure all of your social media profiles are updated (as you did previously in the branding part).

How to Start Freelance Graphic Design

An organization’s marketing and promotion strategies must include graphic design. Graphic designers, also referred to as communication designers, create aesthetically pleasing graphics that reinforce the brand’s message and arouse consumers’ emotions. These are steps on how to start freelance graphic design.

#1. Study the Fundamentals of Graphic Design.

If you want to become a graphic designer, you must first know a lot about how graphic design works. Good design is crafted with care. The application of design philosophy and concepts is highly specialized and entails much planning.

Your talents can be developed by working on projects in a graphic design school, which teaches you the principles of design. As you expand your network, the mentors and peers you meet through graphic design classes will be beneficial.

#3. Recognize the Basic Graphic Design Tools

Graphic designers employ a wide variety of tools. Working with graphic design software is what they do most frequently. The majority of graphic designers use Adobe Creative Cloud as their primary tool.

#4. To Improve Your Graphic Design Abilities, Work on Your Own Projects.

Now that you know how graphic design works and what tools are available, you need to practice. The best method to develop your abilities and master graphic design software is to work on your own design projects.

#5. Create an Online Portfolio to Display Your Graphic Design Work

For any graphic designer, having a solid portfolio is crucial. A project you finished for a class, a personal project, or a professional endeavor can all be included in your portfolio. Prioritize quality over quantity.

Freelance Graphic Design Rate

It’s not always simple to select the ideal freelance graphic design rate. Making a profit requires setting prices that are in between those that scare off customers and those that don’t want to pay too much.

When it comes to how much to charge for your services, there is, regrettably, no set of universal guidelines. Examining the several variables that can significantly affect your pricing is the first step in determining your freelance graphic design rate.

When setting your freelance graphic design rate, keep the following things in mind:

#1. Experience

You can typically charge a little bit extra for your work if you have years of experience in graphic design. You can typically charge a little bit more than the typical, everyday designer if you’ve spent a decade learning and developing your craft and have a ton of examples of your prior work.

#2. Costing System

Either charging for certain project packages or establishing an hourly charge is an option. Keep in mind that you will need to precisely estimate how long the task will take if you opt for the project rate plan, which we’ll discuss further in a moment.

#3. Project Aims

You’ll also need to consider the scope, depth, and complexity of whatever you’re working on if you want to effectively estimate the amount of time you’ll need to devote to a project. Your fee will increase in direct proportion to the amount of labor required.

#4. The Need for Specialists

Also, you might need to charge more if your client has specific demands, such as the necessity for you to apply specialized knowledge or a particular type of software.

#5. The Project’s Worth

If you believe your client will receive significant value from the job, you might think about charging more, even if it doesn’t take you a long time to finish it.

#6. Costs and Administrative Fees

You will still need to consider costs, even if the overhead for most freelance graphic design rate is typically relatively low. How much would it cost, for example, to buy the software you would need to make the assets your client wants? What will you be paying for heating and electricity?

Freelance Graphic Design Contract

A freelance graphic design contract is signed by both the client and the designer. It sets out the rules for how the services will be done. Also, the freelance graphic design contract structure is the same whether the design work is a team effort or on a smaller scale.

Importance of Graphic Design Contract

If you have a freelance graphic design contract ready for potential clients, it could really change your business. Even though the title is a bit of an exaggeration, these are five strong reasons why you should use a freelance graphic design contract.

#1. Increasing the Likelihood That You’ll be Compensated

Clearly stating your fee and payment terms is the most useful aspect of a contract. Even though it is not an invoice, your agreement establishes the tone of a business relationship.

#2. Controlling Expectations

Working with a customer who pushes for more work than the project requires can be a designer’s worst nightmare. In order to finish the project, you need to take the time to ask questions and understand the goals, which are clearly stated in the contract.

#3. Strengthens Credibility

It demonstrates your professionalism to quickly draft a contract for a potential client. A discourse that seemed to be about unlimited possibilities is brought back to earth.

#4. Each Individual is Answerable

Especially when you’re just starting a new client connection, a graphic design contract is the best accountability tool. Right now, you can’t say that you trust each other completely. So, having a contract will make you more likely to stick to deadlines and do good work.

#5. It Inspires You.

A prospective client becomes a real client if they sign a contract for freelance design work. The fact that having more contracts means you’re getting more work as a paid professional motivates you to do so.

How Much Do Freelance Graphic Designers Charge?

On Upwork, graphic designers charge hourly rates ranging from $15 to $150, with a typical rate of around $25. Designers don’t always charge by the hour; it’s also typical for them to establish predetermined pricing for the work based on their comprehension of your project’s requirements.

Is Graphics Design Good for Freelancing?

As a freelance graphic designer, you have full control over your life and career, which is a great chance. But success in freelance graphic design involves more than just having talent as a designer. Whether you work on it part-time or full-time, you must create a legitimate business.

What Skills Do You Need to Be a Freelance Graphic Designer?

The following are four skills or competencies to have as a freelance graphic designer:

#1. The Short Leash of Unbridled Creativity

“The majority of my students are creative types,” says Rozina Vavetsi, a graphic design instructor at the New York Institute of Technology. They have a strong desire to be creative, but I’m aware that few of them will be able to support themselves exclusively through unrestrained creativity.

#2. Technological Competence and Pencils

David Sherwin, an author, professor, and designer for the American Institute of Graphic Arts, recently asked creative directors to describe qualities that distinguish their favorite freelance graphic designers from the competition. A surprising number of them valued the ability to put technology aside and brainstorm ideas on paper or a whiteboard.

#3. Skills in Business and People

The talents that will keep your clients coming back for more include the capacity for verbal communication, teamwork throughout an organization, meeting deadlines, and accepting criticism with a smile. Especially for color-me-creative beginners, the latter skill is arguably the most difficult to master.

#4. Grace in Adversity

Screaming deadlines, hazy expectations, and bosses who demand that you fly to Jupiter on a raft of paper clips today are annoying but not uncommon. But these are precisely the situations that might push you to produce innovation in ways you never thought possible.

A successful graphic design career can be achieved by combining these four abilities with originality, a natural aesthetic flair, and a solid graphic design education.

Conclusion

Like any freelancing enterprise, graphic design has its ups and downs. Even if all the best advice is followed in the letter, success is not always guaranteed. The fact that they persevered in the face of adversity and were willing to attempt new things is, nevertheless, a characteristic shared by all successful freelancers. Hence, keep in mind that there may be some difficult times along the way when you set out on your adventure. Even so, it does not guarantee failure. If you don’t discover something that works for you, just keep trying and be adaptable in your approach.