How to get paid design work…

How practising design briefs on sites like www.briefbox.me can really help you land that first paid design job:

The challenge

So you’ve decided that graphic design and/or illustration is definitely for you, and you want to start getting some freelance work to build up your portfolio. The problem is, when you’re starting out you’re stuck in a bit of a catch 22 or a dead-end because you need experience to get paid work, but you don’t have any experience because you haven’t done any client work! It’s a problem that many young or aspiring designers face when they are trying to make it in the design world, with the desire to get some paid client work. I myself have made the journey from young in-experienced passionate designer to employer, and now the director of my own design agency, so I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum.

The solution

Basically to land an interview and to get an agency or potential client to take you seriously, you need a strong portfolio, one that offers either a diverse range of work (if you are looking to design for multiple industries), or a portfolio that shows you have a niche or a specialist style of design or illustration. Obviously you need to practice a lot and master the software you are going to use. There are plenty of design courses available and ‘teach yourself’ videos on youtube etc. to help with this and ensure you’re at the top of your game when it comes to technical skills.

Bulking up a portfolio without any real work

So we know the challenges young or aspiring designers face, and we know now what they need to achieve in order to land that first paid freelance job or position at an agency, but where do the ideas come from and how do we inspire ourselves to create portfolio pieces without any clients asking us for work? The answer is to work on mock briefs, or practice design briefs, as much as you can in your down time, or as a key part of bulking out your portfolio. www.briefbox.me is a website my team and I set up to help young designers get their creative juices flowing. The briefs on the website simulate some of projects we see come through our agency, and so for aspiring designers, it’s the closest thing to an on-the-job style of learning.

Continual development

Obviously with websites like www.Briefbox.me you can always go back to the site and practice, which is a great idea if you want to keep your creative mind busy and those design juices flowing. Sometimes its easy to become complacent and content at a level of design or illustration, once you begin to receive paid design work, but this is a professional designer’s downfall and you should always be practising and improving your skills whenever possible — so www.briefbox.me, with new briefs being added everyday, is a fantastic resource for those already in employment or freelancing, who wish to push themselves even further.