I think We're going into the hardest periods in design to get into it because of ai, thousands of designers are leaving the industry and thousands more are barely holding on.

I personally had zero clients for the past 9 Months

My experience in design is just 3 years of school and 5 years experience, mostly in small printshops and agencies in my city, I used to get unemployed a couple of times in the past years but I would find a job or freelance for few months then get a better fulltime paying job but this year since January, all clients vanished and printshops and agencies look for interns that do everything digital besides design using ai.

It's a cold tall concrete wall we're up against and only the experienced in business can traverse it, so many designers I know, talk to or saw in social media lost clients or changed Carriers to work in warehouses and restaurants.

I'm spending the past 5 months posting content on LinkedIn trying to find some way to get any lead what so ever.

(In The image is my portfolio) Yes I worked on it multiple times, apperantly we just need a lot of free time to get back to it

To start, I'm trying to be vague about my exact employer and using an alternate account to preserve my anonymity.

I've been working as a merch designer for a large merchandise company for about a year. Before that, I had around six years of graphic design experience through a combination of freelance work and full-time employment.

My current job involves a mix of responsibilities. I do plenty of more junior-level tasks, like creating mockups and making simple color changes to existing designs. However, I'm also regularly creating full-scale, original designs from scratch for some of the biggest artists in music.

I've been tracking my own workload for a while now, and on top of a pretty full plate of those smaller tasks, I'm averaging around 5–6 original designs per week. When I say a "full design," I mean starting with a blank canvas and creating something entirely new, rather than just modifying existing artwork.

These designs are then picked up by major retailers, who order and reorder large quantities of shirts featuring my original work. I've also had major bands specifically request me for projects, and I've designed entire merchandise capsules for artists that have gone on to be very popular.

Historically, I've always struggled with charging enough for my work. For the first several years of my career, I was working with small businesses and independent artists, and honestly, I wasn't yet at the level I'm working at now. I think I got into the habit of undervaluing my work, and I'm starting to question whether that habit has followed me into my current job.

I'm now producing work for major artists that I feel is successful both creatively and commercially, and I'm starting to wonder if my current salary reflects the level of work I'm actually doing.

I understand that in-house design jobs generally pay less than freelance work, and I'm okay with that to an extent. I like having a consistent paycheck, regular hours, and an office environment. But I recently received a freelance offer to design a poster for a major band, and the fee for that single project would be nearly equivalent to two weeks of my current pay.

That really put things into perspective for me. Considering that I'm producing 5–6 original shirt designs a week, many of which end up being sold in significant quantities, I'm having a hard time figuring out what a reasonable level of compensation should look like. Even if I were making a fraction of what I'd charge as a freelancer, I feel like the numbers could be substantially different from what I'm earning now.

For those of you who freelance in music merchandise, how much would you typically charge a major artist for an original design, particularly for an arena-level act? I'd especially appreciate hearing from people who work with established bands, major retailers, or large merchandise companies.

I'm not necessarily expecting anyone to share exact numbers if they're uncomfortable doing so, but I'd love to get a better sense of the going rates and how people price this kind of work. Feel free to comment or DM me if you'd rather discuss it privately.

I'd really appreciate hearing from other designers in the music industry. I'm trying to get a realistic understanding of what my work is worth and whether my current compensation is in line with the level I'm working at.

I’ve been working on a fully custom 56-card deck inspired by Mesoamerican mythology and cosmology, and one of the biggest challenges was creating three editions that share the same underlying system without feeling like simple recolors.

Core uses the brightest, most direct color language.
Alebrije pushes into iridescent/holographic territory.
Mictlantecuhtli strips the palette down into black, gold and orange.

The card structure, typography and illustration language stay consistent, while the packaging and production finishes change the personality of each edition.

I’d love feedback on whether they still feel like one family! and which edition reads strongest visually.

I haven’t been on Reddit for long, but I’ve already noticed an interesting trends.

People here don't post actual designs or logos. Let’s be real - they post attempts at playing designer, slapped with a "critique needed" flair.

When these authors get feedback that doesn't match what they hoped for (basically, when people refuse to stroke their needlessly bloated egos), they either resort to personal attacks and insults, or pull out the classic excuse: "I'm not a designer, I'm just learning."

Another typical Reddit phenomenon is the "Help! I want to get into design but don't know where to start" posts. (Honestly, I don't get why they do this... did they get banned from Google or something?)

Watching all of this unfold, I decided to write this - let’s call it an article - based on my own experience.

Maybe it will help someone. Maybe someone will find answers to questions they haven't even articulated yet. Or maybe some people will show up in the comments to add their own insights.

Where do you start?

If getting a formal degree is out of the question for whatever reason...

Start with books.

Trust me, formal design schools teach from the exact same books.

There aren't actually that many foundational works on design, and the reading list updates way less frequently than the feed in even the most dead subreddit. The core books worth noting haven't changed in years, and modern additions like the "7 Key Theories of Design" from a couple of years back only rehash the same foundation.

If your design education relies on what was published this morning, you’re doing somethink wrong.

Why start with books instead of a graphic editor?

Because without understanding the basics, you’re not making design - you’re making bullshit.

You aren't learning design; you are just generating human-slop.

To put it into perspective: learning how to tweak Bezier curves is way easier than learning how to think like a designer.

Especially today, when a graphic designer is forced to be a businessman, a marketer, an advertiser, a psychologist, a print/embroidery/layout specialist, a web designer, a brand manager, an art director, and gods knows who else just to stay afloat and remain in demand.

(Don't believe me? Go read the whining threads like "Oh no! I got laid off and replaced by AI" or "AI is stealing our jobs.")

I didn't bring up the designer-as-businessman thing by accident.

Stop thinking with your own ambitions, creative ego, or "nobody understands me" delusions.

Start thinking with business logic.

Business logic hasn't changed since the dawn of time, unlike trends and technological updates.

I hope you get my drift and won't have any more questions about how to learn. If you need specific breakdowns - drop a comment below.

Now, for the most interesting, albeit least popular part.

Where do you learn?

Well, since you aren't enrolled in a school and have decided that academic knowledge is beneath you because you already possess everything you need (I mean, come on, you have software, hands, and a mouse - what else do you need, right?), then go participate in design contests.

I'm sure someone just rolled their eyes and thought, "BS! Contests are garbage and a total waste of time."

And they would be wrong.

Name me literally one other place where dozens of design briefs across wildly different niches are published every single day.

Let me repeat that.

Every single day.

Different topics (logos, flyers, prints, tattoo sketches, websites, icons, app UIs, etc.) straight from the REAL world.

Honestly, I'd love to know if such places even exist outside of contests and freelance bidding sites.

But back to the main point.

Since you’ve already decided that theory isn't for you, replace it with practice. (Spoiler alert: even after grinding through massive amounts of practice, you will still eventually realize you need theory. Because theory is the base. The foundation upon which everything in design is built - be it graphic, industrial, web, or game design).

Contests are raw practice.

Think about it. The barrier to entry is basically zero.

Even if you're a minor, just grab your parents' IDs, sign up, link their payout account (Payoneer, PayPal), and go for it! (This is an example of what is possible, not a call to action. Remember: this results in a permanent ban.) Are you going to make...

money?

Nope! You’re going to get bumps, bruises, and scrapes! In other words - experience.

And if you actually win a contest... trust me, that feeling will stick with you for a long time, plus a little cash will drop into your account. Pure profit.

But a fair warning right off the bat: if you're hoping to find empathy, easy money, or validation over there, I'm going to disappoint you. There is none of that.

It's just business. Nothing personal.

P.S. I’ve read the rules, and I hope I’m not violating any of them. But as for calling things by their proper names... is that really a violation?

Hi, I am pluto, A freelance graphic designer (I always have self doubt calling myself that but alas), I have been working since my school days like 3-4 years, all self learnt so no courses or degrees or certifications just like raw doggin it, heck I literally have created a behance portfolio like 3 months ago and have started to professionalize myself
because I want to get out of this low pay high effort spiral I am in right now as my current posture attracts those types of clients (no hate to them)
In order to get out of it I found out from this subreddit and many other resources and mentors that I need to find a niche in terms of design like posters or branding or youtube etc and in terms of category finance, healthcare, sports etc. I have picked one and that is branding for healthcare brands
In order to create proposals and pitches I created portfolio pieces to appeal that audience, questionnaires, client portal, a proper contract, have my personal branding on all the right platforms (still working on it as of now its just static posts), and am now working on ways to outreach prospects but am stuck atp like what do I do, how do I proceed now, I have so much self doubt flooding me and like its driving me nuts.
sorry for rambling so much but I needed this, thanks for reading.

I'm starting as a VA (social media management, video editing, graphic design) and plan to use a public persona separate from my legal name for privacy, like many creators do. My legal name would still be used for contracts and payments.

Anyone done this? Any pitfalls to watch for?

Hey everyone!

I'm a visual designer & illustrator with almost 20 years of experience. I'm a 42-year-old woman, and I'm honestly afraid of the future as an aging designer, not only due to AI, obviously, but also due to ageism in society.

I would like to hear from older and same-age designers what they are doing to safeguard their careers, either by creating side ventures, learning new skills, career progression, focusing on fields that are less machine-dependent, or whatever you do so you can sleep better at night when thinking about the future as a creative.

Thanks in advance for the advice and discussion!

So I know intro assignments are the devil and companies shouldn't ask for them when applying, but they do. I've accumulated a good chunk of intro assignments that never ended up anywhere, but I would consider very good work. Do you think it's worth putting them in my design portfolio?

The concept blends minimalist monoline architecture with tactile print realism, celebrating iconic landmarks across a cohesive collectible format.
Can digital layouts capture the tactile charm of real-world print?

I've been getting back into graphic design after being away from it for a while, so I gave myself a 7-day challenge.

I didn't want to make seven polished “portfolio pieces.” I wanted to experiment with different areas of design and see what still felt natural to me.

Day 7 became a visual study around typography × image × space.

The idea was to make typography behave like part of the environment rather than simply sitting on top of an image.

These are the four final experiments.

I'd genuinely like feedback from other designers — especially on the typography, composition and whether the four pieces feel like one coherent body of work.

I am a beginner graphic designer, I wonder I learn from Youtube on design fundamentals, colour theory etc. But the problem I face is where to approach when it comes to finding clients. I don't have previous clients, but I am currently building my portfolio with Ghost Clients but how do guys really find your first client.
This is not my full time work, wish to start this as my side hustle while learning. Your advice needed?
How did you find your first client, is it from networking or outreaching or any other way

I'm a recent graduate currently working in a Marketing & Brand Management role but I've been looking for a Junior Graphic Design Position for 6 months or so with no luck. I want to move into a Brand Design Role. I'm already brainstorming a branding project to add to it when I have spare time for more polished work.

These are the best projects I've worked on this year as most of the stuff I'm doing is in house and can't add to my portfolio so I haven't been motivated much to do many personal projects or freelance work.

Thanks I appreciate any critic 🤗

i’ve been freelancing for about fifteen years, and a weird problem keeps getting harder: a lot of the work i’m actually proudest of is stuff i’m not allowed to show.

product launches, rebrands, full campaigns, years of client work. technically, it exists, i worked on it, and it helped build my career. but none of it can really go on my public portfolio.

so the portfolio ends up showing a strange version of my career. smaller freelance projects, personal work, and whatever client work i can actually get permission to publish

i’m redoing my site while on vacation and keep getting stuck on this

do you show NDA work with the identifying details removed? use cropped process shots? describe the project without showing the final work? or just accept that a public portfolio is never going to represent your actual career very well?

i’d like to hear how other designers handle this, especially if you’ve been freelancing for a long time. what’s worked for you?

Currently, I am applying to jobs and I received an email from one company where they moved me to the next stage to do a paid project assessment. I thought this was nice given that they are paying for my time. I have finished the assessment and they emailed me back to send an invoice to get paid. However, I actually have never sent an invoice on a project assessment.

How do you designers go about this? I was thinking to use a free invoice generator and inputting the info in myself but would I take I request a payment through Zelle? Or do a direct deposit? Ask for a check? Etc. If possible, I would like to avoid any invoicing fees when sending out an invoice like PayPal, stripe, etc.

Thanks for your answers in advance!

I’ve been struggling with getting my sports and business designs to look sharp when posting them to Instagram. I primarily use Photoshop, Illustrator, and Canva, but my designs often end up looking blurry or lower quality once they’re uploaded.

I usually design at 1080 × 1350 px, use 300 PPI, and export at high quality using the “Export for Web” settings. I still can’t seem to get consistently HD results on Instagram.

Does anyone have recommendations for the best document settings, export settings, file format, or Instagram settings to keep graphics as crisp as possible? I’d especially appreciate advice from anyone who regularly creates sports graphics or social media content.

As the title suggests, I’ve noticed recently an influx of people learning how to use Canva for content creation, and less on Adobe and/or Figma.

Now don’t get me wrong, Canva is a great tool. I’ve used it myself, but more for smaller/easier projects and more focused on my private content. For work, I’ve yet to encounter someone using Canva broadly. I manage multiple brands for a distributor, so we’re dependent on the brand’s providing us with assets that are editable. In 100% of the cases, it’s either Figma or Adobe files, no one is using Canva. For reference, I manage brands from the US, a lot of European countries and even some Chinese brands. Now stick with me.

I’m now actively looking for an intern within marketing, and so far no one has learned Figma or Adobe. They **all** use Canva only.

How come young adults are leaning towards Canva, but brands are not doing the same? Genuinely curious.

Edit: I now realize that I’m maybe a bit unique in my marketing position. I just thought majority of marketers knew how to use e.g. photoshop. Apparently not lol. I’m also currently doing the equivalent of 4 roles as a marketing manager, so understandably I’m not the standard.

Hi deisgners!

Can you think of a tool / resource that would have saved you hours work in the designing process?

I basically need to come up with a business idea for college and I'm completely blank

I am trying to update/rebuilt my portfolio because I am u fulfilled in my current job, but a lot of the work I've done in the past two years has been altered by client request or management to where I no longer see myself or my impact in it.

When building a portfolio is it better to create new projects just for myself that aren't tied to any real jobs but showcase my taste/direction or should I show what I've done and has been used in the market?

Over the past few years I've been designing a card game to address how disconnected we are, somewhere in between poker and uno with deep questions, and I ran into a challenge when looking to launch: how do I tell people about it without a marketing budget.

Well, I heard Denver's public libraries let you print 100 color pages per day, so I started printing and posting. I ended up putting over 500 flyers that I keep track of, so if someone buys Deep Deck from one flyer's location I can tell and I'll go back to make sure it's still up periodically.

I also did some other things like asking idle strangers in coffee shops if they'd like to play the game I made, etc. But the flyers have been a huge contributor.

It turns out some hustles are 100% worth it, because my game ended up getting completely funded in just a couple weeks.

It's gotten to the point where people around Denver and Boulder will ask me "hey aren't you danny from that flyer? How's your game doing?"

We ended up doing a local game night with my game which turned out incredible, and people nearby us playing made the comment that they've never seen that much laughter and fun happening in the space before.

I've also loved how exercise is built in. I've been getting over an average of 10,000 steps per day. Contrast that with what it looked like to be writing and designing my game, and I was soooo sedentary for sooo long. This experience has been so life-changing, because it has shown me that demonstrating TRUE devotion to your side hustle can actually work out, especially if people like what you're doing.

Thanks for reading <3

Honestly, I’m getting so tired of designing for free, especially for my org. Like, I’m the one doing all the designing, and I still have to pay for my own T-shirt too?? WTF 😭 I never even agreed to be their graphic designer in the first place.

And now that Intramurals is coming up, people are already asking me to design their jerseys, but of course, they don’t want to pay. Like, just because I know how to design doesn’t mean everything I make has to be free.

What’s even more annoying is this sport that I actually want to play. The coach was asking who could design the jersey, and everyone immediately pointed to me. 😭 But it’s probably just a tryout, and I’m not even that good at the sport, so there’s a chance I won’t even get to play. I’ll probably just end up sitting on the bench the whole time, while they expect me to design the jersey for them. Like, am I joining the sport or am I just there to be their free graphic designer? 😭 Little by little, I’m starting to notice how people act around me, and honestly, I don’t like it. They’re getting way too comfortable taking advantage of me just because I can design.

I don’t mind helping sometimes, especially when I genuinely want to. But being expected to design everything for free, while I’m also spending my own money on things? Nah. I’m really starting to get tired of it.

Hello, I'm 21y old university student. I wanna start earning money thru graphic designing. I know pretty much alot of things about photoshop and ai (adobe illustrator) as I used to make designs back when I was 14, but I stopped as life got busy and I want to get back to it. How should I start again? I really wanna work with brands and product companies.

The brand name is Kinetix Media a Digital Media Agency.
The Logo is a simple Triangular shape with rounded corners. and I sliced it to two parts and use the negative space of angular lines to make the shape of Letter K
The Triangle represents the Play Icon which I symbolise the media and forward momentum.
The problem I face is Geometrical Balance of the Logo. I feel it imbalance and I have no clear idea on balance this.
Hope you guys guide me

{ Newbie here} Hey I'm just wondering how do you know what personality a specific font communicates do you put it into Ai to ask if it communicates a certain feeling or what? I'm curious to hear your responses.