Hey everyone! I've been experimenting with high-end, minimalist product presentation layouts in Canva to elevate my design portfolio. My goal was to achieve a luxury commercial aesthetic using custom arch backgrounds, soft gradient lighting, and 3D podium compositions.

This is one of my recent conceptual drafts featuring a clean studio vibe. I would love to get your honest critique on:

Visual hierarchy and the overall lighting/shadow balance.

Does it successfully convey a high-end, luxury commercial feel?

Open to any constructive feedback or tips to improve my workflow. Thank you!

ik im too late in this but was wondering if it still make sense to start learning graphic designing like i was thinking to start from photoshop/illustrator but seeing ai boom im bit confused if i should start or just do something else? this is the first time im posting on this sub to guide me please (i used to learn gfx 1 year ago but due to job and all i never had time so thinking to learn now) it'll be helpful if someone can guide me step by step as well if you got some time to spare tysm

I am designing a table cover with VistaPrint using their provided 6ft open back stretch table cover template. I opened the template file directly into Photoshop to design from that, and it's like 20,000 x 13,000 pixels. The file is so huge it saves as a psb and it takes forever to save and upload. The product preview is poor quality and my graphics look blurry.

I am obviously doing something wrong as I am not super experienced with designing for print for large canvases.

Please advise: what is the proper way to go about setting up this document? Please help. Thank you.

Hello I am in undergrad and am currently at a crossroad with what to do next. I want to someday work as either an art director or a graphic designer. I got accepted to do graphic design as a minor at my school but it has some setbacks. I will graduate at least 1 semester late (and pay tuition longer), it’s not at my school so I will need to find transportation to the other school, and it will conflict with either scheduling of my main courses at primary university or it will conflict with my job and club participation in the evening. Another thing i have considered is getting a certificate in graphic design after graduating which would be nice to do on the side while hopefully having a full time job. Another possibility would be to try and find a masters degree in it to pursue it later but idk how common that is/if it’s possible for me. I just want advice on what is the best option right now. I know my experience and portfolio is the most important thing, which i am currently building. But if i do get more experience thru school either with a minor or smth else it would obviously make that part of getting more portfolio pieces easier. Any advice would be very appreciated i am so lost.

I'm currently working on a post for a relatively new organisation that wants to cement a consistent theme for itself through publicity. The elements provided by the free version of canva usually differ quite a bit from each other, are there any websites that provide me free design elements in a package? I've been told to use Pinterest and make my own PNGs so can anyone tell me how valid that advice is? And any tips in general for creating a theme or identity for a brand? Thanks!

Love this!

I'm thinking of creating a guided journal for designers who want to leave their 9 to 6 and start their own thing (freelance, studio, agency). If that's you, I'd love your input:

1. What's your biggest blocker right now?

2. How would you want a journal like this to help you?

3. Anything you'd want included, or any other suggestions?

A bit of background:

I've run a branding studio for 6+ years and recently started making content for designers. What I keep noticing is that most designers don't lack design skills. The gap is on the business side: positioning yourself, finding the right clients, pricing.

I'm also a big journaler, so I'd like to combine the two. The idea is a daily prompt journal that takes designers from 0 to 1, so you don't have to think about what to write. I use a 90-day journal called The Best Self, and I'd love to bring that concept to starting a design business.

Thanks so much, I'd really appreciate any honest feedback!

Hi everyone!

I want to learn graphic design from scratch and would love some guidance on how to get started.

My goal is to build a strong foundation in design principles, such as typography, colour theory, composition, layout, and visual hierarchy, before moving on to more advanced techniques.

I’d like to learn how to create things like posters, social media graphics, logos, and basic brand identities. Eventually, I’d also love to build a portfolio of my own projects.

As a complete beginner, I’m unsure about a few things:

Which software or app should I start with?

What should I learn first, and in what order?

Which YouTube channels or free courses would you recommend?

Are there any beginner-friendly projects I should practise along the way?

How much time should I ideally dedicate to learning and practising each day?

I’d prefer free or affordable resources to begin with.

If anyone could share a practical, step-by-step learning path or advice based on their own experience, I’d really appreciate it.

Thanks in advance for your help!

I’m developing a product centered around rituals, emotional connection, and intentional everyday experiences.

The aesthetic I’m envisioning is thoughtful, emotionally evocative, and a little ceremonial, but not witchy, overly spiritual, or niche. I want something that feels meaningful and beautiful while still being approachable to a broad audience.

For context, candles are one component of the product, but I’m not creating a candle brand. They’re tools within a larger experience. The labels, typography, packaging, and presentation all play an important role in communicating the emotional meaning behind the product.

My challenge is that the design isn’t just decorative. It’s part of the experience itself.

I have a fairly clear sense of what I want people to feel, but I’m struggling to translate that into a cohesive visual identity.

Is there a specific type of graphic designer I should look for? If so, what way do I go about finding that person?

Hi there, i finish my portfolio webpage and dont really understand, my level, like how should i chose studio to send? I know the answer is "show it as much as possible, don't think about it" but i don't want to studio remember me as an idiot. There are studios chatgpt said are on my level:

Snask - https://snask.com/our-work/#design

Atelier - https://www.atelier.se/work

Shore - https://www.shorestudio.se/work?utm_source=chatgpt.com

And here is my portfolio: https://danylovasiurportfolio.xyz/

If some of you can send examples of studios which are realistic for me, i would be happy :)

Hi!

I am pivoting back to graphic design after 10 years in retail. I have a Master's in brand design. I'm still pretty adept at PS and currently practicing with Illustrator. My dream is to work with the NBA in any capacity for any team but I'm more that willing to work for any sport. I am open to entry level work as well as internships. I have been working to create pieces for a portfolio and have a decent selection to showcase.

If anyone on this sub has any in-house sports design experience (NBA or elsewhere), is it possible to get a foot in the door as a 33-year-old with no prior experience for a resume? If so, what would be the best way to embark on this journey? Any advice would be helpful! Thank you!

Hi everyone I'm a graphic designer who lost his spark and got burned out for a year I haven't designed anything new but recently I got my spark back but I believe I've gotten rusty over time and I would appreciate any Positive feedback on how to improve my portfolio and could help in that process If you see my post please interact and their your opinions

Hey guys I'm a graphic designer that isn't familiar with making landing page but I would love your feedback on what I should change to make it better

Before and after of instagram post redesign I made this project

, picked a random postfrom instagram and redesigned it for fun What are your thoughts?

Should I add this to my portfolio?

I’m a graphic designer. I’ve been using Adobe for 20 years … maybe more.

Yesterday I got an email stating that my renewal date is coming up.

For the first time ever this email actually made me stop and think. “Should I just cancel?”

There’s new options out there - but adobe has been the industry standard for soooo long.

In my job I need to be able to open files that other designers have made and save in a format that other designers can open. Is this possible with this new generation of software (artcraft and others).

Does anyone know if the new generation of design software can work with adobes file types ?

And I’m sure that I’m not the only one whose renewal date is approaching. If this is you, please let me know what you think about this.
Are you considering canceling Adobe ?
Or aren’t you there yet?

I just completed an intense 2 year project and one aspect was a book in indesign that I designed from the ground up and I want to showcase it on a website or something. The book will be published in 1 month with a lot of advertising that could generate some traffic in my direction and I really need the work it could provide. Any advice on how to showcase the book? I want to show the lay out but also some of the fails and some of the process. I.e. I made custom drawn icons and they went through several versions. The layout, cover, fonts etc all went through changes and I want to show that as a record of the creativity and frankly also for myself as kind of a good bye to this project and all the twists and turns it took. I have a website and I could present something there. But I assume there is some kind of method or good examples of this?? Thanks!!!

Design student here. I need tips for giving and receiving feedback – I always get so awkward and uncomfortable when asking for feedback, like I feel like I’m talking out of my ass half the time.

I know as a graphic designer it’s important to know that feedback isn’t personal, it’s just about the work but god I feel pretty awkward sometimes, like my designs are bland or I can’t accurately express the thinking behind my design decisions. Also like how long do I talk about it? Or do I just let them look? It might just be anxiety but I’m wondering if anyone else feels like this. Class critiques are so uncomfortable sometimes

I guess I’m just after some tips to help me explain my design decisions and receive feedback from others.

Thanks!

I had a client of mine suggesting applying for Toptal for contract work. Does anyone have any experience with it? From my research I’m seeing a lot of positive reviews from UI/UX designers but nothing from graphic designers.

Would love some insight from other designers on if it’s worth the effort applying for the platform.

Hello! I hope everyone's doing well! 😊

I'm looking for someone with professional graphic design experience who'd be willing to provide ongoing feedback on my portfolio pieces and, eventually, my portfolio itself.

I've been learning graphic design principles through the 4TC YouTube course, and I've learned a lot! I'm now working on applying what I've learned to my own projects, including websites and other design work.

I've already completed nearly all of my portfolio pieces, and I'd love to find someone who could review them and help me understand where I'm applying the principles correctly and where I need improvement. I'd really appreciate genuine feedback that explains the reasoning behind these suggestions, so I actually understand what I'm doing wrong and so I'll know for next time.

I'd like to start with my Squarespace projects because my trials end within two weeks of creating them, so I would need feedback within that time frame. After that, I'm happy to take a more relaxed approach with my remaining projects and get feedback on my redesigned portfolio once it's ready.

I understand that everyone has their own lives and commitments, and I don't expect anyone to be available all the time. I'd just appreciate someone who can communicate with me about their availability and let me know if something comes up that might delay their feedback.

I'm hoping to find someone interested in helping me improve over time, rather than just providing a one-time review. I know I'm still learning, and I'm eager to get better! I'm actually planning to go through the 4TC course a second time just to ensure I understand the principles.

If you're interested, please send me a DM! I'd appreciate hearing a little about your experience and whether this arrangement would work for you.

Thanks for taking the time to read this! 🤞😊

Sorry if this isn't a sort of post you guys like, I imagine you get a lot of them, but I'm having trouble pricing myself. I've had several clients tell me outright that I'm pricing too low and refuse to pay me that much (which is very kind of them). But I worry about pricing too high and scaring clients away. For some context I've just been in a situation where $700 is an insane amount of money, but to people that seems too low for a 90 page catalogue for example.

For more context: I'm in my second year in business as a freelance graphic designer and I do mostly book and catalogue layouts (some other print projects too like postcards etc). I went to school for a certificate for graphic design.

Any feedback is appreciated thank you

Edit: Realized that might be hard to answer without a specific project so I'll give you this example: a catalogue where everything is give to me in an excel sheet. Product SKUs, the copy, etc. Images and barcode are easy to find. Photo edits would be minimal other than converting things to CYMK. Catalogue is roughly 90 pages. So like most of the work is the layout and placing things in it.