It can be rewarding, but it’s a balancing act. What I mean by that is it’s about creating beautiful work, but it’s not fine art. You have to recognize the balance between creating something attractive and functional for your client and the fact that it’s not something you do for self-expression – you’re there to service your client. For me, it’s also about the ability to make the world around me (visually) a more beautiful place to dwell.

What is work-life like?

My workday is split between Zoom meetings, writing correspondence, and working on design projects. Probably 50–60% of my day is spent in meetings and not on my actual design work. In terms of key responsibilities, I’m in charge of such tasks as project launch meetings, presenting design solutions to stakeholders, hiring and directing vendors, and project management, so I’m wearing a LOT of hats. My typical work involves the concept and design of branding and marketing collateral, and some product design as well. Currently, I’m splitting time between my “day job” in publishing and my freelance business, which I’m trying to grow.

The work-life can involve long hours if you’re not careful, or seasoned. When I first started my career in advertising, my bosses could be really abusive. You were expected to be available 24/7 to do the work. Personal life? What personal life? As I grew in my career and gained experience, I was able to draw more boundaries around work and personal life, but it’s still a challenge to this day.

Pros

• You can take pride in servicing your clients and helping them thrive through good design.
• You have the ability to make the world around you a visually more beautiful place.
• Seeing my work out there in the world, not just hanging on a wall, can be a thrill.
• There’s the challenge of coming up with new ideas every day.

Cons

• You’re not going to get rich. Graphic designers are notoriously underpaid.
• There are some clients out there that think they know design better than you do.
• There are platforms out there that seriously devalue and cheapen design in a way that undercuts the expertise and craft that truly great designers bring to the table.
• The hours can be long, very long. You have to be really dedicated to the profession.
• Although graphic designers are creative people, we don’t typically have much time to pursue our own creative projects and pursuits.

Fabric Patternmakers – Marta Irene Archila

Sugopetite

I am in charge of making the patterns that are used in a large or small factory to produce garments. Patternmakers need specialized studies at the ind … Read More