Creating a Graphic Portfolio Without a ClientListThumbs
Creating a Graphic Portfolio Without a Client
The main problem designers face while beginning their careers is to find a client without having a portfolio to show. It’s hard to find a client to trust you to design him something without having any quality previous work to show him that you can make it. Here you will see and learn many ways that you can find to create a good quality portfolio without having that first client.
Creating a portfolio without a client doesn’t mean that you don’t have to do any work. This is not going to be easy and quick; this will take a lot of work and time but it all pays off at the end.
Be Organized
Organization is the key for saving time and being more productive. If you willing to put time and effort to work on creating a portfolio that can set your freelancing career you will have to organize your self and make a schedule in order to be able to produce more. Organize your work space and set working hours, that’s the only way you going to get yourself to produce something.
For more time and organization tips read: How To Find Time For… Everything!
Work for Yourself
Work on personal projects that can further help promote your work. Designing something for yourself will be your first task, the good thing about working for yourself is that you have total freedom on the design but remember that is very important to set deadlines based on the time you have to work the same way you would if the work was for a client.
Design Wallpapers
Start working on a set of wallpapers, 3 to 5 wallpapers based on a theme, also make sure to transform them into iphone wallpapers as well. When you done creating your portfolio this will help promote your work.
Design Posters
Designing Posters and printing them can give you an extra edge to your portfolio and give a future client the feeling that you have good knowlegde of what you doing both in designing and printing. The same way you worked on a set of wallpapers work on a set of posters based on a theme, that can help you create a series of posters related to each other which can be a rich set on your portfolio. In the future you can giveaway a couple prints of your posters to help promote your work.
Typography Posters by Stefano Joker Lionetti
Design a Calendar
Designing a nice and creative calendar can show a lot of your creativity and print solutions, this is a chance to make something inovative to show your future clients what you capable of creating. In the future you can giveaway a couple calendars and also promote your work.
Self Promotional 2009 Calendar by Bora Bora
Design a Picture Book
Select a few of your own photos and make a nice picture book, mix it with some good typography and have a one of a kind piece in your portfolio. This can also bring the interest of your friends and family to getting one too, it all ads up on your portfolio.
Composition and Content by Andre' Wright Jr
Work For Free
Working for free is part of the deal, if you think about it, you only making an investment for the future. You are going to work for free now to generate more portfolio and get good jobs later. But doesn't mean you going to work for anybody for free, here are some ways to do it right.
Design for Contests
Designing for good contest can put a nice piece on your portfolio and also carry a name to it. Such designs contests like HugoCreate give you the opportunity to work on your own for a big brand. You don't have to win the contest, just by making a good piece to later display on your portfolio is already a win.
Hugo Create work by goshaptichka
Collab Work
Do a collab work with other designers that are in the same situation as yours. It's a great way to expand your work and learn more about working in group. Look for people that are hungry for work just as much as you are and invite them for a private project, trade ideas and built a design concept, at the end it's all going to your portfolio.
Collab work from Matt W. Moore and Magomed Dovjenko
Brand Yourself
Now that you already got some decent and creative pieces on your portfolio it's time to move on and get your self a nice logo and a website, that's another way to improve your portfolio within your own work. Every client that goes in your website will analyze it as well as your portfolio because it's also part of it.
Here is a great article on The Art of Branding Yourself and Your Freelancing Business
Design a Logo
Your first identity client can be you, design a nice logo for yourself to show as reference on your portfolio. Make sure to read Vital Tips For Effective Logo Design
Logo for his own studio by Hoang Rabbit
Design a Website
Designing your own website can be a challenge but at the end it you can say you did, get help from web designers if you need. There is a lot of services that convert PSD to HTML in case coding is a problem. Remember to stay away from templates in order to remain original.
Portfolio Website of Alexandr Schwarz
Design a Business Card
Now that you got a nice portfolio with a website to display them, it's always good to have a nice business car that you can give away everywhere you go, remember that the business card will represent you and your work when you not there. Here are some great samples and good finish options to print it: 5 Finishing Options to Print a Business Card
Each worker got their own business card at ID Branding
Conclusion
If you follow through you will get the experience of designing different projects for different medias and learn a lot on your own with your own mistakes. Building a portfolio on your own without clients is very difficult, very difficult to stay focus on something that doesn't pay off right the way.
Make sure to set deadlines to every project and work on it as if it was worth a million dollars, it all pays off in the end.
Now all you need is a client, with a nice portfolio it will be like a lot easier than before.
"Everybody makes mistakes at first; and if a painter never learns what his mistakes are he will never correct them. Therefore test your work; and if you have made mistakes correct them; and don't make the same mistakes again." Leonardo Da Vinci
Good Luck!
About the author
Hi! I'm Paulo Canabarro and I'm here to post some really cool stuff for you, if you have any ideas or any requests please get @ me - pvpcanabarro@gmail.com you can also Follow me on twitter!
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63 Comments
ça va me servir moi qui cherche à me faire connaitre.
Great article thanx you !
____________________________________
http://hybrid-creation.deviantart.com/
Hey man! Great info here!! It's something i am already doing... but i am planning to rebuild it all about my website. You know, it's a good idea only if it works...
Keep up with the G R E A T work!
good article
nice business cards
_________________
http://lateant.deviantart.com/
Great article, thank you, very helpful
good tips... very handy.
awesome post! thanks!
Great article, very helpfull!
Keep up the good work
Cheers,
It's great !!!
I learned photoshop by my self and i love it to be creative :)
Thx for this Add and this Site is awesome !!!
greetz from Germany :)
"If you follow through you will get the experience of designing different projects for different medias and learn a lot on your own with your own mistakes. Building a portfolio on your own without clients is very difficult, very difficult to stay focus on something that doesn't pay off right the way."
my problem...
The story of my life... Amazing!
That's why starting super young and doing stuff for free is always a best asset for our future. When you're 10 year old and you start developing websites for fun, it's certainly a good way to start.
These advices are really good. I hope they might inspire many child who're looking to find a path in the system :)
Twitter: http://twitter.com/xethorn
Flickr: http://flickr.com/xethorn
thanks for this articel
Very nice article...great info...thanks
Great article, I think designing different things for friends is also a good way to expand your portfolio. I'm trying to add more to my portfolio and this article will help, thanks
This is a great article for those who are just starting out and have nothing to show for themselves. I know when I was just starting out there was an odd silence when people would ask for my portfolio. Of course, I had a portfolio from art school with some things in it, but they were mostly personal projects, and illustrations which had nothing to do with what I was trying to do professionally. It took me a little time to build up my portfolio.
Another suggestion is to design for a very low rate. If you are just starting out and aren't established yet, you can charge a much lower rate - then you're not just "Free" so totally devaluing yourself - but there is still a market for low-cost. When I was starting out, I found that there are plenty of people who don't mind working with someone whose work they haven't really seen for the right price. This also ensures you're paid, instead of submitting to contests that you may not win.
When designers have submitted work to me for a position, I usually ignore those who include spec or contest work in their portfolio. I would much rather see work that illustrates that they went through the entire design process with a client. This is much more important, and this work will be much more beneficial to their portfolio.
Thank you Sarah for such a rich comment, and for sharing some advices as well.
Nice Article !
Great post!!!
Great article. This was really helpful and should give me the kick in the pants I need to get some work!
nice article :)
Amazing article!! Wish I read this when I first started out.
Some more advice...
Try to make your work look published. Steer away from using student work unless it's really good. If you're going to work for free, try to offer your services to non-profits or local charities first, rather than cheapskate companies. Try creativePAW or Volunteer Match.
@nikibivona
ReallY great article specially for those who are just fresh out of school and are starting out :)
Amazing article! Thanks!
Great article, I'm sure this will buy me a few credits.
Great post! Lots of good tips.
Another suggestion on working for free is to talk to local bands about doing design work for t-shirts, posters, etc, or even do web site development for them to help build up your portfolio. This will give you nice experience designing for a certain genre and can help expand your style as well.
Sick Sweetness.
it's always good to have a nice business car that you can give away everywhere you go :D (don't have the money for that ;) )
Well love the article - its great reading, it reminds a lot of my own career - I started with the contest, wallpapers, collabs and so on, and now I have clients, and earn money. So it's right!
I still need a decent logo and portfolio for my self though, haven't got so far yet ;)
this post was great. im in the process of doing all of this stuff at the moment. updating my portfolio, building a new website, and rebranding myself and this was just what I needed for some great ideas and a new direction on things.
Nice....
good advice
Thank You! Really Good Content. Nice Job here... Bookmarked it... Love it...
I learn more about this site then @ school^^
This is very useful for artists and designers. I am studying art & design portfolio building at college, and the emphasis is on variation in styles, technique, and media. This course is for people wishing to gain entry to university or for those wishing to gain employment in the Art & Design sector.
An extremely important element is the development process. They want to see where you get your ideas from, just by looking at the page. We take one idea and run with it until we have a final piece, and although we know how we got to that piece, the viewer doesn't. It's about telling a story in pictures, but they also like to see annotated notes as well. Presentation is also extremely important. They want to see your work presented in a professional manner, and for it to flow logically.
Good advice. The only thing I have a problem with is the design contest advice. May I suggest avoiding them. Usually contest have poor briefings, and give no practice on an actual design process. Instead of that try to look for pro-bono work. Look for local non profitable organizations, which some even have budgets for branding projects. Also you can trade services with other freelancers. For example, if your a logo designer, you can help a web developer brand himself in exchange for him helping you code your website, help you make a blog, etc.
The biggest advice I give to people starting out is to never devaluate your work. If you want to give a low rate, or free work, do it for a good reason, to the right people.
Most of these are pretty good ideas for designers to use not just for starting but in general to continue developing skills. However, I have to take issue on one of the suggestions.
A designer, any designer, should never EVER work for free. If you do so you say that what you are producing is not worth paying for. Would you take your car to the new mechanic in town and expect them to fix it for free? Sure that's a bit of a stretch but it's the same concept. You are providing a service and a product, tangible (business card, brochure etc.) or not (websites, video). It doesn't matter how "fresh" you are in your career. You do something, you get paid.
Sadly enough there are lots of people out there who are designing for free or almost free. It is because of those people that clients laugh at you when told that a logo will be $500, or $75 and hour, or however you charge, and then say that their brother in-law has a copy of photoshop and will do it for $50. Designers are forced to whore themselves out for work because other "designers" have made our profession the dregs of the art world. What other industry (if someone can name one I really would love to hear it) do you know where the services rendered are held at such little, or no, monetary value. Services that take years of training and constant practice to maintain and hone to produce quality results. Working for free or whoring your services out just perpetuates those belittling misconceptions that people have. And no, collaboration work, or self promotion work doesn't fall under this because it is all done to further yourself as a business. You do it to advertise and bring the money to you. Contests are a gray area. There are some good ones out there, like the one posted, but the vast majority of "design" contest sites are just a way to get a design, fast, for as little money possible.
Like I said, these are some good ideas. But please don't ever design something for someone else to use for free! It's not part of the deal if you respect yourself and your skills.
I think you're wrong, my opinion is that you need to help to those that are in situation like yourself. Bands, volunteer organistions, fresh fashion designers. Good voice carries far. Just, if someone you have done favour recommands you to someone that needs your skills, when that person, band, institution ect. contacts you you need to tell tham loud an clear your price.
I agree that our work is devalorised. No one takes it seriously while you do it as a hobby, because quite frankly you cant play PS, or Cinema4D in park among the "crew". So to be seen in public and do something that matters can give you some respect, and I think you need to do some free work.
Just to clarify things, the "Design for Free" that I mentioned at the post is the simple fact of Design for Contest and do Collab Work these were the 2 ways of working for "free".
Thanks for sharing a comment with great advice.
Grande artigo. É um apanhado geral, que deve ser adaptado à realidade e à cultura de cada lugar.
Fantastic! Thanx!
Muito obrigada!
Really good!
Now do one on photography!!!
Cool
excellent post, very helpful to me as a design student.
Good article, how would i go about creating a personal logo for someone? Incorporating long names with a simple design is difficult >.< shh I'm an amateur
Very nicely article...
Great article....sure to be invaluable to many....including myself.
Congrats for this article!
It's very important to keep up going on even when nothing comes to you. And wait is another mistake. We have to go around and offer our services and while we don't get a client, I agree with that purpose of this article.
A designer must have different experiencies and do not be afraid of making mistakes, 'cause those make us "strongs" ("strongs" reads as more prepared). That's all about repertory. More we see, more we're capable of!
PS.: I like a lot your lecture a few days ago in UFSC, Florianpolis/SC/Brazil. Nice job Fabio Sasso! Thanks for the sticker!
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A great read with some good points.
Working for free is possibly one of the hardest things to do, but does give you a lot more coverage than just working on your own projects and also gives you experience in client interaction.
nice posting
It is inspired article. Thank you.
Great cool post!!!
Bien!!! - cool!!! - articule for start up
this can't be a coïncidence... i decide to drop out of school, and start for myself, and then i see this!
yay! thanks!!!!!!!!!
Bravo.
Ce sont de très bons conseils.
Un très bon article.
ko
very good advices and post
Common but decent article.
I am doing few little mistakes, now i understand how to go through them.
DesiDaman
Thanks...
I think "free" can be the same as "in-kind" or "quid pro quo". You do something for somebody without charging and they do something for you without charging.
Look outside the creative realm and you'll find plenty of people who need our help. I've hooked up with lawyers, accountants, small business owners… all of them need design work and all of them provide things we need help with like forming an LLC, billing, taxes, etc.
It's a great relationship building tool not to mention NOT having to pay for all those things. AND a great portfolio booster!
Definitely true to design contests. I did quite a lot of those!
Thanks Your information....
Great article! I'm pretty sure there are a lot of people out there that have this problem. I can't really find myself in this work for free thing: I have one free project but since it's free the deadlines I've set for myself aren't met.
The fact that a person will pay you when you are creating something forces you to work, since we all live in a capitalistic system. Some of us have a social government to make sure they don't fall into poverty but that's not really relevant is it?
As designers we like to have the products that best help us to achieve our goals, these products are often not cheap (Apple products, PANTONE, etc.) and since many of us want these things we work hard to earn money.
My vision on it (and how I started) is asking a little amount of money (about 5 to 10% of the real value). The client will also have more faith when he's paying you.
If you are going to work for free or lower rate, always put the full price on your offer and invoice. When you work for free, don't say it's 'free' but give them a 100% discount, but always show your client what the work is worth. Otherwise you'll have trouble raising your price in the future.
Discounted projects are still projects. So make sure that you put down the amount of hours on paper before you start. Especially if you work for free. Otherwise clients will probably take advantage of you, "because they won't have to pay anything anyway". So if a client asks you for something more than you've offered him, you'll have the power to say no or bill them for those extra hours.
Discounts are gifts from you to the client. Don't let it ever be the other way around.
Great article and thank you very much for featuring my self-promotional wall calendar!
A 2010 version is about to come...
Best wishes
BORABORA
thank you sooo much for these tips. . .and this so very helpful! :)
Or just go to university?
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