How Do You Market Yourself as a Designer?
Marketing yourself is hard work but it is also a necessity. Why? Good designers are a dime a dozen these days. Having a strong skill set isn’t enough anymore. An advanced knowledge of the Adobe Suite is just the beginning (and it’s easy to get overloaded by the Photoshop tutorials and free typefaces lurking around every corner).
Competition in this economy is stiff and chances are that you’ll be going up against 10 other designers that are just as good as you. So, what can you do to stand apart from the rest? Market yourself.
Now is the time to start viewing yourself as more than just a designer. Think about it; you are your most valuable brand. Now is the time to solidify your brand and to figure out what it means. Think about the image that you want to project. Think of how your brand is a bigger extension, a bigger vision of who you are. A brand is essentially a stand-in version of you; it lets people know who you are when you’re not present.
Marketing yourself will require some key elements, both big and small. The great thing about marketing is that it is so open-ended; there are a number of ways to achieve the same goal and it is completely up to you to develop a plan that suits your style.
The Marketing Mix. As a designer, your marketing plan does not have to be complex, but it’s still important to dedicate some thought to the four elements contained within the “Marketing Mix.” They are product, price, place and promotion.
Product: What are you trying to sell? Is it what your customers want? How will you provide support and back up its claims? As a designer, are your services marketable? Do you work to complete a project until your client is fully satisfied? Do you back up their original files in case they ever need another copy?
Pricing: How do you set your pricing? What guidelines do you use? Do you charge hourly or per project? Is your pricing fair and in line with the rest of the market?
My general rule is to set a rate that I feel is fair and as I take on more jobs and demand increases, I raise it. If this continues, I repeat the process. If your jobs slow at a certain rate, you’ll know that you’ve gone too high or outstripped your market and can adjust accordingly.
Placement: How is your design work being sold? Do you have a strong online presence through a site and online portfolio to reach internet-based customers? Do you have a print portfolio on hand to reach more traditional customers who want to see your work in person? Who is your ideal customer? Have you reached out to them and made your services known?
Promotion: How are you promoting yourself as a designer? I use a blog, business cards, a downloadable PDF portfolio, print portfolio, media kit, stickers and postcards to reach potential clients. Branding your offerings in a cohesive manner will make them more enticing.
Logos. What’s the piece of the identity puzzle that needs to be the most simple yet the most recognizable? A logo. When designing a logo, it should be unique, timeless, legible, easy to read no matter the size and reversible (able to be used in black or white), all while standing for your vision.
Often, people make the mistake of thinking that their logo needs to have everything but the kitchen sink thrown in. They go crazy with drop shadows, multiple colors, reflections, transparencies and too many typefaces. Unless you’re a strictly web-based company, chances are that your logo will have to be produced on many different surfaces.
Stop and think for a moment about brands that have the most recognizable logos in the world. Companies that come to mind include McDonalds, Coca-Cola, Nike, Apple and Starbucks. And, they’re all deceptively simple. Why? They have to function equally well on shopping bags, signs, websites, advertisements, uniforms, and the sometimes on products themselves.
Need help with your logo? 93 useful logo resources as well as 10 logo design tips from the field have some great advice. Additionally, Wikipedia has a page of information dedicated to logos and the logo trends of 2009 is also really insightful.
Business Cards. Business cards ARE NOT dead. In the digital age where thank you cards and personal correspondence have been replaced by email, I love the old-fashioned exchange of a beautifully designed card. The weight of the card stock, the choice of typography and the finish all send signals about who you are (or, who you’re striving to be). When designing your card, make sure to get your email and website worked into the design.
What’s the secret to a good business card besides a fabulous design? Leave it to Paul Arden to provide some timeless advice on the subject in It’s Not How Good You Are, Its How Good You Want to Be
What title do you use on your card? Is it attention-grabbing, important sounding or captivating? Does it convey your position in the best light possible?
Media Kits. A solid resumé and a portfolio are standard; what can you do to push the boundaries, to go that extra mile? In my case, I was doing media kits for companies fairly regularly and then had a light bulb moment; why not make one for myself?
Media kits usually contain information about a publication or business including advertising information and rates, specs, stats, frequently asked questions and more. Whether they’re in a PDF or print version, media kits nicely sum up what you (and your business) are about to prospective clients. I include a list of design services, some background information about who I am, who I’ve worked with and my contact information. View my full media kit here.
Postcards. Occasionally, it’s a nice gesture to drop contacts a simple postcard. A handwritten note goes a long way and they can hang it up if they like the design. Postcards are also an effective way to let agencies and potential clients know that you’ve updated your portfolio or website.
Emails are standard issue; don’t you love the occasional piece of snail mail? I just ordered mine from Overnight Prints, complete with rounded corners.
Blogging. The digital age’s version of crack? Perhaps. Even designers that once hid in the shadows are now realizing that the benefits of blogging far outweigh the potential costs. The gratification of immediately sharing your work with the world, the chance to have interaction with like-minded people, the ability to show potential clients what you can do for them and the opportunity to build a following and gain advertisers make blogging a logical move in your design career.
Ideally, if you can secure a domain name and launch your blog on your own server space, you will be much better off in the long run because you will have control over your content, advertising, stats, what you choose to post and how often.
My personal favorite platform of choice is WordPress. Read more about the benefits here and more advice on blogging in general can be found here.
Portfolio. There’s a reason why most design programs make students complete a portfolio before graduating. Portfolios (both print and digital) quickly sum up your career in a matter of minutes (which can be both exciting and terrifying!) to potential clients and employers. What does your portfolio say about you?
Having an updated portfolio on hand is essential! Even if you have a job right out of school and your portfolio sits on a dusty shelf in the back of your closet, you really never know when you’ll need it. I packed mine for my trip to New York and have already put it to good use; it’s a truly powerful tool. Learn more about creating a captivating print portfolio here.
The opportunities to market yourself are endless. It’s completely logical and acceptable to dedicate some of your time to the process. As a designer, share what you do with the world because you never know who’s watching. With a dash of marketing, you just might be on the verge of your next big break.
Designers: How do you market yourselves? What is your strategy? Is it working?
78 People have left comments on this post
EXCELLENT post, Nubby. I quit my agency design job in July to freelance, and it’s wonderful. Social networking is KEY. Almost all of my clients have come to me through Twitter, either directly or indirectly.
this is such a helpful and informative post, especially for people like me who are in the earlier stages of becoming serious about design work. you keep getting better and better!
Hey Nubby, some great advice, and that Paul Arden book is one of my favourites — never too far away.
Nice idea with the media kit. Does yours serve you well? Do you send it to every potential client?
Some nice tips! I’m going to take your postcard idea and run with it, I think. There’s a number of spots around my city where they distribute free postcards which happen to advertise various services along with looking quite nice; I’m going to try some guerilla advertising by planting my own postcards in their racks with a link to my website. Let’s see what happens! If the results are good, I’ll post an entry about it.
Great post, Nubby ((long-time fan here))
I think this post is applicable beyond designers to anyone who is self-employed or running a personal business on the side. Very inspirational.
Thanks again for a post I’ll re-visit,
Garnet
I just have to say your blog is one of the best design blogs that I follow. It’s very inspirational and your advice is very helpful and straight forward.
Great adivce, thank you! I plan to use some of these tips to market myself as a jewelry designer. I’ve recently recieved interest from a beading shop and I will use these to get another foot in the door.
amazing advice ,, am reading all ur popular posts for week now ,, u helped me a lot
thank you
Great Advice Nubby! I read your blog alot to help expand my knowledge of design as well as my visual language. Thanks again!
First-time reader here and I’ve got to say thank you, Nubby, for such a clear and concise article. While I’d love to make use of super nice business cards or postcards, being the start-up that I am has not afforded me enough extra spending power at all.
Soon, however. Also going to look into doing wildpostings and t-shirts.
This is completely off topic but did a designer “borrow” your Mouth with Pill image? I saw a photo from a fashion show in Chicago and the tshirt looked a little too much like yours: http://www.ihateyourfashion.com/2009/08/apparently-mentally-special-look-is.html
i luv ur articles! its such good advice. i used to be so shy about letting ppl know who I was… thks for ur words of wisdom
This is brilliant! Really helpful, thanks
Thanks for all the great pointers, your posts are always very helpful to me.
David Airey: Thanks for tweeting this article; I really appreciate you getting the word out! You have such a faithful group of fans!
I don’t always use my media kit. Usually I send it out when a client isn’t familiar with what I do. It’s a case-by-case basis.
Janelle: Thanks, that is a huge complement. I always strive to avoid the jargon and get to the point; there’s no reason to drag it out!
David Boni: Overnight Prints is always running specials so if you’re on a tight budget, they’re a fantastic place to start. Later on when you’re super successful you can move onto the thick cardstock with blind embossing and colored edges! Haha.
Wheelie: Pretty close…but not quite the same! Thanks for sending that over, I appreciate it.
Blovet Beauty: The way I see it, you’re the ambassador of your brand so you have to preach it and it’s totally okay to let people know what you’re about!
great advice! marketing and branding yourself is so important yet it’s a detail i pay attention to last =( thanks for the tips.
Good stuff here! Very useful.
you’re such a superstar with all this. i have a business brain that i inherited from my daddy who shared all his business info with us kids, but damn i can’t concentrate on business and marketing AND designing at the same time. it kills my brain cells and i don’t have enough to start with.
come mentor me.
see you at opening ceremony and seven! hohoho! i am on a strict see-no-touch diet!
amazing post ,, i will try to make it work with marketing
Excellent post, yet again!
This is such good stuff Nubby, thanks so much for sharing your knowledge! I’ll be linking.
This is great. That book by Paul Arden is one of my most favorites of all time.
nubby, I was wondering how you made your logo. My guess is Adobe Illustrator! Also, I was wondering if you start with hand drawn sketches, or just dive right into the computer. I am going to school for illustration and am just really interested in your process.
while i’m not a designer, i still find a LOT of this relevant. i recently have been working on getting a solid logo and online portfolio for my work. thanks for being so lovely
!
peanut butter: Yes, it was all done in Illustrator. I usually do research by gathering images but I’m not much of a sketcher.
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thanks nubby
i’m just starting out as a website and have little past clients this information will help get the cilents i need thank you.
This is definitely a gr8 post .. It has helped me to start my own freelancing .. the media kit idea is gr8…
Hey Nubby, nice post, some great advice. Thank you for sharing it with us . . .
Great post with many good ideas.
I am in UK and find that a Facebook page for my professional services has been very productive.
A lot of my personal friends (and friends of friends etc) are in the publishing industry and they have kindly become ‘fans’ of my page. I limit my posts on there as not to p them off, but they get to know any updates on my portfolio etc through their news feed.
nice post I see you on twitter almost everyday, I’m not stalking you just love that smile
Fantastic post. Thank you. Next on the agenda… To create a print portfolio. Thanks again!
Some great inspiring advice and some nice work. Thanks for sharing.
Great article, I especially liked the section on the simplicity of logos. Love your media kit too, nice work.
Thanks.
Fantastic reading. Thanks
Fantastic Tips.. I will tried on
Building a brand is really a key !
Hi..thanks for share this article, yet there is still much we do to market ourself as designer, keep working and keep the spirit.
Fantastic article! As I am in the process of pulling my freelance company together on a limited budget, I have some advice for others in the same boat. If you are looking to do a media kit or a printed and bound portfolio, but aren’t sure of cost effective ways to do just a few, or even one, look at doing a photobook. You can fully design each page yourself, then save it as a large image, and upload the image into the photobook. I got mine through KodakGallery and it was on sale for 50% off.
Also, for postcards, most printers can run off a few dozen sheets of card stock for you, just do coated one side, and charge only a small cutting fee to cut them to size.
Nubby, I can’t wait to start reading the rest of your articles here on the site! Great stuff!
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Thanks for the advice, pretty good article! I want to make myself business cards, but I’m such a pain, cause they need to be cool and perfect, so I’m still designing them, LOL
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This is a great posts for people starting their design company. I wish I had seen it when I started mine. Keep up the good work..
Your discussion of business cards reminds me of something I was told when I first entered the workforce: Dress for the job you want, not the job you have. People do take you more seriously if you play the part you want!
great article, thanks
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