Jeremy Mura argues that it is possible to start a career in graphic design (despite pandemic-era disruption) but that the field is crowded and requires deliberate strategy. He highlights market oversaturation—many designers competing on price via platforms like Fiverr/99designs—and gives three concrete ways to stand out: (1) build a professional network (online and offline, conferences, meetups, agency contacts), (2) consistently publish helpful content targeted at potential clients (case studies, business-focused design tips), and (3) position yourself as a professional with social proof (testimonials, targeted messaging). He also points viewers to his Skillshare courses and closes with channel CTAs.
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So is it too late to be a graphic designer in 2021? So a lot of people are struggling at the moment because of, you know, the pandemic over the last few years. Some people lost their jobs, some people are moving to online. And a lot of the times when big changes happen in technology and things like that is that people shift careers and a lot of people are coming to graphic design or want to know if graphic design is an option. And I truly believe anything is possible if you put in the hard work, if you believe in yourself and if you take the right amount of action. For me personally, I do believe that you can become a graphic designer. But in reality it will be a challenge because the thing is, there is oversaturation in the market. There's so many online marketplaces like fiverr99designs, freelancer.com bark.com like there's all these platforms and so many people are trying to go on these platforms and make a quick buck or make a side income, which you can do 100%. But to make it sustainable to be a full time business owner or freelancer, it's going to take a lot more work. The thing is, because it's so oversaturated, what tends to happen is that people start to compete on price and people start lowering their prices in the market. So that's why some people are charging $5 or $10 on Fiverr. But realistically, how sustainable is that for your freelance business? Or free? It's not going to do much. It might give you some quick cash, but at the end of the day, you're not going to really build yourself. It's okay if you're starting out, you know, do that free work or do that cheap work, whatever you have to do to build yourself. But there's three ways if you really want to stand out as a designer. Number one is you need to build your network. So start partnering or collaborating with local agencies. See if you can connect with creative directors. I remember I did an internship and my friend who was like I was working for, she was my manager at the time, she was my creative director and we're still friends today for five years. And she sends me work, she sends the opportunities. We still chat, we jump on podcasts and things like that. And that tactical relationship has really helped me build my network. But you also need to go to events. So if you can go online or offline, then do both if you can. There's a cool conference that's coming up in June. It's in Brisbane. It's a Trying to remember the name, but it's a graphic design conference and I just bought a ticket to stream online and what I can actually do is I can stream and if my friend has a ticket, I can watch it. Maybe we can watch it together on Zoom and then we can stream it or whatever. Or go to your friend's house. That's a good idea. Or if you want to, some of them are flying out in person, that conference. And the thing is, if you go to a conference in person, you can meet people, talk to people, engage with people. And you really have to get out of your comfort zone, even if you're shy. Go with a friend or do something, go to a local meetup instead, a smaller conference or a smaller meetup with people that have businesses or entrepreneurs or startups instead of just design focus, you know, try and mix it up. But building network online offline because it's going to open doors and allow you to get more opportunities as you develop and grow as a designer. Number two is you need to put out content. When I say content, you need to give value for free. Don't hide your process, your secrets, just share what you're learning. You know, there's a cool book by Austin Klein on, it's called show your work and he talks about like, you need to show your gift, share everything with the world. Don't just hide it or be scared of what people will think. You need to put yourself out there. And once you do that consistently, you'll start getting noticed for something for that illustration style or that brand style or that logo style you do. And the only ways to take action. So put out content, try and focus it on certain target market instead of, instead of designers. Because a lot of people, they create content for designers. But if you want to make money and get clients, then create design tips and talk about branding, how it helps your business or color psychology or how design can increase sales, etc. Like show examples or case studies or things from your experience and talk about that. You know, whether, you know, pick a platform on LinkedIn or YouTube or Instagram, choose what type of content you're going to do and deliver that content because that's really, really going to help you out. And then number three is you want to position yourself as a professional in the market so you get social proof by number one, putting out the content. Also getting testimonials from clients. If you don't have clients, you can do a fake brief or I recommend reaching out to, you know, some friends who own businesses, go in Facebook groups, talk to startups. You can also reach out to friends and family. If you've got uncles or aunties that do business, then talk to them and you know, see if you can work, work with them on a project and this will build your credibility and your social proof on social media. So when you build in that online presence and you've got reviews, then it's going to show okay, this guy is or this person is legit, they're professional. And also make sure that your messaging is targeted to a clear target audience. Do you want to work for health businesses or maybe personal training and coaching businesses? Or maybe it's just like tech startups. Find out what you want to do and find out who the user is, make content for them and build your network. That's what you need to do to stand out in 2021 as a graphic designer because you know, you need to evolve with the times. You develop your skill set, learn business skills, learn communication. And you've got to grow and be a full time freelancer. It will take time and you need patience. You know, I'll be honest, it's not easy, it's challenging. But you have to love the game, love the process. So if you do that, then you're going to get the results. If you're a beginner or just starting out or, you know, maybe it's overwhelming for you, then you can check out skillshare. I've got plenty of graphic design courses on there. If you click the link in the Description, you'll get 14 days free. You can watch all my courses, I've got over 20 of them. And you can learn about brand identity, freelancing, you can learn a bit about illustration, texturing, all the key skills that you need to grow as a graphic designer. You can check it out and I'm sure you're going to love it. I really appreciate you watching this video. Thank you for your time. Remember to smash the subscribe button because I post content every week about graphic design, branding and business. So make sure you do that. And remember to smash the like button because it really supports the channel. Thanks so much for watching. I'll catch you in the next video.
