Reflection- My Comfort Zone 

What do I need to succeed as Graphic Designer; I have work ethic, some professionalism, some skill set and fair familiarity with new technology. I have somewhat four out the the ten in the list to succeed as a Graphic Designer. They is hope then. The key is to get out my comfort zone which I am trying to balance in all aspects in my life without scaring myself into getting to overwhelmed, quitting and running. I also learnt that I need to stay relevant but I need to get relevant or even try to be involved in the industry before even trying to stay relevant. I need to be surrounded by the people I want to become so I am taking the leap to jump out of my comfort zone and attend this year’s How Design Conference in May. I never got into AIGA despite how much designers say you have to join this group they don’t interest me at all. I feel like they are stuck in the fine arts area but they don’t appeal to me or my design. Learnt about Lanyard and Awwwards for the first time.

I never had a job in the design field. Never thought I was qualified enough so I was to scared to even put myself out there and now my resume has suffered due to lack of experience.  When I even look at what is needed for some positions I feel defeated and just walk away without even applying.  So as I learnt it is time for me to step out of the comfort zone and start applying for jobs at all the sites professor has provided.

I am thinking if I complete my Senior Project in enough time I can enter it in the How Design Promotion and Marketing competition. That would be something else to boost my resume, help build my confidence within the design field and keep me relevant. When I am finished working on my portfolio I would like to also work as a freelance designer. Picking the clients I want and building on my portfolio.When it comes to the professor’s checklist to see if I can succeed I have three out of the six skill sets so here I come LLC game.

My last class to graduate is my internship so here I go trying to scribble to get a portfolio done. Last portfolio I had was in 2009 and its outdated. So again we go with professor’s checklist to see if I am ready to apply fro my internships. Portfolio case NO, resume YES, cover letter NO, improved projects Working On It, site gallery NO. This is not looking good for me at all. Love the links to sites that I never knew about for internships and jobs. Only knew about Indeed, Craigslist and Linkedln.

How many of us have been posting on Craigslist to design a logo for $50? If the answer is no then I don’t know anything about that life either. Stephen Sliver reminded me that as a designer we have to know our worth. Sites like 99 designs take advantage of our need to get experience and sometimes a few dollars. So we enter these logo competitions where we get $200 if we are  lucky for winning. A corporation’s logo is not $200. So again know your worth as a graphic designer. Know your value in the game. Why give your work away for free when these sites are taking advantage and everyone else is making a profit. Be creative when trying to build your client list.This is a good idea from Stephen which I never thought about but Google your cities for new start up registrations. Get out of your comfort zone and reach out to them. Do not be scared to price your work accordingly.  Don’t charge anything less than $500 for a logo and ask what it is being used for.

My main take away today is to get out of my comfort zone. Get involved and surrounded with designers and the design industry. I need to work on my checklist in order to be a successful Graphic Designer and Freelance Designer. I need to know my worth as a designer and not under charge my work to clients for the sake of getting experience. And after reading, “Collected Advice for Design Students,” by Tim Mc Kenna I feel a little more confident in what I need to have in place for my upcoming job interviews.