The world of the Internet, and the arrival of sites such as Fiverr.com, has opened up a whole new shop front for graphic designers. However, before you start offering your design service to others, there are 3 things in particular which you should consider.

You Are The Expert

In most cases the client will come to you with an idea, or probably several ideas, of his own and will wish to control the design process, steering you in the direction in which he wants to go. The problem here is that, if you are not careful, the client will have you running around in circles before you know it, and his design will not be coming together as you know it should be.

The client has come to you because you are the expert in this field. After all, if the client could produce the design himself he would not need to pay you to do so. However, sometimes a client needs to be reminded of this fact and being forceful with a client can occasionally save you both time and money.

A Graphic Designer Is Not Simply An Artist

Many young graphic designers focus their attention on the purely artistic aspects of their design work, and forget that they are being hired to do a very specific job for a client. Their design work is a marketing tool for that client’s business and its central purpose is to attract customers and grow the business. It is vital therefore that you also learn as much as you can about the principles of marketing a business and are able to work alongside your client as a valued and trusted consultant, helping him to grow his business.

Clearly State Your Terms Before You Begin Work

Most designs will need some revision before they are finally delivered to the client, and your task is to reduce the time spent on revision work to an absolute minimum. The easiest way to do this is to establish excellent lines of communication with the client at the very start of the design process, and ensure that both parties are clear about just what is required from the final design. It is also wise to agree at this point the number of revisions which you are prepared to make for a design project.

If you find yourself with a particularly difficult and demanding client it might be better to offer to work for the client on an hourly basis. This way you can spend as much time as you like on revisions, and you will be happy with your remuneration.