Graphics & Design

Is Working as a Freelance Graphic Designer Competitive?

By
Fiverr Team
|
January 24, 2022
graphic designer

Freelancing has become a top choice for creatives in the modern workforce thanks to Covid, social distancing, and the increasing popularity of working from home. It's had such a profound impact that a new revolution in the workplace is taking place, known as The Great Resignation.

Employees are rethinking how they make a living. Many are totally rebooting their career path to focus on what they really love to do and realize a better work/life balance. This is especially true in the freelancing world of graphic design.

Is Working in Graphic Design a Competitive Field?

YES. Graphic design is a highly competitive field, but there are ways to edge out the competition. In this article, we'll explore what it's like working as a freelance graphic designer to help you decide if this career path is right for you. We'll go over the basics of what a freelance designer does, weigh the pros and cons, and find ways for you to stand out as a graphic designer.

What Is a Freelance Graphic Designer and What Do They Do?

Graphic designers create visual elements using images, typography, animation, and videos to provide information often for print and digital publications. With a basic (at minimum) understanding of creative marketing, designers produce many different types of assets.

Depending on skillset and specialization, designers will churn out anything from product packaging and physical banners or signs to company logos, web layouts, and social media graphics. Essentially anything that requires a creative touch to represent a brand, company, or individual can fall into the realm of graphic design.

Designers will collaborate with copywriters, marketing managers, analysts, advertising agents, and art directors to produce and manage campaigns, websites, and products.

How Competitive Is Graphic Design?

As you can imagine, working as a freelancer, in general, has become much more competitive over the last several years. If you've got an art degree and years of relevant experience, launching your freelance career in graphic design might come easily to you.

However, entry-level designers and those looking for a career change might have a much harder time landing gigs and projects when first starting out. Here are some of the most common reasons why it can be difficult for a newbie freelancer to launch their new design career.

  • Lack of experience or recent examples of work
  • Undeveloped or non-existing portfolio
  • Inability to accept feedback or constructive criticism
  • Don't know where to look for freelance gigs

How To Stand Out as a Freelance Graphic Designer

Luckily, there are a ton of options and opportunities out there today for designers to succeed in freelance graphic design work. And not just for career designers! Here are a few tips on how you can stand out from the rest:

  • Create a portfolio website featuring samples of past work
  • Focus on a particular specialization instead of generalized content
  • Expand your skillset with design courses and certification
  • Promote yourself and your work on social media
  • Stay up to date on creative industry trends
  • Start freelancing with Fiverr to build clientele

Is It Worth It To Pursue a Freelance Career in Graphic Design?

On the surface, it probably seems like freelance graphic design work might be oversaturated. To an extent, this is true. The competition can be tough to edge out in such a large pool of freelancers, with more popping up every day. But, with a bit of patience, organization, and confidence, you too can stand out as a graphic designer with little to no professional experience.  

So, is it worth it to pursue a freelancing career in graphic design? We think so, and Fiverr can help!

Jumpstart Your Freelance Career with Fiverr

Set up a Fiverr freelancer profile and start posting gigs today to grow your portfolio. If you're looking to brush up or advance your skills, check out Fiverr Learn's design courses made just for budding freelancers like you. Before you know it, you'll be edging out the competition, building a clientele, and working for yourself as a freelancer.


Fiverr Team
Whether you’re scaling up your small business or building a brand from scratch, we’ve got the resources you need to keep you informed and at the top of your game.
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