I hate logos, I hate flyers, I hate tee shirts

I have no idea what to design.

I love designing and creating but as a newbie freelancer, I'm having trouble getting enthusiastic about creating logos for clients or flyers for events or a tee shirt design for this shop or that shop.

I'm pretty proficient with Ps and Ai and some Id

I have no idea what to offer clients that I could really take off with and be happy.

And you're just starting out?!! Suck it up or change your career

There are LOADS of facets to design right now.
Find a niche that floats your boat and specialise.

First of all, it's great that you have started your design career. I hope you will do well. In the beginning we all face questions like "Will the client like this?", "Maybe I should change it so it would look like that?" You have to be confident in what you do. If you weren't skilled in design you wouldn't embark on a design career. That's for sure. What you need to do now is to focus on a design niche that you feel that you are good with. Just because you saw a flyer that you think look beautiful, doesn't mean that all your flyers should look the same. There's a reason why there are so many different designs out there.

Sadly 99% of the work you do as a designer will be 'bread and butter' work that pays the bills but probably kills you inside. The same is true for studios and agencies, more so even. They're not all working for the huge brand campaigns every day, their designers are probably doing social media banners, email newsletters and the such like most days. I bet I know a designer or two that would leap at the chance to design a tee for a change.

To get into a position with companies that you're the go-to-person, you have to start at the bottom. Build capital. Build relationships. Build Build Build.

Once you get to a state where you have the finances, the relationships, the experience, the - everything; then you can start turning down the work that you don't want to do and just do the work that interests you most.

Let your motivation be the end goal. Where do you want to be in 1 year, 2 years, 3 years... build a plan to move forward.

For example, I charge £10 a business card - up to 5 cards
- then it's £15 - 6 to 10 b/cards
- then it's £20 - 11 to 15 b/cards

On this model alone - doing business cards would mean if I did perhaps 10 individual business cards each business day - I get £100.

That's £100 pays for diesel in the car, pays for lunch etc.


Everything else after that is profit - for example, in 2 clients by themselves at the moment I have about £5k to come in.


Don't be downheartened by doing 'bread and butter work' - because that leads to bigger projects. And when the bigger projects roll in - it's all profit as you've already got the bread and butter.