Interview with Industry Professional

Today I interviewed Gary from Studio 74 Creative Design, a company offering both print and web design services in Midsomer Norton.  I found the conversation very interesting, and it has given me some much needed information to start out freelancing on my own!

I asked him what his position in this business is, and what his job entails - he told me that it is a two man outfit and he is largely a designer, but his job can involve almost anything else involved with the design process, including keeping contact and meeting with clients.

I then asked how difficult he found it to initially break into the industry.  His answer was luck, he said that he had a million and one jobs before he began working in design and just happened to be in the right place at the right time!  Many employers want to see a portfolio and most people coming out of college have similar lists and types of work - but it apparently can help to show ingenuity with things like idea books - these can show what you are capable of doing!  He started off doing very basic work and gradually worked his way up, then set out on his own.

My next question was relating to rates and what to charge - to which he replied "whatever you can get away with!".  He told me that it also depends on your overheads - also generally the more experience/more time you have spent in the industry, the more you can charge for your services, but a good starting point is 15-20 pounds an hour.  He told me that rather than state a per-hour rate, it is often better to charge a set cost for the job, but to specify a cut off point so it cannot be dragged out.

I then went on to ask him about networking and its advantages and he told me that he doesn't actually do very much!  He did suggest that Creative Bath are good for the breakfast events and other activities, but many of the events aren't specifically for designers and you can often end up being one of a minority!

My penultimate question was if there are any common cons or pitfalls that I should look out for in the industry.  One that immediately came to mind was people pulling out halfway through on long jobs - the solution to this that he suggested was to charge 50% up front for bigger jobs.  This gives both the designer and client an incentive to make sure that the job is completed.

And finally I asked if it was better to advertise or have business cards.  He told me that business cards are often very cheap to have printed, and it can be helpful to keep some about in case a job or potential client comes up - but the best advertising is by word of mouth and is often better than other types!