What sort of designer should I be?

Wise Guides is an advice series for creatives navigating the first years of their creative careers. In this piece, Jaheed Hussain looks at the four types of designer you could be, and speaks to practicing designers – as well as sharing his own experience – to explore the ins and outs of each as a career choice.

I’ve never really been able to explain what I do to my parents. Graphic design’s such a broad term that it’s difficult to narrow it down to a few short sentences. But here’s one that I can write: it’s a strong career choice that’ll take you places.

Before I get to where the road leads, I want to acknowledge that it’s not easy. According to a LinkedIn survey, 47 per cent of entry-level design roles ask for years of experience.

That’s a problem I ran into headfirst after graduating. My lack of real-world experience led to many rejections, but ultimately, I landed a small, badly paid, design internship at a small agency in Manchester. Then, my second challenge appeared. The expectation to be proficient in every skill possible. I’m talking about being a designer, social media master, and photographer all rolled into one.

I needed some freedom and a chance to hone my skills, so full-time freelance became my passion, where I worked for global brands like Spotify, organisations like the Musician’s Union, and local agencies like Serotonin. My nomadic lifestyle didn’t feel real at times, and imposter syndrome reared its head, but all of this means I’m well-placed to speak on the paths open to young designers.

Below, I outline four general paths you could take. There are first-person accounts from incredible designers, who’ll paint the picture of what a typical day looks like, the skills they use, and the best (and worst) bits about each role.

Working for a studio

Echoing Katie Cadwell in It’s Nice That’s latest Creative Career Conundrum, the beauty of working at a studio means you can apply your creativity to an array of problems. Often, studios have a close-knit, collaborative atmosphere with more opportunities for artistic expression and experimentation, plus the ability to work on one-of-a-kind projects. You’ll probably deal with clients face-to-face, too – a point I'll get to a bit later.

That said, working on several jobs at once brings a fluctuating workload, offering high intensity days and tight deadlines aplenty. Heidi and Halah El-Kholy, two sisters behind Salt and Sister Studio, declare their typical day as “not very exciting”, with their working hours extending up to 14 hours long. “We’ve definitely done 11-plus hours in a day because we needed to”.

At the Office of Craig, founder Craig Oldham aims for a balanced workload, revealing “everyone’s days are similar in terms of tasks, exposure, and experience to the variety of projects”. And when it comes to hiring talent, he wants young designers to be able to “think” and “be interested in something”. “For me, I love to see a creative’s self-initiated work. I don’t really care why or what, but I think you learn more about a person’s personality, interests, ambitions and skills, that don’t hold the same ingredients you see from client briefs.”

Speaking of, you’ll need a firm grasp of the latest software and trends in a studio environment. On top of this, you’ll need interpersonal skills. I firmly believe that being able to connect with people, actively listen, and empathise with their needs is effective communication. And when you combine this with your talent on-screen, you’ll do wonders when it comes to the actual work.

Working as a freelancer

Designer Hannah Valentine perfectly describes freelancing as a “mixed bag” and says she’s “really lucky to work on all sorts of projects”. However, she modestly adds that part of her work is “trial and error, learning on the job, and Googling how to do things” – because she doesn’t have a team to turn to for help. This raises an important point. Human beings are social creatures, and in my experience loneliness is fairly common in the freelance world. To overcome this, Hannah believes that “immersing yourself in your community, chatting to your peers, commenting on people’s work online, and engaging in your industry” brings authentic connections.

This is exactly what Luke’s earned a reputation for, whether he’s working on BDF, spending time with friends and clients, or helping at The Jointworks. “My bud Keith and I run a monthly drop-in day at The Jointworks called Friday Feedback where we offer advice to young designers, so you’re very much not alone.” Collaborations aren’t always promised though. “Freelancing is honestly less collaborative than I’d like. I’m envious of others who have regular creative partners.” Luckily, Luke does have a ton of folks he can call on – like Dan Alcorn, who he spends so much time “scheming and dreaming about BDF with”, as well as Zoe Barker and Dan Silverstone, to name a few – but this is only the case because of freelancing.

In essence, life’s more varied. Some days you might not even be designing. Your time could be spent chasing up invoices, responding to emails, and creating social media content to attract new clients. And really, that’s what it’s all about as a freelancer. Hannah encourages young designers to be proactive in sharing their work no matter what it is: “it’s all valid and shows the world what you bring to the table. You never know who’s seeing it and what opportunities might come.”

Deciding which designer you should be comes down to you. From navigating entry-level hurdles to choosing between each path, you’re greeted with rare experiences and plenty of demands whatever your choice. In-house provides stability and deep brand knowledge, studios and agencies foster collaboration in a fast-paced environment, while freelancing grants autonomy and flexibility.

There’ll be challenges along the way, but across every role you’ll learn how to grow and adapt from your setbacks. Just ask yourself: ‘what appeals to me most?’ ‘what type of projects do I want to send out into the world?’ and ‘where do my passions and interests lie?’. Once you’ve identified a starting point, however small, you’ll hopefully be able to describe exactly what you do to your parents.