As a student who learned to create digital graphics, starting a career using the trade can be difficult when you do not know how to apply it. Graphic design is a broad term with various applications, and students education never seems to stop. Eventually, you need to go past the educational part and start practicing it.
Practicing graphic design enables students to nurture their creativity, building upon their experience. Most students start with the job of a ghostwriter, as it offers free reign to design visually appealing texts and layouts. If you are interested in ghostwriting or creating visual elements for buying customers, our article may help get you started.
Top Methods to Put Graphic Design Skills in Practice
Running a ghostwriter service is not that difficult nowadays since every business wants to publish quality content. Should you wish to strengthen previously built knowledge and evolve from student to professional, here are some methods you could try:
- Logo Creation
Since you’re a beginner, there’s a chance the brand imaging is barely even there. Put the knowledge to use and try creating a logo for your ghostwriting service. In a way, you would be the first client, so it makes sense to create a look for the brand.
Designing a logo using the graphic design knowledge gained is also a great start for building up a portfolio. Chances are high that you’ll be offering multiple projects to different clients. If the card or website has a qualitative design, they will be more inclined to hire the services you offer. The lack of experience won’t even matter if the buying clients can get a good visual.
- Advertise Material Creation
Advertising materials offer a perfect opportunity to practice graphic design. It helps create context, offering a better sense of what the client needs for their customers. Each advertisement piece helps you gather information, teaching you how to interpret a brief. This further deepens graphic design education by transforming a list of requirements into a solution.
Students graduating from a design class also use the method to expand their brand consistency. With each creation, they learn how to adhere to the guidelines of a particular brand, regardless of the items implemented. If the advertised company succeeds due to the ad creation previously developed for them, you will know you did a decent job.
- Web Design
The students’ education does not end in the finalization of a course, as the Internet world is constantly changing. The good news is that more businesses are moving online, and the number of web designers in the US has passed 200 thousand. With this growth, you get the perfect opportunity to practice these tasks in real life.
A convenient idea would be to start creating a website for your brand, which virtually acts like a mirror for previously nurtured talent. After, you pick up projects from different clients on freelance websites. This helps you gain more experience after each task. Some graphic design examples you could practice include layout creation, color schemes, typographies, and many more. Web design puts visual storytelling abilities into practice, always conveying the right message to the readers.
Steps for Implementing Graphic Design Skills in Real Life
When it comes to putting the gathered student design knowledge into practice, there are several steps beginners might want to take, such as:
| Step | Skills Learned | Example |
| Design Tool Practice | Creativity and innovation, technical proficiency, layout design, and intuition | Experiment using a variety of tools to perfect graphic design manipulation skills. |
| Freelancing | Time management, adaptability, and client management | Create freelancing accounts or outsource services to different businesses. |
| Internship Application | Industry knowledge, collaboration, technical data manipulation | Submit a resume to various companies based on your position of choice. |
- Practice Using Design Tools
This career involves a fair amount of work, but to effectively put it into practice, it’s necessary to master some programs. Besides knowing and using graphic design elements correctly, you should also make the most of the available technology.
So, choosing a piece of software that meets personal goals is important. You don’t have to be an expert from the beginning, but at least learn the essential functions of the design tool. Reliable tutorials might help, but regular practice is key. A helpful tip is to start with simple projects you picked up as a ghostwriter and gradually move toward the more complex ones.
- Take on Freelance Projects
As a student who has finished their graphic design education, it is challenging to find a paying job immediately. A good idea in this scenario would be to take on some freelance projects. Very often, these tasks are only profitable for the short term but are great for the much-needed students’ experience.
This route should also help compile a portfolio showcasing the recently developed abilities. Eventually, obtaining high-rated projects that bring in big money will become easier.
- Get an Internship
Going for internships at ghostwriting agencies is one of the best ways to get first-hand experience and practice these acquired qualifications in real life. Yes, you might not receive a lot of money, but the purpose is to get the necessary training for future jobs.
By getting such a position, you are no longer doodling for yourself – you are doing something you could actually get paid for. These contracts are often limited to a short timeframe (typically months), but they should bring several weekly projects to improve your informational base. You might try a ghostwriter service, as it regularly offers access to various clients.
The Bottom Line
Putting graphic design education into practice can be challenging, especially when you do not know where to start. Freelancing and internships can help you get accustomed to smaller projects and prepare you for the most complex ones later on. And don’t forget to practice every day to polish your skills.
