This set of questions were submitted to me by my friend, Akash Upadhyay for some content he was working on.
1. How do you stay motivated in the design industry when you see so much outstanding work around you?
I am motivated and inspired by outstanding work from others. Seeing the great things other people create pushes me to be more creative and experimental with the things I create. I’m competitive by nature, so I often think, “If they can do it, I can do it.”
2. How do you stay creative when designing for products?
It is important to realize that not every project will be some super innovative, creative, unique thing. Many designers get frustrated when some projects don’t push them creatively. It is unrealistic to expect everything we do to be super creative. Sometimes, we are just designing the best version the target audience will expect from product.
3. What are your best 3 tips for someone who wants to start freelancing as a designer?
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Save up 3-6 months of money to cover your expenses.
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Get your marketing in place (at least a business website with case studies of your work and start building an audience on one social media platform).
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Go for it and know that you can always go back and get a job if full-time freelancing doesn’t work out.
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Bonus tip: There are many successful freelancers in the world with a lot less talent than you. You can do it!
4. How do you deal with the failure or rejection?
Failure is an opportunity to learn and improve. Ask yourself, “What can I do better next time?” I built my career on that question.
5. What do you expect the changes will be in a designer’s career in the post COVID era?
I believe that in-person collaboration generates the best creativity. I fear that too many creative businesses will go “remote” and it will have a negative impact on creative ideation and work quality that relies so much on in-person, moment by moment creative collaboration.
6. What’s the best tip to set a price for a project whether it’s logo designing, UI/UX designing, or any for any design project?
I have a ton of content on pricing. My methodology is based on choosing a price after analyzing three variables: production cost, market value, and client budget. Once you know those three numbers, you are ready to choose the right price for any product or service.
7. What are the 3 things you look out for in a designer interview?
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Is the candidate a good fit for our team culture?
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Is the candidate motivated to improve and grow in their career?
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Does the candidate have skills beyond those listed in our job description that we could utilize in our business?
