How to be a Freelance Page Layout Designer

Page Layout design is a sub field of Graphic design. As a page layout designer, you will mostly deal with arranging the visual elements in a page. There are many applications and function areas of Page layout design. There is the paper-based media and digital media may have a use for your talents. There is good money in this field, being a sub division of Graphic design, you can well earn the same amount as a graphic designer can.
The reasons for you to freelance are varied. In this particular career, you get to earn more money on a single project than you do in a corporate setting. It offers a lucrative option of working from home. Whether it is the extra income or the work from home, or even the ability to take on multiple tasks, and the independence, you can be assured that Page Layout design is a good career option.

Job Duties for Freelance Page Layout Designer

There are many duties you will undertake as a Freelance Page Layout Designer, some often more difficult than simply planning the layout of a page. The basic job duties that you will mostly undertake, when working as a page layout designer include:

• Accurately interpreting the client’s business needs and develop suitable concepts
• Creating design briefs using data through research, and creating concepts
• Working with a wide range of media like Photography and CAD
• Demonstrating illustrative skills with rough sketches
• Developing interactive design
• Liaising with other on-site or remote teams
• Being able to work independently

Skills:

You must develop certain skills to do well in this sub field of Graphic design. You may already know how to use platforms like Dreamweaver, but remember that the ones with all that cash stashed away in the bank mastered these platforms. If you wish to count yourself among the latter bunch of rich graphic designers, here are some skills that are the cornerstones of the industry.

•  Design Skills
• Adobe Skills
• Free-hand skills
• Storytelling skills
• Conceptualising skills
• Technological skills such as a working knowledge of technologies like InDesign, QuarkXPress, FreeHand, Illustrator, Photoshop, 3ds Max, Acrobat, Director, Dreamweaver and Flash
• Typographical skills
• Ability to create your own design process

The internet provides many websites for budding graphic designers like you to develop and hone the skills you will need as a designer.Lynda, Typography1st, Infiniteskills, Toronto.edu PDF and Layersmagazine offer many online videos, training material, forums and even discussion boards for you to develop and hone the skills necessary to become a good page layout designer.

Being Successful as a Freelance Page Layout Designer:

Freelance graphic design is among one of the six top-paying freelance career options available. It isn’t doing too bad, it seems to be doing excellent. So, how do you become successful in this high-paying world of page layout design?
As a Freelance page layout designer there are certain things you can do to do become more successful:

• Brand yourself
• Learn to use negative space effectively
• Master your page layout design in HTML and CSS skills
• Create an effective online portfolio, where employers can look at the kind of work you have done in the past
• Create an even more impressive print portfolio, resume, business cards
• Network with other designers, potential employers and even friends who work in related fields like website development, or content creation
• Practice and continuously keep up-to-date with technologies like InDesign, QuarkXPress, FreeHand, Illustrator, Photoshop, 3ds Max, Acrobat, Director, Dreamweaver and Flash

Average Remunerations:

Usually freelance portals offer various kinds of payment models. In the fixed-price model, the price is usually pre-determined. The hourly model is the most popular and employers usually pay a predetermined sum per hour. Finally, in the project-budget based model, you often need to auction for such projects. Usually a fixed price model may range from $20- $200 and upwards, while you have to pitch for hourly projects, and budget payments, which usually range from $5- $35 an hour. Freelance Page Layout Designers usually earn around $25 an hour.

Finding Work:

Page Layout Design is a popular branch of design, and opportunities are rife. Some of most popular destinations for page layout design jobs, include Odesk, Freelancer, Elance, Peopleperhour and 99designs offer many job opportunities. Thus, you can leverage your skills as a Page Layout designer by registering with such websites.

Resources:

Lynda, Typography1st, Infiniteskills, Toronto.edu PDF and Layersmagazine offer many online videos, training material, forums and even discussion boards for you to develop and hone the skills necessary to become a good page layout designer.