As an In House Designer and Photographer for a small business. It can get tough. Like she said, you'll be a generalist the majority of the time. My manager, who does marketing often instructs me how to design. Even though I'm more than qualified and she ain't a designer. So there's barely room for creativity. Even though they tell you to be creative haha. You'll often be overloaded with work as well. Especially if you're the only designer. I can barely finish with a project before another totally different brief pops up. However the space you work in as a solo in house designer is often family like. As the folks are super close. And you'll most likely keep the job for a very long time. Especially if you just graduated, as brands or small businesses do like to build their designer or mold them to adapt to their brand. Other than that, I'd recommend starting as an in house designer if you are uncertain on what to major/specialize in design. Nevertheless it's good experience to have on your CV as a starting job, as essentially it means that you can work on extremely tight deadlines, you communicate like a god and you can do anything.
Thank you! I have a job interview coming up as an in house designer and ive mostly only done freelance so I was worried about the questions they would ask me regarding the in house process but this gives me a much better idea and I think i can interview well now!
Thanks for this Charli, it was certainly a good explanation on what goes on. I myself have been contemplating what to do in the corporate space as I'm a musician, but I realise I love designing as well. Maybe I just like visuals, and what things look like when I'm designing, not necessarily designing for clients. LOL. Such is life... we keep going and we figure. Oh well, thank you, it was a lovely video! Warm Regards, Zephyr, Singapore.
Hi Charlie, your videos really opened my eyes to UI/UX. I've been thinking about switching my role to UX, and I am currently learning some useful tools, and shadowing other UX designers at my company. Just want to say thank you for keeping the topics interesting!
As a product designer in an agency setting, you’d be surprised how often I still have to argue for the value of design. Mainly with clients/partners that came to you FOR ‘design’ but had a warped concept of what the word means. Great explainer video though, I also teach part tome at a graphic design college occasionally, I’ll definitely link this series of explainers to the students when they’re all up.
thanks Jai! I'm currently on the hunt for a designer in an agency setting to be interviewed in the agency explainer video. you don't happen to live in London do you? haha
CharliMarieTV - Sorry, no. I’m in Brisbane, Australia. I do have friends at the Ustwo Sydney office, I could get them to recommend someone from their LDN HQ maybe?
Great video!! I'd probably separate out working in house at a print firm is different to in house for another company as you're working on not only the branding for the print house but also the customers work. So there's a lot of variety and if you're not into dealing with clients directly and dealing with people who want the cheapest possible design probably not the right place.
I wish to become an inhouse designer because when I am in design class with my class mates, I feel stressed out because it feels like I need to compete with them to be the best. Limitation of the creativity is the downside, but I think I will be a lot happier if I'm not in the position of competition and just mind my own business.
Hey Charli! Congrats on 70k subscribers... loving the little animations and effects throughout the video... could you please name the fonts used in this video? And obviously a very relevant and crisp content... u know how much i love your videos... Kudos gurlllll!
Hey Charlie another interesting video, Thank you by the didn't you say in one of your precious videos that you will do a video on becoming a limited company, are you still planing on doing that and when.
+Adrian Leonard Canning yes! I think I will save it for the end of the tax year though when I have a better overall perspective to share and I’ll be able to say how much I saved on taxes etc
Hi Charli! Thank you so much for this informative video. I really want to become an in-house designer, and the constraints of one brand actually calm me down, haha. Could I ask you for some advice? I will be graduating this May with a non-Graphic Design degree, but I want to become a Graphic Designer. I struggle with creating things on my own, without a classroom structure, so I'm looking into more schooling. Do you think I will be employable if I complete a 2 year Graphic Design program (whether that is an MFA or a Portfolio school)? And do you have any other suggestions for breaking into this field? Thank you!
How many projects would you recommend you list when you apply for a job? A link to all of them or just the most relevant projects? Also really amazing video :)
I have a few other videos with advice for portfolios! But definitely be selective and display only the ones you're most proud of. They don't have to be 'relevant' persay, if its a web design role and you've shown a few websites but also have this really cool print piece you're proud of, go ahead and show that too :)
Working as a freelance designer I work with new brands on almost a weekly basis. Do you ever get bored working within a sole companies branding? If so how do motivate yourself to keep working?
Nope I don't! I love being able to feel a personal connection to the website I design for, and I love being able to make improvements to my work over time. I love thinking about UX so having the opportunity to learn from user research and design pages accordingly is great for me :)
Thank you for sharing your input on in-house design. Do you think a in-house design job would be a good job for someone who recently just graduated University to get some practice before they apply to a studio?
Yeah it'd be great! Though in-house design shouldn't be thought of as a lesser job than working at a studio. You need to have the same level of design skills, just applying them to one brand rather than many. I think if you go for an in-house design job though you'll be more likely to get in and be designing straight away compared to at a large agency or studio.
Any tips on staying creative when working full time in house? My goal is to work in a studio but I'm worried my portfolio won't be that varied when it comes to applying and that I'll have 'lost' my creative touch 🙈
you'll be surprised! there are opportunities to try new things for example in promotions, where you can bring in a different style. Or perhaps when you're designing a landing page for a certain audience, it will need to look a bit different to appeal to that audience. I don't feel like I've lost my creative touch at all! It's fun to have the constraint of being 'on brand' but exploring new possibilities within that to appeal to different audiences and design for different purposes :) also, if you don't have that freedom at your work, then side projects will be the way to go!
CharliMarieTV thanks for the advice, yeah they're giving me a lot of freedom with the brand so I guess it'll just be a challenge to think of new ways of using the brand 😊 you made it sound a lot more positive! Haha
HI, I just graduated and now I am job hunting... I am quite worried that why will not hire me because I am a fresh grad and have very little experience... I have try some company but they never replay my email.
Really appreciate that you are replying my comment. And yes I recently try so hard on improving my portfolio all time. I just feel like very negative sometimes when they don't reply my email. Or maybe I just not enough experience to work on that company... struggling right now.... =(
This is excellent and so helpful for those starting out in design!! Great work!! Congrats on starting Patreon! Your hair is stunning! I have to piggyback on the person complimenting your transitions. I love them. Do you use Final Cut Pro?
I am an aspiring fashion designer I am presently in a fashion school in ug programme , I found Ur videos useful how can I have a regular contact with u
I don't know why, but every single time when I watch your videos, I always feel so excited. Your videos're great.
that's awesome! I feel generally excited about design, so maybe my excitement is coming across in the video :)
haha we know that you are so in inspiration
As an In House Designer and Photographer for a small business. It can get tough. Like she said, you'll be a generalist the majority of the time.
My manager, who does marketing often instructs me how to design. Even though I'm more than qualified and she ain't a designer. So there's barely room for creativity. Even though they tell you to be creative haha.
You'll often be overloaded with work as well. Especially if you're the only designer. I can barely finish with a project before another totally different brief pops up.
However the space you work in as a solo in house designer is often family like. As the folks are super close. And you'll most likely keep the job for a very long time. Especially if you just graduated, as brands or small businesses do like to build their designer or mold them to adapt to their brand.
Other than that, I'd recommend starting as an in house designer if you are uncertain on what to major/specialize in design. Nevertheless it's good experience to have on your CV as a starting job, as essentially it means that you can work on extremely tight deadlines, you communicate like a god and you can do anything.
Thank you! I have a job interview coming up as an in house designer and ive mostly only done freelance so I was worried about the questions they would ask me regarding the in house process but this gives me a much better idea and I think i can interview well now!
Thanks for this Charli, it was certainly a good explanation on what goes on. I myself have been contemplating what to do in the corporate space as I'm a musician, but I realise I love designing as well. Maybe I just like visuals, and what things look like when I'm designing, not necessarily designing for clients. LOL. Such is life... we keep going and we figure. Oh well, thank you, it was a lovely video! Warm Regards, Zephyr, Singapore.
Hi Charlie, your videos really opened my eyes to UI/UX. I've been thinking about switching my role to UX, and I am currently learning some useful tools, and shadowing other UX designers at my company. Just want to say thank you for keeping the topics interesting!
thats awesome!! so glad to hear that you're taking action and moving towards a role that interests you more :)
As a product designer in an agency setting, you’d be surprised how often I still have to argue for the value of design. Mainly with clients/partners that came to you FOR ‘design’ but had a warped concept of what the word means.
Great explainer video though, I also teach part tome at a graphic design college occasionally, I’ll definitely link this series of explainers to the students when they’re all up.
thanks Jai! I'm currently on the hunt for a designer in an agency setting to be interviewed in the agency explainer video. you don't happen to live in London do you? haha
CharliMarieTV - Sorry, no. I’m in Brisbane, Australia. I do have friends at the Ustwo Sydney office, I could get them to recommend someone from their LDN HQ maybe?
Great video. Also really liked the transitions you used as well.
thanks Lauryn! wanting to put a little extra effort into the titles in this series :)
Great video!! I'd probably separate out working in house at a print firm is different to in house for another company as you're working on not only the branding for the print house but also the customers work. So there's a lot of variety and if you're not into dealing with clients directly and dealing with people who want the cheapest possible design probably not the right place.
Really good point!!
I wish to become an inhouse designer because when I am in design class with my class mates, I feel stressed out because it feels like I need to compete with them to be the best.
Limitation of the creativity is the downside, but I think I will be a lot happier if I'm not in the position of competition and just mind my own business.
Nice video Charlie! Keep em' coming :D
thanks Cody!
Hey Charli! Congrats on 70k subscribers... loving the little animations and effects throughout the video... could you please name the fonts used in this video? And obviously a very relevant and crisp content... u know how much i love your videos... Kudos gurlllll!
thank you! In this video I used a font called Canter :)
Hey Charlie another interesting video, Thank you by the didn't you say in one of your precious videos that you will do a video on becoming a limited company, are you still planing on doing that and when.
+Adrian Leonard Canning yes! I think I will save it for the end of the tax year though when I have a better overall perspective to share and I’ll be able to say how much I saved on taxes etc
Hi Charli! Thank you so much for this informative video. I really want to become an in-house designer, and the constraints of one brand actually calm me down, haha. Could I ask you for some advice? I will be graduating this May with a non-Graphic Design degree, but I want to become a Graphic Designer. I struggle with creating things on my own, without a classroom structure, so I'm looking into more schooling. Do you think I will be employable if I complete a 2 year Graphic Design program (whether that is an MFA or a Portfolio school)? And do you have any other suggestions for breaking into this field? Thank you!
I love your hair!
How many projects would you recommend you list when you apply for a job? A link to all of them or just the most relevant projects?
Also really amazing video :)
I have a few other videos with advice for portfolios! But definitely be selective and display only the ones you're most proud of. They don't have to be 'relevant' persay, if its a web design role and you've shown a few websites but also have this really cool print piece you're proud of, go ahead and show that too :)
Working as a freelance designer I work with new brands on almost a weekly basis. Do you ever get bored working within a sole companies branding? If so how do motivate yourself to keep working?
Nope I don't! I love being able to feel a personal connection to the website I design for, and I love being able to make improvements to my work over time. I love thinking about UX so having the opportunity to learn from user research and design pages accordingly is great for me :)
i'm on the marketing side of a tech company
Thank you for sharing your input on in-house design. Do you think a in-house design job would be a good job for someone who recently just graduated University to get some practice before they apply to a studio?
Yeah it'd be great! Though in-house design shouldn't be thought of as a lesser job than working at a studio. You need to have the same level of design skills, just applying them to one brand rather than many. I think if you go for an in-house design job though you'll be more likely to get in and be designing straight away compared to at a large agency or studio.
Cool! Thank you!
Great video 👍
thx pal 😂
I liked it!!! :D
Any tips on staying creative when working full time in house? My goal is to work in a studio but I'm worried my portfolio won't be that varied when it comes to applying and that I'll have 'lost' my creative touch 🙈
you'll be surprised! there are opportunities to try new things for example in promotions, where you can bring in a different style. Or perhaps when you're designing a landing page for a certain audience, it will need to look a bit different to appeal to that audience. I don't feel like I've lost my creative touch at all! It's fun to have the constraint of being 'on brand' but exploring new possibilities within that to appeal to different audiences and design for different purposes :) also, if you don't have that freedom at your work, then side projects will be the way to go!
CharliMarieTV thanks for the advice, yeah they're giving me a lot of freedom with the brand so I guess it'll just be a challenge to think of new ways of using the brand 😊 you made it sound a lot more positive! Haha
you'll do great I'm sure! :)
Congratulations on starting your Patreon!
thank you Toni!
HI, I just graduated and now I am job hunting... I am quite worried that why will not hire me because I am a fresh grad and have very little experience... I have try some company but they never replay my email.
You’ve got to keep trying! Keep working to improve your portfolio and keep applying to roles, it’s a numbers game and you will land one eventually!
Really appreciate that you are replying my comment. And yes I recently try so hard on improving my portfolio all time. I just feel like very negative sometimes when they don't reply my email. Or maybe I just not enough experience to work on that company... struggling right now.... =(
This is excellent and so helpful for those starting out in design!! Great work!! Congrats on starting Patreon! Your hair is stunning! I have to piggyback on the person complimenting your transitions. I love them. Do you use Final Cut Pro?
thank so much Kathy! I actually created the titles in After Effects and imported them into Premiere :)
I am an aspiring fashion designer I am presently in a fashion school in ug programme , I found Ur videos useful how can I have a regular contact with u
that's awesome! I'm so happy you find them useful even though they're not about fashion design :)
Do you have any advice for me?
Or may be you can suggest any friend from whom I can seek advice☺️☺️
You speak fast.
i do, sorry! haha
Will u marry me?