The author of your visual creations print and web: the freelance graphic designer

Before the advent of digital, we spoke more readily of illustrator to designate the person producing visual creations, for the press for example. Today, the so-called "graphic artist" has become more of a communication agent, trained to transmit a message from an image. With, in addition, the appearance of graphics tablets to work on computer, we can say that the profession has changed a lot in recent decades.

Perhaps you will have crossed the terms of graphic designer, graphic designer or freelance illustrator. We must distinguish these terms, especially as professionals tend to cumulate, starting for example as a "graphic designer-illustrator". The graphic designer is a more recent name: it is a term dating from the middle of the 20th century, and comes from advertising. At the time, however, people were talking about "cartoonists", which shows how close they are to the marketing community. This is the main difference between the terms of illustrator and graphic designer: the freelance graphic designer is closer to advertising. He puts forward his ability to convey a marketing message.

Logo, poster, covers: the missions of the freelance graphic designer. The graphic designer aims to achieve what contributes to the visual identity of a brand or company:

• Above all, he is interested in the design of the media to be produced, the messages they must convey and the best ways to achieve them. It involves being interested in the world of the brand and what it offers.
• From this research, he begins to sketch (roughs) that are sent to the client, so as to specify what it seeks.
• Once this thought has been specified, the graphic designer can then work on a final version of the visuals.
• Depending on each client, a freelance graphic designer must consider what pre-exists. For example, some clients go to graphic designers to design a logo. But if it must fit into a graphic charter that already exists, the designer must take into account in his creations.

In terms of media, the graphic designer usually knows how to move from one to the other. Unless he has specialized in one of these areas, it is possible to order creations specific to digital media (websites, e-mails, etc.) or print (posters, leaflets ...). For this reason, they often master computer-assisted publishing (DTP) software.

Choose a freelance graphic designer. The portfolio can tell you more about the graphic designer's specialization. Press, webdesign, comics ... There are many media suitable for receiving visuals, and some freelancers specialize. One of these specialties is the roughman, which only makes sketches and sketches: it is a popular work especially in storyboarding.

You may also be interested in training your graphic designer. That said, remember that some professionals have started self-taught. However, this can tell you about their profile: in the field of illustration in general, workers are regularly placed in front of the emergency. So make sure your freelance graphic designer knows how to deal with these crisis situations. The graphic remains open to all kinds of profiles. This is why autodidacts, although untrained, can sometimes be encountered. On the other hand, it should be noted that the sector tends to internationalize, regularly involving foreign teleworkers.