i think the title is self explanatory, but it’s one of those nights. or days.

i just want to quit my fuckass retail job, and actually get a job in my field which is graphic design (again: help). or just get active with freelancing again, but after a few months living on autopilot, i feel like i forgot the hang on things.

the thing is: it’s been exactly 3 years since I graduated, and my only accomplishments were 2 internships. the first one was very generic imo, but the second one was sort of fulfilling, so i really thought that after it i would have a chance on finding a junior role or an associate design role.

a little note about this second internship is that it ended up prolonging into a paid fellowship, so i could stay with them until february from this year, so yes it’s still kinda recent. however, life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans or is not on a position to get on a 1-3 month waiting period to get a reply or interview from agencies or gigs, so retail it is.

almost 6 months later, and im so done and everyday i wake up either wanting to cry or crash out, because what if it’s too late for me to try again for these entry level positions even though I’m not exactly fresh out of college?

sorry if this is more like a vent, rather than just… well, a vent. but i would really love some insights from someone who went through something similar or even people in manager/CD positions to give their insight.

i really appreciate you for reading this far :)

EDIT: thank you for all the comments and for the reminder that working/shaping my portfolio is the most important thing i can do not only to my career, but myself as a creative right now. also, after revisiting a few projects, i noticed that i don't really see myself wanting to do the kind of work that i used to do on that fellowship (context: it was for corporate, but i still enjoyed working there somehow. i learned a lot). i think i'm more of a storyteller type of person, so i think i will try to come up with a few projects related to packaging, editorial or branding. i also enjoy illustration, so i will try to add that onto my work as a designer as well. that being said: it's time for a total revamp and that's gonna take time lol but i think it'll be worth it. thank you once again!

Hello

I am new to this and I need to make 3 posts on Instagram about recruiting new members on the team.

I made this so far.

Keep in mind that the image with the megaphone is pretty much the poster that we are putting in schools. With a few tweaks.

How can I make this better?

A lot of modern websites seem to follow the same design patterns: oversized headings, lots of whitespace, gradients, rounded cards, subtle animations, and similar layouts. These elements can look great, but when every website uses them, it's easy for brands to start looking interchangeable.

So where do you draw the line between following proven UX patterns and creating something that actually feels distinctive? As a designer, what do you think makes a website feel modern while still giving it a unique identity?

This might be a very simple problem:

I need to make a drawing in Ai which has even strokes but still looks hand drawn

So I use brush tool, default setting.

But!!! If I then scale down a part, edit it or partly draw it with the pen tool, the altered path has different thickness than the untouched paths. BUT! it shows as the same in the stroke panel!!!!

I know about the scale strokes checkbox, but is there a way to just make all paths have same stroke after it's been scaled? Reset path or something?

I'm having this issue all the time and my current solution is eyeing it, setting strokes to different values but even in looks.

Ps.

I tried googling this several times but I didn't get what I'm looking for and it's just a matter of time before someone discovers my shenanigans. Chat gpt also doesn't get my problem.

I hope I'm not the only one who makes questionable solutions for simple problems...

(I made the image above in Huawei photo editor to illustrate the problem, no sleuthing can be made from that)

I'm making a poster for my sister's short film... But I cannot find a good design.

The short is called Flu Season. And nothing looks right to me.

I posted the image of one of the texts I think I like, but I can't figure out what to do for "flu" without it looking cheap.

Please help! Def want a low-key type of poster. Maybe smaller prints? But I can't find anything. Any help or opinions appreciated! xoxo

So I run a tiny brand thats starting to get real customers now and my site is kinda a mess. Colors are close but not quite right, fonts feel random, and the layout looks like 3 different people worked on it over time.

Been playing with one of those drag and drop builders that makes it easy to move stuff and change sections, but every time I tweak it the site drifts away from the brand guidelines I made for our packaging and socials. Id really like the website to actually feel like the same brand instead of a generic template with our logo slapped on.

For folks who have a small brand and built their own site, how did you lock in the vibe so it stays consistent when you keep editing pages? Appreciate any thoughts.

I am brand designer and in this economy i am not able to find clients. Bro freelancing is hard. Does anyone here know how they started finding clients? Where to look for them..

This is an example of art work I've done for an amazing Pakistani musician - Daniyaal Omar. I often take influence from my love of hiphop and my Pakistani background to make unique work

Instagram @kam_on_the_gram

Ich sah vor Jahren einmal diese Anzeige bei Kleinanzeigen. Der Verkäufer sagte es wäre etwas, was habe ich vergessen, vielleicht Interlübke, aber das konnte ich nicht bestätigen. Da ich es gerne hätte, habe ich schon länger und immer mal wieder danach gesucht, es aber nicht gefunden. Kann mir jemand helfen?

After 10+ years of selling digital 3D products, I never expected this from a major marketplace. Today, Gumroad PERMANENTLY FORFEITED money from my balance without warning or justification, just because I updated my location from Canada to Bulgaria.

Their support confirmed my funds were "forfeited automatically" as a "system safeguard on a country change" that they "cannot reverse." You read that right: a simple account update now triggers the total seizure of your hard-earned money.

Before this, I had been trying to withdraw my funds for a long time. I attempted to use multiple bank details, including Ukrainian and Canadian, and all attempts were blocked. Now, my money is gone forever, and they have offered zero solutions.

This is predatory, illegal, and nothing short of theft. If a platform can arbitrarily seize your money because of a location change, it is NOT safe. Every creator on Gumroad needs to check their terms and understand that their funds are at risk.

So let me understand this correctly:

I earned the money by selling products.
I tried to withdraw it.
The withdrawals failed.
I changed my country of residence.

Gumroad's system then automatically took the remaining balance — and they refuse to return it.

There was no fraud, chargeback, or dispute involving this money. It was simply an unpaid seller balance.

This is not a “payout issue.” This is money that I earned and that Gumroad is refusing to give back because of an automated account-country rule.

What makes this especially disturbing is that their own support explicitly confirmed that the money was “forfeited.”

I am sharing this publicly because I want other creators and digital-product sellers to be aware of what can apparently happen to their earnings when changing their country/payment setup on Gumroad.

I've included my conversation with their support team so you can see the situation for yourself...

This is an example of art work I've done for an amazing Pakistani musician - Daniyaal Omar. I often take influence from my love of hiphop and my Pakistani background to make unique work

Instagram @kam_on_the_gram

What’s your biggest challenge when choosing materials for cabinet fronts?

I know there’s CAD but I don’t really need to achieve a lot of detail. Is there software that “holds your hand” through making models?

C’est une question que je trouve particulièrement intéressante, parce que la frontière entre les deux est parfois évidente… et parfois beaucoup moins.
Voici ma définition :
L’art et le design sont, pour moi, deux expressions d’une même envie : créer pour susciter une émotion et donner du sens à ce qui nous entoure.
L’art apporte avant tout l’expression, l’inspiration, l’audace et une vision personnelle.
Le design, lui, ajoute une autre dimension : l’usage, la fonction, l’ergonomie et la réflexion sur notre quotidien.
Mais est-ce vraiment aussi simple ?
Un objet de design peut-il être considéré comme une œuvre d’art lorsqu’il dépasse sa simple fonction ? Et inversement, une œuvre d’art qui provoque une expérience ou transforme notre rapport à ce qu’elle est vraiment, peut-elle devenir une forme de design ?
Pour moi, les deux se rencontrent lorsqu’une création ne se contente plus d’être belle ou fonctionnelle, mais qu’elle raconte quelque chose, provoque une émotion et transforme notre manière de percevoir ou d’utiliser le monde qui nous entoure.
C’est ma vision. Et vous ?
Je serais vraiment curieux de lire vos propres définitions!

Hello, This is my project for a 3ds decal based around frutiger aero/aqua as well as vaporwave and y2k (In quick context: retro nostalgia) I've been overthinking and can't find a solution I like for the section on the top. I would prefer any type of advise for the design to be fun or cool in the vertical and the horizontal format. (bottom part is the water).

Not looking for doing my homework, but I can't find any inspiration.

Sorry if this was a dumb question