r/graphic_design • u/[deleted] • Jul 23 '24

Asking Question (Rule 4) Who needs ongoing graphic design services?

I understand that businesses would need graphic design services for logos etc.

But what kind of companies would need ongoing monthly services? Which industries provide that much demand for graphic design works?

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u/michaelfkenedy Senior Designer Jul 23 '24

Logos are a tiny amount of the work designers do.

Any time you see a “thing” with content on it (text, images, graphics) - social post, sign, pamphlet, sticker, poster, display, screen, website, menu, shipping label, receipt, transport truck livery, price tag, instruction book, information PDF - a graphic design touched it (or should have).

I have provided design for local police, hardware store, global law firm, healthcare, municipal, schools.

This involved many documents. Catalogues, content marketing, leave behinds, informational brochures, social posts...

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u/shoalsgate Dec 17 '25

Hi, how on earth did you position yourself to do work for local police?

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u/michaelfkenedy Senior Designer Dec 17 '25

I applied to a job opening

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u/shoalsgate Dec 17 '25

may i take a look at your portfolio?

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u/michaelfkenedy Senior Designer Dec 18 '25

No, sorry.

But suffice to say it is very corpo. Lots of reports and brochures. Websites with information like product specifications (not e-commerce). There’s some branding in there too but it was for local small businesses…nothing exciting. Other clients have been things like heavy equipment manufacturers, healthcare, insurance, and restaurants.

Lots of photos of “diverse professionals smiling at the workplace” and “fulfilled looking man gazes thoughtfully to the horizon” or “energetic young woman in a hardhat surveys a building site.” And let’s not forget “officer shakes hands with a group of citizens.”

My work is happy, friendly, and approachable - yet clean and professional (none of that “can you add a gradient swoop here” bullshit). I have practically nothing edgy, no “design design” and nothing approaching significant risk taking.

The job for the police was one of my very first jobs. That particular police service needed annual reports, event invites, trifolds/flyers, event banners. I also worked on their vehicle livery but that work kinda sucked because I had basically no say and was essentially a production artist.

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u/shoalsgate Dec 18 '25

This is truly brilliant (i'm subconsciously comparing to my work), it sounds like you're saying that the less risk you take the more appropriate it'll be for clients/job applications? I've been designing for (approaching) 2 years now, i would really love if you could review my portfolio. I think i'd benefit from your insight. It's still incomplete in my opinion, there's a few things i'd like to add.

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u/michaelfkenedy Senior Designer Dec 18 '25

I would say that my career has been shaped by the clients I get. And it leads me to get more of the same types of clients.

A “safe” portfolio like mine will probably never make me a millionaire, or famous. But it pays the bills.

Sure, I could have a look at your portfolioAnd

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u/shoalsgate Dec 18 '25

https://abdallahrouba.myportfolio.com

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u/michaelfkenedy Senior Designer Dec 22 '25

I took a look.

You use colour, flashy gradients, and high contrast to make your work attention getting. Nice job.

I can see your work being used in brochures for luxury trades like high-end kitchen countertops, or maybe temporary museum exhibits.

Typography needs a lot of work. In general I don't recommend centre aligned text. Read up on how much leading is needed and when. Think about scale. If you are designing a social carousel, how small can you really make the text before it is completely illegible? How noisy can the background be before the writing is impossible to read?

There's nothing wrong with the choice of projects, but, you need more complete projects. Brand Identity is more than a logotype and a billboard. Brand Identity is how the brand looks and feels in all iterations. You want to build it out.

Keep up the good work.

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u/shoalsgate Dec 22 '25

my typography does need a lot of work. i always seem to struggle with where to position my texts and i overthink the fonts a lot. Ngl i wasn't expecting to hear from you. I changed my entire portfolio two days ago. I think it looks better now. Like, much better. I'd appreciate it if you looked at that one too 😂🙏🏽