Studio vs In-House vs Freelance: Which Design Career Path Is Right for You?
Depending on personal commitments and professional ambition you will probably find yourself working in a studio, going in-house or finding freedom as a freelancer. We have used our lived-experiences to explore the options to help you understand what they mean.
Design agencies
When we started out design agencies were the only place to be because little was known about what went on behind-the-scenes. Social media and the culture of over-sharing has shifted that narrative because many teams now use platforms such as Instagram and LinkedIn to talk about their business.
If you are a designer that craves variety, and exposure to a wide-range of projects entering a design studio is a great opportunity.
You will get to work with people at all levels and support clients across industries helping you to understand the fast-paced nature of commercial creativity.
We recommend everyone experiences an agency environment during their career because it has the opportunity to inform how you approach non-creative tasks such as pitching and pricing projects.
Knowledge that will definitely support your long-term future.
In-house teams
In-house design was once seen as a non-glamorous alternative to agency life but as the world of business has exploded the need for teams that are dedicated to building a single brand has grown rapidly.
In our experience the opportunity to be an integral part in the success of a single company was both exciting and limiting. Being responsible for the development and delivery of assets across all forms of output shaped professional skills such as time management, creative consistency and team work but in the long-term we ended up craving diversity.
If stability is what you need right now joining an in-house team is the perfect option but we recommend finding opportunities inside a business or sector you are personally interested in.
For example; if you enjoy sports explore roles in the genre you admire or a team you support. You might have a passion for food and drink allowing you to move towards businesses that service the hospitality marketing (restaurants, bars and hotels).
This is an approach that will help you remain excited and positive during the repetitive moments.
Going solo
Most designers dream about going solo at some point.
It is normal to think about taking control of your future including who you work with and how many hours you put in.
Flexibility is one of the primary reasons for people moving from full-time employment helping individuals explore the relationship between work and life but it is also very important to understand the additional commitments needed to make this happen.
As a freelancer or start-up business owner you will need to juggle multiple roles including many you probably don’t have experience of such as finance and marketing. These tasks can be daunting and mentally taxing because they are traditionally non-creative roles and as a designer that can be draining.
If possible, we recommend hiring skilled professionals to manage specific roles. This will probably be a financial strain in the early-days but building a support network early-on will be essential in your long-term success.
In our experience we recommend speaking to old employers to see if there is any over-flow work you can manage on their behalf. This will provide a little financial freedom as you begin searching for private commissions.
Depending on your experience you might also want to consider part-time teaching or the development of sellable products such as workshops and courses to help you build a sustainable business.
If you are thinking about going solo but unsure of how to make the move we provide four week training plans for creative professionals that are looking for guidance, support and advice.
It's not necessarily permanent
Many designers move between these roles during their career going from design studio early on, then in-house for stability, then freelance later for flexibility. Watching how designers at different stages talk about their own paths is one of the fastest ways to figure out which fits you now.
If you want to know how other people have navigated their career ready our interviews with Chloe Norman, Joshua Darby and the co-founders of Motto.
