A glimpse into the Life of a Graphic Designer with Priyanka Chokhani

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To say that we are flooded with content on social media would be an understatement. Amid the numerous scrolls we make throughout the day on Instagram and Facebook what catches our fancy most is a compelling post. There is no denying the fact that no matter how beautifully you write, unless your post is visually appealing nobody is going to read it. It takes a VISUALLY IMPRESSIVE and ATTRACTIVE design to “STOP THE SCROLL”.

As a natural result of the way social media works, a profession that is THRIVING is that of GRAPHIC DESIGNING. Unlimited Graphic Design opportunities in almost every sector supplement it. Creating a design that speaks volumes with minimalistic elements is what qualifies as a GOOD GRAPHIC DESIGN. And if you have ever tried your hand at making one, you’d know it is not a cake walk.

To get a sneak peek into the life of a graphic designer, we spoke to Priyanka Chokhani, a freelance graphic designer from Jaipur.

With a Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Economics, Priyanka was a self taught graphic designer when she started. “I always had a keen interest in art, craft and creativity and started out with designing posts, invites and cards for my near and dear ones on request. Gradually my interest in graphic designing grew and I decided to take up some online courses to up my game and hit the market”, shares Priyanka while talking about how she started the journey of a freelance graphic designer. “In fact even today, I keep taking courses to enhance my knowledge and skills to keep myself updated with the changing designing trends and market demand”, she further adds.

A business card design by Priyanka Chokhani

To think of innovative, creative and unique designs for each client is one of the biggest challenges of graphic designing. However, Priyanka feels that once you understand the story behind the brand or the product of the client, it becomes easy to come up with a design strategy. Additionally, it is also important to do some market research and study the target audience and the competitors, advises Priyanka.

A magazine cover design by Priyanka Chokhani

Freelancing has become quite popular in India, especially in the Post-Covid era. Since Priyanka has always been a freelancer, we thought of getting some gyaan from her in this area as well. While sharing her in-depth insight on the pros and cons of freelancing, Priyanka says“Even as a freelancer, I maintain fixed working hours from 11 am to 7 pm to maintain decorum and keep a balance between work and personal life. Though I can make my work hours flexible as per my convenience. Besides, I am my own boss and get to select clients based on standard, matching design style, and wavelength. However, there are some cons as well. Building a client base was quite tough in the initial days. Also, clients tend to bargain thinking working as a freelancer means that the rates are going to be cheaper”.

A book cover designed by Priyaka Chokhani

Giving a piece of advice for those who want to take up graphic designing as a career, Priyanka says: “Be patient, believe in yourself and your work. Keep yourself updated with the changing trends and market demands. Keep learning and growing and you will surely be successful.”