Today we’d like to introduce you to Amber Giles.
Hi Amber, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
I was first introduced to Graphic Design as a high school senior. I took a web design class and loved being able to manipulate the code to create a basic website. That experience got me a job in the marketing department at a local college 4 months after graduating high school.
I started work as a 20-hour-a-week intern through a student employment program where I could work and take classes (I was working on my Generals and working toward getting into the Visual Art and Design program with an emphasis on Graphic Design). When I first started my job, I taught myself how to use InDesign and after 2 days of playing with the program and going through a training booklet, I began designing basic postcards and flyers for different areas across the college. My web design background also allowed me to manage the college’s email campaign system for about 4 years.
After working for a year, the funding for my student employment position had run out but my boss liked my work so much that she fought to keep me on as a part-time employee. I worked part-time for 6 years while I finished my AAS degree and my BS Degree in Graphic Design. While in school, I was able to gain a love and appreciation for typography and hand lettering as well as graphic design. It was beneficial to be working in the field I was going to school for! During this time, I also started doing all of the graphic design for a local ballet company.
Once I graduated with my BS Degree, I was eligible to become full-time at the college. I worked as a Full Time employee for 5 years and in 2019 felt that it was time for me to leave the 8-4:30 work schedule and start my own Graphic Design Business. Upon leaving, the college gave me the opportunity to be one of their freelance designers if they needed extra hands to get things done during busy seasons. They were my first real client as a freelancer!
One year later, I was contacted by a former coworker who works at a local non-profit organization. Their Graphic Designer was leaving for another job and they needed some help so through networking I was able to get another pretty big client.
Since starting my business in 2019, I have been contacted by friends, friends of friends, and former coworkers to help them get their projects off the ground. I have created everything from logos for local startup businesses (many of which have gone on to be very successful), to event collateral across a variety of mediums, to custom invitations for weddings, and even custom illustrations and logos for a yearly theme for a local elementary school.
I would not be where I am today without the experience I had starting in the marketing department at the college while going to school for what I wanted to do.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The road to starting my own business has been interesting. I was worried about what I needed to do to gain enough clients to sustain myself and my business. Through building relationships with my clients, it has been awesome to have them approach me with work that they needed help with. They know me and my work ethic. Getting to know my coworkers and building good relationships and rapport with them was huge in overcoming the initial challenge of finding my first clients.
I do go through seasons of having a lot of work to do and a lesser amount of work to do. I would say that is the biggest challenge. Keeping a steady workflow to make enough to provide for the things that I need but it always seems to work out in the best ways possible.
If I have any advice for anyone starting their own business, it is about what you know but more importantly it is about who you know and how you have treated them. You never know where a connection you have with someone in one place will be the stepping stone to you being able to bring in new clients for your business.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a Graphic Designer. I have created anything from a simple invitation to a brand for an event, formatting large booklets to creating flyers for classes. I focus mostly on print material but have been able to take a look and feel for the printed material and carry it over into digital screens and social media.
I love to create logos and branding for people who are starting their businesses. It is a really fun process to work with a client who has a vision for what they want and be able to create that into something they can be proud of. Creating logos allows me to work with my love for typography and also create simple illustrations for some of my clients.
Creating high-end invitations (and other pieces of collateral for weddings and other events) is also something I enjoy doing. Being able to create something unique for a couple to start the next chapter of their lives or creating an announcement for graduation. It is something that I enjoy pulling together. There is something about being able to bring the client’s vision to life and seeing their reaction to it.
I also do hand lettering on the side. I have used that skill along with my love for typography to create logos and unique designs for clients.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
I think two qualities have been most important to my success:
First is my ability to listen to my clients and understand what they are looking for. Sometimes as creatives, we can get attached to a certain look or design that maybe doesn’t match what our client is looking for. Although we may like it, we have to be able to let it go and create something that speaks to what the client is looking for. Sometimes they come to me with no idea of what they want until they see it. It requires a lot of patience but I think that has been the most beneficial quality when stepping into the freelance design world.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://ambergilesdesign.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ambergilesdesign/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ambergilesdesign
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambergilesdesign/
