Milena Vanchoska is a freelance graphic designer who successfully completed Monday Learning‘s graphic design training program. We talked about her experience with the training program and freelancing. Milena is one of the speakers at the event “From a beginner to a successful freelancer”, which will be held on 21.12.2023 (Thursday) at 18.00 at Startup Club Skopje.
Share with us something about yourself and your work experience.
I’m Milena, an aspiring graphic designer, who likes to turn my ideas into stories, so I ended up in the field of design. Regarding my work experience, I only have to say that I try my best to improve and evolve because design for me is more than a profession, in fact, it is about solving problems, finding solutions, communicating, and creating emotions.
Why did you decide to apply for the graphic design training program at Monday Learning?
Driven by the motivation to constantly learn and improve myself, Monday Learning was like an excellent environment in which I could advance and learn many new things. The program was designed so that I could work and study.
How satisfied are you with the graphic design training program and what did you like the most?
On a scale from 1 to 10, I would say 100 🙂. What I liked most was that I had the opportunity to work on real projects, for real clients. “Trchaj be!” was a project on which we worked together as a group on the design and promotion of the race.
Which part of the material was the biggest challenge for you?
My biggest challenge was logo design, because designing a logo, while creatively fulfilling, also comes with its own set of challenges. Striking the right balance between simplicity and conveying the necessary information can be a challenge. A logo needs to be memorable and easily recognizable, which sometimes conflicts with clients’ desire to include intricate details. To create a unique and original logo in a saturated market is certainly a big challenge.
What motivated you to become a freelancer?
What motivates me the most is the freedom I have working freelance, it allows me to have time to learn and upgrade myself constantly. One of the reasons for working freelance is that I can work from anywhere, and I am not tied to one location.
Tell us about your first freelance experience.
My first freelance experience was offline, I voluntarily offered my design services to a few small local businesses, and it all worked out well and I finally got my first client.
What is your advice for anyone who wants to be a freelance graphic designer?
If you are interested in becoming a freelance graphic designer, here are some tips that can help you:
1. First, solidify your design skills, define your goals, and try to find your specialty (I’m still working on it) 🙂
2. Build a good online presence and of course a good portfolio to showcase your designs.
3. Organize your time well, participate in design-related events, and expand your network of acquaintances in this field.
4. And most importantly, learn nonstop!
Milena’s portfolio 👇
https://www.behance.net/milenavanchoska
This blog is part of the project “Expanding opportunities for youth entrepreneurship and women’s economic empowerment”, supported by the US Embassy in North Macedonia.
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This project was funded through a U.S. Embassy grant. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed herein are those of the implementers/authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. Government.
