{"id":583,"date":"2025-04-28T08:28:24","date_gmt":"2025-04-28T08:28:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/gandmlegal.com\/?p=583"},"modified":"2025-05-01T10:02:25","modified_gmt":"2025-05-01T10:02:25","slug":"from-communication-design-at-rgu-to-a-fulfilling-freelance-business","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/gandmlegal.com\/index.php\/2025\/04\/28\/from-communication-design-at-rgu-to-a-fulfilling-freelance-business\/","title":{"rendered":"From Communication Design at RGU to a fulfilling freelance business"},"content":{"rendered":"

Simona graduated from RGU<\/a> in 2020 with a degree in Communication Design<\/a> and has since been growing her career working for a wide range of companies while building her own freelance business. She shares her experience at RGU as an international student and how what she learned at university has helped her post-graduation. <\/p>\n

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My journey at RGU studying Communication Design<\/h2>\n

Looking back to 2016, I arrived in Aberdeen<\/a> for the first time, not knowing what the following four years would bring. Away from my home country of Slovakia and my family who supported my new adventure, I was full of excitement, nevertheless, slightly scared at the same time. It didn\u2019t take long until Scotland and Aberdeen felt like a second home to me, feeling welcome and in awe with the nature and culture.<\/p>\n

The first few months were filled with lots of information, trying to get fluent in \u2018Scottish\u2019, exploring the city and its culture, trying Irn Bru and crisps in a sandwich for the first time in my life, socialising and taking the first steps into my Bachelor\u2019s Degree in Communication Design at Gray\u2019s School of Art. It was an exciting start but, I was aware that there would be a lot to learn, such as when I tried to take part in ceilidh.<\/p>\n

Reflecting on those days now, I\u2019m so grateful that I had the opportunity to study at RGU, where the strong feeling of community, curiosity and support is at the heart of everything. I had the chance to learn and get advice from many wise and wonderful tutors who not only taught us theory but also prepared us to face the real world and shared their insights in an encouraging and motivating way. They welcomed us, ignited a spark, and opened the doors for us to enter the four-year-long course built to teach us how to embrace our strengths, find our voice, and experiment freely. We set on a journey filled with opportunities to pick projects, follow our passions, try new techniques and discover what we wanted to do in life.<\/p>\n

This career-oriented, hands-on approach worked perfectly as I found myself working on extra projects not because I had to, but because I enjoyed the course so much. The hands-on approach taught me more than I could imagine, being part of various workshops, and seminars, seeing all the possibilities and being able to try them out to decide on my next steps. The freedom combined with the guidance from my tutors encouraged me to pick up more books, research more, start multiple projects, work hard and grow over the years.<\/p>\n

The University campus offered a tranquil place ideal for taking a stroll or a lunch break walk with friends. It\u2019s a place full of memories and experiences that helped me to transition from a curious teenager with big hopes to an adult with a vision and wider knowledge and experience in my field.<\/p>\n

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Our graduation year fell on the well-known year of 2020, with its challenges and unexpected twists and turns. I must say that despite all that was happening, the University did everything it could to make our final year as valuable as possible, trying to limit the hurdles along the way. It was a challenging year not to be able to have a real-life graduation ceremony and celebrate the completion of our studies with family and friends. However, two years later, the University invited everyone who completed their studies during lockdown to celebrate their success in a retrospective graduation ceremony. It was a wonderful day, seeing all the familiar faces and having the possibility to celebrate our achievements together. As the saying goes, better late than never!<\/p>\n

What happened after graduation<\/h2>\n

After I completed my studies in Communication Design, it was time to put all my knowledge and skills to the test. As I was warned previously, it was not going to be a walk in the park, but more of a hike up Ben Nevis. However, those four years gave me more than just art and design skills, they prepared me to work as a part of a team, work with clients and be able to deliver projects from start to finish, face challenges and find creative ways to handle tight deadlines.<\/p>\n

I soon learnt that I needed to grow a thick skin and be dedicated no matter how many times things didn\u2019t go according to plan. All those new errors, mistakes and successes were part of the continuous learning journey. The University gave me a stable foundation on which I could build my career.<\/p>\n

During my final year and after the first year after graduation, I worked with my first couple of clients, illustrating school storybooks for children. I worked on children\u2019s magazine illustrations and was approached to illustrate and design a summer book reading calendar for children later that summer. My previous experience of working on projects during my studies helped me to know how to complete real-world design briefs and built my confidence.<\/p>\n

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I then decided to join a publishing house where I gained new experiences working as an Editorial Designer and after a couple of years, won an opportunity to join a Visual storytelling agency, working with researchers and universities as an illustrator and designer. Roughly two years later, an opportunity to join a team of e-learning designers presented itself and I joined the team with the hopes of extending my skillset even further.<\/p>\n

While working my full-time job, my desire to have a studio of my own grew stronger and stronger. Since I completed my studies, I have been slowly trying to build an illustration and design freelance business on the side and started to invest more time into reaching out to new clients, running a few smaller workshops, taking part in local trade-makers markets and working on new self-directed projects. I\u2019ve worked for companies, absorbing new skills and collaborating with various clients on a variety of projects whilst still listening to that true voice inside. I wanted to build something authentic that I\u2019m truly passionate about, which is reflected in my freelance work.<\/p>\n

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The advice I took with me and what I\u2019ve learned<\/h2>\n

As I\u2019ve learnt over the years, every opportunity that presents itself is a blessing in disguise. Whether it is a part-time role, a dream job, a new course, volunteering or a weekend workshop. Everything we try teaches us a valuable skill or a lesson. The learning journey never stops and it helps us to move forward and achieve things we might have never even dreamt of.<\/p>\n

Here are some golden pieces of advice that tutors at RGU shared with me during my time studying Communication Design, that stayed at the back of my head all those years and helped me to navigate my choices and decisions along the way:<\/p>\n

Grow a thick skin<\/h3>\n

As mentioned before, this is something I learnt along the way when I was faced with closed doors, unexpected challenges, criticism and rejection. This so-called \u2018thick skin\u2019 is a barrier to making the most of the \u2018hurtful\u2019 feedback and growth, instead of taking it too personally and feeling discouraged. This is not an easy task but it makes the process of self-improvement and learning new skills a lot easier.<\/p>\n

Work with respectful people<\/h2>\n

This connects to the previous point quite nicely. Even though constructive criticism can be very beneficial, push you forward and teach you something new, there are also moments when self-respect is needed, especially when working with clients. Don\u2019t forget to treat people the way you\u2019d like to be treated but also, make sure that people don\u2019t cross your boundaries. There can be a moment when people will test your boundaries and underestimate the value of your work. Remember to be professional but expect the same in return.<\/p>\n

Make mistakes<\/h2>\n

This advice was part of the graduation speech and resonates with me to this day. Sometimes it feels easier to play it safe and go down the path that has been walked down and tested many times. Being in that position can feel secure but might dull that spark and curiosity that you\u2019ve got inside. Have the courage to make the right mistakes and believe they can take you to where you are supposed to be. As they say, don\u2019t play it safe. Take a little risk (well calculated, of course) and see what happens. Share your work with the world, approach that client you want to work with, collaborate with people, and do whatever feels right even if you fail. There is an equal chance of everything actually working out instead.<\/p>\n

Don\u2019t forget to have fun<\/h2>\n

This advice is priceless. Doing something you enjoy and are passionate about can make you feel like you have a superpower. You can work for hours and not feel tired, you can come up with ideas in a split second and create work that feels effortless but appears as though you spent hours planning every detail. Embrace the flow and enjoy the process. Combining hard work with fun and passion can create amazing outcomes.<\/p>\n

Simona Hodo\u0148ov\u00e1<\/em><\/p>\n

Instagram: https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/sima.in.stripes\/?hl=en<\/a> <\/p>\n

Webpage: https:\/\/www.theaoi.com\/folios\/simonahodonova\/<\/a><\/p>\n

Email: simonahodonova@gmail.com<\/p>\n

Related blogs<\/h2>\n

My career as a Graphic Designer after studying Communication Design<\/a><\/p>\n

From Undergraduate to Postgraduate studies at Gray\u2019s<\/a><\/p>\n

The post From Communication Design at RGU to a fulfilling freelance business<\/a> appeared first on RGU Student Blog<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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