The short version
- Designers sell taste and trust. Show the work, and show how you get from a messy brief to a finished piece.
- A sketch beside the final logo is a better post than a polished mockup.
- Client work needs the client's OK. Ask before you post a logo that hasn't launched.
- 3 posts a week works: one project, one process post, one availability note.
You spend your days making other people's pages look good. Yours stays blank because the next deadline always comes first.
These graphic designer social media post ideas give you 17 posts you can build from work you've already finished. Trade the [brackets] for your clients and your style. If you also build sites, look at our web designer post ideas, and for the words on the page, copywriter post ideas. Motion work has its own list in animation studio post ideas.
What a good designer post shows
- The problem the client had, in one line.
- The finished piece, large enough to see clearly.
- One decision you made and why.
- Where it ended up: a van, a menu, a sign, a shelf.
- A way to start a project with you.
Small-town buyers hire the designer they can picture sitting across from them. See before and after post ideas for how to line up two images so the change is obvious.
Project stories and before and afters
Logo and its sketches
The logo for [business], from first sketch to final. They wanted something that looked friendly on a van and sharp on a business card. This was version 4.
Photo: A sketch beside the finished logo.
Menu before and after
[Restaurant]'s menu was a wall of text. Now you can find the burger in 3 seconds. Same food, same prices.
Photo: The old and new menu side by side.
On the truck
Our design, wrapped on [client]'s truck. Seeing it roll down [street] is the best part of the job.
Photo: The truck on the road, with permission.
Packaging shelf shot
Packaging for [product], on the shelf at [store]. It had to read from 6 feet away, and it does.
Photo: The product on a shelf at the store.
Poster for the town
Poster for [event] this [month] at [place]. The committee gave me a tight brief and a tight deadline, and the printed copy came out great.
Photo: The printed poster on a wall.
How you work with clients
Most buyers have never hired a designer. They don't know what happens after the first email. Tell them.
Three questions I always ask
Before I draw anything I ask 3 things: who's the customer, where will this be seen and what do you hate? The third one is the fastest way to a good design.
Photo: A notebook with the 3 questions written out.
How a project runs
A logo project goes: one call, 3 sketches, one round of changes, final files. Most take [number] weeks. I'll give you the date up front.
Photo: A simple timeline sketch on paper.
What files you get
When we're done you'll have your logo in every format you'll need: print, web, one-color and white-on-dark. No hunting for the right file later.
Photo: A folder of files on a screen with client info hidden.
Font and color choices
Why we picked this blue for [client]: it's calm, it prints well and it doesn't look like every other plumber's. Color should earn its place.
Photo: A color swatch card next to the logo.
Availability and small project posts
Booking for the month
I'm taking [number] new projects in [month]. If you need a logo, a menu or a set of flyers, message me this week.
Photo: A desk with a monitor and a coffee, uncluttered.
Fix your old flyer
Bring me the flyer you made at midnight in a free app. I'll rebuild it so it's readable from across the room. Quick turnaround, fixed price.
Photo: A cluttered flyer, with a redesign beside it.
A starter pack for new businesses
Opening a business in [town]? My starter pack is a logo, a business card and a Facebook cover photo. Message me and I'll send what's included.
Photo: A business card and a cover image on a desk.
Thank you to a repeat client
This is the 5th project for [client]. Thank you for coming back every time. It means a lot to a one-person shop.
Photo: A stack of past work on a shelf.
Quick design tips for owners
Three fonts is too many
Free design tip: use 2 fonts, not 5. One for headlines, one for the rest. Your flyer will look more expensive today.
Photo: A flyer with only 2 fonts, annotated.
Phone number size
If someone has to squint to read your number on the truck, they won't call. Make it as big as your name.
Photo: A truck door with a large number.
Photo or no photo
A real photo of your work beats a stock photo every time. If you don't have one, bring me your phone and we'll find the good ones.
Photo: A phone gallery with a few shots circled.
Print vs screen colors
Why does your logo look different on a business card than on your phone? Screens glow, paper doesn't. I check both before I send anything.
Photo: A card held up next to a screen.
A simple week of designer posts
3 posts a week
- TueFinished projectThe problem, the piece and where it ended up.
- ThuProcessA sketch, a question, a choice you made.
- SatAvailabilityOpen slots or a small project.
A designer's week is lumpy, so batch your posts when you're between projects. How to batch a month of posts shows how.
What makes a designer's Page look dated
Do
- Show one piece per post, large and clear.
- Tell the problem before the solution.
- Credit clients who've said yes.
- State your lead time.
Don't
- Post work before the client has launched it.
- Show 10 logos in one image.
- Criticize a competitor's design.
- Use free templates for your own Page.