First Edits —
Media on Starting a Design Career
How to transition from academic case studies to your first income, projects, and a proper career.
[1] Project Idea
Learning design and starting to work as a designer are not the same thing. You can complete a course, assemble several academic projects, be highly proficient in Figma, and still have no idea what to do next. What should I put in my portfolio? Can I start applying for job openings? How much should I charge for my first project? Should I agree to free test work? What should I do if a client asks for revisions for the tenth time?
«First Edits» is a media platform for those who have already started studying design but are still learning how to work as a designer in the real world.
The project will not focus on trends or beautiful references, but on what happens in the first years of professional practice—how to find that first project, build a solid portfolio, communicate with clients, discuss compensation, navigate interviews, and understand the path for future growth.
[2] Media Objective
The goal of this project is to make starting a career in design more comprehensible. There is a wealth of useful information available, but it is scattered across various platforms.
One channel posts job openings, another discusses portfolio development, and a third features experienced designers sharing their career journeys.
Nevertheless, a newcomer still has to piece all this information together and figure out what is relevant to their specific situation.
Therefore, «First Edits» will address specific questions that arise at the beginning of a career.
For example: «Am I ready to apply for this position?» «What is wrong with my portfolio?» «How much should I quote the client?» «Is this test assignment appropriate?» «How do I know when I’ve grown beyond a junior role?»
After every piece of content, the user should understand what to do next.
[3] Future Media Topics
Segment: design, career, education
Niche Topic: the first 1–3 years of a designer’s career in RussiaPrimarily, this project is designed for beginner graphic, communication, digital, web, and product designers.
Key Themes:
Portfolio What work to showcase, how to present academic projects, what to leave out, and how to articulate your design decisions.
Job Search Internships, junior vacancies, resumes, applications, interviews, and take-home assignments.
Money How to assess your work, how much to charge for early projects, how to negotiate salary, and when you shouldn’t agree to work for free.
Client Relations Briefs, deadlines, revisions, agreements, and navigating complex situations during a project.
Professional Growth How to identify skill gaps, the difference between junior and middle levels, and how to advance your career.
The Market What employers expect from emerging designers, the most common skills listed in job postings, and how the market is evolving.
[4] Competitors and Analysis
I wasn’t just looking at media that directly discusses designers' careers. It’s important to understand other avenues a person can pursue if they want to find a job, refine their portfolio, or get career advice. Therefore, competitors can be divided into three groups: direct, indirect, and potential.
For my analysis, I examined: — subject matter and audience — content formats — platforms — tone of voice — practical utility — audience engagement — how easily the information could be applied in practice
Direct Competitors
The Blueprint Career
The Blueprint career track. This section publishes job openings, stories from industry professionals, market news, and materials about creative industry work.What is appealing:
— strong figures and real companies
— a wealth of information directly from the industry
— a well-known brandWhat is lacking:
The project covers the entire creative industry, so not all content is suitable for beginning designers.What one can take away:
real-life stories and interaction with people who are already working in the industry
SETTERS A-Teams
A career project featuring job openings and useful resources for individuals in creative and tech fields.What we like:
— Modern presentation
— Short-form content
— Clear languageWhat is missing:
Design is only one focus area, and the materials are geared toward people with varying levels of experience.What could be improved:
Simplifying the presentation and better integrating useful content with current job openings.
Design Hunters
A design project that publishes job openings, collections, and materials about work and portfolios.What we like:
— The community is very close to ours
— Lots of information specifically about the design marketWhat is missing:
The content is geared toward designers of various levels, so beginners must sift through everything to find what suits them.What could be added:
A stronger connection between the content and the real-world market and job vacancies
Indirect Competitors
Dprofile
A platform where a designer can create a portfolio, view the work of others, or find a job or commission.
It addresses some of the same challenges but primarily offers people tools. However, a novice still needs to figure out how to build their portfolio, what to show an employer, and which jobs are worth applying for.
DESIGNER SEARCH
A Telegram channel featuring job openings and freelance projects for designers.Its strength is that users can immediately move on to job searching. However, the job listing itself doesn’t explain whether it’s suitable for a beginner, how best to apply, or what to show the employer.Other Channels with Designer Vacancies
They solve one task effectively: they display available jobs and projects. But their function usually ends at the listing itself.«First revisions» should help individuals understand where to apply, how to do it, and what to do afterward.