How Design Students Can Stand Out with Personal Domains

Once it was unimaginable that you would find jobs in just a few clicks of a mouse. 

That said, in today’s digital era, design students have a unique chance to juggle between projects, parties, and school.

Gone are the days when our parents had to rely on traditional design tools and means to find work. Now, it’s sufficient to find a stable internet connection and some free online tools. 

However, to truly stand out in the vast digital sea of designers, you need to understand the importance of having a personal portfolio website. 

In this article, we’ll show you why it’s crucial to build one and give you tips that are memorable.

Importance of Personal Branding for Design Students

If you are wondering why you should ‘waste’ your precious free time between lessons to make a website, the reasons are multiple. 

But let’s just state some of the more obvious ones: 

• A personal website is good for your branding. It’s your space, and yours alone, where recruiters and people who require design skills will focus on your work. It’s sort of a digital business card.

• Sure you have your CV, but a website with a personal domain offers the opportunity to present your work. ‘Acta, non verba’, an old Latin proverb says. ‘Actions, not words’, as they do speak louder. 

Think of your personal domain website as a gallery of your best projects and designs. 

• At this age, design students are in their exploration phase where learning is a constant. Therefore, sharing new skills and knowledge with other people on a personal website could prove to be an awesome way to start your own community. 

Who knows, maybe some of these people recommend you for a new gig. If these people are impressed by what they see on your website, they might contact you for a project even if your portfolio is not that big. 

• Ultimately, the personal website is the perfect way for design students to generate some income, not just through projects. 

Namely, if you work on your online presence with passion, it could drive more traffic to your website. In turn, this can help you monetize it through some ad spaces and similar. 

Read More: How to Show Off Skills In a Creative Way With a Personal Website

Tips for Design Students on Building Their Own Personal Domain and Website

When you want to know more about, well anyone, what do you do? You google them, of course.

It’s pretty much the same process with recruiters looking to hire a graphic designer for their project or open positions. 

What pops up in their search depends on how well you brand yourself. While personal branding takes time, there is no better moment to start than as a student. A personal website – it’s a design student’s passport for this journey. 

Now, let’s dive into the essentials: 

Craft a Memorable Name and Domain 

The domain should both reflect your personality and be catchy. Always remember to avoid any complex names. In fact, our domain might be perfect for you. Check out why!

Build Up Credibility 

Having a personal website shows how much you are willing to invest in your work and promotes your dedication. 

Tips for Design Students – Blog About Your Interests and Network 

Sharing your ideas and creative flows is an interesting way to connect with people searching for graphic designers. Moreover, it’s a perfect way to share your ‘business card’ (website URL) at different networking events for design students and others interested in hiring designers. 

Link Your Social Media Accounts 

Social media is a space where you have complete creative freedom. Connecting it to your personal website could greatly expand your online presence. 

Showcase Your Best Work 

Its main function is to present your work to a wide audience online, so make sure that your best work is there. But remember, it’s important to use high-quality content and always stay up to date. Otherwise, your online portfolio will be less relevant. 

UX matters 

Hard-to-navigate websites with tons of clutter are a major turn-off. So ensuring that it’s user-friendly is essential. Of course, your domain needs to look awesome on all screens, but focus on the mobile version. After all, most people browse on their phones. 

Tips for Design Students – Get a Matching Email 

A personalized email in line with your chosen domain exudes professionalism. Also, avoid ‘wild’ names and nicknames in the first part of the email. 

Design student jobs are maybe some of the most common freelance options to find online. So use these tips to seize the opportunity and jumpstart your designer career, earning some money in the process. 

Personal Branding Examples 

Now that you know the basics, it’s time to check out the real-life examples of your fellow designers with more experience. As in many other areas, in design, you can also pursue distinctive directions. 

Steve McKinney – Steve is using his iamsteeve.me website to provide tips and tricks for designers and developers. 

Liron Ashkenazi-Eldar – Senior Design Director at Buck by day, by night (or any other time) she uses her personal space lirona.me to sell her art and designs. 

Ben Pawsey – While some are trying to change the world by cleaning plastic, others do it with their design. Ben, for instance, is focusing on eco-friendly design practices and projects. Check it out on his personal website pawsey.me.

Sharon Lin – Here we have an example of a design student who made a name for herself in the world of UX/UI design. Check out the beautiful personal corner of shylin.me.

Rafael Medina – With the evolution of digital products, the need for product designers who will focus on customer experience is constantly rising. Just ask rafaelmedina.me. 

As you can see, each of them has added their own unique touch to their web pages. 

However, these are just a few drops in the bucket. There are plenty more shining designer website examples. Make sure to check out more creative concepts, before you start exploring your own. 

Wrap Up

Finally, design students today possess a really strong tool that will make them stand out – their own personal website. By crafting a memorable online presence, with a personal touch, and displaying a portfolio of your best work or simply your ideas and creative processes, you are on a good track. 
So, don’t waste more time, create your digital space. Start with selecting your .me domain today!