Today we’d like to introduce you to Justin Magnuson.
Justin, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
J. Magnuson Design was established in May of 2017. The decision came about as a leap of faith after 8 years working in 2 different corporate environments. Being a freelance graphic designer was something that had been a goal of mine since college. I knew the corporate and typical 9-5 lifestyle wasn’t going to work for me in the long run, but I needed more experience and opportunities before going out on my own.
I came to Chicago from Minnesota in 2005 to get my degree in Art & Design from DePaul University. After graduating in 2009, the economy was tanked and finding a design job was next to impossible. At this point, I thought circumstances outside of my control were going to push me into freelance head first. A few months later, I was lucky to get my first position in the finance sector. Day-to-day work heavily focused on charts, documents, and other less-than exciting projects. The environment and people were great, but I was eager for more creative projects. I knew I needed to move on to keep my motivation going and even toyed again with the idea of starting freelance in a still weak job market.
An opportunity then presented itself in the grocery industry. There I was fortunate to have large scale environmental design projects for the stores, web & print campaigns, and the chance to build my own marketing program. The job was exciting and really let my design work grow in the first years. Three years later though, I was beginning to get bored again and knew I needed a bigger challenge.
This brought me to late 2016 where I started working on making J. Magnuson Design come to life. A series of circumstances collided that pushed me to finally jump. Some were personal and professional, and honestly the new political climate had me reevaluating my priorities. The world had suddenly turned upside down and I knew I needed to take my future and life satisfaction into my own hands.
I felt I had enough experience and motivation to go out on my own. I quit my job without any clients set up. Looking back, it probably wasn’t the safest idea, but it gave me the extra push to work quickly and start cold emailing potential clients. Luckily, feedback was positive and work started to come in. The level of support from other small businesses reassured me that I had made the right decision. Funnily enough, my two biggest clients have been my previous jobs. From here, clients and projects continued to grow and I’ve exceeded my business goals in my first year.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While I’ve been lucky and surpassed my goals for this year, it’s not always the easiest path. Every month is different and as a freelance designer you go through extreme highs and lows. One month you are billing more than you’ve ever made and the next month you are seriously questioning your decision. There’s a lot of self-doubt in the first year of going freelance and you’ll likely receive a lot of unsolicited advice.
This is where it is always important to look at the bigger picture. Am I making my yearly goals? Has my change in lifestyle and freedom been worth it? Do I feel like I’m growing professionally? At the end of my first year, all the answers are yes. It makes me really excited to see what is coming in the year ahead. As a freelancer/independent business, you have to take a step back and appreciate what you are doing. This isn’t something everyone can or is able to do. I’m fortunate, talented, and motivated enough to make this a reality.
Another obstacle is finding new clients. It’s intimidating to share your work with strangers and ask to work with them with no prior connection. You’re going to get a bunch of unreturned emails and a few negative responses. As I mentioned before though, overall you are going to receive support from the community. There might not be opportunities right away, but the start of a relationship is there and you can’t give up.
J. Magnuson Design – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
J. Magnuson Design specializes in graphic design for businesses that aren’t at a point where they need an in-house designer. Specifically, I concentrate on branding. I’ve discovered a passion and forte in helping brands create a cohesive identity. I take clients through 3 main steps.
1- Identify the target market and what will appeal to that market.
2- Develop a core identity through a logo, color palettes, imagery, and typography.
3- Apply that core identity to all customer facing materials such as signage, websites, marketing materials, packaging, and stationary.
Most recently, my 3 step process was applied to a complete brand overhaul for a local grocery chain. My focus on a consistent brand message enabled the company to increase brand recognition & loyalty and expand in the Chicago market.
I also pride myself in the relationships I build with my clients. I like to treat J. Magnuson Design not just as a business that’s filling another business’ needs, but as someone that you are really connecting with. I think this stronger relationship creates stronger work for the client. If I really know you and the ideals of your business, the design is always going to come out better. The enthusiastic responses I get from clients when they get a new draft make it all worth it.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment is now being able to take the time to focus on more personal projects. Recently, I’ve been working on a series of prints that I will be selling online and hopefully in local shops around the city. The idea of selling my personal work to anyone and not just businesses for J. Magnuson Design is exciting and scary at the same time. Branching my business out to more than just marketing projects allows me to be even more fulfilled by my work. The prints are nearly ready and I expect to open an online shop in January 2018. Stay tuned to my social media and website for more updates!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jmagnusondesign.com
- Phone: 952-215-5202
- Email: jwmagnuson@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jmagnuson17/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JustinMagnusonDesign/
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