My 2022 Round-up: A year of icons, Pinterest and collaboration
2022 was a great year for so many reasons. I worked with amazing clients on a range of lovely and rewarding projects. I worked with a wonderful design coach that really helped me perfect my process.
I was able to plant 64 trees on behalf of my clients, 11 more than last year after I started offering extra trees as an incentive for completing my feedback form! On a personal note, I got married and celebrated our second year of living in the Netherlands, which was really special and we have grown to love our life here.
So, to celebrate such a lovely year, I wanted to pull together a blog post of highlights, things I’ve learnt and things I want to continue to do as we move into 2023.
My projects in numbers:
Here is an overview of projects that I worked on in 2022. I was so fortunate to be able to work on 52 projects with 35 clients and plant 64 trees. For those who love numbers as much as me, 24 of these projects included branding, 19 of these had Websites or Squarespace Support as part of the project and 11 of these were focused on Print or Packaging.
Fun fact: The industry I worked most closely with was Animal Trainers and Plants! I worked with four dog trainers, four plant-sellers or stores, four wellness brands and three coaches.
Portfolio Highlights:
What I enjoyed most about 2022 and what I want to take forward in 2023: Packages and Pinterest
There were so many nice parts of the year but I really concentrated on creating packages that can support my clients with everything they need including branding design, social media design, print, packaging and website design. I really love working in this way as I can collaborate with my clients on multiple parts of their brand and create a really consistent brand that runs all the way through their business and fills them with confidence! I would love to do more of these as I move into 2023 and I recently redone my packages that allow this level of depth by including design time that we can personalise to fit the needs of my clients and can be tailored to them.
Lastly, I’ve also loved how my Pinterest marketing has performed and I’m starting to share this knowledge with my clients by creating pinterest templates for them as part of my Social Media design and give them tutorials on the best ways to post on Pinterest.
Case Study: MeaningfulMarketing - A full Brand, Logo, Graphics and Website Package
What I learnt in 2022: Taking on less work and having fun with Icons
Every year in my business I learn so much. I get better at design, I work on projects in new industries or on larger projects, improve my project management skills, get better at doing my taxes! This year was no different.
The thing that really stands out to me is that towards the end of 2022 is that I got better at taking on less work and managing my to-do list. When I first started Begin in 2020, I took on every single project I could because I was so nervous about my business failing - but in 2022 my schedule started to fill until it was completely and overwhelmingly full. And I realised that in order to be the best collaborator and designer that I can be, each client needs dedicated time, space and focus and I’ve created a booking system that works for me and allows me to work on only 2 or 3 clients at a time.
Another thing I really learnt this year is that the best projects are the ones where you allow yourself to have fun, be creative and suggest new things! For me, this was starting to draw alongside my branding projects and being able to offer my clients icons and illustrations that pair perfectly and consistently with their brand. I added these to my core branding package this year so I can do more of them as they can be such a wonderful and useful asset.
A collection of Icons from 2022 - all with varying styles
And that’s me! 2022 flew by and I have no doubt 2023 will be exactly the same, with lots of beautiful projects and great collborations. Do you have any wins that you want to share? Feel free to slide into my instagram and we can chat!
Hey! I’m Amy, and this is Begin Studio.
Here I create unique, thoughtful brands for adventurous businesses in the UK and beyond. I guide my clients from logo and branding design all the way through to packaging, websites and even the social media launch of their new business. I also run a small blog with resources for designers who are just starting out in the freelance world or are recent graduates.
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