Amanda Rios
Q What do you do?
“I’m a freelance graphic designer who has a passion for helping small business owners and female entrepreneurs find creative solutions to successfully run their business through brand identity design as well as photo retouching.”
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
I first got into graphic design during my Junior year of high school while finding it intuitive and something I was always drawn to.
I then graduated with a Bachelor's degree in design and digital media at the College of Staten Island (CUNY). After numerous internships, I discovered the world of freelancing and haven't looked back since.
As a disabled designer I realized the regular 9 to 5 agency job was too impractical for me thus appreciating the freelance lifestyle and it fueling my passion to build relationships with clients through meaningful works of art.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
I find that offering my specialties of brand identity design and photo retouching are an interesting pairing of services that is rare in my field.
Q What are you working on right now?
As a freelancer I always have numerous jobs that I'm working on simultaneously, however the simple answer is I currently design collateral for an apartment based advertising company as well as having several personal design clients privately.
Q What’s your style?
Although I haven't found an exact definition of my personal style, I'd say it can be described as modern and clean with a hint of pizazz and sophistication.
One project that best depicts this is: ariosgraphics.com/auria
In terms of where I'd like to be professionally, I truly admire these fellow designers on social media.
Alex Krahling
Pink Pony Creative
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
Although I don't consider this in my skillset I'd like to learn more about marketing since I believe it can benefit my business in terms of promoting myself and my services.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
My initial answer would be finding clients and keeping a consistent income. However with almost 3 years into the freelancing game I realize having a constant rotation of jobs is beneficial. To answer your question, I can't honestly think of anything that frustrates me since I believe I'm in a better place than I once was a year ago.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
I'd immediately hire a personal business coach to guide me as my mentor.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
If I could go back to give my freshly college graduated self advice, I'd say you have quite a long journey ahead but to stay patient. Good things come to those who wait because time is the ultimate currency in this field to cultivating your skill.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I would talk to a business coach or someone who could mentor me about navigating the harsh waves of owning a business.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I'm currently looking for more exposure to gain more clientele and to create meaningful connections with fellow designers and people in the creative industry.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
An ideal client of mine would be a female business owner who is in the clothing and beauty industry and is in need of either a new identity or a complete brand overhaul for their company.
Q What is your rate?
As a freelance graphic designer I always custom tailor all of my prices depending on my clients budget and individual needs.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Q Who is a creative you admire?
One person who I'd recommend is my personal friend and colleague, Jessica Oddi. Jessica is an amazing web designer who focuses on the education and awareness of accessible design and advocates for other disabled designers.
Email: oddi.jessica@gmail.com
Website: jessicaoddi.com
Instagram:@oddi.jessica
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
I enjoy interacting with other designers and creatives via social media and stay up to date on the latest design trends on websites in the creative industry.
This member profile was originally published in October 2022