Success story: Akdesign and D3images, a top Freepik contributors
Majorca based couple Agata and Darius are passionate about graphic design. Here they talk about the inspirations and motivations behind their designs as well as why Freepik is the perfect platform for them. Whether new or old to the business you could sure learn a thing or two so let’s get to know them!
Tell us a little bit about yourself. Where do you live. Do you have any hobbies? How did you meet?
Our names are Agata and Darius and we are not only in love with graphic design but also each other. We met 8 years ago when we were both in the first steps of our design careers. Darius studied product design and I studied graphic design. Since we met, we have enjoyed every day together, and we support each other not only in life but also with our businesses. Three years ago we got married and after we emigrated from Germany to Majorca/Spain, we love living in this beautiful island. Majorca is very inspiring and in our free time, we enjoy the beaches, mountains, biking, and snowboarding in winter… simply anything outdoors and in nature which is a great balance to work.
Afterwards, you should never lose any curiosity; regularly visit design and tutorial websites, stay up to date and always try new styles going forward, it’s very helpful. Never stop learning!
Tell us about your portfolio: How many vectors have you designed throughout your career? When did you first start designing? What style are you most comfortable working in?
Darius and I have very different design styles. Darius has a typical male style and I love the female style. But nevertheless our tastes tend to travel in the same direction, so we can always support each other with different ideas and tips. Our main working areas are professional graphic design, print and web templates, presentations, mock-ups, UI designs, digital media and microstock designs. We started creating vectors for microstock platforms quite a few years ago because we saw that this design field had a lot potential. Now – after 6 years of microstock work – we have designed around 10.000 vectors together.
How did you become interested in design and photography? When did you start working in the industry?
Darius was always with his camera on the road and was generally interested in computers and developing creative things. He’s had (since he was 16 years old) a small black book, which has always been his companion to write down creative ideas. And I my entire life have loved making creative and individual things. My first real step in graphic design was, while I was working (alongside being in High School) at a copy shop and I made my first design creations and printed them on clothing.
For sure one of the outstanding benefits of premium content is that you can get more earnings than any other microstock platforms.
What made you decide to work with microstock platforms?
Of course, we cannot deny that earnings are one of the important things, but nevertheless, the work on microstock is very creative and amusing. You can create totally free designs and are able to let your creativity run free while trying different styles and appealing to a lot of people.
What advice or tips would you give anyone starting out as a graphic designer and photographer?
We would always recommend learning all the basic design stuff, whether in education, school or even alone online (many talented people are successful this way), but it’s good to know how for example colors, typography and of course the programs themselves work. Afterwards, you should never lose any curiosity; regularly visit design and tutorial websites, stay up to date and always try new styles going forward, it’s very helpful. Never stop learning!
Freepik gives you a familiar feeling; as designers, we have the feeling that we know who we are working with. We are very happy to be a part of Freepik.
And what about people who are thinking about getting involved with microstock platforms?
Nowadays Microstock platforms are the best way for agencies/designers to get high quality, up to date designs for a small budget. At the end, agencies/designers can complete more projects, as they can get patterns, backgrounds, photos and much more with different topics for supporting their projects successfully.
What made you take the step to join Freepik?
We always liked to use Freepik, while we were still were making custom work. As we heard some years ago that Freepik had opened the rules, that every designer could apply, we were very happy and sent directly our applications. This time we were already selling microstock content on other platforms and Freepik was another great way to reach more people with our designs.
Which do you think are the main advantages of working with Freepik’s contributor model in comparison with other platforms?
For sure one of the outstanding benefits of premium content is that you can get more earnings than any other microstock platforms. And we also like that Freepik (although the platform is so big) gives you a familiar feeling; as designers, we have the feeling that we know who we are working with. We are very happy to be a part of Freepik.
What advice would you give to other designers that want to be contributors on Freepik? Do you have any tips on how to succeed on our platform?
It’s always important to have your own style and this should be mixed with the newest trends. So the continuity is important – you cannot take a break from your older designs and hope the money will keep coming in. Even for Christmas elements like Santa Claus they are always the same, Santa needs an update every year to stay on trend. And generally, our first rule for creating microstock graphics is: upload only designs, which you would also buy! If you are not 100 % satisfied with a design, then rework it until you are really satisfied – the customer will see, if someone made a design with their whole heart and high-quality designs will evermore exist successfully.
Would you recommend other designers to join Freepik as contributors?
Yes, of course! Microstock designs are a great source of income, so try it out! We are very satisfied working with Freepik and also wish you a lot of success.
