The pandemic has seen a rise in the number of people offering freelance art or design  services to businesses and individuals. If you are among this expanding number, here are some things you need to be aware of in the next 12 months and beyond.

Cybersecurity is vital

Rather than downloading the software to your laptop, which can be fraught with a number of issues, such as compatibility, you might want to consider accessing a version on the cloud.

In practical terms, this means using a container, holding everything you need to work, and it is likely be orchestrated using K8s (Kubernetes). While this might seem like a tech issue rather than something that will concern a graphic designer or artist, Kubernetes security is vital to remote working. Like nearly all issues with cybersecurity, the weak link is usually the human element. So, to decrease the chances of that weak link being you – ensuring access to your tech is restricted to just yourself is an important step.

Use cloud technology to your advantage

While this might seem like a lot of pressure, the benefits of using cloud technology far outweigh having to upgrade your tech regularly just to fulfill the software or hardware requirements of a short-term contract. The ability to log in from anywhere also increases the option to travel while you work, or move to regions where housing is cheaper due to limited job opportunities in the local area.

While this was not necessarily something completely new, the advances in technology accelerated by the needs to work during the pandemic has meant that much more is possible to those using graphics and design packages than may have been before. This also has the knock-on effect of making the path of a freelance artist or designer more accessible as the initial outlay is potentially reduced.

Contracts are awarded differently

Something else that has moved on in the last two years is the way is the way that contracts are awarded. Much more of the recruitment process for both permanent and freelance roles is now done online so that whereas before you may have had to make a long journey so that a company could interview you, the whole process is almost exclusively done remotely, opening up your job opportunities even further.

Final thoughts

One of the areas that has grown in the last 18 months during the pandemic has been among those offering specialist services remotely, and by being aware of a few developments, you can make the most of the increased opportunities created by the situation. Firstly, cybercrime is on the increase, so you need to be more safety conscious online than ever, especially now that you are likely to be accessing your work almost exclusively on the cloud. However, this opens up more work opportunities, as cloud technology removes some of the geographical or financial restraints that would have stopped you, especially now that you can be awarded a major contract without ever leaving your home.