01
A portfolio that passes international filters
An international portfolio doesn't show pretty pieces: it shows decisions. Three complete projects, with a problem, judgement and a result, are worth more than twenty standalone pieces.
Free digital resource · Graphic Design
Career guide: International Graphic Design
Design with European judgement and charge international rates.
Format
Guide + checklist + roadmap
Plan duration
12 months in 4 phases
Price
Free · no sign-up
02
A step-by-step project method
Always work to the same method: briefing, research, visual territory, system and application. When the method is visible, the client buys judgement, not hours.
03
How to move from local rates to euro rates
The rate jump doesn't come from lowering your price, it comes from changing the conversation: quoting per project and by value, never by the hour, and always with scope in writing.
04
A 12-month roadmap
Months 1-3: rebuild three case studies. Months 4-6: define your specialism. Months 7-9: pitch to studios and brands outside your market. Months 10-12: raise your rate and choose your clients.
Diagnosis
What the international market values
Relative weight of each skill in selection processes and in your rate.
Judgement and brand system92/100
The first thing filtered in a portfolio
Case narrative84/100
Problem · decision · result
Production and detail70/100
Taken for granted from senior level
Negotiation and scope65/100
Where margin gets lost
Roadmap
Your 12-month plan, phase by phase
Phase 1 · Months 1-3
25% of the planRebuild three case studies
- Audit what you already have and discard 70% of it
- Define the professional profile you're aiming for
- Block out 5 fixed hours a week for your own work
Deliverable: A written diagnosis and work plan
Phase 2 · Months 4-6
50% of the planDefine your specialism
- Build the centrepiece of your new positioning
- Document your method step by step
- Get feedback from two professionals above your level
Deliverable: One complete, publishable, defensible case
Phase 3 · Months 7-9
75% of the planPitch to studios and brands outside your market
- Go to market: contacts, processes or proposals
- Prepare a 3-minute presentation of your work
- Track responses and adjust the message every two weeks
Deliverable: Portfolio and pitch validated outside your circle
Phase 4 · Months 10-12
100% of the planRaise your rate and choose your clients
- Raise your rate or level of responsibility
- Select projects aligned with your specialism
- Set a professional goal for the next 12 months
Deliverable: A new position or a newly negotiated rate
Progression
Where you start and where you end up
30%TodayYou execute briefs with your own judgement
52%Month 4Your method is visible and repeatable
76%Month 8You compete in international processes
100%Month 12You lead, choose your clients and charge for value
Checklist
Tick off what you have already sorted
Portfolio and evidence
- Three projects told as cases: problem, decision, result
- One piece that demonstrates your judgement, not just your technique
- A measurable or verifiable result in every case
- All material in English, ready for international review
Positioning
- One sentence explaining who you serve and with what judgement
- A professional profile updated with that same sentence
- A 3-minute presentation recorded and reviewed
- Clarity on why Graphic Design and nothing else
International market
- A list of 20 target studios, brands or teams
- Five real contacts started this month
- A rate or salary band defined per project and per month
- Availability and working hours agreed in writing
Training and next step
- A training gap identified in a single sentence
- A realistic weekly calendar compatible with your job
- An instalment payment plan reviewed
- A profile assessment completed to validate the programme
Actions for this week
- Choose three projects and rewrite them as cases with a decision and a result.
- Define in one sentence who you serve best and with what judgement.
- Prepare a standard proposal with scope, phases and a price per project.